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EuroTrip 2016
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EuroTrip 2016

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  • Breanna's BlogEuroTrip 2016Breanna's Blog

    If 1 Benadryl works... 2 can do better

    June 28, 2016 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    So we finally boarded the night train from Prague to Amsterdam... 13 hours with a stop in Dresden, Germany.

    I dont have much to report, thanks to last night (🍻) and the lack of sleep, we basically passed out the entire time. I have to say that the bus itself was actually quite comfortable and all in all, a rather uneventful (albeit long) time!

    Next stop: Amsterdam!!!    Read more

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    Just wipe it off and use it again later!

    June 28, 2016 in the Netherlands ⋅ 🌧 16 °C

    HERE WE ARE IN AMSTERDAM OMGGGGGGGGG.

    We got to the bus station at around 930am and headed into the terminal to take the subway into the city. We found our way and arrived at Amsterdam Central Station and walked out of the doors to see the beautiful canal and buildings all around. We found our way to the hotel (which... Its slightly smaller than all of our other rooms so far and only has wifi in the lobby BUT the beds are comfy and the rooms are clean, so no more complaints).

    We were still early, so we stored our bags and headed into the city to explore! First stop was to the Van Gogh museum where we saw the work and life of an amazing Dutch painter. It truly was inspiring to See his progression as an artist and decent into madness. We left thoroughly inspired and in search of food.

    As we walked through the streets, we stumbled upon a cute little italian restaurant where i had a phenomenal caprise salad and the best calzone i have had in my entire life! We sat and chatted, enjoying the rest before heading out into the city to explore some more.

    Dont ask me how, but someone we ended up at Lush (we are so basic) and chatted with the sales associate.. When we told him about our travels and how tored we were, he called over another associate and PAMPERED us. I mean, hand scrub, hand cream, face toner, mask, scrub, cream, eye cream and tea tree oil spray. We honestly needed it so badly, and felt instantly refreshed as we left.

    Once we hit a grocery store and navigated our way home (we are really pros at this whole being local thing) we all showered, repacked, and are currently sitting in the lobby stealing the wifi and eating fruit. It was a wonderful day, can't wait to explore some more tomorrow!!

    🌿 #sbteurotrip    Read more

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    If I was a Duck, I would live here.

    June 30, 2016 in the Netherlands ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Day two in Amsterdam... Rise and shine! Or, in our case, sleep in and curse the church bells. While Taylor slept like an actual rock (that is some next level talent) Shaunessa and I were woken up every half an hpur by the beautiful church bells. I mean I think they could have been beautiful IF WE WERENT TRYING TO SLEEP.

    Oh well, we had to get up sometime, so at around 1030 we got dressed and ready, made ourselves pb&banana sandwiches for lunch and headed out on our next adventure!

    First stop: souvenir shopping! We scoured shops high and low to find souvenirs for all of our friends at home. Or just ourselves, you won't know until we are home!! So we ambled around the city getting lost and swttled ourselves into a cute park for some tasty lunch. As we were eating, however, aome people decided to feed the pigeons right beaide us and let me tell you... Those birds are much more agressive out here in amsterdam. So we quickly finished up and realized it was getting close to our bike tour of Amsterdam!

    We found our way to the bike shop (eventually...) and got fitted with a bright red bike and given a rundown of how biking works here. Let me tell you, biking is THE way to get around Amstersam. Honestly, its like everyone stays out of your way and the lights always give favour to the bikers. And it helps that these bikes are absolutely magical in that with only three gears, they feel like you are doing absolutely nothing at all but gliding across the streets!

    Our guide, Sylvia, proceeded to take us to several places in Amsterdam and tell us about why the city is so beautiful and lively. She told us how the entire city used to be a port for launching ships and one day, they decided to build ARTIFICIAL LAND and create canals throughout the city to encourage growth ans trade! We biked through central station and a few of the nicer neighborhoods and Syliva told us why Amsterdam is associated with the three red X's (as youve probably seen in many of my posts).

    The red Xs originally belonged to a prestigious family that settled in Amsterdam prior to the artificial land building days. Amsterdam decided to adopt it as their own to represent the three huge problems they have had to overcome as a nation: Floods, Fires, and the Black Plague.

    Next, we biked over to the largest park in Amsterdam where we found out it was once part of the hippie trail in the 1970s, and many people used to camp here to avoid paying for hostels. The government made this illegal in the late 70s and now, that area is one of the most expensive to stay in.

    After, we biked through the museum district and near the red I AMSTERDAM sign the city errcted in 2004. The sign is supposed to represent the multicultural nature of Amsterdam and how the city is abput more that just drugs, sex, and windmills - it's about leaving a bit of you here and taking a bit of the culture back!

    Next up, skinny bridge! This is a small bridge (that used to be smaller) close to the locks in the canal system where boats come through and the city regulates the flow of the water. It is a drawbridge to let tall ships through, and is a famous landmark in the city today.

    Last stop: one of the oldest working windmills left in Amsterdam. In Amsterdam, you are allowed to actually live in a windmill if you take a year long course on how to manage it and provide proper maintenance! This one had a small brewery attached to it, and we each had a glass of amazing beer for only 2.5 euro! Fortunately for us, we didn't even have to actually pay for the beer as we ran into a bit of luck and found 10 euro a little while earlier. Score!

    Afterwards we cycled back to the buke shop to drop off our bikes, and headed back to our hostel to get ready for the rest of the evening. We decided we wanted to check out the red light district tonight, so we bundled up (it was getting quite chilly!) and went out in search of food.

    Shaunessa had recommended an asian atir fry place she tried last time she was here called wok to walk, and LET ME TELL YOU it was so so good! Honeslty the ingredients and sauces were so flavorful, it might have been one of the best stir fry I have ever had in my life!

    After we finished eating we set out to explore the (in)famous red light district! We walked along the main strip and quite a few of the side streets, and honestly I don't have that much to report. It was so much more tame than I expected it to be: the girls were all covered up, most of them texting and seemed bored. Maybebit was a slow night, I don't know for sure... But there definitely wasn't as much scandal as I thought there was going to be!

    We strolled for a few hours anyway, sitting by the canal to take in thebsights and sounds before heading back to get a good nights rest, again.

    Tomorrow ia our last full day - talk to you then!    Read more

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    Share your talent!

    June 30, 2016 in the Netherlands ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Day 3 in Amsterdam... Yay! Today we didnt really have much on the agenda, so we got up (thanks to the church bells AGAIN) and headed out to start the day! Firat stop was the red light district (too see what its like during the day) and to visit an amazing candy store called Candy Freaks! When we were walking through, we noticed that a lot of girls were just getting setting up for the day, so once again there was not a lot to report.

    We continued on and fpind the store of my dreams... A candy store with literally some of THE best candy I have ever TASTED. most of it was vegan, organic, and all natural.. All of it waa delicious. After grabbing some candy, we wanted to make sure we hit the I Amsterdam sign so we headed to the free (!) ferry that takes you across the bay to northern amsterdam 24 hours a day.

    On the way we had to walk through central station, nd we noticed a group of girls standing around a piano singing while a man played it and three people were social dancing. We noticed that the floor had a sign saying "share your talent" and realized that these people had all come together randomly to do something that thwy loved. Of course, Shaunessa and Taylor were prodding me to go in and dance... So after some convincing I did. I absolutely loved it! The girla sang "say something" followed by "hallelujah" and I honestlu felt so free dancing in front of the crowd that gathered to watch.

    After I was done, we headed to the ferry once again, me just a tad sweaty and winded. After boarding the ferry we got to the othwr side and made a B-line to the I Amsterdam sign. We made frienda with a cute girl from the Philippines who was on a layover while working on a cruise and ahe took some pictures for us woth the sign. We also checked out the museum of film and the arts briefly before heading back to sout Amsterdam.

    Once we got back, we knew we had a few more things to grab and - though it started to absolutely POUR - we braved the weather and went shopping anyway! Canadians, eh?

    After perusing some more, yhe rain slowed a bit and we headed back to the hostel where we caught a nice nap. Something about rainy weather juat makes you want to curl up and sleep!

    Right now we are in the lobby bar stealing wifi and blogging before packing up... Next stop, Brussels!    Read more

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    Nobody wants a Soggy Waffle

    July 3, 2016 in Belgium ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Our first full day in Brussels! Last night, after getting in and finding what seems like the only open waffle house and watching the brussels game/orange is the new black, we got a little sleep before getting up and heading out on a walking tour at 1030am.

    The walking tour was amazing and our guide, Adrian, made it even better. We started out at the Grand Place of Brussels - an amazing square which houses the city hall, kings house, and various old guilds now dedicated to public services. The only guild still housed in the Grand Place is the guild a brasseur: the brewers guild. Brussels is known for its beer and trust us .. There is a reason for this 🍺

    After taking in the splendor that is the gilded buildings of the Grand Place, we headed to our next stop: Mannekin Pis. This unique statue represents a little boy peeing into a well... And they honestly don't know why. The best guess they have is that back in the day, many items had to be dyed with a mix of ammonia and where can you find ammonia for cheap? In your urine. The statue is bit of a legend now, and (though small) definitely brings character to the city.

    After mannekin pis, we travelled through to see the church of st nikolas, the church of st michel and the opera house (all beautiful but I'm too tired to think right now) and ended up past the sablon to the city hall overlook.

    Once the tour was over, we decided we wanted to go to the (in)famous bar "delirium" where therr are hundreds of belgian beers on tap including several of their house brewed. Honestly we just went for the pink elephant glasses... Which we may have walked out with. I'm not sure. Ok I'm sure. We have the glasses.

    After thr siccessful raid of the pink elephant glasses we headed back to the hotel to change and shower before coming back into the city to grab food and watch the germany vs. Italy game. Yay Deutchland!

    As usual, we were out far later than we thought we would be and headed back to the hotel to get some rest before checking out tomorrow .

    That's all for now!    Read more

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    Vueling: Making Ryanair look Luxurious

    July 4, 2016 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 24 °C

    This post is going to encompass nearly 48 hours, only because thats how long our day has been.

    Let me explain.

    Day 3 in Brussels: time to wake up and check out, spend the day in brussels and take a late flight into Barcelona! Yay! We get up and out of the hotel by 10am, head to the train station to store our bags and start wandering the city. Except it start to rain. Hard. I'm talkinf torrential downpour, people... We had to duck and run for cover most of the day just so we were dry for the plane. We explored the city for the last time, but theres not mucb to report as this is a city you honestly could see in a little over a day.

    5:00 rolls around and we decided to head to the train station to frab out bags and catch a ride to the airport. We get there around 545 to check in and as we drop our bags, we are informed that our 9:25 flight may be delayed by 2 hours and will leave around 11:25. Although this was annoying, we understood that these things happen.

    We grabbed a bite at quick burger (which is McDonalds on CRACK... SO GOOD) and head to the gate to wait for he flight.

    That's when the BS ensues.

    As we are waiting, I happen to glance at the screen at the boarding gate and notice there has been a gate change.. No announcement and no delay had been posted, just a change of gate. So we pick up our stuff and head all the way to thhe end of the terminal. It is now nearly 9:00 and we see no groundstaff or plane, so we check the board again.... Delayed until 11:35? We expected this, but due to he hassle they issued us a voucher for 8 euro each. Want to know ehat you can get in an airport for 8 euro? Not much.

    So we grab our drinks and head ro the bar area to watch the iceland game. As the game is coming to a close we decide to check the screen again and there is another delay.. Until 12:30am. Now I could go on and on about how they kept ccanging the time without telling us, and the angry tweets and emails we sent to Vueling, but in the interest in keeping me calm I will just say we boarded the plane nearly 6 hours late and left after 330am.

    Once we arrived, by the time we grabbed our bags, took the metro in the city and found the airbNb we were staying in, it was well past 6am and we decided to not sleep and just start our day.

    First ... Our airbnb. Our first experience in Prague was great... This one is good enough to sleep in. Thats all we will say about that.

    So we got in, dropped off our stuff, put on pur bathing suits and headed to the beach. We arrived at the beach just past 7 and promptly fell asleep until around 1030/11. (this might have a little to do with the giant lobster like burns covering most of my body) Now when we went to sleep, the beach was seriously empty. When we woke up.. We were packed like sardines!

    We stayed out for a while longer and decided to head out for a day of shoppi g.

    After a quick wardrobe change, we headed to the shopping district where we stumbled across this amazing food market and FRESH FRUIT. FOR CHEAP. WE WERE SO EXCITED... EUROPE HAS BEEN A FRUIT WASTELAND THUS FAR AND WE ALL FREAKED OUT TO HAVE SOME FRESH FRUIT.

    After we wandered around a few shops, were in awe at how cheap everything is here (honestly) and ambled back down to the beach where we are now sitting enjoying the peace of the waves.

    And drunk people. Britney lost her shoes in the ocean again, guys. Right up to her fanny pack.

    Tomorrow is a new day.. Hopefully we will be more rested and ready to go!

    Ciao    Read more

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    "Cervesa, beer. 1 euro." - Beach Pöbles

    July 5, 2016 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 26 °C

    Day 2 in Barcelona! I cannot reiterate enough... i love this city.

    We started out the day by snoozing our alarms... Between the heat and the men throwing metal around outside our window at 6am (what is the purpose?!) ... We needed a little extra sleep.

    After a few rounds hitting the snooze button, we finally got up and started our day. Stop #1 was the fruit market for some much needed fruit breakfast! I had raspberries and a multi fruit juice which was the perfect way to start our day. We then headed out to the hop on hop off bus for our day checking out all of the sites Barcelona has to offer.

    We started out on the orange line: line number 1. On this line we travelled around the east part of the city. We saw various sites and structures (including the port, the beaches and some beautoful towers) but the most amazing stop was the Sagrada Familia. Still under construction, this gorgeous basilica was the masterpiece of the architech Gaudi.. And it truly is a masterpiece. We couldnt get inside because the tickets were already sold out (noooooo) but we took plenty of time to wander around the facade and take in the beauty. I cannot begin to describe how this church looked.. Pictures honestly don't even do it justice. If you get a chance to go... Go.

    Next up, we toured around and saw a few more areas of the city which gaudi had a hand in designing, and learned about the various quarters and thebreasoning behind each of the buildings. Barcelona honestly has one of the most interesting architectural layouts I have ever seen, and it seems like every single block has a reason for existing.

    After heading to the mountain (tibidabo), we came back to the starting point to meet our friend Pheobe for lunch. Now if you guys don't remember Pheobe, she was one of our first roommates in Dublin at the hostel. We added her on facebook befoee she left and have been watching each other as we travel. We just happened to be in Barcelona at the same time, so we decided to meet up!

    We had lunch at this cute place on the Las Romblas strip called Moka, and honestly the food was so, so good. I had a veal burger with all the fixings and a special mushroom based sauce and omg... It was delicious. It was so reasonably priced, honestly we might go back tomorroe. So after an extended lunch just chatting and resting, Pheobe went to check out Sephora (at our recommendation) and we headed out to line #2.

    The second line was a tour through the Olympic village and upper class housing, various castles and churches and epic streets. Our favourite stops, however, were the lookout at the height of the mountain which was absolutely AMAZING for its views. We snuck onto the restaurant patio for a panoramic view (ok, I bought oreo ice cream) and the headed back to the bus for the next few stops. We ended up at Camp Nau... Football Club Barcelona's stadium. Unfortunately, it was closed but hey... We can go back tomorrow!

    After all of the touring, we headed back to our place to grab a bottle of wine and are now sitting on the beach, drinking it and taking in the sights. One more day ahead of us in Barcelona, more adventures await!    Read more

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    I don't write the stereotypes...

    July 5, 2016 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 25 °C

    I dont know where to begin!

    When we left off last night, we were sitting on the beach drinking a bottle of wine. Relaxing on Taylor's beach blanket, watching the sunset and trying to unwind before leaving for Madrid tomorrow.

    Well fast forward to 5am... Now theres a few cases of beer gone and we have made new friends from England, Ireland and France. I love Europe. We make friends with then most amazing people.. Many love to share their beer with us! #RIPromper

    So after walking home obviously completely sober, we slept for a few hours before getting up to pack and check out. Now if we complained about the room being small, crowded and hot before... That's nothing compared to trying to deal with it and a hangover. Ohhhh boy.

    Needless to say, we survived.. Packed our stuff, brought it to the bus station via metro (where we 300% almost passed out) to lock our bags, and set off for our last day before the bus to Madrid at 11:30pm.

    First stop: Camp Nou, Football Club Barcelona's home arena. Now we all know Im not the largest football (soccer) fan, but it was an incredible feeling to stand in one of the worlds largest arenas and feel what it must be like to be a fan or a player. I learned so much about football ⚽ and we even stumbled upon a hockey arena (leave it to the Canadians)!

    After an AMAZING lunch of spaghetti (followed by a burger for me), we headed to the boardwalk by the beach so I could pick up some goods from the street vendors and soak up the last of the beach before heading to the bus station. When it was finally time to leave, we hopped on the night bus and were taken to Madrid by a man who seemed like he had never driven stick in his life. 8 hours later, we are in Madrid! Olaaaaaaaa 🌊    Read more

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    Netflix and Chill? Netflix and Chill.

    July 7, 2016 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    Honestly I am about to write the most uninteresting blog post of life: you've been warned.

    So like I mentioned before, we got to Madrid after an 8 hour bus ride at around 7am, and after navigating our way through the city (like the locals we are) arrived at our air bNb. Our host, Keri waited for us before leaving for work and she is honestly a godsend. We have access to her whole apartment which we took full advantage of. And we have access to her cat, keko.

    First step: showers. In a nice shower. I have never felt so grateful to shower in my entire life. Now, I am not saying we haven't showered - we have - but the showers have been significantly sub par. This was like angels pouring water over us and dousing us with their essence.

    Ok that may be overkill but it did feel great.

    Next, laundry and naps. Then a trip to the grocery store. Then Keri came home and we chatted before making dinner (tacos). Now we are laying on the couch watching Netflix.

    Told you it would be boring. Oh well.. Much needed rest.

    Tomorrow: MADRID EXPLORATION TIME!!! WEEEE    Read more

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    Prince Albert (of Monaco)

    July 9, 2016 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 24 °C

    After a much needed rest day, we got up early and headed out on our adventure! After taking full advantage of the shower (again) and finally looking like halfway decent people, we took the metro into the city centre to begin our adventure.

    We started by visiting a tourist booth and he gave us a guide book to the city that included two self guided walking routes. We decided to do the longer one today and headed into the square to see the sights. We began at the statue of the Bear and Tree Strawberry monument which led to a street that house the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. The architecture around here was stunning! Next stop was the Cibeles Fountain and the Cibeles Palace, where we went in to explore for a bit and take in the history. A little further along was the Gate of Puerta de Alcalá - an archway comissioned by King Charles IV to commemorate the many battles waged by Madrid to keep control of the city.

    Afterward, we wandered through El Retiro Park where there were ample opportunities to take some awesome pictures. We stopped by a lake with some gigantic statues surrounding it where people were rowing and enjoying the warm day, and stumbled upon the Glass Palace (which is exactly whatbit sounds like). Near the glass palace was a pond that was absolutely filled with turtles and black swans.... That's right. Black swans. We sat and watched our animal frienda for a bit before we ventured further into the park. Next stop was the fountain of the Fallen Angel (another photo op) and walked out of the park to continue our tour.

    Next up, we strolled throught the Literary Quarter and Museum Quarter which were full of book shops and - you guessed it - museums.

    After the tour, we went home and chilled for a bit before we got ready to go out on thr town with our host, Keri! She was amazing and took us to this local spot where we went to a Bar which served a drink that is half beer half lemon fanta - amazing. I mean so perfect for a hotbsummer night and so refreshing!!! Afterwards, we sat around drinking in the square for a bit while we waited for the clubs to open (at midnight) and Keri took us to this underground rock bar which was so fun. We danced, used sign language and spoke in the worst french you have ever heard (uhhhh, I uhhhh, speak only um. What is it? Oh little. Little english).

    After a few hoirs of partying it up, we headed home where we crawled into bed to get ready for our next adventure.    Read more

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    Always be fluent in sign language.

    July 10, 2016 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    After sleeping in (much needed after last night) we peeled ourselves out of bed and decided to head out on the second walking tour.

    We started in the Puerta Del Sol square where we saw the Clock of Casa de Correos (which rings in the new year) before heading up the famous Calle Arenal Streeet. On this street, we ate at the San Ginés Chocolate Bar next to the Monastery San Ginés - they serve quite literally the BEST CHOCOLATE CON CHURROS I HAVE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE. NO LIE. if you are ever in Madrid... Go here.

    After eating as much chocolate as we could manage (ie. A lot) we wandered past a few places great for photo ops. There was the Monastery of the Incarceration, Plaza de Oriente behind the Royal Opera House and the Royal Palace and Gardens. Afterwards came the La Almudena Cathedral, which was closed today, and the Plaza de la Villa square, which wasn't. We then stumbled into the Church of San Miguel (which was super creepy) before ending at the Plaza Mayor square, which housed fat superman.

    After our tour, we met our new Australian friend Pheobe for dinner - again! You may remember her from the lunch we had together in Barcelona... Turns out we ended up in Madrid at the same time as well! We ate at this cute little spot where we spoke about life, home, and asian nail salons (big boiiiiiiii) before going our seperate waya again. Pheobe is heading to Toronto and Montreal in September/October and we couldnt be happier!

    Afterwards, we went back Home to chill, watch Netflix and creep on instagram (i am looking at you mama Tay) until the wee hours of the morning. Oops.    Read more

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    Força Portugal! GOOOAAAALLLLL

    July 11, 2016 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    After a two hour nap, we got up at 5am to get ready to head to the airport. As we were leaving, Keri was coming home in a taxi (they party hard in Madrid) so we had a chance to say goodbye before we left.

    Our airport experience was awesome.. Though the airport was large and conduaing. We found our gate and boarded/took off on time. After a quick 50 minute flight (and nap) we arrived in Portugal - early but excited! We called an über to take us to our beach house and was picked up by Carlos. Carlos is my new best friend. During the 20 minute drive to our air bnb, we learned about his time as an über driver, where he used to work, and he gave us plenty of advice for our stay! He also taught us how to say beer (cerveça) and wine (vino) - very important!

    We arrived at our beach house and were greeted by Carla andbher husband Juan. They are another absolutely amazing host ... They brought us to our apartment and she sat down with us to give us a list of aights to see in Porto and Gaia (the neighboring city). Our apartment is not only spacious and clean... It is made of almost entirely marble and stone. Seriously. It is like living in a den of complete opulence.

    So after quickly getting ready to start the day, we walked to the train to head into the city. When we got there, we grabbed a map to do another self guided walking tour of the city qnd quickly headed towards the port to take pictures. We began to get hungry and after looking at a few restaurants unsuccessfully, we decided to head to trusty McDonalds. I had my new favourite burger - the McRoyal. I honestly have no idea what it is, it's just delicious as all hell.

    We had full intentions of continuing on our walking tour but as we walked out into the square we noticed three huge screens set up to play the Portugal vs. France game and we settled in for the day. It was only 4pm and the gamebstarted at 8pm, so we picked up some portugal flags and settled into the perfect spot.

    4 hours of people watching and excitement later... The game ia about to start. Everyone stood to sing the anthem and it was absolute madness. The pictures and videos don't even do it justice.... Once i upload the go pro pictures you will see. There were thousands upon thousands of people all dressed in red and green cheering on team Portugal. I have to admit - I am a huge Portugal fan now because of it.

    As the game started, everyone in the centre sections sat down to watch except a couple of people... But the crazy older lady next to us threw wet toilet paper at them and then they sat down. I couldn't make this up if i TRIED. The first half of the game was full of ups and downs, emotions ran high in the crowd but everyone was on their best(ish) behaviour.

    At half time, Tay and Shaunessa went to the bathroom while I saved our seats... But it didnt really work out to well. After several stressful minutes, I saw Taylor waving at me from the sidelines and i quickly grabbed my stuff and tip toed through the crowd. A few helpful people picked me up and pushed me through the crowd so I could find Taylor and Shaunessa safely. Did I mention I love Portuguese people?

    We watched the rest of the stressful game from the side and when Portugal won.... Words cannot describe the atmosphere and the feeling of the crowd.. We sat back and just took everything in. I cannot believe how insanely fortunate we were to experience all of this.

    We walked back to the train station through huge crowds of celebrating people and... Wow. Porto was lit.

    I cant even explain it any more than that... Porto was f*cking lit.    Read more

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    I only work half days doing surgery...

    July 12, 2016 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    First full day in Portugal... i cannot say it enough. i love this city.

    After sleeping in for a bit after the excitement last night, we headed into the city for another day of exploring. As we got into Porto we decided today was the day we would take a boat and wine tour because .... Why the hell not!

    First up, we took a boat tour of the Duoro River that connects to the Atlantic Ocean and seperates Gaia from Porto City. The river is famous for its 5 huge bridges crossing it built by 5 arxhitexts. Honestly the tour was just relaxing and we got to see a complete view of the city! There were these men on the boat who sat near us from Manchester... Let's just say I know they are all doctors and they make a lot of money. Because they kept saying it. To each other. Im pretty sure my eyes rolled out of my head and Taylor's weren't far behind.

    After the boat tour, we headed to the Gaia side to take our wine tour! We started at a cute cafe where we had pastel de nata - Portugese custard treats. These have always been a favourote of mine but man, are they amazing in Portugal. Next stop: Calem wineries for the tour and tasting!

    We did the wine tour in french because A) it was an hour earlier than the engliah tour and B) the girls are fluent in french and I underatand it. I actually learned ao much about the grape growing process and why they use the caves in Gaia to store port wine! We got to see the barrels where the wine is stored and learned about the different classifications of Port Wine (white, Rose, Tawny and Ruby)! And I understood all of the french thankyouverymuch. After the tour cane the best part... The tasting. I am a huge fan of port wine but for those who know me, white is definitely my favourite. We were served a tawny and a semi dry white in these gorgeous Calem wine glasses... Which may or may not have left te building with us. Oops.

    Next stop was a wine museum where we didn't learn anything but we got 2 more glasses of wine. I love Portugal.

    We stopped by the Taylor wineries so Taylor could see her namesake before heading to the mall (El Corte Ingles) where we all did a bit of shopping! After shopping, we sat in Starbucks and made friends with the barista (as usual) and I am pretty sure I will be movong to Portugal sometime soon. Mark my words.

    We walked around Porto after this to try and find some night life... And we didnt find any. So we sat at an outdoor PATIO and had a pitcher of sangria to end the night.

    Did I mention I love Portugal?    Read more

  • Breanna's BlogEuroTrip 2016Breanna's Blog

    Isn't there a song about Bugles?

    July 12, 2016 in Portugal ⋅ 🌙 16 °C

    Today is our last full day in Porto and we dexided to take advantage of our house and have a BEACH DAY!!! We go up and ready, grabbed the screen Carla left for us (why?) and headed down to the beach.

    As we approached, we realized everyone had giant screena around them.. And we quickly found out why. As Porto/Miramar is on the Atlantic and near a river, the wind is strong and constant... So the screen came in handy. We all slept on the beach for a bit and Taylor and I made sure to "get in" to the Atlantic Ocean because
    ...
    How cool is it that Taylor and I have been in the Atlantic Ocean on BOTH SIDES?

    After we were mostly frozen, we decided to head into the Miramar city for some food! What we found was fresh Portugese bread (for .80 € and OMG YUM)... And Somersby Cider. For 2€ a bottle. Omg.

    After drinking our lunch, we headed to the supermarket where we picked up some spaghetti and Somersby. Which was 4€ for a 4 pack.

    So we headed back to our apartment to shower, pack, and hang out at Carlas apartment for a bit (where we tried Portugese coffee, beer and chocolate cake and played with their amazing dog Kaisen!) before drinking our dinner!

    We decided to play some card games while we had pre-seperation anxiety from Portugal and trying to figure out how to get to the airport tomorrow morning. We are currently finishing our last Somersby and watching storage wars with Portugese subtitles before bed - and Greece happens in the AM!

    Ps. Shaunessa leaves tomorrow but I don't want to talk about it because that's depressing as sh*t and I don't believe it will happen until it does.

    Ps Have I mentioned how much I love Portugal?    Read more

  • Breanna's BlogEuroTrip 2016Breanna's Blog

    We lost one.

    July 13, 2016 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    This morning we said goodbye to Shaunessa... She has to go back home and be a super teacher to all of her kiddies!

    Tay and I have a looooong day of travel ahead of us, but greece HERE WE COME!

  • Breanna's BlogEuroTrip 2016Breanna's Blog

    We TAP Portugal

    July 13, 2016 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Just landed in Lisbon! It was a quick 50 minute flight from Porto (that left almost a half an hour late..........) BUT they gave us free häagen dasz so it makes up for it.

    Now we have to motor because we have 15 minutes until our next flight boards so we can head to Switzerland!Read more

  • Breanna's BlogEuroTrip 2016Breanna's Blog
    1

    Don't worry mama Laur!

    July 13, 2016 in Switzerland ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    So we made it downtown Zurich, saw the main part of the city, and back tobthe airport and through security within and hour and 15 minutes! Amazing race has nothing on us... Actually that goves me an idea.... Ok another time!

    We ran like crazy people through Zurich while taking many pictures and breathing in the Swiss air!

    This place is way too expensive for our tastes, honestly I don't think I would come back! But hey, I can say I have done this!

    And mama Laur: we are safe and sound and ready to board in half an hour! Made it through security in no time (because we are pros) and even had time to window shop a bit :)    Read more

  • Breanna's BlogEuroTrip 2016Breanna's Blog
    1

    Our host is famous.

    July 15, 2016 in Greece ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Remember how we were ordering an über last night to get to our air bnb? Yeah there were no ubers around. And the cab would have cost us almost 40 €... And we couldnt afford that (twice in one day)

    So we decided to take a bus.. We caught the LAST BUS OF THE NIGHT at 215AM (ahhhhhh) and travelled about an hour to the bus stop Google maps toldbus to get off at. Which was literally no where we could recognize on a map. So we falgged down a taxi and he dropped usboff near the street we needed to find... And we couldnt find it.

    After asking several workers and even the cops (who told us to back up and pointed us in a random direction), we FINALLY stumbled upon it almost by accident! We woke up our host by ringing the doorbell (a couple of times) and briefly met him before passing out in our AIR CONDITIONED ROOM. THANK ZEUS.

    So after sleeping around 5 whole hours, we got up and started on our Athens adventure!

    And what is a Frick and Frack adventure without getting lost and walking in circles?

    So we may or may not have walked 2 houra in the completely wrong direction on our way to the acropolis, then caved and took a metro to the ruins. We paid to get in and climbed around the archeological site for about an hour and it was gorgeous! It was very hot and our smart selves decoded to go at noon.. But we stayed hydrated and survived! After visiting the Acropolis, Parthenon and other smaller ruines, we headed to the Olympic stadium and saw what was left. And honestly thats pretty much all there is to see in Athens.

    So we still had half a day to kill, and what better way to spent it than eating authentic Greek salad ( by FAR the best salad I have ever had in my entire life. Ever. Ever.) and shopping? So that is what we did.

    While grabbing gelato, we met some Canadians. They hate Facebook.

    When we were all shopped out, we headed back to our airbnb. Which was about 40 minutes away. Uphill. Oy. I don't even want to talk about it, i can still feel the heat ...

    So after cooling down and sleeping (hey what's up hello... I'm a nap queen..) we woke up starving and in desperate need of Gyros. Asap.

    We talked to our host a bit before heading out ans found out that he is SO COOL. LIKE HONESTLY THE MOST AMAZING PERSON. SOFTWARE ENGINEER, PUBLISHED AUTHOR, FFSTIVAL OWNER, AND ALL AROUND ARTIST. WHAT? Check out his book "Control Zed".

    Anyway we found gyros and HOLY CRAP they were as good as the salad from earliEr. i cannot even describe the flavour.. Best thing i have ever eaten hands down. Besides the greek salad.

    Alright ao after eating the gyros in a park and chatting like crazy people for a while, we stopped at a bakery to grab dessert (obvi) before heading back to our airbnb for a quick sleep before heading to Mykonos in the morning.

    More adventure to follow!    Read more

  • Breanna's BlogEuroTrip 2016Breanna's Blog
    1

    My liver wasn't ready.

    July 16, 2016 in Greece ⋅ 🌙 26 °C

    Today we woke up early after very little sleep (as per usual)... This time due to our ability to find each other absolutely hilarious when we get a bit tired. After a quick pack, we called for our über (we freaking love über in Europe.. Never use a cab in Europe EVER AGAIN) and headed to the port. We got there, grabbed our peinted tickets and boarded with little difficulty.

    We found a spot on the top deck and settled in for the 4 hour ferry to Mykonos. Me being the nap queen I am, I managed to sleep the first little bit of the voyage BUT when I woke up Taylor and I witnessed the whitest couple known to man. I'm talking unbutonned shirt money belt picked your nose/ear and smelling it selfies like crazy white people. They provided our entertainment for the duration of the trip and before we knew it, we docked in Mykonos!

    Once again, we disembarked with no incident and found the shuttle that would bring us to our hostel. Our bus driver was an absolute crazy man. He srover the bus 100 km/hr through tiny roads big enough for ony one car that wound through the hills, and stopped to yell at every car that gotnin our way. He also turned on classic greek music and taught us to snap and clap to the beat - of course this meant his hands werent on the wheel.

    So we arrived at the hostel and had to wait for a bit to check in. When we could check in, it was absolute pandemonium ... Everyone was pushing to the front and there were these guys behind us who were annoying us.. But finally we checked in and waited to be led to our room.

    Now heres the thing, when I say "hostel", I use the term very VERY LOOSELY. I am pretty sure camping would be preferable to the canvas dome we are in. Fortunately, it's just a place to sleep so its not really THAT horrible. It could be way, way worse.

    Anyway, of course the first thing we did was throw on our bathing suits and head to the beach. The beach is gorgeous, though insanely hot, and the water was so warm! We spent some time beaching it up before eating.. And then started drinking.

    And drinking.

    And drinking some more. By the pool, by the bar, by the beach. Just had some quality drinks. And some paint thinner.

    And let me fast forward a bit and summarize the night by saying:

    My liver wasn't ready.    Read more

  • Breanna's BlogEuroTrip 2016Breanna's Blog

    Hungover is a state of mind

    July 16, 2016 in Greece ⋅ 🌙 26 °C

    So Taylor got up around 9 and left our BUNKER because it was so damn hot, but my hungover ass needed a few more z's... So I went back to sleep for a bit. When I got up at 11 I actually felt wonderful! I headed out to the pool bar to grab a water and find Tay. She was sitting there with the guys we hung out with the night before and everyone couldnt believe how excellent I looked and felt - neither could I! How is it that my hangover was virtually nonexistant?

    After chatting with the guys for a bit, they had to leave to catch a shuttle to the ferry and only one of them stayed behind - his name is Australia. (disclaimer: this is not his real name. i don't actually know his real name because all we called him was Australia). So Australia, Tay and I decided to get lunch and I got a souvlaki plate. When iy got here... My hungover hit. In the worst way.

    I ate as much as I could before laying in the cabanas by the pool in the shade to sleep off the worst of the hangover.

    A couple of hours later I was feeling much better, and after a quick swim and tan, Tay and I left Australia to head into Mykonos city.

    The city was very touristy but pretty cute! We walked around the seaside for quite some time and I started to feel awful - again. We stopped and fot some ice cream (the dark chocolate was AMAZING) while we waited for the bus back to the "hostel". I started to feel much better again!

    Once we got back to the canvas shipping container we called a room, we decided to pack and shower so that we wouldnt have to do it in the morning. Afterwards, we went and got some bruchetta from the restaurant because I felt like I could eat for the firat time today (thank god) and sat next to this couple who was dru k and arguing VERY LOUDLY because she wanted to go party and he wanted to sleep. It was great entertainment!

    Afterwards, we strolled around checking out various resorts and sat by the pool to relax before our voyage to Santorini in the morning.

    More adventures await!!    Read more

  • Breanna's BlogEuroTrip 2016Breanna's Blog

    OUR HOSTEL HAS WALLS

    July 17, 2016 in Greece ⋅ 🌙 25 °C

    Up and out of the "hostel" (doomsday bunker) at 10am to check out, we decided to store our bags and check out Paradise beach down the road before catching the 2pm shuttle to our ferry.

    Paradise beach was beautiful (but a tad expensive to do anything but swim) and after what seems like no time at all, we had to head back to the "hostel" to catch our bus.

    Here is where things started getting a bit hinky. Leave it to us to have the hardest time ever!

    Firat of all, the shuttle dropped us at the port and when we got there we were told we were at the wrong port. And the shuttle was gone. Great. We caught a city bus to the other port and found a spot to ait for an hour and a half. Next, we coulsnt find anyone who worked at the port. Literally everyone was confused as to when and where the ferry was coming... But after a little sleuthing I found a small hole in the wall that doubled as an office for the ferry. I was told the ferry was going to be about 20 minutes late and when itnxomes there will be an announcement.

    There was no announcement.

    Regardless, we made it to the ferry eventually and found our seats. We slept right away and thank god... Because this ferry was plowing through waves and apparently so many people were sea sick during the journey... I would have been if I wasn't asleep!

    We got to the ferry and looked for our shuttle bus..... It wasn't there. A sketchy guy told us we werent being picked up and we had to pay 10 euro to get to the hostel. We were MORE than a little pissed off.

    We gotbto the hostel ready to give them a piece of our mind, only to find out it was a misunderstanding and we are being compensated with a free shuttle to the airport (which usually has a charge) to make up for it.

    Let me tell you this hostel completely made our days brighter. Notnonly does it have 4 walls, it is a villa with a walk out porch to the private swimming pool, air conditioning, en suite bathroom and all amenities included. HUGE DIFFERENCE FROM THE LOBSTER TRAP THAT WAS OUR LAST "HOSTEL".

    After dropping our stuff off, we walked to the beach to explore before grabbing dinner and planning our next few days.

    We have some exciting things coming up. Stay tuned to hear more of our crazy adventures!    Read more

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