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Eurotrip 2016
  • MitchaRu

Eurotrip 2016

A 71-day adventure by MitchaRu Read more
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  • MitchaRuEurotrip 2016MitchaRu

    Auschwitz and Schindler's Factory

    October 6, 2016 in Poland ⋅ ⛅ 6 °C

    While in Krakow we knew we had to take some time to reflect on the history of the Holocaust which has deep roots in Poland. Krakow is home to the infamous Schindler's Factory which is also now a museum dedicated to the history of the Third Reich invading Krakow during WWI in 1939 until 1945. The Germans wanted to make Krakow a German city so they displaced the Polish people and particularly Jewish people into the ghetto where conditions were barely livable.

    The following day we took a trip to Auschwitz which is about an hour drive from Krakow. You can visit the grounds of the concentration camp with a guided tour. Walking through the camp and hearing the stories of what the prisoners went through was sombering but definitely worth the visit to reflect upon this dark time in history when over 1 million people were killed at this one camp alone.

    We highly recommend visiting both places -- very impactful. It's hard to believe what humans are capable of doing to each other, and this is certainly a reminder of what we don't want to ever relive as the human race...although there are still crimes against humanity in our world today.    Read more

  • MitchaRuEurotrip 2016MitchaRu
    1

    Kraków, Poland

    October 9, 2016 in Poland ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C

    Where do we start with this post! Undoubtedly Rupal's home away from home! It's not only the quaint atmosphere that we enjoy each time we visit but also spending time with the people we know who have become great friends. Every night we met an old friend or two and drank a lot of vodka and ate delicious Polish food like pierogi! The time went quickly but it was a nice pitstop for a few days! Na zdrowie 🍻Read more

  • MitchaRuEurotrip 2016MitchaRu
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    Rome

    October 11, 2016 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    We spent a few days Rome-ing around the eternal city which is full of history around every corner! We enjoyed walking down small alleys to come across big plazas where locals were enjoying a cup of coffee or a glass of wine.

    Over 2,000 years ago the ancient Romans built the city and many of its wonders that still exist today. We toured the Colosseum and Roman Forum which gave us a glimpse into the lives of the Romans. It's pretty impressive to think that they could engineer such amazing buildings and structures with the basic technology they had. Our favorite though was the Pantheon which was built as a Roman temple and is the best preserved ancient building to this day because it has been in use ever since; today as a church.

    We also visited the Vatican which consists of the Vatican museum full of ancient art (and lots of tourists), the Sistine Chapel home to the Pope and Michelangelo's famous ceiling painting and the St. Peter's Basilica which is full of ornate marble statues and mosaic art work all over.

    Lastly we can't forget to mention that we ate a lot of Italian food and gelato to start off our visit to Italy!    Read more

  • MitchaRuEurotrip 2016MitchaRu
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    Amalfi Coast

    October 14, 2016 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    After spending most of our trip in major cities, it was nice to enjoy a slower paced more scenic stay on the Italian coast. We stayed in an apartment with a beautiful rooftop view where we enjoyed drinking wine and planning the rest of our trip.

    We took a 2 hour public bus along the Amalfi Coast and enjoyed visiting a beautiful quaint town called Ravello and the town of Amalfi as well. We were lucky to get a seat both ways as the buses were packed and some people had to stand for the whole ride! The bus ride along the edge of the cliffs was more exciting than most roller coasters - we were thoroughly impressed by the bus drivers' skills of navigating the roads that sometimes turn into one ways.

    Lastly we enjoyed some limoncello a liqueur drink made in this region from organic lemons! 🍋🍋🍋🍋    Read more

  • MitchaRuEurotrip 2016MitchaRu
    1

    Florence and Tuscany

    October 16, 2016 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    So as you can see we're getting a little slower at posting on the blog...it's about week 7 right now so as you can imagine we've been pretty busy! But of course we want to keep you all in the loop so here is a brief post on Florence.

    We really enjoyed the city and it helped that Rupal had been there before. What we found most fun about Florence were the streets at night. Deserted after the tourists had gone to bed was when we could really appreciate what the city had to offer. The amazing architecture and culture of renaissance art are still preserved in the city which make you feel like you have some how gone back in time.

    We also took a little time to explore Tuscany, the region in which Florence is based. This of course included a wine tour to taste some Chianti Classico. Not only did we enjoy learning about the wine made in the region but we also learnt a lot about olive oil and balsamic which was neat.

    We'll be back Florence, you're a pretty magical city!    Read more

  • MitchaRuEurotrip 2016MitchaRu
    1

    Cinque Terre

    October 22, 2016 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Ever since we saw the pictures of Cinque Terre that have recently become popular on the internet we knew we had to go there even if it meant taking 3 train transfers!

    Consisting of 5 villages on the Italian coast that make up "Cinque Terre" we decided to split our time by staying in Manarola and Corniglia. We enjoyed the beautiful views from the amazing Airbnb we rented in Manarola and got a little sun bathing and swimming in at Corniglia!

    We also hiked to Riomaggiore one day which took about 1.5 hours where we got a panoramic view of Cinque Terre. Exploring the villages was fun as each had its own character and feel.

    Cinque Terre definitely had some amazing sunsets as well which we won't forget!    Read more

  • MitchaRuEurotrip 2016MitchaRu
    1

    Ibiza

    October 23, 2016 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    We left Italy behind for a quick pit stop in Ibiza, Spain. A flight to Ibiza was the cheapest way to get to Spain so we decided to check it out.

    After a 5 hour delay in Pisa we finally made it to Ibiza and although we pretty much lost one evening there we made the most of our next day. We stayed at an all inclusive resort that we found a great last minute deal for and took it a little easy by enjoying some sun by the pool. It ended up working out perfectly for us and although we didn't end up seeing any of what Ibiza had to offer it seemed like a nice island.Read more

  • MitchaRuEurotrip 2016MitchaRu

    Barcelona

    October 25, 2016 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 19 °C

    Although we visited Barcelona before, we wanted to make a quick stop there to visit our friend Alex. It's always nice to have a chance to meet up with friends along the way and is even nicer to have a local take you to the best places in town.

    Alex took us to enjoy some tapas and sangria our first night there which were really delicious! And the next day Mitch and I spent walking around to our favorite places we had visited while there last time. Our favorite place in the city is the La Sagrada Familia a cathedral built originally by the famous architect Gaudi. The cathedral which is still being finished today displays Gaudi's work of modernism which is pretty detailed and amazing, unlike any cathedral we've seen in Europe!

    It was a quick stop but a fun one which made us appreciate and like the city even more this time!    Read more

  • MitchaRuEurotrip 2016MitchaRu
    11

    Donostia-San Sebastian

    October 27, 2016 in Spain ⋅ 🌫 14 °C

    Although it was a 5 hour train journey from Barcelona, we decided to go to Donostia-San Sebastián in northern Spain to get a taste of the Basque culture which is very unique. The Basque people actually at one point wanted to be independent from Spain (like many regions in Spain) and continue to retain their identity with their own language, traditions and more importantly food! This is also why this city has two given names: Donostia in Basque and San Sebastián in Spanish.

    This region is well known for it's culinary expertise. We enjoyed going to typical Pintxos (pronounced Pinchos) bars where a wide array of tapas would be displayed to choose from. The selections are heavily focused on seafood as San Sebastián is located on the coast but you can also find some good meat as well. We enjoyed trying both hot and cold Pintxos like veal cheeks, octopus, and sea urchin to name a few. Everything we ate was so unique and different and definitely very fresh!

    San Sebastián reminded us a lot of California with its beaches, surfers and chill atmosphere. It was a nice stop to explore this unique region in Spain and we highly recommend it for any foodies.    Read more

  • MitchaRuEurotrip 2016MitchaRu

    Porto

    November 2, 2016 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    After our trip a few years ago to Lisbon which made us really like Portugal, we wanted to return and see more of the country. Porto seemed like the perfect fit, the second largest city and home to Port wine.

    The city was similar to Lisbon in a lot of ways. It was hilly and scenic with good food and nightlife, but there is definitely a grudge between the people of Lisbon and Porto, the two main cities in Portugal.

    We really enjoyed tasting and discovering different Port wines, and learned quite a bit along the way. One interesting fact was that the city of Porto doesn't play a single role in the process of making or aging the wine. It is known as Port due to the customs at the shipping terminals stamping "Porto" on the barrels as they were being exported to foreign countries from this city because it sits on the banks of a major river.

    It was a quick and enjoyable trip that confirmed our initial Portugal impressions.    Read more

  • MitchaRuEurotrip 2016MitchaRu
    1

    Lisbon

    November 2, 2016 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    We were ok with the idea of needing to make a quick pit stop in Lisbon to catch a flight to Morocco since it meant spending a night in a city we enjoyed last time!

    The 24 hour visit left us enough time to enjoy 2 delicious meals and a few custard tarts, the popular Portuguese treat. Although we wish we had more time in Lisbon, I know we'll be back to explore more of Portugal one day!Read more

  • MitchaRuEurotrip 2016MitchaRu
    21

    Marrakech

    November 4, 2016 in Morocco ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    It was exciting to change this trip's momentum by visiting Marrakesh. Being so close to Europe we knew we needed to make time to visit Morocco and step foot in Africa for the first time!

    We didn't really know what to expect and what we discovered was a city flooded with lights, noise, people and craziness that can only be understood if experienced. The Medina which is at the heart of the city is where you'll find tiny streets with local shops selling everything from traditional goods to knock off brand names. It was a bit intimidating walking through the Medina as you had to weave out of the way of scooters, bicycles, and locals trying to grab your attention to come into their stores and restaurants. We quickly realized we had to be very alert at all times and walk with confidence to avoid looking like a "tourist". Oh and good luck finding a map of the tiny streets since it doesn't seem to exist, which led to plenty of wandering in the never ending maze.

    The main square was also an interesting experience and basically a huge carnival. No matter what time you visited it, there were people everywhere, mostly poorer locals trying to make money in any way they could including snake charmers, men with monkeys on leashes, traditional dancers, acrobatic acts and much more!

    We embraced this cultural immersion and got a chance to see how this predominantly Muslim country had been influenced by religion in their daily life.    Read more

  • MitchaRuEurotrip 2016MitchaRu
    11

    Sahara Desert

    November 7, 2016 in Morocco ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    After 2 days of traveling in a 17 passenger bus with a few scenic stops along the way we reached the Sahara Desert! Quickly the silence and beauty of the desert justified the 2 day bus ride.

    We rode camels for an hour and a half as the sun was setting through the rolling dunes of the desert. The views were never ending and the vastness of the desert was humbling and tranquil.

    It was dark by the time we arrived to our camp site and of all things that could possibly happen-it started raining! I mean pouring actually which caught even our local guides by surprise. The rain did put a damper on the experience but it also made it cozier as we enjoyed a communal dinner and shared stories with fellow travelers in our tents.

    The next morning we were awoken at 4:30am to our saturated tent dripping from the corners but thankfully we didn't get wet! The wakeup call was 6am and shortly after we were on our camels with the sun slowly rising as we took in a new landscape full of the most amazing orange color ever! Since it rained heavily, the sand was compacted and still which created untouched dunes perfect for picture taking!

    Once we got off the surprisingly comfortable camels we had a quick breakfast and got back in the van for the journey back to Marrakech. This was the longest day because we had to drive 12 hours back but it was ok because we met some great people on the tour that we had spent the last 3 days with and became friends learning about different countries and cultures.    Read more

  • MitchaRuEurotrip 2016MitchaRu

    Agadir

    November 9, 2016 in Morocco ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Well who knew Morocco had a pretty coast?! We made our way to Agadir which was 3 hours from Marrakech to spend a night. In reality it was to be able to catch our flight out of the country but it ended up being a refreshing break from the busy main city.

    Although we didn't have much time there, we watched the sunset on the beach which we both agreed was one of the prettiest we'd ever seen and then afterwards we enjoyed a nice dinner for our farewell to Morocco.    Read more

  • MitchaRuEurotrip 2016MitchaRu

    Copenhagen

    November 10, 2016 in Denmark ⋅ ⛅ 1 °C

    It's hard to believe that we made it to our final destination! Although Denmark wasn't originally on our list of countries to visit we had to make a pit stop since we found cheap tickets on Norwegian Airlines.

    We're glad we got a quick glimpse of this city as we surprisingly liked it for not knowing what to expect. Yes, it was freezing and yes, it got dark by 4:30pm but we made the most of our two days there. We were surprised by a few things: almost everyone rides a bicycle even when it's 30 degrees out, everyone's English is so good you wouldn't even know it was their second language, and the people seem happy despite income tax rates as high as 68%. The city was expensive like most Scandinavian countries, but pristine and safe as well.

    We also got to celebrate Mitch's birthday by experiencing a 5 course Danish meal at a trendy restaurant.    Read more

  • MitchaRuEurotrip 2016MitchaRu

    Montvale, NJ

    November 11, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Hard to believe it's over but no regrets after this amazing trip! Unfortunately we both ended up getting sick for several days once we got home, but better to be recovering at home than on the road. Some stats we tallied along the way:

    -68 days
    -15 countries
    -31 hotels/hostels/Airbnb's/tents
    -9 flights
    -26 intercity/international trains/buses
    -94 different beers tried
    -0 regrets

    Now some family time and lots of planning to do for our next trip...    Read more

    Trip end
    November 12, 2016
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