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Eurotrip 2016

September - November 2016
A 71-day adventure by MitchaRu Read more
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  • 41footprints
  • 16countries
  • 71days
  • 231photos
  • 0videos
  • 16.1kmiles
  • 10.9kmiles
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  • MitchaRuEurotrip 2016
    Day 70

    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

  • MitchaRuEurotrip 2016
    Day 69

    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 2016
    Day 68

    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 2016
    11
    Day 66

    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 2016
    21
    Day 63

    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 2016
    1
    Day 61

    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 2016
    Day 61

    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 2016
    11
    Day 55

    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 2016
    Day 53

    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 2016
    1
    Day 51

    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

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