EuroTrip 2008

Reunited and it feels so good!

2008-08-14T10:14:00.001-07:00

Sweet Home Chicago!

2008-08-12T15:01:00.000-07:00

Today, we've been in France, England and the United States. The guy at customs said "Welcome Home" - those words have never sounded so sweet.

WE ARE HOME!!!

We go home tomorrow. Wow.

2008-08-11T07:27:00.000-07:00

Hey there, Kara here. I'm sitting in our hotel across the street from Nice airport where we will be tomorrow morning at 5:30 to catch our flight to Heathrow and then to Chicago. I can't believe we're done. I mean on one hand, yes, we've been gone for almost three months and and sure feels like it - London, Amsterdam, Berlin...they all seem so long ago! On the other hand I can't believe its already over. Strange feeling. I am so excited to go home...see our friends, family, LOLA! But also back to life and back to reality - find a job, pay the bills, blah, blah... This has truly been an amazing experience as Nicki said filled with so many ups and downs - but mostly ups :) I thought I would add a few of my observations and thoughts about the last 11.5 weeks of travel...
1. I don't think I will ever fully understand the complete lack of enthusiasm Europeans have for personal hygiene.
2. Patience will only get you so far - sometimes you just have to be aggressive.
3. I'm certain that between the two of us Nicki and I can successfully navigate ANY situation.
4. I'm also certain that since we got through this more in love and not killing each other, that we will have a nice, long, wonderful, happy life together. And I can't wait!
5. Tourists suck. Tour groups suck.
6. If a sign in a museum says "Do not use flash" then DON'T USE FLASH! Its not hard. Get your head out of your ass and help the artwork last longer.
7. I already knew that the CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) sucked but after riding public transportation over here - it just looks like a joke. A really, really bad joke.
8. I have a totally new, kind of surprising love and admiration for the United States. Our country is truly amazing and I am really happy to be an American. (that sounds so cheesy. sorry. but its true!)
9. I knew I would miss Lola but I guess I didn't really realized just how much. The moment I pick her up and she starts licking my face will be one of the happiest of my life. (such a cheeseball today!)
10. I don't need a cell phone or television - but I DO need the internet.
11. Don't wear flip flops in fountains.
12. People can really surprise you - in good ways and bad.
13. I really can get through a whole summer with very few clothing options! But I can't WAIT to get home and raid my own closet - it will be like Christmas!
14. If you don't understand what someone is saying in another language - just smile and nod, that will usually get you through.
15. I get seasick.
16. Seeing the Chicago skyline tomorrow will be so awesome!!!

Its been quite a ride - thanks for coming with!

Our last night on Corisca... 8-10-08

3 more days...

2008-08-09T02:39:00.000-07:00

This has been a pretty ridiculous summer, full of happy and some not so happy surprises. I am now typing with my bum arm which isn't quite so bum anymore, in fact I get to take the cast off as soon as we get home :) When we were preparing for this trip, we both thought that it would be good for us to get some perspective on the world, and ourselves. We've seen some of the most extraordinary sights on earth, enjoyed some simple quiet moments, met amazing people, and gotten ourselves into and out of all kinds of chaos. So, I thought I'd compile a list of a few things I've learned and experienced.

1. Every situation can be made at least a little bit better with a cold beer.
2. The prospect of being homeless in a foreign country is not as scary as it may seem
3. I don't NEED a cell phone
4. US Politics is as annoying in Europe as it is at home
5. English is a beautiful language
6. The Italian healthcare system hasn't progressed much since 1945
7. Absence indeed makes the heart grow fonder
8. The US Dollar sucks
9. The Mediterranean Sea is astonishing
10. Soccer can actually be fun to watch
11. Sometimes you need a vacation from your vacation
12. Be careful where you use your debit card
13. backpacking is a great relationship tester
14. I've never been more in love with Kara than I am after being together 24/7 for 75 days.
15. Never underestimate the human's capacity for both generosity and extreme indifference
16. There won't be a happier moment than returning home to our fantastic friends, our baby, our city and our life.

Photos

2008-08-08T08:15:00.001-07:00

Rome pictures to your left!

BREAK A LEG AMBER AND JASON!

2008-08-08T02:47:00.000-07:00

We wish for nothing more than to be there on your opening night but alas, we are still here, far away. But we will be with you in spirit...listen for our laughs. Love you and miss you - can't wait to see the show. XOXO

Also, we are having an amazing time here in Corsica - boating, swimming, snorkeling, beautiful views and last night we had quite an eating experience. The neighbor and friend of Marielle's brother is a gourmet chef with his own restaurant here in Corsica. Last night he cooked a five course meal for us complete with three different types of wine for the different dishes. HOLY MOLY. Don't worry there are pictures. Tons of pictures. We got to watch him prepare some of the dishes too which was almost as much fun as eating it.

Only 5 more days...

Well, shit.

2008-08-04T12:59:00.000-07:00

At least it happened at the END of the trip...

Here we are in paradise, budgeted down to the last dime to get us home before going into the red, and our debit card number gets stolen. Yup, someone in Japan has spent all our remaining travel money. After calling the bank, our parents, crying and freaking out we have finally calmed down.and realized its not the end of the world...we are so lucky to have friends that will not let us starve or be homeless here in France. Thank you Marielle and Alexis. Man o man... talk about feeling violated! Jackass. We have no idea how it happened either, we have both cards in our possession. Well, tomorrow we sail to Corsica so things are looking up :) At least we didn't break any bones...oh, wait...

And now, after an hour at a French clinic...

2008-08-01T08:32:00.004-07:00

Nicki has a new cast!!! Its so much better, smaller, lightweight and even waterproof! Thats right folks, she will be able to swim in it! She had another x ray and the doctor said that her fracture is pretty small and she will only have to wear this new cast for about 2 weeks. Nice. The bone they were worried about turns out to be a genetic condition shes had since birth....its just in the wrong place. Had she not broken her arm she probably would have never known about it. Huh. Anyway now we are at an internet cafe in Grasse, home of the perfume factories. Last night we went to a little village party complete with old people dancing and a band whose average age was 75. Even though we are busy doing nothing the days are flying by... only 10 more until we get home! Monday we head off to Corsica for sun, sand and sailing. We seem to be missing the strangest things now... PBR, Mac and cheese, BURRITOS! Mmmm...

For Amber...and everyone else who is curious about us

2008-07-30T14:24:00.000-07:00

Hello loyal readers! We are alive! We made it to the south of France last week and have been staying up in the mountains at ESCALAPON, the family estate of Alexis. Holy beautiful. Fresh mountain air, hot days and cool nights. The party for Cèsar went off without a hitch...baptism followed by lunch then a concert then games then dinner then another concert then dancing until 3 am. French people know how to party! We have been doing a whole lot of nothing and its been great. They took us to a huge lake, we got a paddle boat in the likeness of a swan...yesterday we rode bikes down the mountian at about 40mph then hiked down another mountain and swam in an ice cold but gorgeous river. The friends of Marielle and Alexis have been so kind, helping us with our french and just having a fun time. Its really hard to put into words what it is like here. The house is hundreds of years old and enormous...there is no internet up there either so which is why we have been so out of touch. We are in Nice now though, returning to Escalapon tomorrow. We have been to Cannes and Grasse and last night had dinner at the house of one of Alexis`s oldest friends who just happens to be the number one perfumer in the world. He is a nose. He creates scents for the likes of Chanel and various celebrities. He is also AWESOME. Describing this experience thus far is so difficult...in person it will be much easier...just know its like a dream. Or heaven. Oh and the `ol arm is doing much better...no real news there. We have had so much Rosè too! Yum! Looking forward to the beauty of Corsica. Miss you all.

After 4 hours in an Italian ER...

2008-07-23T09:47:00.000-07:00

Yup. Remember those really great fountains we talked about in the previous post? You know, the ones we loved where you can step in, fill your water bottle and be on your way? Well slippery surface + flip flops = Nicki in a cast past her elbow. She stepped on a wet stair and went down HARD. There was a collective *gasp* among the gazillion people that witnessed because this was no ordinary fountain you see...it was the one right in front of the Spanish steps. With the help of several very kind strangers we got tissues, wet wipes, ice and pointed in the direction of the nearest ER. And after all the waiting, the x-rays, and the cast we walked out....for FREE. Socialized health care rules! I thought we were going to have to start a 'Nicki's Arm Fund' on here to get us back to the states :)
We were both pretty tramatized by the whole thing - good thing it happened at the end of the trip. I will be doing all the typing from here on out and carrying all the backpacks will be interesting. Not to mention poor Nicki trying to bathe and go to the bathroom. They are worried about one of the bones in her wrist and she can't have her wrist lower than her elbow. We have to go to another doctor in 5 days to have her checked again - if everything looks good she will only have to wear the cast for about 6 weeks, if not there might be surgery in the future.
We are still going to try and find a movie theater because she is quite the trooper. Now this all happened today - last night we witnessed a guy get a knife in the face. Butthat story will have to come at another time. Rome will never be the same.

When in Rome...

2008-07-22T11:16:00.001-07:00

Howdy loyal readers! So we are in Rome...yeah, not gonna lie, kinda disappointed. Its big, dirty, the people are not very friendly...I don't know, maybe we're jaded at this point. Overstimulated. Some parts have been very cool but overall we are just kind of 'meh'. I thought it would be magical - more like full of graffiti. We did the Colosseum yesterday which was AWESOME. My favorite part for sure. We took tons of pictures, a video and did the audio tour so anything you want to know, just ask! We also walked around the Roman Forum - also very cool. AND SO OLD! :) I caught Nicki off guard with my joke...'Man, Rome ruined everything!' Heh, heh...get it? Roman ruins. Yeah...
We also went to the Trevi fountain, the Spanish steps, ate some great pizza and then passed out. Today we got up early and headed to Vattican City where we went to the museums, saw the Sistine Chapel and went in St. Peters. After all that fun we found a rather off-the-beaten path place for lunch and I had the best lasagna I've ever had IN MY LIFE. Oh don't worry, there are pictures. We wandered around some more, stuck our feet in a fountain and filled up our water bottles - oh, I haven't mentioned this yet. Ok, so everywhere around Rome there are fountains, spickets...anything that water can come out of and you can drink from them, fill your water bottles, take a bath whatever! And the water is fresh and cold and wonderful. It comes directly from aquaducts in the mountains. Nice!
So tomorrow we are going to try and hit up an English language bookstore and maybe even see a movie (cross your fingers for Batman). There are a few more sights to see and for sure more gelato to eat!
CIAO!

Adios, Espana!

2008-07-19T03:44:00.000-07:00

Well, it is almost time to say goodbye to Spain. There have been some great times, and not so great times, but overall, I think we can say that we enjoyed the land of the bull, with its free-flowing sangria and tapas, its dry hot days and cool nights. Although, there is no doubt about it, we are ready to leave. We just finished cleaning up the apartment a bit, have a load of laundry going, and are ready to get packed up so we can catch our flight to Rome tomorrow evening.
In the past few days, we have gotten to experience a bit more of the local life here in Villaviciosa de Odon. We invited our neighbor Jose over for some cervezas the other night to thank him for giving us the passkey to his wireless network (SO GREAT!!).
And if you have been reading, you'll remember the Shannon story from London, how we just happened to bump into her in the west end, well we have a similar "small world" story here in Spain. So, our roommate Sandra met a group of Spanish students in a hostel in Krakow, Poland. As you do in hostels, she got to know them a little bit, but she never found out where they were studying. Flash forward 3 weeks, we are waiting for the bus to take us to the University and Sandra leans over to us and whispers, "That guy looks like a guy I met at a hostel in Poland." As you may may have guessed, it was the same guy! He is a Mexican student studying at the same school as we are. Weird. Sandra had no idea that he lived in Madrid, let alone was studying at the same school. We happened to be looking for a good Mexican restaurant and he told us that he would cook for us, and last night, he did. Well, his roommates did and it was pretty awesome - Guacamole, quesadillas, tequila, it was a good night. It was the perfect way to end our time here in Spain.
We are really looking forward to going to Rome tomorrow and we will be in Nice with Marielle and Alexis on Thursday night.
We hope everyone is having a great summer and we can't wait to be back home in about 3 weeks (you better get your party hats on!)

Some New Pics!

2008-07-17T11:50:00.000-07:00

Two new albums - facebook hasn't been letting me upload so the new albums are on Picasa - very cool site. Enjoy and we will get some more up soon! Kisses!

Life is a (Spanish) Highway

2008-07-14T12:18:00.000-07:00

So, last we left our couple, they were embarking on a journey through the Spanish Countryside with 2 companions (Sandra and Kristin, WooHoo!) on what was anticipated to be the "fly by the seat of our pants" weekend of the DePaul Madrid Program. And let me tell you, it was just that. After a visit to the offices of the European Parliament and the European Commission in Madrid, Kara met Sandra, Kristin, and I at the Atocha Renfe Railstation in Madrid. I don't know if anyone remembers that this was the location where on March 11, 2004, 200 people were killed by a terrorist attack. They now have a beautiful memorial which happened to be right next to the line of rent-a-car desks. We had reserved a car for the weekend because taking the train to Barcelona would have run us a pretty hefty €100 each (like $165 currently). And it was Kristin's birthday weekend and she wanted to do something fun, so she jumped on board and made it pretty cheap to split it 4 ways. So, we picked up our pretty rockin' Volkswagon Passat and hit the open road. Since I (Nicki) am the only one who knows how to drive stick, I was the designated driver for the weekend, although I had some trouble initially not stalling out every time I went from reverse to 1st gear. Oops.

First Stop: Valencia

We arrived in Valencia with no map, no hotel reservation, and really knowing nothing about the city other than its famed Oranges. We ran into a bit of traffic and after a bit of aimless driving, we found a parking garage and a hotel. We only planned to stay that evening and then head to Barcelona in the morning, so we went out to find some Paella and Sangria. Paella is a Spanish rice dish made with saffron, vegetables, and whatever kind of meat you choose. From what I gather, The rice and all the fixins are cooked for a long time over low heat in a big iron pan with handles which they bring right to the table and you pretty much just dish it out. We got chicken because all the seafood here comes with heads and tails on which is ok for me, but not so much for some other people (Kara). And Sangria pretty much speaks for itself. I can't even express the admiration and deep affection I have developed for this drink. YUM! The lady who checked us in to our hotel suggested a place a little off the beaten path and by the time we got there, there was an hour wait to sit outside (good sign). We opted to take a table inside and had a pretty fantastic meal - olives that they seemed to pick that day and jar themselves, amazing Paella, and even more amazing Sangria. It was a good night. The next morning, we got up early to see some sights and find some fresh squeezed orange juice. Also excellent. Valencia is a good place for consumption. About midday, we picked up the car and headed up the eastern coast of Spain to...

Stop 2: Barcelona

We thought the drive from Valencia to Barcelona would be gorgeous, but it was not that amazing, pretty much your standard highway. I am saying this from the perspective of the only person who was awake for the entire thing. In Barcelona, we had a map and a plan. Find somewhere to park the car and then find a hotel. You know the saying "the best laid plans..." well, yeah, 2 hours later we finally found a hotel that was in a decent location. It seems that this weekend was big Harley Davidson rally in Barcelona which jacked up the hotel prices and made our lives difficult. I didn't realize so many Eurofolk rode hogs. They do. And they look the same here as they do in Sturgis. All leathered and moustachioed. Hot. After we freshened up a bit, we hit the streets to find the famed La Rambla, a long stretch of pedestrian road with lots of little booths and street performers. We wandered around a bit and found another pretty amazing meal. As we were heading back to our hotel, we came across a small stage and a small crowd gathering around it. We figured we would stop and listen for a while and were pleasantly surprised to hear some English-language songs, more specifically country music. Yes folks, we listened to a country cover band in Barcelona playing such hits as "God Bless Texas" and "Sweet Home Alabama." It was pretty awesome. And through the "concert," little men were selling beers to the crowd for €1. Can't beat that. On the way home, we stumbled upon what appeared to be the Barcelona "Red Light District." It definitely wasn't on our map, was not nearly as touristic as Amsterdam's, and should be avoided if you ever travel to this area of the world. Another oops moment for us.

Barcelona day 2 was Kristin's birthday so we headed out pretty early to see what we could. We ended up just checking out this amazing Market off of La Rambla which had all kinds of vendors and fresh foods, fruits, veg, meats, fish, anything you could imagine and things you don't want to imagine. (Think: whole skinned rabbits, cow's heads, tongues and various other unidentifiable parts) We each had some pretty awesome fresh fruit juice. Then we hit the beach, which happened to be a semi-topless, not semi as in partially topless, but semi as in only some of the women were topless. Completely topless. Needless to say we were pretty shocked - but its just part of the culture. Moms and daughters, teens, children, old ladies - and no one was bothered. Americans need to lighten up - its just boobs. Anyway, we walked along the beach for a while (first time in the Mediterranean Sea!) and took it all in. On the way back to the hotel we checked out the Barcelona Cathedral - pretty spectacular gothic architecture. But even better was the band playing when we walked out and all these old Spainards doing some sort of traditional dance. It was really cool to watch! After freshening up at the hotel we set out to find a place for Kristin's birthday dinner - we settled on a little Italian place we found. Now, its going to be difficult to put this experience into words so bear with me...basically it was the worst meal ever. They were out of almost everything we tried to order and when the food did come, there was fur on my (kara) meat. Yes, you heard right, fur. Nope, not a stray chef's hair or some fuzz that landed in the bowl - the meat had not been cleaned properly and some cow's fur made it into my stew. Now most of you know that I am a big animal lover and don't eat a ton of meat - and after seeing what we saw at market that morning I was seriously considering cutting it out altogether - but since they were out of everything and my Spanish sucks I just pointed to something and hoped that it would be good. Nope, fur. If you want the rest of the hairy details (har, har) we will gladly provide them. What came next made me forget all about the disasterous meal...DRAG SHOW! Nicki happened to look across the street we were walking down and said "hey, that looks like a drag show". We were pretty tuckered after a long day but decided to check it out anyway - and man were we glad we did! It was unlike anything I've ever seen - theatrical, beautiful, funny...it was actually two (real) women and two drag queens. Amber, you would have died and gone to heaven! We thought of you the whole time! Its really hard to put into words what exactly we saw - so much more complex than American drag shows - here, just check out this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8HN0cjdCQw

It was totally free and the drinks were pretty cheap. I loved the place so much I bought a tank-top! We have lots of pictures and Kristin took a video of the "Its Raining Men" skit that had my jaw on the floor.

On the way home we stopped at La Sagrada Familia, the famous Gaudi Cathedral that was never finished and for the past 150 years has been in various stages of construction. It was pretty darn cool. The drive from Barcelona back to Madrid was BEAUTIFUL! Mountains, valleys, winding roads... we made it back safe and sound, returned the car and made our way back to the apartment. Barcelona is one of those cities I would love to go back to and recommend to all of you! Whew, this was a long one! Thank you for keeping up with us!

Spanish Roadtrip

2008-07-12T10:42:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Barcelona! We are having an amazing time here - what a great city!! We are at a little internet cafe and don´t have a lot of time but just wanted to check in and let you know what we were up to. We have many stories of our adventures in a rental car, driving on the Spanish highways and of course all the cool things we have seen and done. And we are not through yet! All the details to come - stay tuned!

Finally some pictures!

2008-07-07T06:36:00.000-07:00

Over to the left you will see two new links! Spain Week 1 is mostly Futbol (soccer) stuff - Spain in the semi's then in the finals and also our night on the town (we got home at 5:30am!). There are also some of our roomies and the dishwasher ;)
Spain Week 2 is what happens when you buy a 5 LITER jug 'o wine. Dance party ensues. And it was only €3.99. Also Madrid Pride (Orgullo Gay) which we celebrated with our new gay-friendly friend Kristin. We heart her. I added captions for most of the photos for your knowledge and enjoyment. It was pretty cool to have the opportunity to celebrate Pride international style - the usual suspects were there - drag queens, dancing boys, far-to-loud music...however, since gay marriage is legal in Spain it was not as political - just everyone having a great time. Tonight Sandra is cooking up some Thai Curry, we are having new friend Kristin over and hopefully will finish off the remaining 2 liters :)
Much Love!

4th of July in Spain

2008-07-05T04:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was weird for us. It was the 4th of July - Independance Day - fireworks, BBQ's, watermelon, corn on the cob and sparklers day. But where we are there is not an American flag to be found. Nicki and I had a nice day, we relaxed, hung out, watched some tennis, went to the pool and made a nice dinner...but for us it was just another day. I missed the hub-bub. I really did. So all of you out there I hope you had a lovely 4th and did all the good 'ol American things for us.
Oh, but we did eat almost a whole watermelon :)

Feeling a little homesick 2...

2008-07-01T12:58:00.000-07:00

I, Nicki, am also feeling a bit of the homesick, but my list of things is mostly food and Lola, of course, and all of our friends. Kara wanted me to mention how much she misses Ranch dressing, so much so that she wanted me to let all of you know that she forgot it. I think as a defense mechanism, she has pushed it to the back of her mind, but we went to the grocery store today and the absence of salad dressings in general brought it back to her. She's truly suffering and deserves all of your pity. She also has developed a little bit of an eye infection that we are referring to as her "Spanish Stye." So, yes, we are having a grand ol' time in Madrid. So, mostly I miss Thai food, in case you were wondering, but lack of funds and variety in general has resulted in the need for a belt if you know what I mean - mostly bread, cheese, and wine. I am not complaining, wine at our local Mercadona costs us a whopping €1.65 A BOTTLE. That's right folks, I'm wasted. But even a 12 pack of beer will run you €3.36 whereas Coca-Cola is about €6. It's a frat-boy's dream. We actually had a really nice meal tonight with our roommates - we have a kind of commune thing going on with the food situation which is nice, everything is fair game for the most part, so we are learning to share. This is seeming to be a food-centric blog, so I'll explain a little bit of the Spanish food culture for those who are unfamiliar - First, Europeans don't really have a clue about coffee and I am sorry if I offend, but all those who think that French Roast or Italian Espresso is where it's at, you are WRONG. I would kill for a drip coffee from Intelligentsia or even Starbucks (It's that bad), but the best they can come up with is burnt espresso and hot milk, which is good compared to the instant stuff that saturates the rest of Europe. So, yeah, but breakfast is good - The Euro folk take their meals seriously - no shortcuts, very little cereal, mostly pastries and fruit. Lunch is seemingly nonexistent in Spanish Culture which I attribute to the fact that from about 10am to 10pm, it's SO FRICKIN HOT here, like 95+ degrees. They trick you with thier 33 degrees Celcius, but there were definitely some triple digits last week. So, around 8 or 9 the Spaniards partake in some Canas y Tapas, basically little drinks and little eats. And 10 or 11 is dinner time, I know, weird. But the food is pretty good if you know what you are ordering and even sometimes when you don't know what you are ordering. But for those of us accustomed to eating in the 6-7 time frame, there's not much for ya but tapas. So, we're adjusting and cooking at the apartment. They've even adjusted our class schedule to accomodate the late nights. So, that's all for now. I miss Pad Thai and Chipotle, but other than that, we are having a great time!!

Feeling a little homesick...

2008-07-01T07:40:00.000-07:00

THINGS I MISS
by Kara

Amber and Jason
Jimmy Johns
Old Navy
LOLA
my bed
Chipotle Burrito Bol
the English language
The Cafe Bong
summer in Chicago
Intelligentsia coffee
LOLA
baseball (go Cubs!)
my bike
TV on DVD
regular internet access
all my other clothes
and...did I mention Lola?
:)

The waves of homesickness come and go - it is especially hard for me when the girls are in class - but I'm getting a lovely Spanish tan and my hair is blonder than its been in years! We have Madrid Pride this weekend which I am very much looking forward to - then the weekend after that we are going to take a roadtrip to Valencia (mmm, oranges) and Barcelona. Then when classes are over we are headed to Rome! And after that we finally meet up with Marielle, Alexis and Cesar in the South of France. I'm going to try and get the pictures from our first week up for y'all to see - mostly soccer stuff :)
Well the girls should be home soon - talk to ya later!
X0X0

Spain Update!

2008-06-27T07:52:00.000-07:00

No news from Beatriz - we still love our new place - last night was INSANE - tonight we are going to our first Spanish disco.

Thats about it!

We went down to watch the game and it was just nuts. I was wrong before it was the semifinals last night - SPAIN 3 Russia 0! So now they play in the final on Sunday. The whole country is going crazy. Before we got sucked into the madness that is Plaza de Colon during the game we found this cute little bar with the sweetest bartender ever! She loved us! Here are the four of us all ready for the game...

L to R: Ana, Sandra, Nicki and Me

Spain or "We were Guadalajara - Street-ed"

2008-06-25T00:17:00.000-07:00

*Sigh* We've told this story over and over for about four days now but none of you at home actually know what happened - so here we go. Nicki is doing a study abroad program while we are in Spain. She's taking two classes for 6 credits and its only 3.5 weeks. Nice. Its the first year for the program so some kinks are still being worked out. We decided to live off campus during our stay because who want to live in a dorm room and be on a meal plan for 3.5 weeks at ages 24 and 27. Not us. They gave the option to ALL the students to live off campus (only to say much later that they prefered everyone to live ON...kinks....) so we decided it would be fun - and cheaper - to get some roommates and find a nice, big apartment together. The school gave some names of realtors that they trusted and sent us on our way. Nicki's Spanish is quite good but one of our roommates, Ana, is Mexican so she handled most of the communication with the realtor. And that was all settled way before we left on the trip, we had sent her a deposit ($900) and once we got to Spain, Ana and Sandra (other roomie) would be here, we just show up to the apartment and everything would be great....

Picture it: Middle of nowhere Spain, 2008. 11:00pm. We had just spent *gulp* 75€ on a cab ride to find the stupid place - getting lost several times, Nicki testing out her rusty Spanish (and doing VERY well!) our cab driver muttering things like "this isn't normal, nobody wants to come this far". But we finally found the place. Oh and this is AFTER our truly awful morning in Paris when we realized it was a different airport we had to be at and almost missed the shuttle. So ok, we found the apartment - 3 Guadalajara St. Get our things out of the cab, pay the obscene fare and walk up to the buzzer. We saw a note that said "Nicki" thinking it was Ana and Sandra telling us which apartment number it was....well it was them alright but the note said something to this effect: "Go down to the security guy and talk to him - we have to stay at the dorms tonight" Uh...ok...how the heck do we get there?! So we walk down to the security guy all the while starting to freak out more and more. That's where we met Raul - who doesn't know a lick of English but was very sweet to us. Nicki's Spanish once again pulled through and we figured out that we needed to call one of the professors and they would come get us. Well, we don't have a phone. Now its coming on 11:30pm - Raul says he can't get a line out, there are no public phones and no hotels. I start to sob thinking we are spending the night on the streets of Spain. Raul breaks some rules and quickly uses his only-incoming-calls-from-his-boss phone and gets the professor on the line for us. He is apologizing all over himself and says he will be there to pick us up in 20 min. Raul tells Nicki to tell me to calm down and that its ok now. Then he brought us some coca-cola...."Coca-Cola! America!" is what he said. Very, very sweet. We might still be stuck on Guadalajara St if not for Raul. So now we are saved but we still don't know what happened to Sandra and Ana and why we can't get into the apartment....

He takes us to the dorm to drop off our stuff and then to a bar. Ok, Spain is starting to get better :) Ana and Sandra were on their 3rd or so pitcher of Sangria when we finally joined them. I don't know if I can make this long story shorter but basically the realtor just never showed up. Sandra was to be the first in Spain and Ana had set up an appointment for Saturday June 21 at 2:30 for them to meet, get the keys and pay the remaining amount. Sandra waited all day. Ana showed up and then they waited together. No Beatriz. Thats her name. We dislike her very much. Oh, the professor that helped us out is Antonio and he was a knight in shining armour that day. I guess the girls had found his number in an email after Beatriz didn't show up and he took care of them too - getting us all rooms at the dorm, taking them to the store, driving them around to leave us the note knowing that we would just turn up at the apartment...so yeah, he was great. He also helped us find a new place. A better place, closer to the University, right across the street from a grocery store and it has a pool! I know what I'm doing while they are in class!! Oh! I forgot to mention that Beatriz was also in possesion of Nicki's computer and books for the courses, as well as Sandra's books. Since we were traveling before she didn't want to lug them all over Europe. So they didn't have their stuff for class Monday morning.

Ok, so obviously Beatriz didn't answer to return any phone calls all weekend. Monday after class the four of us nervously board a bus to go to her office. We want her to know what a crappy thing she did, that we all were homeless and we want our deposit money back. HA! This woman was a first class bitch. There was nothing warm about her. Not even ONE "sorry". She basically said she would have never made an appointment on a Saturday because "no one works on Saturday!" and that it was not her problem. She and Ana were having it out in Spanish for what seems like ever while the three of us were left pretty helpless. Ana had made the appointment over the phone and we think Beatriz just never looked at a calendar. However our receipt says "June 21". Well the girls got their stuff, she refused to give our money back and just kept saying the fact we might have had to sleep on the street was "Not her problem". She was mad AT US for getting a different apartment! It was a mess and we were all pretty shaken after the encounter. Especially Ana, she held her own and we were very proud of her! We are going to try and get one of the LAW professors to help us try and get our money back but we'll see. We are very happy in the apartment we are in and it ended up being way cheaper in the end. So yeah, homeless in Spain = not fun! We want to make t-shirts that say something like "we were Guadalajara Street-ed" or NOT MY PROBLEM. Bright side: we are getting along great with the girls - nothing like tragedy to bring you all together!

Everthing else is good! :) We are going into the heart of Madrid tomorrow night to watch Spain the quaterfinals of futbol tourney. Very cool. Thanks for reading! xoxo

New Pics

2008-06-21T06:31:00.001-07:00

We are literally on our way out the door in Paris and on to Madrid! Check out the new photos and we will update very soon on what we have been up to.

Love,

Us

Paris so far...

2008-06-18T14:48:00.000-07:00

Well, we officially LOVE Paris. Oh yeah, big time. Seeing the Eiffel Tower for the first time after you round the corner at the Trocadero = breathtaking. I (Kara) actually got tears in my eyes. Cheesy, corny...whatever. It was amazing. Today we climbed up the 'ol girl. Whew...not easy. But worth it. We also spent a few hours in the Louvre - you could spend DAYS in that place and not see everything. We hit the highlights, Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo, plus some other pretty amazing art. Also yesterday we stumbled upon a Pro Beach Volleyball tournament taking place in Paris this week. For those who may not know, I played for nine years...including two in college - NJCAA National Champs, 1999. So this was a very exciting find. We took in another match today. It just so happens that my favorite doubles team, Misty May and Kerri Walsh (Olympic Gold Medalists) are playing tomorrow morning (also my birthday). We are going. It was a pretty awesome surprise.

Tomorrow we are also planning on going to Montmarte - home of the Moulin Rouge and the little cafe that is in Amelie. I decided I didn't want to do anything too outrageous for my birthday so we are going to have a picnic by the Eiffel Tower and watch her light up. It will be perfect I'm sure :)

More Pics!

2008-06-17T15:25:00.001-07:00

We figured out how to link to the facebook albums, so if you look to the left and click on the links you will find some new photos! Thanks mom! Yeah.

PARIS!

2008-06-16T14:41:00.000-07:00

We made it to Paris this evening. Today was one for the books. Florence to Pisa to the leaning tower to the airport to Paris to a shuttle bus to BILL!!! Sue and Bill are Nicki's parents friends that moved to Paris last year. And they have been our Godsend in Paris. Bill met us at the shuttle and ushered us through the Paris metro to their apartment in St. Cloud, a western suburb of Paris. There was chilled Champagne (the real stuff) in the fridge, goat cheese salad, and so many Paris maps and guides that we will definitely be able to fill our time here in the city of lights. PARIS PARIS PARIS. Gay Paree! We love it already. So, we will definitely have a catch-up blog soon and we will be uploading some pictures of ITALIA!! But now, we are very sleepy. Love ya. Peace.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY! (and other stuff)

2008-06-16T03:30:00.000-07:00

Hey Dads! Tom and Greg specifically - we couldn't find internet yesterday so you are getting your greetings a day late - sorry, we were just too busy slurping gelatto! We hope you both had a wonderful, relaxing day. And to Alexis on his first Father's Day - hope you had a good one too! Love to all!!!

So we are leaving Italy today and heading to Paris! Actually right now we are in Pisa - just saw this amazing tower...it leans! Ever heard of it? :) haha

Italy was good to us, lots of pizza, pasta and gelatto. Lots. We got attacked by some vicious Italian mosquitoes...mostly on our arms and hands. Big 'ol red welts. Not cool.

Well my time is almost up - we will write more in Paris. With pictures. Promise.

xoxo

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!

Finally, a new POST!!!

2008-06-13T00:56:00.000-07:00

Sorry all, we have been so entranced by the old world charm of Italy that we forgot for a few days that technology existed. Not really, but we have had very limited internet access. As I type, I sit in the corner of the breakfast room at our B&B, as the owner washes dishes behind me. Anyway, we arrived in Treviso from Prague on Wednesday. We were right on track until we got to the train station and realized that we really had no idea where we were going. I guess there was some map we should have downloaded. oops. After an hour or three of searching and asking countless very kind Italians where we should be going, we finally found our room, of course having passed it about a half dozen times. Things are not well marked here. People are very nice though, two nice women stopped us to ask if we needed help. They didn't help much, but they tried. This language barrier is something else. We have been indulging in our first Italian pizza, pasta, gelatto, and wine. Pretty amazing. We had a great time with the staff of a takeaway pizza joint near our B&B, the first thing they said when they found out we were Americans was "Oh, BUSH!" and they made disgusted faces. Too funny. Not a lot to say back and forth, but we laughed a lot. The Italian people are so cheerful, and kind.

We went to Venice yesterday, and like we said about Prague, GO THERE. It is truly magical and certainly something we will never forget. We let pigeons eat off of us in Piazza San Marco. We had a very nice gondola ride, complete with an Italian serenade. It was pretty awesome. And it didn't stink. Go figure. Lots of great food, great people, and beautiful vistas. Kara even wanted me to pinch her to make sure she wasn't dreaming. We did have a little mishap with the camera in that it ran out of battery right before we got on the gondola, but I guess that is a memory that is supposed to be just ours. Sorry, folks. You will have to get your own.

We are off to Florence today to see a big naked statue called "David." And maybe some other cool stuff. We will let you know.

Quick hello!

2008-06-10T12:52:00.000-07:00

Hi! Today we went in the Prague castle - beautiful. We also took in some more soccer - GO SPAIN! My finger is about 100 times better today which nice...the tip in still swollen and a bit numb plus the nail is turning a nice shade of purple...but its not as bad as I thought it would be. We are hitting the hay early tonight because we have to be up at 7 to head to the airport and then its off to Venice!

Hope all is well with everyone - thanks for reading!

xoxo

Prague

2008-06-09T14:33:00.000-07:00

So, we are in Prague, very possibly the most beautiful city in the world (we haven't been to Italy or France yet, but we will see). It's pretty amazing here, like stepping into a fairy tale. It is difficult to describe and the pictures won't do it justice, but if we have one piece of advice for anyone planning a European vacation anytime soon, it is COME HERE! It is sooooo worth it. And come here before the Czech Republic converts to the Euro because the exchange rate is great, which you can't say for most of the world right now. We just had some amazing Czech beer for about $1.50US, IN A BAR. Yeah, not even happy hour, folks. Anyway, besides the beer, Prague has one of the most famous medieval castles, Prague Castle, which is beautiful. We walked the grounds today after an impressive hike up to the top of a hill overlooking the city. Tomorrow, we go in!

One really cool thing we have encountered here in Prague is the frenzy that is Eurocup 2008, basically the World Cup Jr, and these Euro folk go crazy for it. So much so that they have erected a huge screen in the 1000 yr. old Town Square and have set up beer tents to watch the games every night. It's pretty darn cool. I'm sure we'll encounter lots of this kind of behavior elsewhere, but since the tournament just started last weekend, we just have been introduced to it. And I have to say, I'm a fan. Massive bratwurst and pints of beer on a hot summer evening, just chilling next to some of the most gorgeous buildings I have ever seen in my life? Nice.

We missed some blogging in Berlin, so I'll try to make up for it a bit. We saw a lot of Berlin on foot (which they say can't be done). Never underestimate 2 women on a budget :) The zoo as we said was amazing, but we started to get a bit homesick, so we decided to do something unconventional and see the Sex in the City movie in the English-language megaplex that is the Sony Center. The Sony Center is in Potsdamer Platz which was pretty much destroyed when the Berlin wall was built right in the middle of it and since the wall has come down, the city decided to use the space to create a fantastic plaza of modern architecture and magnet for tourists. We were drawn. The movie was a great way to get a little taste of Americana (except German movie theatres have assigned seats - weird).

I do have to report on our first (hopefully only) injury. Kara got her finger slammed in the locker at the hostel that holds all of our stuff. Her finger is black and blue and we will most definitely post some photos. But, other than that, we are fantastic and ready for our last day in Prague. But don't feel too sorry for us because we are on to Venice on Wednesday. Jealous?

Berlin to Prague...

2008-06-08T08:42:00.000-07:00

We are here in Prague now - Berlin was....meh. Just ok. Actually I (Kara) pretty much hated it. I can't quite put my finger on why - just didn't care for the vibe. We did a lot...saw the Berlin Wall, went to Checkpoint Charlie, Holocaust Memorial, Berlin Zoo (my favorite!) and just general wandering. Our couchsurfing experience was...an experience. More on that to come :)

We got into Prague about an hour ago and so far I absolutely love it. THIS is why I wanted to come on this trip...old beautiful city with its own castle, winding roads...its gorgeous! And out hostel is A-MA-ZING. Best one yet by far. We are about to go out wandering now....we promise for a more in depth update soon. We are alive, good, well fed, sleeping just fine and very happy.

xoxo

Amsterdam Album

2008-06-06T01:48:00.000-07:00

Check it out!!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2086945&l=10e2b&id=48600874

London Album

2008-06-06T01:04:00.000-07:00

Here you go junkies!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2086943&l=1f5cb&id=48600874

PICTURES!!!

2008-06-05T15:12:00.000-07:00

Some highlights so far...

BIG BEN!

SHANNON!

Homomonument, Amsterdam

Nicki at our first picnic in Vondelpark

Kara at de bontekoe in Leiden (someone please show Americano John, thanks!) :)

Canal cruise in Amsterdam

On the Deutchbahn (train) from Amsterdam to Berlin

Front page of the German newspaper!

Part of the Berlin Wall

Nicki after being told she has to pay to pee :(

Couldn't resist...

We hope that is satisfying for now. More to come we promise!!!

xoxo

A little Catch up

2008-06-05T02:41:00.000-07:00

First, let me qualify this by saying that I am typing on German keyboard, which doesn't sound too strange, but let me tell you, it is. Anyway, our last few days in Amsterdam were pretty uneventful. We met up with one of my classmates who happened to be traveling in Amsterdam the same time we were and we spent the day wandering around the city. We checked out this big open air market and bought a bunch of baby tomatoes and then had lunch at a cute little Turkish restaurant. I love it that beer is the same price as soda here, it's pretty much awesome. It turns out, at one point in Amsterdam, the water quality was so bad that it was actually better for you to drink beer than water. I just pretended that we were back in that time :) Just kidding - We've been doing a good job of keeping hydrated since we've been walking so much. We also got some tickets for a canalbus, which is basically just water transport through the canals of Amsterdam, which was very cool. We thought we were so smart, taking it to the train station yesterday morning so we wouldn't have to schlep our backpacks throught the red light district, but when we got to the trainstation, the woman at the information booth helped us realize that we were at the wrong trainstation. So that was fun. Luckily, we were really early. The train ride through Germany was nice, but it looked alot like northern Michigan, which I thought was pretty funny. Lots of cows and such. We made it into Berlin last night and hoofed it to our first couchsurfing adventure. Our host is Andrea and she is very nice. She had a bed made for us, clean towels, fresh tea, a marked up city map and a 2 hour chat about what we expected to do in Berlin. After a good night sleep in a room all to ourselves, a hot shower, and some German pastries, we are ready to tackle the city. We think. Tonight, we are going to take Andrea to dinner somewhere in the neighborhood, her choice. We definitely need to brush up on our German, and by brush up, I mean learn some. Yeah. Love ya'll. Peace.

Off to Berlin

2008-06-04T01:01:00.000-07:00

For those of you holding your breath waiting for our next post - here it is - we have survived Amsterdam! Today we're off to Berlin for another adventure of great proportions I'm sure. There will be more to come on Amsterdam when we have some time to post, but we have to check out of our hostel in 25 minutes, so this has to be brief. Amsterdam is like a roller coaster of strange and a little bit unbelievable. It's gorgeous and trashy at the same time, kinda like the Melanie Griffith of cities. Yeah. Anyway, I wish they sold those t-shirts in the train station like they do after you get off a ride at Cedar Point. I survived Amsterdam with a picture of the red light district or something like that. Or maybe a camera that takes a picture of your wide eyes as you look around the city for the first time, then you can buy the picture on your way out for 50 Euro? Good idea.

Well, we'll write more from Berlin. Talk soon.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESSICA!!

Do Not Drink and Blog

2008-06-02T04:24:00.000-07:00

Attention readers: drinking Dutch beer for three hours then deciding to blog is a BAD IDEA. Oops.

Yesterday was lovely - we wandered around all over the city - found the HOMOMONUMENT! Also the other parts of the city tailored to ''our kind'' *wink, wink* had a drink in the oldest lesbian bar in Holland - went to the store to get pinic stuff and sat in Vondelpark people watching, eating and drinking a bottle of wine - because you can do that here!

And then we hung out at the hostel bar - met some dudes from Toronto and got pretty tipsy :)

Today we are doing a day trip out of Amsterdam to a little town called Leiden...a customer of mine from Intelligentsia recommended it (Americano John!) he said to check out this bar called De Bonte Koe - The Spotted Cow. We will let you know how is goes...

amsterdam day 2

2008-06-01T15:25:00.000-07:00

better than day one. not so many ladies in windows....

So super drunk right now in the hostel bar...sorry parents. and grandparents. and aunts and uncles that may be reading this.

DRUNK!

but we drink beer. But NOT smoke weed like everyone else here.

Wow. This place is CRAZY! made some friends. Jeez. Today we had a picnic in the park and gave some homeless people our extra food. It felt good.

BYE!

Amsterdam Day 1

2008-05-31T13:35:00.000-07:00

Wow.

As luck would have it...

2008-05-30T13:31:00.000-07:00

Hello there! (If anyone is really reading this!)
:-)

So today we decided to head out and see some art. And since we learned the whole city yesterday we decided to walk. Good move. Not only did we burn some calories but we saw things we hadn't before...very nice. So we went to the Tate Modern - nice but not really our thing. Walked around some more then decided 'what the hell, we are here, we both love theater, why not see a show on the West End'. So we made our way to Leicester Square - home of the tkts booth and also a kind of 'mini Times Square'. HOLY TOURIST TRAP! We bought half-price tickets to Avenue Q - which isn't saying much because holy god is this city expensive! We had three hours to kill before the show so we starting walking around.

**QUICK SIDE NOTE**
So my friend (Kara speaking here) Shannon moved to London about a year and a half ago. We had been keeping in touch here and there and I had told her we would be in town. I really wanted to meet up and see her but since we don't have a cell phone and its hard to make plans via email we were kind of at a loss at how to get in touch. I thought maybe we could catch her on our way home in August somehow.
**BACK TO OUR STORY**

So we are walking around the square, checking out the theaters and shops and trying to figure out a way to spend our three hours before the show when I look across the busy London street and see Shannon. Just standing there as if she were waiting for us. Fate? Kismet? Who knows but someone wanted us to find each other - we yell across the road, she sees us - hugs in the middle of the street - three hours later we'd had coffee, walked around and had a glass of wine on a terrace overlooking crowds of people and street performers at the Chez Gerard. It was the perfect afternoon. We talked and talked - she about living in London, us about our trip - just catching up and lots of laughs. We still can't quite believe that happened! One instant on either side and we may have missed each other. After saying goodbye and making plans for August we headed off to Avenue Q. LOVED IT. Such a good show. Some of the jokes were a little different, you know to tailor to the Brits, but it was still amazing. After the show we went to a burger joint and had dinner, now we are here in a little internet cafe telling you about our day :)

Oh, I almost forgot about our breakfast this morning! Yum. I have so many pictures of food its ridiculous. It was a Spanish place and they had cortados! Some of you will get that :)

London was good to us today. Tomorrow we tackle Amsterdam. Please pray for us ;)

Big Ben x 87

2008-05-29T11:46:00.000-07:00

So, the only thing that we for sure wanted to do when we got up this morning at a ridiculous hour (5 AM!!! I couldn't sleep) was be tourists. I know, I know, LAME! But, you know what, as it turns out, not so lame. Nothing cures culture shock like a double decker bus tour. And tour we did. As we headed out after our first hot showers of the trip, Kara reiterated, "I just want to see Big Ben." Little did she know how many time we would shuttle past this infamous London landmark, named after some guy called Ben (Londoners always tell you what people are called, even though it's kinda obvious) and in fact it is not the tower, but the bell that is named Big Ben, and it weighs 16 tons. That's a hell of a bell. Did you know that 80% of London burned to the ground in 1666? Or that the plague killed more that 100,000 people the year before that? It's true, we heard it live and digitally on one of our many roundabouts through RAINY London today. I bet those folks were ready for the 1670s. Some other fascinating bits of the day...
1. Westminster Abbey - final resting place of the upper crust of London
2. Buckingham Palace - but no changing of the guard today
3. Speakers corner in Hyde Park - It was raining, so no speakers, but thanks for the recommendation, mom.
4. Tower of London
5. Tower Bridge ( And about a zillion other bridges that crisscross the Thames)
6. Full on afternoon tea - with clotted cream, tasty, but needs a new name
7. Awesomely funny street names like "Great Peter Street" and "Black Rod Row" (no joke)
8. Houses of Parliament
9. St. Paul's Cathedral
10. Trafalgar Square

You get the picture - we did it all!!! So we're pretty sure we can give that tour now, if necessary. We even had a beer in the Candy Bar - a local ladies' hangout. Oh yeah, and we got pictures with a real English phone booth - you can guess whose idea that was. We hope to post some pictures soon, but it's tough to find a place that will let you upload. Keep checking though, we got some good ones.

Peace out folks - time for some much needed rest. Cheers, we'll have a pint for ya. Yes, all of you.

We made it!

2008-05-28T11:29:00.000-07:00

After 16 hours of travel we finally made it to our hostel in London! The flight was pretty uneventful - we got to watch tv and movies on the seat back of the person in front of us. Awesome. Needless to say there was no sleeping involved. Oops. So we arrived tired and hungry. But we fixed both of those things with a classic english breakfast (picture to come) and a much needed nap. The hostel beds are very comfy! This doesn't quite make up for the fact that we had to take cold showers :-/ Ah, well. We just keep telling ourselves "its part of the experience". Even though we are still pretty tired we are going to try and stay awake to get on the right schedule. But we are here!!! Yay!

And people talk funny. And drive on the wrong side of the road. Huh.

Oh, and here is a little tip: don't try and cross London streets when you haven't slept in 24 hours. Its scary.

Much Love!
K & N

Bye Chicago!

2008-05-27T09:27:00.000-07:00

We will miss you!

IT'S TOMORROW!!!

2008-05-26T12:03:00.000-07:00

Lola

2008-05-25T16:31:00.000-07:00

Today we had to say goodbye to our baby, Lola. It sucked. We know she is going to have a wonderful summer with Grandma and Grandpa Pearce...camping, sailing, daily walks and lots of love. But we are still going to miss her dearly. Nicki's parents just left after a really nice weekend and we are gearing up for our Bon Voyage party tomorrow night. Only 2 more sleeps!!!

Bye Lola, we love you.

Only 4 more sleeps...

2008-05-23T17:19:00.000-07:00

Our bags are (almost) packed and we're ready to go...Today was my (Kara) last day at work and Nicki is currently at Hambuger Mary's slingin' burgers for the last time as well. On Sunday we say goodbye to Lola :( Monday, we say goodbye to our friends (come to Sidetrack, 9pm-?) and on Tuesday we say hello to London! Its been a long road...planning, saving...but we are looking forward to the "trip of a lifetime".

Stay tuned...