Tag: travel

Travel Diary: Lago di Garda Day 1

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Hey folks,

finally some travelling done on my part which means more posts coming up for this blog. Today’s post is going to be short, after all we only arrived this afternoon so I only took some pictures. Frankly, after two glasses of wine and a sprizz I also have a little buzz going on. So, more on where I am staying tomorrow.

Enjoy my first pictures of beautiful Bardolino in Italy!

That’s the hotel we are staying at. Conveniently located, close to the lake and so far the staff has been nice as well. I stayed here a couple of years ago already, so it wasn’t a big surprise.

 

A billboard with death notices which are posted throughout the town. It feels more personal somehow because it implies that people still know each other.

 

Three views of the lake. I love water and I especially love how it sparkles in the sun. Probably the only thing that I like that sparkles.

 

There was a group of baby ducks. So cute, so fuzzy. So many pictures were taken. I spare you the details and only post one.

 

Sooo many boats. And a reminder that last year my mom and I decided to get a boat license which we, surprise – surprise, haven’t managed to do yet. Maybe next year we will be able to rent a boat. Let’s keep that on the bucket list!

 

Very random shot of my water-glass.


It’s the shadow of the bird. Very funny, the little sparrows are extremely well fed and like to steal bread. It’s so much fun to watch them as they hop between the tables. They also come pretty close, so you really have to be careful or you’ll end up with a bird on your head.

More on the background of my trip will come up tomorrow! Plus pictures of Lazise and other shenanigans!

Sleep tight and dream of distant places,

Eva

2015 Recap

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Oh time flies when you are having fun!

It is February 2016 now and I just noticed how lazy I have been. I apologize, dear followers, and I promise to try my best to do better.

So let’s see: What did I do in 2015 – travel-wise?

In March I spent a few days in Mannheim, Germany at a conference. I wouldn’t much call it traveling or a holiday, as I spent most of my time in the university there, still, I liked what I saw and I am planning to go back and explore more. Unfortunately, no pictures were taken due to my lack of nerves concerning presentations.

In April I was happy to welcome two of my best friends in Munich. A. came all the way from Florida to visit me and was later joined from H. who came from Berlin at that time. Though it was just for a week, we had lots of fun and did a lot of sights in Munich, Salzburg and Füssen. My first visit to Neuschwanstein! I definitely should devote a post to that!

In June I spent a few days with my mom at the beautiful Lago di Garda in Italy. It’s one of my favorite places. We have been going to the same towns since I can think, so it feels a lot like coming back to many nice memories, always looking for changes. Places change so much over the years! It was incredibly hot outside, but more on that another time!

In September I was accepted to spent a week in Kleve, near Düsseldorf, Germany at a Summer School on Digital Storytelling. There are still so many impressions on my mind that I have no idea how to put that into words. The week was filled with good memories, but also a lot of work.

In hindsight, my year didn’t look that boring, but still it felt extremely empty with no trip longer than a week. I missed my being-abroad-on-my-own a lot and I’m looking forward to this year and hopefully more time spent away from Munich.

Until then, take care!

Cheers,

Eva

Taking a train ride

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Even though it was the smallest part of my travels, I decided to devote a post to the train ride from New York City to Boston.
During my time in Ohio in 2009 I was never able to travel anywhere by train, mainly because the railroad seems to be a dying way of transportation. I also had heard a lot of unpleasant stories on American trains which I hardly could believe having been a victim of the DB (Deutsche Bahn) far too often.

So I decided to take the train from New York City to Boston because I didn’t want to rent a car in Manhattan that would be parked in Boston for days because I was going to stay there. Amtrak was really cheap considering the distance and the fact that I was not able to use a discount. I booked the ticket online and printed it. When the day came, I was really nervous and went to the train station way too early. Of course the train was late, too (no explanation why) but that felt a bit like home. I was able to wait inside. What’s confusing is, that when the train arrives, you have to storm to an exit where your ticket is barely glanced at and then you can go down stairs and enter the train. That one wasn’t full, so I was easily able to find a seat and enjoy the view. All the waiting and the stress of boarding in the end was absolutely worth it, as the way from New York City and Boston leads along the coast. As the weather was nice and sunny, I was able to enjoy the view and catch up on some reading. There is free internet on the train, they even tell you when to get off!

The quality of my photos is really bad this time, but when you travel, you sometimes travel fast 🙂

While I was looking out the window and saw the small villages and larger cities fly by, I knew for certain that I had to go back and spend more time at the beach. I feel like I’m a sea person, whenever I am near the sea, I feel free!

5 things to bring with you on a roadtrip…

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Probably the most exciting thing of last year’s trip was the fact that I was going to rent a car on my own and drive a lot – also on my own. Most of you might know that you have to be 25 to rent a car in the US or you will have to pay a fee to ensure them that you’ll bring back the car in one piece. So obviously the last time when I was still under car-rental-age, I was not allowed to drive the rental. Picture my excitement this time! I seriously love driving, especially when it is an automatic car! I started planning my road trip almost right after I had booked my flight and I also rented the car at that time. However, there are still things that I couldn’t totally prepare for, some of them I even had to learn the hard way. Read about my “5 things to bring with you on a roadtrip”:

1. Bring your own GPS!

I know most rental car companies offer them in addition to the car, but bringing your own GPS ensures that it is updated and has all important addresses pre-programmed. Insert all the places that you want to stay right away, as that will save valuable time. After most days I didn’t feel like sitting on the bed and type in my addresses for the next day, when there is either so much going on around you or you are simply dead tired and you just want to go to bed. I used my old TomTom that I bought in 2009 and updated the maps for USA and Canada beforehand when I had enough time at home. It cost me around 25$ and an evening of installing, but I had a GPS that I (kind of) trusted and knew how to work with.

2. water, water, lots of water… and snacks

It’s really important to stay hydrated while driving and always have a bottle of water next to you. I started driving in Boston after a few days exploring the city with a bad sun burn and just my luggage on me, no water, no snacks. The thing is that you will have to focus a lot on the road and on the unfamiliar car so that you forget to drink and eat or that you are hungry in the first place. It’ll hit you the moment you leave the comfy air-conditioned car… so stock up on your supplies!

3. Music

It’s nice to travel alone but it can also get really quiet in that car when there is no one to talk to. I enjoyed listening to the radio for a while but when you drive longer distances you’ll notice that the channels change a lot and you’ll probably get annoyed as well of the static sound echoing in your car. So it’s a great idea to make your own CD beforehand, and that will even increase the excitement!

4. Knowledge of traffic rules

Brush up your knowledge of the local traffic rules and look up how to react in certain situations. The first minutes after renting the car, I met a school bus on the road and I actually had forgotten that it is a big NO-NO to drive past it when it stops. Everyone honked at me and scared me so much that I almost drove into a fence. I felt like I would get arrested after that, so that was terrifying! Avoid that by spending 10 minutes before the trip googling traffic rules!

5. Lots of money… cash and credit card

Even though gas is a lot cheaper in the US, a road trip can still get pretty pricy after a while. So try to calculate beforehand how much you will have to spend on gas and make sure to have enough money on your credit card. Also, try to find out how much you will have to pay on tolls. I actually had to leave the interstate in Manhattan during rush hour and drive through some really sketchy neighborhoods in order to find an ATM because I had only 3 $ left. The next toll bridge ended up costing 17 $ so I was actually glad I did find an ATM. Try to plan ahead and maybe ask some locals about how much it will be!

Hostels and traveling on your own…

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When you are travelling on a budget (and let’s face it – who isn’t) and on your own, you will soon find out that the biggest obstacle is to find a place to stay. A place where you feel safe, where you can enter the bathroom without feeling the urge to clean it…
For me, it seems that with the years going by, I find myself longing for clean and quiet spaces. When I think about my first trips, I didn’t care much about anything. All I wanted was a bed in a reasonably clean hostel, no matter how many people I had to share my room with. On my trip last year, I struggled a lot with finding the right living arrangements. One option was choosing a hostel which I decided to do in New York City and Boston, my first stops on the trip.

In New York I lived in a nice little hostel in Chelsea. I had been staying in a hostel before, but it had been located further north in Manhattan and this time I wanted to be more in the South. To choose my hostel, I always use websites like hostelworld.com or I simply look for reviews on google. For me it is important to now what other people had been saying. The hostel in Chelsea was all in all ok, it was reasonably priced for a place in New York, the staff was nice and they offer smaller rooms and free breakfast. It is located in a quiet street with a lot of shops and cafés in walking distance.

In Boston I chose to stay in a youth hostel which so far has been my best experience in a hostel abroad. The youth hostel is located in the Theater District/ Chinatown, so most sights are in walking distance. Also, there is a Panera right next door 🙂 The hostel has been built only a few years ago, so everything is quite modern and new. The staff is nice and helpful as well and they offer a lot of activities like tours to a brewery or to museums.

All in all, I prefer staying in hostels over a hotel. It is good to catch up on sleep after a long flight in a hotel, but hostels are always more fun as you can meet so many people from so many different places!

Another year went by….

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And yet I’m still so much behind on blogging. Last year in May, I was able to travel a little bit in the US. For a travel addict like me, those were the perfect three weeks. Not only did I get to see my college friends again (after four incredibly long years), but I travelled all alone for the first time in my life!

What seemed to be scary at first, now makes me want to tell everyone I talk to: Pack your bags and get up and on the road!
I started in Munich and took a really exhausting flight to NYC. I usually love New York City, but this time due to being so tired, I just felt miserable most of the time. However, I tried to seize the day and took some new photos!

I had to sit on the doorstep of a church for some time because the rain surprised me and I was without an umbrella. It gave me time to get used to the pace of New York, relax and do some people watching!

Isn’t the facade of this building stunning?! I could look at it for hours, it’s mesmerizing!

Those were my bags, I didn’t try to pack small then, but had to carry all these bags with me. It was ok while I was driving but other than that – just too much stuff! Carry-On only for the win from now on!

Puppies in a window display. This always breaks my heart! How can you look at these cute animals and not want to take them all home with you? I’m glad we don’t sell animals like that in Germany!

Amazing street art awaits you wherever you go if you just keep your eyes open. Especially along the High Line which is a long narrow park that I sat down to relax and get over my jet lag!

Times Square right after a big downpour of rain. It always amazes me how busy New York City and especially Times Square is. It’s almost overwhelming but at the same time you feel life pulsating!