July 2024
Prague
Pt 1
I have loved Prague almost as much as NYC! My first impressions have been absolutely amazing. The food is delicious and when we walked down the Main Street it was beautiful. The walls are stunningly carved with many different images. I really enjoy the history of Czechia and how it has been through so much. Overall my first impressions of Prague have been more than I expected.
Pt 2
It’s been a few days and my statement still stands, Prague is amazing. We visited a church that looked up over the city, a church filled with beautiful gold plating, and a church with the most ornate domed ceiling. We also walked through one of the largest castles in Europe. The walls were grand and the arches were stunning. For one we went under the walls of the fortress, and let’s just say underground tunnels where the guide constantly told us about how untrustworthy and lazy the builder was. That’s not my thing. Other than that it was very cool. We saw lots of Baroque architecture. Baroque architecture is basically over the top gothic architecture. Don’t get me wrong, it’s always shiny, but a bit over the top. On the other hand Gothic architecture has taller, pointing spires, while Baroque is shiny. Gothic has beautiful stained glass windows, and Baroque is shiny. Ok listen it may sound like all Baroque is only shineys, but it has other stuff going for it too. It has tall ceilings, twisted columns, and grand stairways. I love them both equally (gothic is better). Gothic is also older (12-16th century) than baroque (16-17 century). Overall I have adored Prague and I’m sad we are leaving.
PARIS!!
Pt 1
I was so excited for Paris and it did not disappoint. It has been my second favorite place after New York. On our first day we climbed to our first cathedral of the city trip. Then we walked to the Eiffel Tower with Anna Banana and her fiancé Olof. We climbed to the top of l’arc de triomphe to see the Eiffel Tower at night. Olof was terrified of the hight and we were a bit scared too. We also people watched at the top. The tower was beautiful and the city was glowing at night. On the second day we went to the Louvre. My favorite piece of art was a statue of a goat. On the third and final day, we went to three beautiful cathedrals. I was sad to say goodbye to Anna Banana, Olof, and Paris, but I am excited to move onto our next part of the trip.
Zermatt
Pt 1
Why are we not staying here for longer? Well I don’t know. Zermatt is absolutely amazing. We are staying in a campsite at the base of the Matterhorn and it is stunning. Our campground is beautiful, centrally located, and very clean. The grocery store is just a short stroll up the street, and there are so many restaurant options for dinner. On the second day we went on a short hike up to a cute little lake. The lake had a raft across it and a rope to pull on. I spent two hours doing trips across the lake and picking up different people on both sides. The lake was beautiful and the mountains were stunning. We had dinner at the cutest restaurant ever. Our first fondue of the trip was the third most delicious thing I have had so far. The cheese was perfect and melty, and the bread had just the perfect taste. Overall an amazing experience.
Pt 2.
Wow that was a LOT of hiking. I mean over 35 km in three days, ten of which were on the last day. Not to say it wasn’t beautiful, but it was a lot. I was also sick from something? We are staying at a campground at the base of the Matterhorn and that is absolutely gorgeous. The first hike was to a hut at the base of The Matterhorn. It was our first hIke that was really a challenge. We took a gondola to the start of the trail, hiked 3.5 km, got to the hut, and then did the same thing. BUT BACKWARDS! On the second hike we hiked 6 km to the Trift hut. The people were so nice and I wish we had stayed for longer. On the second day in Trift, we submitted the Mettelhorn it was hard, but my favorite part must have been taking off our crampons and sliding down the glacier. On the third day we took a much more complicated hike down into Zermatt, but we saw a BEARDED VULTURE! So that is awesome. Did you know that a bearded vultures diet consists mostly of bones?!? I mean that is so cool! I really enjoyed the last few days and wish we will never leave.
Pt 3.
Sadly it is time to say goodbye. From our campground at the base of the stunning Matterhorn, to the watches in every window Zermatt has been a dream. As I write this from my tent, I am saddened that we need to leave. The fondue is better than I could have ever imagined; the melty cheese with the perfect amount of spices. The week has had its hiccups… H getting second degree burns… but other than that it has been a mavelichous week. Goodbye to Zermatt, thank you for the memories.
Pt 4.
Been a while and a lot has happened. We went to huge playgrounds, my favorite of which was a park with a huge zip line and a water maze. The campground that we stayed in was cute, and the people were so sweet. Because we could go onto any gondola, it got a bit… out of hand. We would go up a few minutes before closing time, stay up for a few seconds, then go back down as it closed. Because of H’s injury, we did not get to go on very long hikes. Now we are in Kandersteg, a place with the best yogurt and the coolest rain. It is basically always raining. I have loved the past week and I am happy to be making all these memories.
Austria
Pt 1.
Wow, Austria is beautiful. The mountains are huge and pointy, and the forests remind me of home. Speaking of home, we went to a pool! It had the craziest slide that had three spins! The pool also had an amazingly fast lazy river. There is a stunning view from the glass top of the pool. Our campground has a sand pit… BUT WITH DIRT! A stunning dirt pit it is! Overall I have loved Austria so far.
Eight Boots Abroad 