The Beautiful Hallstatt, Austria

5 JUNE 2016

All those pictures you might've seen of Hallstatt? That's the real deal. It exists as amazing as you think.

On the road...

Lake Mondsee was on the way to Hallstatt so we stopped to admire it.

Almost there!

The Austrian scenery was definitely my favorite, though Slovenia came into a close second.

Finally seeing this place was amazing:

While you can't see it in this picture, there was an astronomical number of Chinese tourists at Hallstatt. I don't even know why? It was just them, just Asians. And they were loud.

Walking through the village was quaint, there were mostly hotels and sleeping quarters with some souvenir shops along the way. The most insteresting part of Hallstatt was this building, the museum, and of course the lake (in my opinion anyway).

 Truth be told: we just came for these views

This was our dinner that night up in the mountains. We also almost got mauled by a wild boar! Scary stuff.

"Traveling - it leaves you speechless then turns you into a storyteller." - Ibn Battuta -

All about Austria

5 JUNE 2016

Arriving in Austria felt like taking a breath of fresh air.

 We arrived slowly and weren't pressed for time like we usually are around 6pm. We had an airbnb so we weren't stressing over where we were going to sleep.
We arrived in Wels late and our airbnb host showed us around but neglected to tell us that her roommates would be staying all weekend too.

 After a refreshing weekend, it was time to get back on the road. Wels was cute and all but we wanted to see Salzburg.

6 JUNE 2016

Salzburg

I wish I wish I wish we stayed longer in Salzburg! The day we were there, we went up to the Fortress overlooking the city and looked at all the landmarks and surrounding countryside. The castles you find in this part of the world were built for a reason; those views!

As we walked up the steps towards the fortress that morning, the man with the red bandana said, "Going down is easy, coming up is the hard!"

Most memorable moment of Salzburg: after having parked in a P+R for over three hours (I guess that's not allowed) we had no choice but the sneak out behind a lady who'd just paid! I was ready to pay the 3EUR but there was no one in the booth!

 The entrance to the fortress.

Part of the museum.

We didn't want to leave, but we had to drive to Hallstatt in time for the sunset, so off we went!

"To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries." - Aldous Huxley -

The Beautiful City of Cesky Krumlov

4 JUNE 2016

I didn't know it yet, but Cesky Krumlov would prove to be one of my all-time favorite cities of the trip.

After spending a stressful night camping out in a cul-de-sac in some random neighborhood in the Czech Republic, we go up and drove to Cesky Krumlov.
I decided on this city because one, it's on our route into Austria, and two, the castle is a UNESCO World Heritage Site so I wanted to see what all the hype was about.
Let me tell you, it's amazing.

For the best views in Cesky Krumlov:
Exit the city through this street, the Latran, headed NW. There is a road that inclines quite a bit up to a little walking trail through some trees. Walk all the way up and you'll see a little gazebo. The picture below is the view from it.

While there was quite a bit of construction going on, it kept the tourist level low. We decided to check out the Torture Museum, recommended if you're into Medieval history. There was also a wax museum (but there were wax figures in the torture one, so).

You can kayak on the river as it goes around and through the city, but we stuck to the bridges as the view was just as amazing.

For the UNESCO castle, a tour is a MUST. (Just make sure you get the right ticket. All the tours in the castle are guided and I found out the hard way after thinking it was the "museum tour". No. That's a completely different building.)

Don't forget to get ice cream.

"Stuff your eyes with wonder, live as if you'd drop dead in 10 seconds. See the world. It's more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories." - Ray Bradbury -

How to see Prague for 10 EUR

3 JUNE 2016

In this post I'll break down how we saw Prague for 10 euros.

 Prauge, also known as Praha or Praga, is a city with eastern vibes, I'd say Russian. Seeing how I've spent so much time in Paris, I didn't really care for Prague. The river is wide, the buildings are taller, and there seems to be more space than in Paris. We saw it and that's enough for me.

Before Prague however, we came across a lovely castle at the top of a hill in central Bohemian country. The castle, Hrad Tocnik, can be toured for 2 EUR (student) and has bats in it. The views were amazing too, and if you're lucky enough, you'll get the see the bears that hang out in the moat.

 But anyway, back to Prague.
How to park in Prague for almost nothing:
Go to P+R Holesovice and take a metro to the city center.

"That's it?" you ask?
Yes, it's that simple.

We left the car here for about 4 hours and paid 25 Czech Kuronas. That's .90EUR
The metro tickets going in and out were .75EUR a piece.
After that we bought an ice cream, two souvenirs, and a burger at McDo before leaving the city. All in all, we only spent 10 euros because that's how much we exchanged when we arrived into the city. We walked the entire city center from the Charles Bridge through Old Town and New Town. Then we hopped on the metro and left.

I had originally planned to stay in Prague for a couple nights. But we had different priorities and didn't want to spend our time in touristy city centers, so it was off to the next town.

"A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions." - Oliver Wendell Holmes -

The Start of Another Adventure

After months of looking at photos, thinking of new countries to explore, and planning out an itinerary in must-see cities, I am proud to present the 2016 European Road Trip !

The itinerary got pretty beat up; I changed most of our airbnb plans multiple times.

Here is what looks to be the final product:

Perthes, France → Frankfurt, Germany
Frankfurt → Prague, Czech Republic
Prague → Cesky Krumlov → Wels, Austria
Wels/Linz → Mondsee → Salzburg
Salzburg → Hallstatt
Hallstatt → Alps → Lake Bohinj/Bled, Slovenia
Lakes, Vingtar Gorge → Ljubljana
Ljubljana → Scokjan Caves → Croatian coast
Coast → Nat'l Park → Rovinj
Rovinj → Pula
Pula → Lago di Garda, Italy
Garda → Riomaggiore → Rapallo
Rapallo → (N) Italian coast
(N) Coast → Nice, France → Calanques
Calanques, Marseille → Arles
Arles → Palaja

And on a map it looks a little like this...

While we'd love to do the Grossglockner in Austria, it just isn't in our budget.. 35€ to drive on a road? Meh.

For the 60ish hours we'll be spending in the car, I've got tons of music, books, a DS.. and my camera to keep me busy.

How to Prepare for the European Road Trip

Step 1: Find a car

2005 Alfa Romeo 156 Crosswagon Q4 with a roof box

Step 2: Gather Supplies

Some supplies come from Wal-Mart in the US, some come from various stores in France. We packed:

first aid kit

necessary tools/cones/vests for emergencies (we are in the EU)

duct tape

glue

bungee cords

toilet paper

paper towels

car tools and products (inject cleaner, coolant, etc)

zip ties

flashlight

extra tank of gas

small organizers to organize everything according to use

jumper cables

air pump

fire extinguisher

knife

money belt

tent

something soft to sleep on

sleeping bags

pillows and blankets

can opener

plates and utensils

mini stove and gas

cooking utensils

2 pots

picnic blanket

multiple coolers/lunchboxes

plastic bags

ziploc bags

insect repellent

air freshener

hand sanitizer

medicine/pain killers/TUMS (extra Vit C, right?)

snorkel gear

quick-dry towels

hand towel/rags

house to car electricity converter (for charging laptop/camera)

personal hygiene supplies

Step 3: Buy some food

We haven't even left yet and I already have some regrets; packing way too many snacks (snack in the countries you're going to! Duh!) and not leaving enough room for rreeeaall food.

No matter, here are some foods we packed:

For the morning:

Oatmeal

Bananas

Jam

Madeleines

Biscuits

Poptarts

For lunches and dinner:

lots of pasta (10 meals)

canned tomato sauce (4 meals)

bread (12 sandwiches)

cheese (shredded, other)

big bottle of water with spout

big bottles of water

small bottles of water

butter

apples

yogurts (not too many)

packaged quinoa, lentils, rice: ready to eat, just need reheating (8 meals)

canned corn (5 meals)

canned green beans (5 meals)

boxed juice

sirop

apple sauce

Things we'll be buying fresh:

Ham

Bananas

Apples

Carrots

Onions

Milk

Step 5: Pack some clothes!

Pack light. The only things that made it into my bag were those I was sure were useful.

I packed:

3 pairs of shoes

2 jackets, one light, one fleece

4 shorts, 2 jean, 2 quick dry

2 capris

1 pant

1 skirt (didn't use)

8 tops plus one vest

2 PJs, one warm, one cold

2 swim suits

enough underwear

All the clothes I brought for 2-3 months of travel. (UPDATE: It was too much.)

Step 4: Take a Shower

Because no amount of dry shampoo and baking soda will help you now..

"The world is a book, and those who don't travel only read one page." - Saint Augustine -