I did say I would write more about fall break, and now since I feel like I have finally had some time to relax, this is the perfect time. My break was planned in a way to basically encircle Germany to hit all of the destinations too far away for just a weekend trip. Most of this excursion was spent with my boyfriend, my roommate, and my boyfriend’s roommate. Four people on an experience of a lifetime.

I can honestly say that Istanbul was the most worthwhile destination; however, I wrote about that before and will not bore anyone with further details… just go there are see it for yourself! Rather than take time for that, I just wanted to write about my overall impressions about each destination: this will give a general feel for the area and also allow me to relive my travels.

After Istanbul, Matt, Brenna, and I went to Athens and Mykonos in Greece. Athens was a short trip, with more time devoted to the picturesque qualities of the Greek island. The weather was perfect while we were there adding to the overall allure to the city. Matt and I rented ATVs and drove around the entire island going beach hopping to wherever the map looked interesting. The time in Mykonos was pure relaxation and resort-like satisfaction. When we went back to Athens a few days later, we had to hit up the entire city in a short morning. Walking around at a decent pace to make sure we hit all of the monuments got to be tiring, but we ended up seeing everything we wanted to in a few hours.

Matt and I in front of the Temple of Hephasius, Athens

And let me tell you, I was geeking out to the max. Being a history major, I was enthralled to see all of the ruins left around Athens. The Acropolis was definitely jaw dropping, but I appreciated the Temple of Hephasius even more. This temple is the oldest remaining building of its kind, and it is still in such pristine condition. To stand in front of such perfect history like that gave me the chills and a look onto the world that is ever changing. No matter how little of importance you think something may be, in a thousand years people could be standing looking at our newest building thinking it was the most perfect historic monument. Freaky cool.

After our historic adventures in Greece, we traveled quickly to Rome. I have previously been to Rome in the past, and this visit was a quick review to what I have already seen. Unfortunately I didn’t get to the catacombs like I had planned, but I revisited the Vatican museum and took in the glory of the Sistine Chapel once more. This masterpiece does not need any words but only full dedication. It is a truly magnificent piece of art that has a lot of hidden jokes throughout. Props to Michelangelo.

Matt and I in front of an Amsterdam Canal

The north was next. Amsterdam was a beautiful city with water everywhere you looked. Besides some untimely rain, all of the experiences here were worthwhile. We were able to see the Van Gogh Museum, which is not worth the money but nice nonetheless. I again geeked out at the Anne Frank House, but we didn’t have time to go inside. This city is so great to walk around in though because you can get so completely lost without feeling you are doomed. The city looks too inviting to present any real danger. Just watch your purses in the red light district!

Copenhagen and Stockholm were both beautiful cities. We didn’t find too many touristic sites in either city, so we just spent most of our time walking around and thinking about the Dominoes we were going to order in Copenhagen. Copenhagen also has a part of the city called Christiana, which is a self governed section and gave me the extreme heeby-jeebies. Never going back there again. Stockholm was by far the coldest weather we encountered. The sun also set at about 3:30pm there, which did not do well for my freezing toes or my desire to actually see the city. Overall, this trip helped me grow in ways I didn’t imagine and take in sites I had only seen in my history text books. A well planned and well executed way to spend 17 days.