European Reflections

Our two months in Europe, and three months overall of vagabond life, was the best thing we could have ever done. I will start with that statement. It was a time for us to live, relax, converse, learn, develop, grow, process, laugh, dream, and make plans. Our last day was a sobering yet fulfilling day. We were sad to leave, sad to end this adventure, but so grateful for all that we experienced. There was a sense of peace that filled us on that last day: that this experience was over and it was time to move on to the next one.

While we aren't traveling, or honeymooning, life is still an adventure. Over the past few years, we have been learning how to adventure in daily life, and I think this post-travel season has just enhanced that desire and drive. To quote the movie Up, "Adventure is out there!". You just have to be open to it. So I am going to continue using this blog as a platform to share how we adventure in our daily lives. Wanderlust is so real, but you don't necessarily have to travel to learn, explore, grow, and get cultured. 

What are we up to now? Settling into life back on the east coast, spending our free time re-purposing things into home decor, catching up with family & friends, and making new goals. Our current adventure: furnishing our apartment on a zero dollar budget. When we moved to Austin, we relied on yard sale apps (looking at you, Offer Up) and glorified dumpster diving (we didn't actually dive.... just took nice things we found outside of the dumper... like a lamp, a cooler, a coffee table, and even a beautiful couch). We managed to furnish our apartment on very little, but we wanted to take it up a notch. Since we did find so much for free in the past, we made it a goal to spend no money on furniture this year. We sold/donated all of our furniture when we left Austin, so we're starting this goal with absolutely nothing. Stay tuned for a full recap, but I will say it's going very well.

Now, onto our European reflections:

Things we miss most about Europe: The antique, old, traditional feel of the cities. The constant "new-ness". The laid back cultures.

Things we missed most about the USA: Derik was sorely missing his love, Dr. Pepper. It was a rare find! I missed family and friends, ranch dressing, and queso. 

Things we didn't miss while backpacking: Driving.

Things we now don't miss about backpacking: Long bus rides with not-so-nice bathrooms.

The best part about our two months in Europe: Honeymooning, meeting new people, experiencing new cultures, not being on a schedule, being together and growing together.

The question we were asked the most: What do you think about your president. I contemplated posting our thoughts and experience with this, and maybe I still will. We knew this would be a hot topic once people discovered that we were American, but EVERYONE wanted to know our thoughts and share their own. The conversation would start with, "So, I don't want to ask, but I have to ask...". One of the craziest moments relating to this topic happened in Mykonos. We were at a beach dance club and the DJ called out different countries to get the crowd worked up. When he got to the USA, this is what happened: "USA make some noise!", "BOOOO". The crowd boo-ed. That moment was so embarrassing, so sad, so telling.

Places we stayed:

• Airbnbs- This was usually our best/cheapest option. We mostly stayed in apartments and one tiny house.
• Hostels-  The ones we stayed in ranged from 6 bed to 30 bed rooms.
• Camping hostel- This was a campsite full of tent pods. Our pod contained a queen size bed and basically enough room on one side to get up, but that's all we needed. The campsite also had its own restaurant and a live band played one night.
• Hotel- We only did this in Greece. The islands had limited airbnbs/hostel space.
• Couchsurfing- Unfortunately, this only panned out one time. We were hoping it would be a better source, but it seemed like a lot of hosts were only able to accommodate one person at a time. I think solo travelers would have better luck with couchsurfing in Europe than we did.
• Family- I can't thank my Swedish cousins enough for their generosity and hospitality!
• Friends- Thank you, Josh and Issy, for showing us around your farm and sharing your amazing cider!

Spending:

We budgeted $50/day per person, or $100/day total for both. 

How we passed the time on travel days:

• The Moth podcast
• TED Radio Hour podcast
• Mad Men
• Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
• Netflix Documentaries
• Writing blog posts

How we traveled: We used the Go Euro app constantly to find the best travel deals for each destination. It was the best tool!

• Bus- This was almost always the cheapest option. Our favorite bus company: Regio Jet. Each seat had a tv with a few movies and shows available to watch (hello, Big Bang Theory). Also, each passenger received a complimentary coffee/tea. These perks were awesome but totally abnormal- the other buses we took just offered a seat and sometimes WiFi.

• Bla Bla Car-  We took two Bla Bla Car rides, which are essentially Ubers for longer distances. Someone offers their journey on the Bla Bla Car website and you can join them for a fee (usually just covering gas and vehicle wear/tear). This option will also show up on the Go Euro app if there is one available for your destination.

• Flights: Budget airlines are your friend! We flew in and out of Europe through WOW Airlines. It was very basic and there are no complimentary snacks/drinks but packing your own is worth the amount you save! 

• Ferries: These were never cheap but were the only way to travel to/from an island (like in Greece and to/from Capri)

• City bus/Metro within cities: Once we arrived in a city, we used public transportation to get around to the attractions, or we walked if possible.

European City Superlatives

Stockholm, SE: the best coffee/Fika

We have definitely adopted the fika tradition! A daily (or several daily) coffee break is like medicine for the soul. And the Swedish coffee was by far the best coffee, in our opinions.

Linkopeng, SE: the best moose watching

My cousin and her family live in the country, full of pretty landscape and of course, wildlife. It was on an evening drive that we spotted our first moose, which was very exciting to us! 

Copenhagen, DE: the most outgoing 

In our experience, the Danish are very social. We spent several days at the park, and it was full of groups playing soccer, listening to music, or just enjoying the sun (though it was still mid-50s degrees outside). We got the impression that they they are community-oriented and welcoming of visitors.

Paris, FR: the most underwhelming

We wanted to love Paris because you hear so much about it being the 'city of romance'. In reality, the Eiffel Tower was amazing but the other sites we saw looked just like in the movies. I think if we had gone into it without the hype, it would have been a very different experience.

London, EN: the best market

We stayed in Camden Town, and the market there was so fun that we went almost every day. You can easily spend half a day here with a field of lounge chairs, a food truck for any and every cuisine, and eclectic shops with extremely unique finds.

Worcester, EN: the best cider

Call us bias, but Old Fields Cider is honestly the tastiest cider we have ever had. It was crisp and full of flavor, but not too sweet (like so many ciders are). We highly, highly recommend trying if you have the chance!

Wales: a beautiful countryside

We traveled into Wales with our friends from Worcester to buy barrels, so we didn't see much of it. What we did see was a lot of beautiful greenery, low hills, and farmland.

Amsterdam, NE: the best people watching 

The red light district is really a unique place, and makes for great people watching. The area is lined with bars and, of course, women in windows. We compared it to a raunchier 6th street in Austin. We saw women enticing men, men walking into windows, bachelorette parties, tourists, police officers, and even a few children. It was eventful, for sure.

Ghent, BE: the best beer

Belgium is know for their beer and it did not disappoint! Every one we tried (and we tried quite a few, since we stayed with the president of the craft beer club of Ghent) was seriously delicious. It wasn't just drinking a beer, but having a beer experience. Yes, I know how "hippie" that sounds.

Bruges, BE: the most charming

Oh, Bruges. 'Charming' suits you so well. I have little else to say besides I LOVED Bruges. The old and colorful buildings made it feel like we were in a storybook.

Düsseldorf, GE: best bar service

There is a reason why Germans have a reputation for being beer-lovers,(i.e. drunks). Despite the fact that alt beer (original German beer) is served in a small glass, the bartenders have a "keep 'em coming" philosophy. If your drink is 3/4 empty, a new one will automatically be brought to you. The only way to make that stop is to place a coaster on top of your glass. So, as you can imagine, it would be easy to drink more than intended.

Berlin, GE: the most eccentric

Berlin was covered in beautiful street art. Even the Berlin Wall Memorial was painted with murals- some serious and some fun. Berlin was one of those cities that and has an "anything goes" vibe, and we were diggin' it. This was one of Derik's favorite cities!

Prague, CZ: the most preserved

It was such a beautiful city with streets and buildings that have been around for so long and haven't been altered much since the time they were built. The Prague Castle was one of our favorite buildings.

Budapest, HU: the best bang for your buck

It's nicknamed "The Paris of the East". While it did have a somewhat 'Paris' feel, it was half the price. Everything was half the price.

Slovenia: the best rest stop

Okay.. so the only thing we did in Slovenia was go to a rest stop (not even sure which city) so that is all we can attest to. And the view through the car window was pretty.

Venice, IT: the most "picturesque"

Alleyway after alleyway, we took the most pictures in Venice. Though we were only there for 24 hours, basically the entire time was a photoshoot.

Florence, IT: the most enchanting

We got lost (purposely) in the streets of Florence. The city was just effortlessly beautiful. Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore... I mean, come on. Amazing.

Naples, IT: the best pizza/most authentic

Naples (Napoli, as the Italians call it) was raw and real. The streets were dirty, the food was amazing, and the people were genuine. We felt like true Italians while staying there. As far as pizza goes, Pizzeria Da Michele (where Elizabeth Gilbert had her life-changing pizza experience in her book Eat, Pray, Love) did not disappoint! We really appreciated how simple and timeless the restaurant was, even with all the hype from the book and movie. It was also, surprisingly, one of the cheapest meals we had in Europe.

Capri, IT: the best getaway

The day we spent in Capri was hot but blissful. With colorful views and a resort vibe, it was a nice contrast from the city.

Rome, IT: the busiest

It seemed like Rome was the busiest city we visited. There were many tourist attractions and the ones we saw were totally worth it (especially the Sistine Chapel)! With the fun and busy atmosphere comes traffic. We spent plenty of time waiting for and riding in crowded city buses. Don't get me wrong though, we loved Rome!

Anzio, IT: the best day trip

We took a train form Rome to Anzio for a beach day. The waves were calm, the water warm, and the mood refreshing after the busy city of Rome! This city also had an authentic Italian feel, as none of the locals spoke English (which we loved!).

Santorini, GR: the most relaxing

They call it "island time" for a reason. Santorini was so, so relaxing. No one is on a schedule, mid-day naps are the norm, and the beaches are incredible. We spent basically our entire time there on the beach.

Mykonos, GR: the best beach party

We explored a few beaches here but Paradise was our favorite. Beach DJs, a young crowd, and all night dance parties made it so much fun.

Reykjavik, IC: the best spa

The Blue Lagoon was worth every penny. It was not cheap, but nothing in Iceland is cheap. This was the best last stop of the trip. A place to reflect, feel, and say "see ya later" to our European adventure.

Photo Credit: Janay Butts