Csilla writes from Munich!

Today is the middle of our trip! I can hardly believe that we have the same amount of time left that we have already done. So incredible! Today we went to Neuschwanstein Castle about two hours away from Munich by train. It was incredible. Tomorrow we leave Munich for Innsbruck and then head to Verona the day after!! Italy! Till then!

Csilla writes form Salzburg!

Yesterday we went to visit the house where Mozart was born and also the house where he lived through his childhood. Half of what you have to do in Salzburg. Today we are going on a tour to visit the places from "The Sound of Music". It starts at 2:00 so we have time today before we leave to take a hike and look at a view of the city. Tomorrow we leave for Munich! 2 1/2 days till half way through our trip!

Csilla writing from Vienna!

Vienna is wonderful. It reminds me of London in a way because of the beautiful buildings. They have the same architecture. Schloss Schönbrunn was great because I had seen so many pictures of it online before we got here so that was just wonderful to actually see it in front of me. Took lots and lots of pictures. We learned so much about the lives of Emporor Kaiser Franz Josef I and his wife the beautiful Empress "Sisi" Elizabeth. We had a tour of their summer home (Schloss Schönbrunn) and their winter home, Hoffburg Palace. We also went to Belvedere Palace which I can't say anything but that it was amazing. Also many pictures. We have sat in a lot of parks on this trip just relaxing after our days. It is wonderful.
Two days ago we met a Pastor and his wife in the underground. We were trying to get to Bratislava in Slovakia and we couldn't find where it was leaving from. They helped us get to the train station and then invited us to come for dinner. We went and that was yesterday.
Today the train will leave at 11:50 to Budapest and we will get there at around 3 o'clock!

Csilla Writes from Prague!

Prague!!! It is such a beautiful and interesting city! Yesterday we saw a show at a black light theater which was wonderful. A little too much comedy but still very entertaining. It is very hot here during the day but at night it gets to be the perfect temperature! We have seen the Jewish Quarter and the Castle District so far. Today we will see the Old Town Square and old town and maybe a puppet show tonight. The currency is giving me a headache but other than that it is amazing beyond amazing.

Gemma writes from Brugge

Well, Brugge is absolutely lovely and everything I had dreamed it would be. This was one of the first destinations we picked when planning this trip and it hasn't let me down! Cobblestone streets leading to the huge Markt and the CHOCOLATE! amazing.
Yesterday we went to Brussels. That was sort of overwhelming. I much prefer Brugge, which you can walk in like 15 minutes. But we did see the Magritte museum and the Museum of Musical Instruments in Brussels, which were awesome.
Before this, we were in Amsterdam, which I loved also. I don't think I am going to be in a city I don't love! At first Amsterdam seemed dirty and dark, compared to Galway, but after wandering the canals, I realized how beautiful it is. Definitely a city worth at least 3-4 days.
Hopefully we can write again soon!

Gemma writes from Galway

Gemma: "This is our 4th day in Galway! We have spent the last 2 days at The Cliffs of Moher and Kylemore Abbey, so today is our only FULL day in Galway. The hours of most stores here is 10-5:30 (or 6), so we are excited to go to the Museum and a secondhand bookstore today! I want to stock up on a book or two since I don't know what the selection will be like once we get to a mostly-non-english-speaking country. The hostel we're staying at in Galway is awesome--a great free breakfast, some free internet, great rooms. And Galway itself is so lovely with adorable pubs and shops and tons of street performers! We saw the band "Mutefish" playing and I loved them, so I bought their CD. I think they have a myspace page, so go look them up. I am currently fighting a little cold, so I am glad we aren't doing anything too strenuous today.
much love to all!!"

Gemma writes from Dublin

Gemma: "We are now in Dublin, Ireland! We spent the last week in Stratford-upon-Avon, at a B&B on the Yorkshire Dales, and in Edinburgh! My personal highlight of Stratford was seeing "The Winter's Tale" with the Royal Shakespeare Company--it was absolutely one of the most amazing things I have ever seen.
The Yorkshire Dales were so lovely and the B&B was just spectacular (the best breakfast EVER!) It was called Skirbeck Farm, near Long Preston, and I would recommend it to anyone who will be near the Dales. There are cows and sheep everywhere and they stare at you!
Edinburgh was lovely also, even though it has been the most tourist-y place we have been so far. The castle was so amazing--like a little city. It rained a lot there.
And now, as I said, we are in Dublin! This is my favorite big city so far. I just love the Irish people. It is so laid back and wonderful. We made friends with 4 girls in our hostel, who we went "Pub Crawl"-ing with last night (fun!)

Hopefully we can do another update soon!!

London was amazing! Too many places to name but we went everywhere we wanted to. Now we are in Cardiff, Wales. It is raining here with wonderfully cool weather. In London it was very hot so we are happy to have cool weather now in Cardiff. Our first rain here in the UK. We will be going to Cardiff Castle tomorrow July 7, so till then!