Italy

Rome

October 25-28, 2007

There were too many things to take pictures of!!!

Day 1
Jessica, Victoria, and Priscilla and myself left Reutlingen University at 11:33 and headed downtown. We went to the HBF first to check our train situation, because once again Deutsche Bahn was on strike. Once we figured it out and bought tickets we had some time to kill, so we got food. We took two trains, an S-bahn, and 2 buses to get to the Baden-Baden airport! I'm not sure if it is worth saving a little bit of money to do it like that! Anyway, we fly Ryanair so of course it was a little crazy and unorganized, but we made it too Rome safely by around 7pm. We found a cheap bus to get us within walking distance of our hostel for 6 euros. We checked into our hostel, dropped off our stuff and headed out for dinner. We ate pizza at an "okay" little bistro, and then took Priscilla to the train station to meet up with her friend. The rest of us went back to the hostel and played cards in the hallway, then went to bed.



Day 2
We woke up at around 9am and had our free breakfast that consisted of bread, coffees, jam, butter, and oh more bread! After that, filling meal, we took the metro to the Colosseum where we were meeting up with Priscilla. Jessica went inside, but Victoria and I waited for Priscilla, and killed time by playing cards. From the Colosseum we just wondered around hitting up almost everything including: Arco di Constantino, old Rome, Arco di tito, Vittroiano E Piazza Venezia, Pantheon, Fontana di Trevi, Piazza di Spagna, Colonna Traiana, Mercati Traianei, Santa Maria Maggiore, Repubblica, Piazza Navona, Campo de Fiori, San Carlo Quattro Fontane, Fontana del Tritone, Villa Medici, Piazza del Popolo, Palazzzo Montecitorio, Palazzo Chigi, and Teatro dell Opera. Basically everything and anything we could walk to! Later that night after we rested, Vic, Jess and I at dinner then dropped Jess off at the train station to meet up with Pris. Victoria and I had an Opera or actually an Aria at 8:30pm to attend at San Palo Church. The aria was amazing and we had a really good time. After that we meet up with Pris and Jess and hung out with some of Pris's friends and then went back to the hostel.

Day 3
We spent a bulk of the day at the Vatican (see below). When we were done with the Vatican, we went to Castel Sant Angelo and Palazzo Giustizia, where we sat and waited for Pris, but killing time, by once again playing cards! We went back to the hostel to relax and change before heading out for dinner. We got ready, then meet up with Priscilla and her friend at 8:30. We were a little late but we found them and went to a nice restaurant near Piazza Tritussa. After the dinner we headed home, because we were tired and had to check out early the next morning!

Day 4
We woke up at 9:15am, checked out, ate breakfast, then hit up the bus to go to the airport. We arrived at the airport at around 10:30 am. We had originally thought that our flight was at 2pm but it was actually at 2:45 so we were even earlier than we needed to be. We hung out, played cards, read our books and waited. We are literally the stupidest people around. It wasn't until we thought that our plane was really, really late that we realized that it was daylight savings time. So we were actually there an hour earlier than we thought. So we technically woke up at 8:15 and didn't have to check out until 10 nor be at the airport until 2:45!!!! How annoying! Anyway, we got into Baden-Baden took a 9 euro bus ride to Karlsruhe, then a 9 euro train ride to Reutlingen. We finally got home around 9pm. AHHHHH such a long wasted day!!

Rome was a 3. There were a ton of tourists, it was kind of dirty, and the food was okay!

The Vatican City
October 27, 2007

The Vatican was so packed and crazy, it was hard to enjoy it.

Day Trip

We decided to wake up early and go to the Vatican. Its a good thing we did too, because we found out later that everything was going to close at 1:30. We ate breakfast took the metro and was at the Vatican around 10:30am. I cannot even begin to explain how crazy the Vatican was. The main reason, I think, was due to the fact that the next day was going to be the last Sunday of the month and the Pope always holds a sermon then. So there were a lot of tours and people visiting that weekend. Anyway, we waited in line to enter the basilica for only 30min. Which was surprising considering it wrapped almost completely around the inside circle of the Vatican!! We went inside the basilica and it was free, thank goodness. There were so many people I could barley keep track of Jessica and Victoria. It was really quite amazing inside the basilica. After we finished with that we decided we needed to see the Sistine Chapel. So we waited in another line, this line however was about an hour wait. But the time flew by because we decided to play cards, yet again!! We make it to the front, payed 8 euros, and began the biggest, and most annoying maze of my life. There were, once again, so many people that I could not enjoy the beauty of the place. It took us an hour to get through the entire Vatican Museum just to see the Sistine Chapel. You can't go any other way, but through the entire thing in order to see the Chapel. AHHHHH! It was really terrible! Anyway, after that fiasco we decided to get the hell out of there. So we left, and went to this amazing Gelatto place. All in all i would never go back to the Vatican!

The Vatican was a 2. I was really pretty, but there were too many people!!

Burg Hohenzollern, Germany

Burg Hohenzollern

October 21, 2007

This photograph was not taken by me. When we went there was a lot snow and fog.

Day Trip

This trip was a ESB function. They rented a small charter bus to drive us to the castle. We met the bus in front of our dorms on campus at 9:45am. This was slightly hard to do because most of us didn't go to bed until 5am. Not to mention that when we woke up that morning it was snowing. In the middle of October, that was the earliest I have ever seen snow! Anyway, about 17 of us made it to the bus, out of 24! The castle is located 50m outside Stuttgart, so the bus ride was only about 30-40 min, which wasn't long at all. When we arrived we were told that we could either walk up to it (20min) or take the shuttle, we decide to walk. I instantly regretted that! It wasn't bad, but it was cold and we were tired! Anyway we make it to the top, had time to kill before our tour began, so we got postcards, and drink coffee/hot chocolate.

We took the tour of inside the castle, which lasted about 40 min, then hungout for 20 mins; taking pictures, using the restroom and so forth. We had voted on where to eat and had unanimously decided on Burger King, because of their "Angry Whopper!" So we ate there, quickly, went back to the bus, and started our journey home. By the time we got home, which was around 2, everyone had been dying to get off the bus; I think it had something to do with the Angry Whopper, or hangovers, or perhaps a combo of the two! Anyway, even though I was extremely tired and it was snowing outside which ruined a lot of our view, I still had a really good time!

Burg Hohenzollern is a 3, it is biggest castle I have seen in Germany so far!


Brief History
Burg Hohenzollern is a castle, about 50 km south of Stuttgart, Germany, is considered home to the Hohenzollern family that came to power during the Middle Ages and ruled Prussia and Brandenburg until the end of World War I. The castle was originally constructed in the first part of the 11th century. It was completely destroyed after a 10-month siege in 1423. A second, larger and sturdier castle was constructed from 1454 to 1461 and served as a refuge for the Swabian Hohenzollern family during wartime, including during the Thirty Years' War.

Overtime the castle lost its strategic importance and fell into disrepair, which lead to the demolition of several dilapidated buildings. The third version of the castle, which stands today, was constructed by King Friedrich Wilhelm IV between 1846 and 1867, under the direction of Oberhofbaurat Stühler, who based his design on English Neo-Gothic style as well as the castles in Loire. No one lived in it until 1945, when Crown Prince Wilhelm took it as his home, the prince and his wife are buried there.

Ulm, Germany

Ulm

October 6, 2007

The Danube river in another city in another country!

Day Trip

The Reutlingen gang took another day trip! Surprise surprise!! We used the Baden-Württemburg rail pass, which is good for the whole day, with up to five people anywhere in Baden-Württemburg. We left Reutlingen at 10:48am changed in Plochingen then arrived in Ulm at 12:47. It normally only takes an hour to get to Ulm but we are only allowed to take Regional trains with the pass, which slows you down a bit! Anyway we arrive in Ulm, once again without a map, but three objectives, to see the Danube, eat food, and go to the Ulm Münster!

We found food at a posh sushi lounge, which left us satisfied for about 30 min! We walked to the Münster, looked around inside, took some pictures, and decided we were hungry again. Jessica stayed behind because she wanted to climb to the top of the Dom and see the view, but the rest of us went to feast on chicken and Bratwurst! Later, we walked down to the Danube, took pictures with some guys dressed in cowboy costumes and then walked toward the Rathaus.

We saw the Rathaus in Fisherman's quarter, then walked down a little to see "The Crooked House," which is a house surrounded by water and is.. well.. crooked! It was interesting to see, so we took some pictures and then headed back to toward the train station. We caught our train back to Reutlingen at 17:00 and arrived in Reutlingen at about 18:20. Once again, perfect weather, and a very nice day trip here in Germany!!

Ulm is a 3. It's big enough to be noticed by tourist, but average as far as German cities go!

Schloss Lichtenstein, Germany

Schloss Lichtenstein

October 3, 2007

It's no Neuschwanstein, but It was a great day trip, and a pretty little castle!

Day trip
Reutlingen Gang strikes again! We took a day trip to Schloss Lichtenstein on a Wednesday, because it was Reunification day, and therefore we had no school! We took a bus leaving from Reutlingen, at 12:21pm. We were only on the bus for about 20 min, and the bus driver pulls over to the side of the road and says "Schloss Lichtenstein!" Mind you the road we were driving on was out in the middle of know where. So we got off and crossed the road and saw a sign that said 20 minutes on foot to the castle; so we started our walk. The walk was nice, we had perfect weather, and green fields of grass, surrounded by many trees to look at! 20 minutes later we arrived at the castle, which was only 4 euro, including a tour, to enter. We took some pictures, bought postcards, and ate ice cream while waiting for our tour. At 2pm we took the tour which showed us the inside of the castle, and lasted for 30min. The inside of the castle was nice, but nothing too large or super impressive. The walls and ceilings we painted with detailed drawings that gave the castle a rich look! Anyway, after the tour we ate some french fries and curry wurst, then headed for the bus. We arrived back in Reutlingen at around 4pm, stopped and had donners then headed for the school!





Schloss Lichtenstein was a 3. If I didn't leave this close to it, I might not have made the trip to it!

Brief History
The castle located near Honau in the Swabian Alb, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Its self-descriptive name in English means "light (colored) stone." Historically there has been a castle on the site since around 1200. It was twice destroyed, once in the Reichskriegs war of 1311 and again by the city-state of Reutlingen in 1381. The castle was not reconstructed and subsequently fell to ruin. In 1802 the land came into the hands of King Frederick I of Württemberg, who built a hunting lodge there. By 1837 the land had passed to his nephew Duke Wilhelm of Urach, Count of Württemberg, who, inspired by Wilhelm Hauff's novel Lichtenstein, added the current castle in 1840–42. The romantic Neo-Gothic design of the castle was created by the architect Carl Alexander Heideloff. Today the castle is still owned by the Dukes of Urach, but is open to visitors.