Sorry for the lack of posts lately! An unreliable internet connection along with being extremely busy has made it a little difficult to post regularly.
I left Rome last Friday (22 July) amid a train strike. My train from Rome to Venice was guaranteed, but the regional trains past that to Trieste were all cancelled. Lucia drove from Trieste to Venice to come pick me up and I was really grateful! I got to Trieste about 3pm in the afternoon and we started right in on activies. First, we took a walk around the town and I recalled what I had seen and we saw some new sights as well. After that, we went to the only concentration camp in Italy that was in Trieste. It was such a strange experience to walk into a place where so many people died. It was very solemn and it was just a very strange experience. After that, we drove to Slovenia to visit this city called Koper. We walked around the city center which was quite small and then stopped at a grocery store since the stores in Slovenia are much cheaper than Italy. After that, we went to a traditional Slovenian restuarant where I ate something that ressembled a calzone, but was a little different.
When I got back to Lucia's apartment later that night, I turned on my computer and learned of the horrible explosion and shooting in Oslo! I was shocked! It was so crazy to see something like that occur in a country that's so peaceful. I'm still a little shaken by it.
"The Death Room"
Port of Koper in Slovenia
The next day, I got an Italian haircut and then we went to Croatia. Croatia is not in the EU, so we had to cross the border and there was quite a long line. It took awhile to get in, but once we were there, we visited a small city and it was beautiful! It's a very popular vacation spot for many European countries and I can see why. We spent the afternoon there and then drove back to Italy where we met Lucia's parents at a seafood restaurant for dinner. The calamari was so good!
Umag, Croatia
Umag, Croatia
Sunday (24 July) was pretty lazy. Lucia had a test coming up so she was studying a bit and it was raining as well. We ventured over to the Trieste aquarium in the afternoon (which was actually more like a shelter for illegal pets) and then had a coffee. We made it back through the wind and the rain to her apartment and watched movies and made dinner.
Monday (25 July) was my last day in Trieste. We visited a large castle on a hill overlooking the city and did a little shopping. The next morning, I got up early and caught the 4:30am train to Venice.
Castello di San Giusto
Trieste
Three trains later and two that were nearly missed because they were so close together, I was in Zürich by 1pm. First off, Switzerland is beautiful! That train ride through the Alps is probably the most beautiful scenery I've ever seen -- the snow-capped mountains with the lakes and alpine meadows make it seem just like a fairy tale.
My friend, Alina, from the ISS in Oslo last summer and her sister, Charlotte, picked me up at the train station and we went to drop my stuff off at the apartment where they were staying for a couple of weeks. We took a walk around the city and saw so many amazing sites! Churches, chocolate shops, bridges, parks -- it was all very cool. One of the coolest things was climbing a church tower and being able to see the whole city and the lake. Another very cool thing was seeing these stained glass windows in a church by Marc Chagall.
Zürich
Zürich
Limmat River
Stained Glass Windows by Marc Chagall
The next day (27 July), we explored the city some more. We started at the Kunsthaus (an art gallery) and there were so many famous works there by Monet, Van Gogh, Rodin, and many more. I really enjoyed that. We took a cog train to the top of a hill to a very fancy hotel and had a great view of the city. After that we walked around the city somemore: past the university and then into an up-and-coming district of the city across the river. By that time, it was coffee and nap time. We had a great time making dinner and then playing games in the apartment that evening.
"Waterlillies" by Monet
The Steeples of Zürich
Doors by Rodin
Yesterday (28 July), we took the train to Lucerne for the day! This is one of my new favourite cities. It's very small, but it's very charming and it's easy to walk every. There are painted buildings, churches, wooden bridges, towers, and city walls. It was just fun to explore, get Vietnamese food at a festival, and get some free chocolate. It was a very good day, despite the evil swans wanting more and more food.
Capellbrücke in Lucerne
Reuss River
Lucerne
Me & Alina
The Dying Lion of Lucerne
It was an early night to bed so I could wake up early again to walk to the train station in Zürich, take the train to the airport, and catch my 7am flight to Oslo. On the train, I discovered that the Swiss are very strict and not fond of leniency. The ticket checker was walking by to check my ticket and then he told me I shouldn't put my feet on the seat (I shouldn't have, but there was no one on the train since it was so early). He proceeded to tell me that it was against the rules and a 25 Swiss Franc fine. I now have 25 Swiss Francs less. I am now sitting in my hotel room about to leave for UiO and see Oslo today.
More updates to come!
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