amsterdamned

alarm went off at 545, we got ready for the day and made our way towards the coach station. I thought we were doing well on time, but I checked the clock and our bus was leaving in less than 10 minutes and we were just getting off the metro. frantic, I started running and Tess followed suit. we didn't want to miss our bus to Amsterdam because options would've been slim and pricey to get there. I was struggling to run and Tess was close behind saying, "I AM TOO OUT OF SHAPE FOR THIS" which made me laugh harder and slow down even more. we made it, barely, particularly sweaty and flushed as we settled onto the bus. how many times will I be running on this weekend trip I'm not sure but I'd like to cut the crap because the anxiety attached to making transportation is just too much. exhausting and unnecessary but so it is a normality when traveling in foreign places.

upon arrival in Amsterdam, the winds were howling and it was quite chilly. we popped into Starbucks to get some toasty Joe to warm us up. we set out to find roasters & bakers, a breakfast place my best friend LeeAnn recommended. it took us quite some time to get there, but it was definitely worth the walk. Tess had huevos rancheros and a Bloody Mary, and I had a breakfast burrito with a passion fruit cocktail. the food was divine - would highly recommend to anyone traveling to amsty. I also loved the drink, and I decided it's because it had cranberry juice (vodka cran is my MO) and Europe isn't keen on cranberry juice so it was so very tasty. 

because we were pretty cold, we popped into h&m and birth found cute scarves to cut the wind from going down the inside of our coats. the rain would come and go, luckily not sticking around for long. we popped into the famous Heineken building, and then went to see the Anne Frank house. Tess had already seen it, deemed that it was indeed cool but not entirely worth the wait so we saw the outside and pushed on. I was most excited to see the I Amsterdam letters, but as luck would have it there was a street performance right infront of them and that made pictures REALLY difficult. we attempted anyway, and I hoisted myself up on the a, Tess snapper a few, and then the tricky part - getting down. I have pretty short legs so I could t exactly touch the bottom part of the letter from the top. Tess captured the struggle and I was laughing so hard I could barely hold on. I ended up just jumping down and Tess could hardly reel it in. 

we walked back up toward central station and we stopped at the ice bar. with admission, you get one drink in the normal bar and two in the actual ice bar. Tess snagged a mojito and I had the amsterdamned (cool name right?) which was again a cranberry mix so I was thrilled that cranberry was 2/2 on the day. we suited up and went into the ice bar which was SO neat. they served us Heineken in glass cups, which I have to say was really great because your beer would never get warm. definite thumbs up to that. after we froze our buns off in there, we set out for the red light district before we had to catch a train back to our bus station. it was still early in the evening, so it wasn't full fledged but I definitely got a glimpse and wow was it fascinating. it's a complete different outlook and lifestyle, one that I don't fully understand but definitely interested anyway. 

we ran - again - for our train, flushed for the second time that day, and hopped onto our bus back to Brussels. had an amazing day with my big sis, so lucky she's here in Europe with me. home sweet hostel..

cheers, jkro  

beer & waffles in brussels

this weekend has finally arrived - Tessie is going to be on the same continent as me again! I packed Thursday night and a little but Friday morning, showered ate and dealt with a heinous airline because our flight to Amsterdam Saturday morning was cancelled and rescheduled and cancelled once again. I was on the phone for a half hour with no avail - needless to say eurojules wasn't happy about that. I booked us a round trip on the Ouibus instead. surprisingly the time on the train was the same as the time on the bus. so we will have a lot of sitting Saturday but we're taking on the city of Amsterdam so plenty of walkin will be had as well. I had to hop from train station to train station Friday in order to make my connection from Paris Nord to Brussels Midi. it's a little ways from our hostel, but I will be so excited to see Tess by the time I finally arrive I'll practically be running with my big orange turtle shell backpack.

well I almost missed my second train from Paris to Brussels. it was like a mile underground to get from Paris montparnasse to the metro 4. finally on the metro, there were like 12 or something stops to get to Paris nord. as eurojules luck would have it, the metro stopped and experienced delays. I was panicking, and there was nothing I could do but internally scream and fret. once the metro finally arrived at the second station I did my best to bolt but mass crowds of fumbling people make a clean bolt quite challenging. there were so many arrows and signs for buses taxis trams and TERs, but I needed TGV (faster trains.) I asked someone in a frenzy and he grabbed my shoulders and pointed me in the direction. merci beaucoups were a flyin and jkro was a runnin. made it to my platform and hopped on, in a sweaty wide eyed heap. onward to Brussels to see my SIS!!

I turned the corner at the train station and saw my best pal from afar. I yelled her name because I couldn't contain my excitement and we did a little jog skip at each other and just hugged for a few minutes. wow did I miss my best pal. we walked from the station into the city which was a good little hike, Tess took me to a cute cafe that was recommended on her tour as a quaint local spot, and we talked for a while to catch up. we walked around a bit after dinner, but Tess had been rocking and rolling since the day before (in Indy) since she landed that morning and didn't rest. what a champ right? we settled into the hostel, and Tess fell asleep right away but I was sweating my butt off because our hostel room was a sauna.

(resumed Sunday) back to Brussels for the day. Tessie had taken a tour and walked around a bit on Friday before I arrived, so she knew the highlights. fun fact about Tess: she loves the tours around cities and has been on so many by now she's a fountain of knowledge and little facts about random things but I love it. I have my own personal tour guide and she's so fun to travel with because she's done it and really appreciates it. not to mention she's so easy going and great company in general. we hit the major sites in the city, mannequin pis of course (so much smaller in person than I expected) the cathedral, royal palace, parliament buildings, and a really pretty park. we snagged the classics, a waffle which was divine and Neuhaus & Mary chocolates which are both Belgium native and entirely delicious. Tess was psyched because her favorite beer of all time is Belgian beer so we did a little tasting at "the sister" cafe which we thought was fitting. it was so lovely just sitting there chatting tasting organic & locally made beers with my best pal. after tasting we found a quaint Italian restaurant and I had an incredible plate of carbonara, Tess had the Napoleon tagliatelle which she gave a thumbs up to as well. it was a family run place which was a cozy feel and a tasty result. we made our way back to the hostel to pick up our bags, and take the metro into the station. here the madness begins.. when you book a train from point a to point b, the system will find you a way there (majority of the time) but conditions aren't always (or usually) very conducive. transitioning from one train station to another in a small window is not ideal, and our train from Brussels was delayed 30 stinkin minutes. our "layover" was only a little less than an hour and a half initially, so we had less than an hour to get off the train, get tickets for the metro, get on the metro for 25ish minutes and get from the metro to the platform before the train left. this doesn't sound too terribly bad until you look at the size of these stations and realize how long it takes to get even from one end of a platform to the main station let alone a metro deep in the ground and a mile away from the main station platforms. so we HUSTLED, and made it with a few minutes to spare.

Tess had me cracking up because we arrived to Montparnasse flushed and a little panty, and she goes "Jules I'm a fast walker. I'm typically known to walk quickly but your European walk kicks my American walks ass." we had a good chuckle with that. I have been blessed thus far not to miss any train plane or automobile, but I've also had more close calls than I can even count (typically out of my hands like delays.) I call them unnecessary anxiety as I get quite antsy each time it happens. currently on the train back to angers and I'm too excited to show Tessie my home. angers, were coming for ya.

cheers, jkro

københavn, denmark

we arrived into Copenhagen Friday around 5oclock, and as soon as we stepped off the plane onto the Tarmac I instantly wished I hadn't sent my parka home with mom and dad. it was windy and rippin chilly - luckily not raining. we took a metro into the city, hopped on a bus and couldn't get google maps to work when we got off the bus so I took a leap of faith and asked a couple where our apartment was. they were really sweet and very helpful - almost every person in Copenhagen was especially pleasant and spoke English. I have to say the Danish language is an interesting one - it sounds absolutely nothing like it looks and it honestly sounds like jibberish. on our way to the apartment (we stayed at an air bnb) Sarah texted us and said the shower was in the backyard. Mary was instantly concerned and said, "OUTSIDE? THE SHOWER IS OUTSIDE?" which made me crack up on the metro. upon arrival sar gave us the grand tour - the toilet was down the stairs outside of the apartment, and the shower was down the stairs out the door down the back patio area and in this house hut thing. the showers were kind of like a community college dorm set up. so odd but they were decent showers so no big deal. we walked to the glass market for dinner - sar and I had a thin crust pizza at gorm's and mar had a salad. it was delectable, we were quite hungry. we snagged a few bottles of wine, went back to the apartment and played cards for hours which was really fun. Sarah's rummy strategy was basically to pick up the largest discard piles and hope for the best and it faired well for her because she kicked our butts.

Saturday morning we walked to cafe paludan, a suggestion from a friend (Courtney, living in Copenhagen for the semester) that the Danish love to brunch. this place was adorable, sort of like a library cafe with books everywhere and people just casually enjoying each other's company. we all three ordered the same thing, a plate with a variety of goodies (see photo for reference.) it was so delightful and a great way to kick off the morning - not to mention I was low key starving because a bird kindly woke me up 2 hours before my alarm was set to go off.  after brunch we made our way to the Nyhavn - the classic photo you see when Copenhagen is being shown, the colorful buildings along the canal. we decided to take a canal tour.. a great idea in theory but holy hell it was freezing. clearly the temp drops on the water but throw in a little speed and it's rippin frigid. didn't rain which was a major blessing but the sun hid behind some fluffy clouds and we needed the heat from the sun. the tour was awesome, seeing the city from a different perspective and mon pieds (my feet) we're thankful after the London walking. we saw the infamous little mermaid, and the tour guide informed us that she's been through quite a bit in her time. her head has been cut off twice, her arm went MIA and she's been dressed in countless crazy outfits. some people might see it as rude or disrespectful but I had a chuckle and silently (or not so silently) appreciated the humor & immaturity in those people. after our tour we hopped off and headed for trivoli, but stopped at a coffee shop to warm up and get some caffeine. sar lost what are the odds so she had to give the guy working her number - still laughing about that one. we decided to skip trivoli because you had to pay to get in and we were ballin on a budget. afterward we paroosed (spell check) the streets, saw some really cool performers in the circle and tried dodging the bikes. I'm not sure about Denmark as a country but Copenhagen is a bike city without a doubt. there are special sidewalk lanes for them, and they mean business. I was almost pummeled about 5 times. pedestrians do not have the right away in certain places let me tell ya.

after a while we made our way to what is called, "paper island" or Copenhagen street food and it was the coolest place ever. outside people sat on the dock or at picnic tables and chatted and drank and it was such a bubbly atmosphere. inside it was a dark warehouse with a bunch of food trucks / stands from every kind of region. Indian, Mexican, Greek, Brazilian, and other speciality stands. there were some cool drinks floating around so I went for the passion mojito - fruity and divine. after a few rounds circling the options I chose Brazilian which had really flavorful meat and it was quite tasty. mar had a falafel and Sarah had this egg crepe burrito thing (best way to describe it) and it was light and delicious. after people watching from an upper deck of seating, we started back to the apartment and went through the garden near the Rosenborg castle which was really gorgeous. sun was setting and the park was peaceful. it was really getting chilly so we got a move on because I really had to use the restroom and public restrooms are laughable in Europe (meaning they don't exist or if they do you have to buy a meal or just pay to enter altogether.) we snagged some gelato and packed it in for the night. seeing the sights on Denmark had us thinking about the movie the prince and me with Julia stiles. I brought my iPad so Mary found the movie on Netflix (WIN) and we snuggled up with some snacks in the bed and watched it together. we cracked up majority of the time, it's one of my favorites but I hadn't seen it in ages. perfect end to a great trip. we walked about 12 miles in the day and a quarter that we were in Copenhagen. in total this week we probably walked over 38 miles whoop whoop!

Sunday - the dreaded day of travel. left the apartment at 5:30 to get to the train station and then the airport. sat at Charles de Gaulle for 5 hours waiting for our train.. thrilling. 2 hour train ride to angers and I'm home home home. Denmark was beautiful, and I hope to return (when it's summer, pretty please.)

cheers, jkro

shop till you drop in london

mar and I packed up and headed for the bank and the money exchange before our train to Nantes Tuesday morningish. the currency place had no pounds left (of course) but we snagged a few Danish Krones (wacked out exchange rate with those for sure.) we went to one of Mary's favorite patisseries and she was so sweet and bought my croissant aux amande as a congrats for landing the internship for the summer (PS IM EMPLOYED!) we sat in the sunshine, which is a real treat in angers, and waited for the tram to take us to the station. we were 40 minutes early for the train, and they don't post the platform until about 10-15 minutes before the train is supposed to *leave* so that's always a fun time mad dashing to the platform your train stops in for a cough. hopped on the TER (no assigned seats, it's the bomb) and made our way to Nantes. we did a lot of waiting today, for the tram, the train, the bus shuttle to the airport, and then for our flight. nice to be waiting and not running with our hair on fire though without a doubt. waited quite a while outside while they prepped the plane and finally boarded.

we landed in London and I was like a little kid in a candy store when we got off the plane because all of the signs and advertisements were in English. it's the first country I've been in since the US that has the native language of English. we went to train station and holy hell the Brits run everywhere. this was weird for us because the french wouldn't run if their asses were on fire, it's just a completely different outlook. lots of hustle and bustle and it was kind of refreshing that people were on the move. we waited for our train to London bridge and a man had just missed his train and yelled BOLLOCKS!! mar and I about peed our pants because in true English fashion we heard a stereotypical word. we hopped on the train and made our way into the city, switched to the tube and got off at St. John's wood as mama Plo instructed us to do. when we arrived, she met us at the station. I saw her from across the street, arms in the air and we ran at each other and hugged for a good few minutes. I'm not sure if it was because I hadn't seen her in a while or a familiar face in a foreign place or both but I started crying a bit. We walked to their house, set back in the Mews as they are called. we were greeted by Mr. Plocica, who was also happy to see us. Mama Plo had prepared food for us, which was so kind and we were incredibly grateful because we hadn't eaten most of the day. She picked up white wine for us all to share because she said she'd seen us drinking it. So thoughtful! We sat around, ate, drank and caught up. it was so nice to chat with them, and it reminded me how pivotal and influential they both were as I was growing up.

For those of you who don't know the backstory, their daughter Caity and I met in sixth or seventh grade and became best friends right away. we played volleyball together for years and had countless sleepovers and shenanigans together. Caity is now a junior at Alabama, but Mr & Mrs Plo along with their junior in high school son Jack have been in London for almost four years now. It was just so nice of them to open their home to us for a few days.

Mama Plo was kind enough to be our tour guide amongst her busy schedule of meetings, appointments and organizing Jack's activities and sporting events. Wednesday morning Mary and I found our way to Buckingham Palace to see the change of the guards. when we were in the tube station, we wanted to double check we were heading the right direction. we asked a gentleman and he hopped on with us and showed us which stop to get off at. he was so nice and happy to help, which was refreshing. the sun came out and the men were marching in their red uniforms and it was just really cool. mama Plo met us there, and we walked to Churchill's war rooms, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Houses of Parliament and a few churches. if you've been to London you know the weather is crazier than the Midwest. it was sunny and then out of absolutely nowhere it would begin to pour and be crazy windy. we were laughing about the bipolar weather and a British police officer started talking to us about the weather and how silly it is, but that you don't come to London for the weather. ain't that the truth sir.

we walked quite a bit seeing various places, and then we ventured over to Oxford street to grab lunch and shop. Mama Plo treated us (SO NICE OF HER) to lunch at meat liquor. it was so delicious and she said they swear by it when they need their american food fix (burgers & wings.) after we fueled up we shopped for a while which was a blast because 1. I love to shop 2. London shopping is exceptional 3. I haven't done a lot of shopping so far (hold your gasps) in Europe and it was time. mama Plo left to bring Jack some wings for dinner and beat rush hour before her meeting. mar and I finished up shopping and took a double decker bus back to the house. so London, so neat. their public transportation ROCKS in the city and is pretty easy to navigate and sort out. we charged our phones (snapchat sucks the battery down real quickly) and ventured out to the warrington, Mama Plo's favorite pub. it was so cozy, like a gentlemens club/living room from the old days. we had a lovely chat & salad and capped off our night with a few beers.

Thursday morning Mary and I set out for the London eye. it was SO cool getting a view of the city that way - definitely worth it for all you travelers. we walked along the bank and saw some adorable little restaurants and even snagged a Starbucks because it was quite cold and very rainy. we made it to the borough market, easily the highlight of locations in my book. it had a ton of diverse food options, cheese stands l, Turkish delight (Mary's favorite) and exceptional people watching. Mary and I tried honey, and though I'm not a honey lover it was delicious. we were almost blown away getting there, but we saw the London tower which was a neat piece of history and then the London bridge. all three of our umbrellas blew inside out and I couldn't stop laughing at Mama Plo re-situating hers. we hopped on the tube and went back over to Oxford street, shopped a bit more, and found our way to the Ham Yard hotel, a really pretty hotel tucked back in the city. we had afternoon tea, complete with finger sandwiches, cakes, and Mama Plo's FAV - scones. it was so delightful, and I was feeling very British. we meandered in and out of shops after tea, and met Papa Plo at the Golden Hind in another side street of a beautiful area of the city. Mary and I shared fish a chips, a staple that we were both eager to try. totally delish.

Mama Plo walked us to the bus stop Friday morning, and I was really sad to say goodbye. it was so nice to have family around and stay in a home and with people near and dear to me. THANK YOU from the very bottom of my heart for spoiling us and being just amazing. my gratitude is endless, cheers to your big hearts and kind souls.

in total, we walked a little over 24 miles in the two days we were there. my boots are getting the job done but definitely not a heavenly cloud of comfort, so my feet are a lil sore. until next time London, eurojules will be back for you.

cheers, jkro