Venice, Italy

We had a full day of sightseeing in Venice. Below are pictures of some gondolas, St. Marco's Square/Basillica, the grand canal and finally Crystal and I having a bellini at the famous Harry's Bar.

Alba D Oro Camping Village (Venice, Italy)

Crystal and I made it to Venice, Italy by early evening on the 22nd of September. We sat on the steps in front of the train station, watching the sun slowly fade and the shuttle boats cruise by in the grand canal. It was at this moment that we thought to ourselves, "where are we going to stay tonight?" Luckily some fellow backpackers from the States were seated three steps in front of us and helped us find a place. We stayed at a Camping hostel (next to the airport about a 20 minute drive from the city center) where people could use their own gear, rent a bungalow or stay in a tent they provided with cots. So, I can honestly say that I have been camping in Venice. This was very funny especially after I found a worm in my bed and then when the airplanes started flying over about 5AM.

The Aftermath

On our last night in Munich Crystal went out to Oktoberfest while I stayed in and went to bed. Around midnight I was woken up by two of the guys in our dorm room who had been sent by Crystal to come and get me. When I got down to the hostel's pub I found Crystal slightly inebriated with her foot on the table trying to ice it with a cold bottle of water. The story apparently goes like this: Crystal volunteered to go on a ride called The Devil's Wheel. It is a large disc that spins right and left while people try to maintain their balance. There were two brothers called up onto the wheel to box and Crystal was picked as the referee. The disc spun left, she had braced herself for it to go right and below are the results. We had to leave for Venice the next morning so it was an extra long night for Crystal because she went to the emergency room to get crutches for our journey.

Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest is a huge celebration in Germany that happens from the last week of September through the first week of October. It is a huge carnival with beer tents that can hold upwards of 5000 people. There are carnival rides, vendors selling yummy snacks and everyone wears their lederhosen. I don't have too many pictures of this spectacular event because I only stayed for about half an hour. I got sick while we were in Munich and didn't have nearly as much fun as Crystal. What a bummer. But below are the pictures I did manage to take while I walked around.


Kay, Thomas, Crystal, Padder and Paul.













The carnival grounds













The beer tent

Munich, Germany

Crystal and I in the Hostel pub.













I would like to point out that we did some actual sightseeing in Munich and didn't just head straight to Oktoberfest like some of the other travelers we met.

Random Monument number one








Random Monument number two













The original Hobrauhaus in Munich. It was imparative that we went in for a litre and some lunch.











We met some very cool people at the hostel. Tom and Kay (from Washington DC), Padder (Ireland), Crystal and myself.

The Heineken Experience

We had just done the Brewery tour in Dublin so we figured why not check out the Heineken Brewery too? FYI- The Heineken Experience is so much cooler. If you are ever in Amsterdam we highly recommend it!









There were a ton of interactive areas within the Brewery tour. Here, DJ Jazzy Crystal is creating some music.











They give you 3 free glasses of beer!













The best invention EVER: the Honcho Poncho

On one side it is a slick poncho material to wear in the rain, the other side is a towel to take to the beach. We used it as a picnic blanket outside of the Van Gogh museum. INGENIUS!

Amsterdam, Netherlands

We left for our next adventure a few days after we got back from Ireland. I bought a backpack for this trip because lugging around a roller bag everywhere was a huge pain. First stop... Amsterdam!









One thing I can say about Amsterdam is that the buildings are really crazy. They all sort of lean together and forward a bit. I'm not sure if you really get the feel for them from this picture but they were all really neat looking.









Crystal and I stopped for refreshments. I am in love with Black Currant Fanta. Why do they not sell this in the states? I'm tell you, it is fantastic. I couldn't get enough, a little bit tart and oh so refreshing. It made me think of my brother Jason though. He would love it!








The street where we lived. We stayed in a hostel in the red light district. ~And they call Vegas "sin city" we don't even come close compared to this town.










The smallest car I have ever seen. Seriously, I think I could fit two of these in my Rodeo.