SWITZERLAND: WE CAME, WE SAW, WE ATE TOO MUCH CHOCOLATE AND CHEESE

Hello beautiful people!

I just came back from our first adventure of Eurotrip 2013, Switzerland! To my surprise, it ended up being a surprise trip to Germany as well. Well, we stopped in quaint town for about 3 hours but hey, that is still considered 'going to Germany', right?

On Friday evening, we rushed to the main bus station here in Prague and boarded our...small, uncomfortable...bus. I must say we were surprised because the brochure for the tour said 'comfortable bus, screens, bathroom and complimentary drinks'...yeah, no. Not the case whatsoever. I guess that's what you get for booking an extremely cheap trip to Switzerland. Aside from that and the 10 hour sleep-less bus ride, we arrived in the beautiful Zurich at about 6 (AM).

Zurich looked like a city out of a fairy-tale; castles, churches, bridges and flowers were everywhere. We got out of the bus and walked the empty streets of the city with wide eyes and flashes from our cameras going off every few seconds. I was in love with the city before I even got to the canal and bridges. Before heading to the most beautiful area of the city, we walked through the cute streets, all adorned with Swiss flags and flowers in the windows. If you ever have been given a stereotypical description of Switzerland (blonde haired people, mountains galore, flowers, chocolate, cute streets and adorable houses/stores all squished together), it is exactly what you imagined. When we did make it over to the canals, I fell in love and wanted to hug this place. I think I took about 200 pictures in a solid 10 minutes, there was so much to take in at once; it was all almost overwhelming!

We split off from the tour group and wandered through the streets of Zurich, stopping in a public bathroom to brush our teeth, freshen up and take on the rainy, cold city. Yes, we really did brush our teeth in a public bathroom, I couldn't help but laugh at the reaction of some of the local Swiss women. When we freshened up, we strolled through the streets and into a few shops. After about 45 minutes of aimlessly walking around and snapping pictures everywhere, we stumbled upon Sprungli (which we later found out was one of Zurich's must go to places) and drooled over the macaroons, pastries and CHOCOLATES. Of course whenever a macaroon presents itself near me, I have to buy one...or some...so I bought a little box of them. Two salted caramel (my favorite), one gold champagne and one complimentary rhubarb. Deliciiiiiious. I also bought two bars of the house Swiss chocolate which was AMAZING. Seriously, one of the best chocolates I have ever eaten (the best I have had thus far is Norwegian chocolate). You know when they say Swiss chocolate is to die for? They mean it, even if you aren't a big chocolate fan, definitely try Swiss chocolate because it will change your life!

After satisfying our sweet teeth...sweet tooths? Never wrote about plural sweet tooth(s), hmm. Anyways, we wandered around some more and the sun finally began to shine (yay!) We headed back towards the canals and churches and ran into a wedding, yes, literally ran into a wedding. We attempted to go into the church when we realized wait...they are having a wedding here! Oops! So we quickly went off in the other direction towards what we thought was the Lindt chocolate factory. After a few minutes of trying to figure out where the door to this factory might be, we realized it was just a sign for the chocolate and not actually a factory. Defeated, we turned the corner and discovered the Saturday market! Full of fake Louis Vuitton, Burberry, antiques, hot-dogs, overpriced sandwiches, Cinderella shoes, fur coats and Indian home decor.

My one friend bought the Cinderella-esque shoes for about 20 euros and we went on to explore the rest of what Zurich had to offer. We stumbled into a cafe for coffee to warm ourselves up and avoid the rain. We lounged for about an hour and I laughed as my friends paid a ridiculous amount of money for a cup of black coffee and a cafe latte. Crazy, crazy people I am friends with! When the rain let up a bit, we walked on some of the smaller, quieter streets and came across a cheese shop. Overwhelmed by the amount of cheese and all the possibilities, we finally came to a decision and bought large amounts of cheese. I got just one, a mild house cheese, while my friends bought a little portion of several different kinds. I am one of those cheese and crackers type of people and I love cheese on pretty much anything so I was excited to try this super-hyped about Swiss cheese. Thankfully, I randomly chose well and got myself a yummy portion of authentic Swiss cheese.

We finished our time in Zurich by sitting by the lake, surrounded by mountains, yachts, geese and beautiful homes, with a bratwurst, bread and cheese and Swiss chocolate pieces in each of our hands. Happiness at it's finest; enjoying the little things in life, as I like to say. The view was so beautiful and the sun was shining which made it that much better! Definitely a good time in Zurich and I will be back in Switzerland, maybe not Zurich because it seemed to be more for business-types, elders but still a good welcoming to Switzerland. I would love to see Geneva (my flight from Barcelona to NYC this summer goes there, why? Who knows, doesn't make sense), the Matterhorn, the Alps, some of those beautiful meadows/fields full of flowers and Lucerne. Maybe not this year but definitely one day!

After Zurich, we headed to Rhein Falls which was incredible! The falls were so powerful and fast I was just amazed by it all. The water was so unbelievably clear too. There was an option to head on a boat and close to the falls but we declined in fear of getting too cold and soaking wet before the 10 hour ride home. So, we just walked around and went down as close to the water as we could. We got back to the visitor center just before a storm rolled in so we relaxed in the bus before heading off to the next place...Constance, Switzerland. Constance is a town on the border of Switzerland and Germany but with the rain we just went to Germany and stopped there for a few hours. My one friend and I stayed on the bus and slept some of our exhaustion off but went to explore shortly later. We wandered through the Bavarian-style town and tried to find something quick, cheap but filling to eat. We gave up the search as it started to rain and went into a random Indian hole-in-the-wall. It was one of those dark, creepy restaurants but with very friendly owners, who told us where exactly in Germany we were because frankly, we had no idea when the bus parked. We bonded with them in broken English for a few minutes before our takeaway was ready.

When we got back to the bus, we ate like there was no tomorrow...me not so much because I had a strange feeling that my chicken was not cooked all the way...and proceeded home. We were lucky with a beautiful sunset towards our drive through Germany which put us to sleep for the next few hours. 10 hours later, at about 5 (am) we arrived back in freezing Prague and I rejoiced at the sight of a shower and my comfy bed.

All in all, I would say weekend trip to Switzerland and unexpected Germany was a success! All I know is that I am just so happy to be traveling again and I cannot wait for the rest of travels this coming month and the travels coming throughout the rest of this year! It will be a year of traveling with wanderlust.

Mis Luftchüssiboot isch volle Aal! Next stop: Budapest, Hungary this weekend! 

Travel on wanderlusters!

If you are going to Zurich, be sure to visit: 
1. Wander through Old Town (Altstade)
2. Window shop along Bahnhofstrasse
3. Indulge in Swiss chocolates from Sprungli. 
4. Eat a lunch of Swiss cheese fondue at an outdoor cafe. 
5. Take a boat tour of Lake Promenade. 
6. Visit the Zurich Opera House. 
7. Snap some photos of the Great Church (Grossmunster), Church of Our Lady (Fraumunster) and the canals nearby. 
8. Make it over to the Saturday markets by the lake. 
9. Spend a rainy afternoon in the Swiss National Museum or Museum of Art (Kunsthaus Zurich).  
10. Smell the flowers at the Botanical Garden.
11. Get splashed by the Rhein Falls. 
12. Spend a few hours in the west area of Zurich. 

PSYCHICS

Are another topic, whom present us with an extremely controversial opinions, which I feel strongly about.

Okay so, I'm going to share some stories with you all...again, a nice little break from travel posts, right?

The first time I visited a psychic was about 12 years ago when I was about 6 years old. Crazy, right? Well, my dad was doing a website for this one psychic woman who was well known in my state. So, we drove about 4 hours to her house so my dad could talk to her and set up what she wanted for the website. She asked me if I wanted a free reading...again, I was 6 years old at the time and had a vague idea what she did for a living and from what I had heard, psychics were cool!

Before I get into more detail, I want to say that when I was younger, I had very, extremely vivid dreams, that were repetitive, of events that happened anywhere from 200-700 years prior. I have never learned about these time periods in school and what existed/what was typical of these time periods so these dreams were incredible because looking back, they composed of everything those time periods were known for (again, I had no previous knowledge so to be dreaming of this was unexplainable).

I remember this experience (visiting the psychic) as one of my few lasting childhood memories. Anyways, it started by her asking me to turn over my hands so that my palms would face her. Over the next 30 minutes she told me a variety of things. From what I remember, she told me I would be working in the arts/writing career one day. I remember that I wanted to be a vet or children's doctor of some sort at the time so I was in denial. Plus, I hated the way I drew, painted and wrote so I was pretty confused. She told me I would have 3 children and marry the love of my life. I would face more hardships in coming years and there was to be a significant amount of change in my life. The rest, I unfortunately do not remember, but in the end I asked her about my dreams. I remember her being so surprised and amazed that I could explain such detailed, vivid dreams. She explained to me in the simplest way and in a way that would not freak me out that "my spirit" lived in numerous time periods, one in the 1700s where I was a young entertainer in large events another in the era of King Arthur and I was one of his assistants so-to-speak.

Now, get ready for the freaky part...my dad and her kept in contact for the next several years when one day they were talking and she told him she had a strong feeling she was going to pass soon. Of course my dad was confused and just let things go. Well, about a week later, he got another phone call. This time, it was a friend of the psychic informing my dad that she was found passed away in her bed due to heart failure or some complication of that sort. Mind-blowing, right? Sounds like it's one of those fake stories but I promise you this happened.

Fast forward to present day and what she has predicted in terms of hardships and change could not have been more accurate. I am also now pursuing a career in writing after a certain hardship. So, is it a coincidence or did she see my near future and accurately predict it?

There's another story, well two more that I will briefly sum up.
About 5 years ago, I went to another psychic. My dad had tried numerous psychics over the years but never really felt it was as legitimate as the first...until he finally met one...in the middle of a mall. In the last place you would expect it right? He said he was walking by and the woman summoned him over. He sat down and she began telling him his entire life story over the next hour and she predicted his future. Every exact thing she has told him, has happened since then. I am not even joking. He has gone to her over the last few years and the most recent visit about 2 years ago, she told him that someone who has been in his life for about 20 years will reconnect with him and they will get married. My dad laughed out loud and denied that would ever happen (my dad was very set on being alone the rest of his life). Well, a little over a year ago, he told me he had a girlfriend and they were most likely going to get married. I said, "Dad, you barely know this woman...what are you talking about?" He said, "No, Shelli, I've known her for 17 years, I had feelings for her way back when but it was very subtle and now we just recently reconnected, she emailed me, and we've been dating for several months." My mind went back to when my dad came home that night from the psychic and told me about what had been predicted (at the time, he was newly divorced and the very suggestion was so far-fetched).

However, that was my dad's story with her...my experience with her is scary accurate as well. The first time I went to THIS psychic was when I was first starting high-school. I still did not have any idea what I wanted to do with my life but I was set on going to college somewhere on the west coast. When I sat down, she turned over my palms and read them aloud. She said that hardship and change is yet to come, I will experience a lot in the next few years (as said above, shortly after this is when many changes and hardships began happening to me). She told me I would be attending school somewhere far away from home and would meet the love of my life when I was 18 years old. She said I would have 3 children, a career in the arts/writing, I would be well-off, travel often and be married only once. I would have a better life after leaving for college and I would live a very long life without any disease or sickness. Phew, relief. I was petrified that she would give me some earth-shattering news about my future. At the end, she emphasized most of this would happen IF I kept on the "same path" and that my future would change IF I made any "life-changing decisions." Whatever that meant, I thought at the time. I was content and thought, "Damn, I meet the love of my life in 4 years...better start getting ready!"

Now, for the grand finale. If you have been reading from the start, you know that my decision, my "life-changing" decision, to move to Prague was very spontaneous and was one of my wake-up-in-the-morning-revelations. My entire life changed in a matter of seconds after waking up one morning and deciding to move to Europe and start fresh. It was only a year or two before that I discovered my life passion for writing and traveling. So, towards the very end of my senior year of high-school, I told my friends that we were going to go visit this psychic. They heard the stories previous so they were either excited to get their futures told or extremely scared. When we got there, I asked the woman for a palm reading, she didn't even look up (I looked very, very, very different, so even if she did look up there would be no way of recognizing me and she did not have my name or any contact info). I put down my $10 bill and turned my palms over. She told me my entire life story, a story that about only 4 people on this Earth know and is so very complicated and complex that no one, I mean no one, could ever in a million years just guess by looking at me. My jaw dropped but I remembered that it's best not to show emotion. After she told me my life story, she looked up and asked me if it was true. I nodded, hiding the amazement in my eyes. She then sighed and I thought, "Jesus Christ what is it". She said, "I see you have been treated poorly by men in your life, you let them treat you this way and I don't like that, I see who you are. Kind, giving, nurturing, warm, you do not deserve this treatment. Please do not let this continue." Again, I was mind-blown. How did she know about my personal relationships? She then said that aside from that I had a good future and she proceeded to tell me, rather give me a guide line as to what is in store. She said, "I see big, very big travel plans and a big move is coming up very soon. Am I right?" Amazed, I nodded, numb to my astonished emotions. She went on, "You will feel refreshed and happier than you have in years when you finally move. You need this move. You deserve this move. I see good things coming from this move. You spontaneously decided this." True, so very true. She went on to tell me that at about 28 years old, I would meet the love of my life (a tall, dark haired, tan skinned, green eyed human god...okay, not human god but you get it, attractive, caring man) who I would stay with for the rest of my life. She said I would make more money than him (woo-hoo) which will at first cause some issues but overall we would have a happy, successful marriage. I would have 3 kids (I want to have about 4 of my own and adopt) so I interjected and asked about any adoption. She said, "I see you want to but in the end you will not end up adopting." I was bummed out, but I mean that doesn't mean I won't adopt a child still. She told me that the next 10 years of my life will be spent working hard for my future career in writing and spent traveling the world, hopping from place to place often so she couldn't see a specific place where I settled down, it was "unclear due to frequent travels." After settling down, she said she saw me on TV, hosting/anchoring for a show (I am not so good with public speaking), I was surprised by this but pleased nonetheless. She finished by saying that money would not be a worry, I would love my career and be fulfilling my dreams, no disease or sickness was visible in myself or my family and that I would live a very long, healthy and happy (after moving) life.

My friends then got their palms read and had the same reaction: mind-blown. Each of our futures were very different and our life stories vary drastically so to pinpoint 5 different people's life stories and futures in a matter of minutes is just unexplainable if she were a fake. This emphasized my belief in this specific psychic.

So, will all of this happen? Who knows, I mean, I sure hope so! What she has predicted SO FAR has been spot on, without a doubt correct and she told me my life story which makes me believe that there ARE real psychics out there, her being one of the very few. Granted, there are MANY fake ones who will tell you any random thing but I believe if you take the time (several years and numerous test sessions with other psychics, like my dad) you CAN find a legit one, especially in the most unlikely of places. Seriously, who would ever think that a legit psychic would be sitting under an umbrella in a mall? No one. Maybe that's her secret though...

Part I: Baaaa Daaaa Boooooom....BERLIN!

FINALLY! The long awaited, much anticipated...I hope...post about the Berlin, Germany girl's weekend trip a few weeks ago. 

With almost no sleep and a 6:00 (AM) alarm clock buzzing right next to my face, my room-mate/best friend and I met our other friend at the metro station to trudge our half asleep selves to the bus station where we would meet our other friend. At 7:00 sharp, sitting in the sweaty hot waiting area, we boarded the Student Agency bus to Berlin, Germany! 

I was so excited because I had never been to Germany for more than just a few hours in the smoke-filled airport. Well, I take that back. I was actually born in Germany and I lived there when I was a baby but of course I don't remember it whatsoever. Since we didn't make it to Munich for Oktoberfest last semester, we decided we needed to go to Germany sometime shortly before uni started second semester. Attempting to sleep on a bus though...yeah, not so good. I stuck to watching movies and listening to the surprisingly great playlist the Student Agency bus had to offer. If you ever travel within Europe, Student Agency is one of the best travel options if you want to go via bus. Super comfortable, great service, the tea is delicious and best of all, it's one of the cheapest- if not the cheapest- option for traveling around Europe. Yeah, it might take a little longer than a plane but you will save quite a bit of money!

Love my ladies- doing the whole Berlin tourist thing.

Our first curry-wurst...was the tits.

My girls are such babes...before the 'American coffee' break in McDonald's...yeah, McDonald's in Germany, we were ashamed. 

THEY HAD DUNKIN DONUTS!!!!!!!! Most importantly, they had DD iced coffee :))

Trying to find the Checkpoint Charlie Museum after a day of Urban Outfitters, curry-wurst and Dunkin Donuts!

The happy Swede!

And the happy Norwegian!

One of my favorite pictures from the fall of the Berlin Wall-in the Checkpoint Charlie Museum

The view after seeing the naked man in the woods...yes, the naked man.

My favorite blonde are the silliest.

Love from Berlin!

People thought I was a land-mark, so they took pictures too. 

Berlinale Red Carpet!

Beautiful Berlin Dom in the late afternoon.

I ass-planted in the snow right after this picture was taken- the big tour group was laughing at me...HA!

Fully appreciating my land of birth.

Exploring the university campus surroundings before the flea market.

We got to Berlin around noon-ish on a Friday and the girls were eager to head to Urban Outfitters since they don't have one here in Prague. Before doing that, we headed over to the hotel after broken ticket machines, not enough euros and getting really lost on the metro. In the midst of all that shenanigans...my suitcase wheels broke off. I can't carry heavy things due to a back/neck injury so I had to drag it along in the snow with it scraping the sidewalk the entire way. We get to the hotel finally and discover it's sort of like one of those horror movie hotels but has a sort of quaintness to it. The elevator didn't work or maybe it just didn't support all of our weight...eh....so we ran up the stairs and into our room. Cute and cozy with the highest ceilings I have ever seen and the smallest TV screen. But Berlin isn't about the TV in the hotel room, right? We went out to explore and try our first curry-wursts of the trip after freshening up in the hotel room. 

On the way, I discovered a...DUNKIN DONUTS!! I screamed like a little girl in a candy shop who was just told she could buy anything and everything she wanted. Back in the states, I lived off DD iced coffees. I ran inside and got myself one. Okay, it didn't taste as great but still satisfied the long overdue craving. We then walked up the long, and I mean LONG shopping street in Berlin with all the expensive shops and boutiques. Finally, after a 20 minute walk with alternating sun shining in our faces and clouds over our heads, we ended up at Urban Outfitters- the best part was the fact they had free WiFi. Afterwards, we experienced the magic of our first curry-wurst. I'm all for trying new foods and weird looking foods but this one had me questioning whether or not it would be worth it. I closed my eyes and took a bite and was so surprised at the different tastes in my mouth. When you go to Berlin, the stands are okay but the best one was called Curry36. 

Some more exploring, getting lost and oogling over the gorgeous German boys...again, I was surprised...we headed over to the Turkish area of Berlin and got ourselves a proper Turkish dinner. Hands down, the BEST rice pudding I have ever tasted in my life. As I always say, "sex in my mouth". Sorry for the little ones who could possibly be reading this- just bleep that out. The food was pretty good too even though we were rushed out seeing as the line was forming outside the door. Exhausted from walking around the city all the day and, of course, traveling all morning, we decided our big night out would be Saturday. So, we walked the day's worth of curry-wurst off back to the hotel and slept like babies in the big, fluffy white beds, dreaming of the hotel breakfast awaiting us in the morning. 

Aaaaand tomorrow Part II will be posted. Have a lovely Tuesday- my day will be spent sleeping, doing some homework and eating Nutella and strawberries...it's healthy...ish.

Travel on wanderlusters!