9 Day Excursion, 2 countries, 3 friends

After exams were over and the parents left my roommates Samantha and Kjirsten and I went on a 9 day excursion of Italy and Switzerland. We first flew to Milan and then took the train to Cinque Terre a national park in the north western part of Italy. It consists of 5 picturesque towns on the Mediterranean Sea. The beauty of the area was unreal. Photos prove my point. We hiked between the towns, swam in the clear Mediterranean and ate lots of gelato.

Then we took the train to Bern Switzerland to visit Kirsten’s family friends. They took us around Bern, fed us, and took us on a day trip to Luzern. It was so incredibly wonderful to be taken care of and learn about Switzerland from a true Swiss family. The train ride was probably my favorite part because we went through the Swiss Alps.

Luzern

Then Kjirsten and I took the train to Rome. The city is incredibly unique with the mopeds speeding around ancient ruins. The hustle and bustle was intense but exciting. We spent 3 days being tourists doing tours and seeing as much as we possibly could of the massive city. The most noteworthy being the Colosseum and Vatican City.

The last night in Rome we went over to a family friend's house in Rome for dinner. A good friend from Kensington has a sister in Rome who offered to have us over. The last photo is of all of us.

I have one week left in Ireland before I'm back home. Time FLIES when you're having fun.

The Parentals Visit

I just sent my parents on the bus to Dublin airport after their 6 day visit. It was so wonderful to be able to share my Galway life with them. We went out to great restaurants that I've been waiting to try. We did the ultimate tourist things in the west of Ireland - Aran Islands, Cliffs of Moher. And Dad and I made the pilgrimage all the way up Croagh Patrick a mountain in County Mayo where St. Patrick is believed to have banished all the snakes from Ireland. It was an incredible trip that will go down in family history.

Mom took a lot of the photos with her camera but here are some from our climb of Croagh Patrick.