Buna Ziua! Romania and Europe

Well, this had to happen sooner or later!  I'm actually writing another post!  (Woohoo!  Please, please, contain your excitement...)

The first month in Iasi is coming up in a week and I can't believe it.  It has been amazing.  Iasi is beautiful, the people are great, and the food is, well, let's just say I haven't lost weight :) There's a palace about a 10 minutes walk from our apartment so we see that often (it helps that the supermarket is across the street from the palace).  

Iasi is a relatively small city but it seems to be a lively city.  You always hear music playing somewhere and we managed to catch a concert (Moonlight Breakfast, anyone?) and fireworks one night.  

When we arrived it was in the mid-high 90's for the first week.  Then it cooled down to the 80's... I'm the kind of person that can't handle it when it gets as hot as 65 degrees and the other day I walked outside and thought, "It's chilly today!" (it was 72...) Needless to say my wardrobe is not conducive to 90 degree weather.  Fortunately, its cooled down in the last few weeks or there may not be any Kerry left haha

Also, turns out Dracula's relatives are still here.  I think in that first week I had about 40 mosquito bites.  My roommates and I went on a mosquito killing spree (sorry bug lovers...)

But, aside from the heat and the bugs, the group has been loving Iasi!  Our coordinators are amazing and the group seems to really get along, which is a HUGE bonus.  

In the morning we work at the orphanage and in the afternoon we can go to a children's hospital.  The kids are beautiful!  So many of them are unable to move or speak but you can always tell when they are happy to see you.  The looks on their faces and the sounds of their little giggles will make your day.  It's not always easy as they aren't always happy and we've recently experienced our first child leaving the orphanage, but its totally worth it.

The orphanage was not at all how I imagined it.  I've always heard about the terrible conditions of the orphanages in Eastern Europe and I was super nervous for that.  However, I was completely wrong!  This orphanage is bright, colorful, and full of plants!  (Explanation of the plants:  The director of the orphanage loves plants and has hundreds of plants all over the orphanage.  Its fantastic!)




March 4, 2016

I realized I hadn't ever finished this post (talk about pathetic...).  Therefore, I'll supply you with some pictures and explanations of the pictures to cover Romania.  BUT, I'll tell you now that I loved the experience I had in Romania!  The people are amazing and the country is beautiful!  So, here it goes!

This is the Palas in the center of Iasi.  It's a nice place to go on a summer evening and play card games and have a gelato!

Morning sunrise in Podu Ros.

Go see the Botanical Gardens!  They're beautiful!

And, while you're at it, have some delicious Romanian pretzels!  There was one right by our house so this may have been a regular occurrence...

Sunset in Podu Ros.

Trei Ierarhi Monastery on Blvd. Stefan cel Mare

Golia Monastery

Cetatuia Monastery

Romania has some beautiful monasteries!  I suggest researching them and then choosing your Top 10 because there are so many!  Also, if you're lucky you'll come upon a ceremony, like a wedding or baptism, or you'll get to hear people singing!

Then, take a trip to Brasov.  We went in a regular weekend but you could spend longer there and have plenty to do!  We stayed at the Rolling Stone Hostel and they set us up with a tour that took us to Peles Castle, Bran Castle (home to Dracula), and a Saxon village.  They had many more options but those were the places we had time for and it was a blast!

Cat at the hostel soaking up the sun!

Saxon Village (I'm not sure what has happened to my pictures of Peles and Bran... So, for now, this will represent our tour.)

Brasov sign (tiny and up on the top right part of the hill) looking down over the city.  There are funiculars and trails that take you to the top!

The Biserica Neagra, or Black Church, in city center.  If I remember right it costs 5 lei (about $1.25 right now) to get in but it's worth it!  Inside there is an organ with 4,000 pipes!  

City view from the Black Tower, I believe.  I'd love to go back and explore Brasov some more!

Finally got to see Big Ben!  Went to the UK in November (weather: cold and rainy 90% of the time... I didn't use my camera much haha)

Westminster Cathedral is amazing! We didn't want to pay the £20 entrance fee so all of my pictures are of its gorgeous exterior.

Field of Remembrance.  

(This is done every November in honor of fallen service men and women.)

I had to get at least one telephone booth shot!  And thank you to whoever got Big Ben in the background!  I don't even know who took the photo!  Fair warning: if you want a phone booth picture, be prepared to hold your breath and use hand sanitizer afterwards because, at least this one, was disgusting... (but worth it!)

"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."

Winston Churchill

Buckingham Palace.  

Ok, so, the squirrels in London have to be experienced.  If you want to avoid them NEVER stand in one spot too long because if you do they'll climb up your leg.  Believe me.  However, they are fun to feed because they're kind of cute!

Statue of Queen Victoria at the Kensington Gardens

Walking down the street in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Greyfriar's Bobby is named in honor of the loyalty of a dog!  Here's a link to read about it:

http://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofScotland/Greyfriars-Bobby/ 

Edinburgh Castle

The University of Edinburgh.

I absolutely loved visiting the UK.  My caution to visitors would be really do your research!!  It's crazy expensive to travel around the city by bus or metro (which is how you end up walking about 13 miles with your backpack through the wind and rain...) and also quite expensive to eat.  Also, entrance fees to places were often way over our budgets so we enjoyed the outside of many buildings.  Other than that GO!!! Have an amazing time there and eat some fish'n'chips!

For our 9 day trip we went to Rome, Venice, Vienna, Salzburg, and Budapest.  Unfortunately, I also can't find my Budapest pictures... But I'll share the pictures I do have with you!

The Colosseum in Rome, Italy

Don't know the name of this church (happens a lot when I travel) but the ceiling was amazing!

We didn't go into the Vatican because it cost $$ and we didn't really have time. (The line of people going past the fountain was only about 1/3 of the entrance line...)  However, we did see St. Peter's Square.  It looked like Heaven!  

Castel Sant'Angelo

If you've ever watched (and loved, of course) Roman Holiday with Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck you'd love this bridge.  At the opposite end of where I'm standing is where they filmed scenes from the dance on the river!  #nerdstatus

View of Roma.

Ok, so if Rome was Heaven then Venice was a Dream!  Venice is beautiful!  I love the canals and the architecture they have!  Also, the city was showing off it's best autumn colors for us! 

This is how you get around.  The boat system is set up like a bus route or metro would be (only in floating form) and is relatively easy to figure out.  Unfortunately, it's also a little on the expensive side.

Sample some Italian Gelato!

Also, check out this smoothie stand!  They use fresh ingredients, which is amazing after days of gelato and pizza, and if you have a student card you can get a discount!  They give out free samples so you can try it before you buy it!

Visit this guy and buy a painting!  I love supporting local artists and vendors.  The more "handmade" you can get, the more expensive it'll be, but you'll be helping to support someone's passion or livelihood!

When you go to Vienna you absolutely must see Belvedere Palace and Schoenbrunn Palace. 

Inside St. Stephen's Cathedral.  It's a massive building and has amazing architecture inside and out.

Austrian National Library.  I love beautiful rooms filled with books.  Can I just move in here? 

The Rathaus (a.k.a. Vienna City Hall).  I was happy to see it because the last 2 times I've been to Vienna the front of the building has been covered!

Votive Church

St. Andrew's Church, Salzburg, Austria

(We met our bus for the Sound of Music tour right outside the church.)

This place had some AMAZING pretzels!

The Original Sound of Music Tour with Panorama Tours and Travel.  They did a great job and took us to some fun spots.  Our guide was funny and friendly and the bus driver didn't terrify me haha!  This tour would have been on my bucket list if I bothered to write one.  At the very end of the tour they turned on the soundtrack to the movie and I may have sang along... *insert nerd hashtag here* 

The key to a great travel experience, though, is a great group of people!  We had so many adventures and had so much fun!  

Some of my favorite hostels were:

Rome, Italy:  The Yellow Hostel (a little pricey but good people and close food.)

Vienna, Austria:  Hostel Hutteldorf (this is my 2nd time staying there!)

Edinburgh, Scotland:  Budget Backpackers (good food right on site and safe.  Not quiet though.)

Through Italy and Austria we used trains to get around.  From Austria to Hungary we used OrangeWays busses (not fancy but cheap!) To get out of Romania we flew and to get back in we took a sleeper train.  

Please check out the ILP website and consider going to Romania!  They are always in need of more volunteers (seriously, you give love to kids all day.  Doesn't get better than that!)  It was the most amazing and fulfilling time I've spent yet!  The link to learn more is:  http://www.ilp.org/orphanage-program/    *I can't post any pictures of the kids and I'm not comfortable posting pictures of the orphanage, sorry.

Thanks for reading! 

Travel Mindfully,

Kerry

*As always, if I have given some misinformation about something please contact me and let me know!*