Treasured Souvenirs

After three weeks of walking I saw a lot of cool things. And there
were lots of cool things to buy too. I bought a couple souvenirs but
one of my favorites was free: my tan line from my Chaco sandals. I
know they're not fashionable but they were great for all the walking
we did. My pedicure also lasted pretty well. Hopefully my purchased
souvenirs last longer than my tan lines. I know my memories will :)
PS: Being in Russia sparked a desire to watch Anastasia. Luckily Abby
has it and we watched it tonight.

Moscow Accomplished

Step count: a whopping 30,350! Trip record!
We woke up and hurried through breakfast at the hotel. Activia yogurt
is recognizable in any language. Then we went to the Kremlin and
walked around the Armoury and saw fancy dishes, clothes, thrones,
sleighs, weapons, an anything else they wanted to show off. We went to
the Diamond Fund Exhibit in the Kremlin and it had an impressive
collection. They let you into the room when you feel like it but have
scheduled exit times so you're a hostage until they open the door.
We walked to the Bolshoi Theater after that. It's one of the most
famous Russian ballet and opera houses. Nothing is showing until
September. Next we went to the souvenir market. I got a fir hat and a
stacking doll of Cinderella. We ate lunch there also and there was a
very cute babushka that took care of everyone.
After a short nap we met with our relatives at their home. They were
very nice people and fed us the most beautiful and delicious crepes.
There was every kind of topping, even raw salmon. We talked with them
for about three hours took lots of pictures for Jo Ellen.
Our time in Moscow has come to an end and so must this blog. 3:00 am
wake up call!

Mockba (Russian for Moscow) part 2

Step count: 26,820
Today started off at the World War II Museum where we met with
Kristy's friend Masha. While we were waiting for her we saw a boy
walking by wearing a BYU shirt. He is from Uzbekistan and bought the
shirt at a legitimate store, not some junky market. He had no idea
what BYU was.
After the museum we ate at Hard Rock and I got another shirt for my
collection. It deserves its own post so you don't get to see it yet.
We came back to the hotel to get our jackets and use a clean bathroom,
one squatter in a day was plenty (WWII Museum). After that we went to
the Russian Space Museum. It had tons of cool space stuff and it was
Bret's favorite of the trip.
Another cool park was close by so of course we went. We rented a
different kind of bike and had a much better experience. Everyone got
to pedal and it wasn't nearly as difficult. One of the coolest things
you could do at this park was water zorbing. The little kids looked
like they were having fun. We got the best fresh donuts from a street
vendor in the park. I could eat them forever.
Next we went to dinner with more of Kristy's mission friends. It was
all traditional Russian food and was a good way to try lots of new
things. We walked around for a bit before coming back to our hotel
where we quickly went to the hot tub. Now I'm very relaxed and ready
to take on my last day in Moscow tomorrow. Until next time!

Hello Moscow!

Step count: 26,645
Today we made it to Moscow and it has been packed full of adventure.
When we got off the train and started figuring out which metro lines
we needed to take to get to our hotel we noticed that we were already
there. It was a great coincidence.
We dropped our bags off and headed straight to Red Square where we
went inside St Basil's Cathedral and saw Lenin. Besides arctic tundra
these onion domes were my only expectation of what Russia would be
like. So far my expectations have been far exceeded. Lenin was a weird
experience. They don't allow any cameras in and there are several
guards throughout. He's kept in a climate controlled box and dipped in
formaldehyde every 12-18 months.
Kate with the horses was also at Red Square. The horses are part of a
celebration that's taking place here next week and they were
practicing their routines.
After RS we walked to the Church of Christ Our Savior. It was really
pretty and very new, built in 2000. After that we found the statue
garden. About 700 statues were dumped in a park area and just recently
were they sorted and put on display. Gorky Park was close by and very
amusing. We rented a 4-wheeler bike that was fun but exhausting. Only
the two people in back had pedals and there were no gears. Going
anywhere but downhill was a challenge. We laugh till we cried.
We came back to the hotel for a rest and a swim before we went to
dinner at Cafe Pushkin. Dinner was amazing. The picture is of my
hazelnut cake dessert. All our entrees were beautiful and delicious.
Kate and Kristy each got the beef stroganoff (traditional Russian) and
raved about it.
Tomorrow should be just as exciting and just as tiring so it's time to
call it a night. Ciao!

On a Midnight Train to Moscow

Step count: ? The pedometer wasn't on right. Probably around 23,000.
Our hotel was super swanky in the middle of the party. We woke up and
went to the spa in our matching robes. Breakfast was included and
better than the Grand America.
We had a driver and guide for half the day and it was awesome. The
guide spoke great English and was an encyclopedia of knowledge. We saw
lots of palaces and ended our tour at the Hermitage. The only painting
I knew to look forward to was The Return of the Prodigal Son by
Rembrandt. Thanks to Jo Ellen I knew a lot of background information
because of the book she sent me with the same title.
The rest of the day was spent walking around and looking at cool
stuff. The onion domes are at Church of the Spilled Blood. It
fulfilled all my Russian expectations.
Dinner wasn't nearly as good as breakfast so we ate a few times.
Subway was our final stop. Now we are sitting on our train waiting to
leave for Moscow. It's an 8 hour ride.
So far my impression of Russia is exceeding expectations. I'm much
less anxious than I was 24 hours ago. Every lady is wearing 4-6"
stilettos and short skirts. Smoking is very popular here. The age of
people smoking is a lot younger here in St Petersburg. I'm looking
forward to Moscow. Kristy says we'll love it or she'll make us. Nighty
night!

Finnished?? Not Quite.

Step count: 17,885.
Our cruise was super fun. We took a hearty nap (4.5 hours) before we
started karaoke at 9:30. Kristy and I did a duet to Sweet Caroline and
then she sang I Don't Want to Miss a Thing. She was a crowd favorite,
because the crowd was just me.
We did some dancing on the boat. The music was too techno to stay so
we found the live entertainment instead. This band rocked. I wish they
could perform at any future Rock n Roll parties my mom might be
thinking of hosting. We called it a night after Kristy was nice enough
to dance with a Finnish boy. We didn't know about the time change
between Sweden and Finland and stayed an extra hour on the boat. We
had wondered why no one else was around...
Everything in Helsinki was within walking distance. That makes two
days in a row without paying for public transit. We saw the sea
fortress and an orthodox church and tried some food at an open market.
Kristy found her book and magnet and we spent the rest of the day
mozying around. We took a nap in nearly every location.
Our train ride to St Petersburg was 3.5 hours and they are very
serious about customs and immigration. Officials came through the
compartment several times checking all the documents.
Now that we've made it to Russia I can't believe I'm here. Maybe it
will feel more real after I wake up. There's a 10 hour time difference
to Utah so maybe today I'll say good afternoon. Bye!

"Pioneer Stock"-holm

Approximately 26,000 steps, all taken by 3:00 pm. We refused to pay
the outrageous prices for public transit even though we spent money on
other ridiculous things.
Stockholm is very beautiful and also very expensive. That's why we
packed some sandwiches at breakfast this morning.
My friend Rima has been nannying here for the summer and met up with
us this morning and showed us around. Her services were invaluable. We
walked around the main part of Old Town called Gamla Stan and took
lots of pretty pictures on my real camera. Then we walked to Hard Rock
where I added another shirt to my collection.
On our walk back to the hotel we tried to find Ikea. The directions
from my phone led us to a free shuttle to Ikea. We didn't have enough
time to take the bus which was a big disappointment.
Lunch was at Subway and it was better than I could have imagined. Our
hotel sandwiches have to wait for our non-inclusive cruise. We're on
the deck now and the only question running through our heads is 'where
are the lounge chairs?!' The cruise ride to Helsinki will be really
fun. I hear they have a disco tech and karaoke. Better go warm up my
vocals!

Bye Bye Belgium

Step count: Unknown. I couldn't attach the pedometer to my dress. But
I'd guess around 20,000 steps.
Kristy and I went to all of church today and had a great time. We took
a picture of the missionaries in the ward and sent it to their moms.
The one on the left is from Taylorsville and gets home in February ;)
You could say we went to church twice since we visited this basilica
after LDS church. Yay for us.
The rest of the day consisted of us walking around Grand Place and
eating our last waffle. We gave the last of our euro coins to an
awesome street performer and headed to the airport for Stockholm. Our
hotel was a bit farther from the metro than we expected but we made it
here in expert fashion. Kristy and I should really do the Amazing
Race. Our only problem would be the freaky food.
In the morning we are meeting up with my friend Rima who has been
working as an au pair for the summer. It's going to be so fun!

The Last Cats Standing

Step count: roughly 14,000.
Today we got Kristy moved out of her apartment and celebrated with
some frites. Let the real party begin now that she doesn't have to
worry about Buster and Simon anymore. We checked into our hotel
downtown and walked around Grand Plaza.
The second picture captures everything Brussels. The waffles are
great. My favorite is plain. The statue is called Mannekin Pis and has
been here since the early 1600s. On holidays the city dresses him in a
costume. I don't know what today's holiday was but it was the first
time Kristy saw him dressed up and she's been here lots.
The macaroons in the third picture are too good for any description.
Simply amazing. And expensive.
The caged statue is Jannekin Pis. The locals hate it (for obvious
reasons). She was put in place because some feminists thought there
should be equality between statues of peeing kids. Bad idea on their
part.
Finally came the foot rub. Kristy and I have talked about it for days
and tonight it finally happened. I traded her a back rub and now I'm
hoping I can talk her into this trade more often. Church tomorrow.
Good night!

Table for Two

Today was a low walking day: approximately 10,000 steps.
We woke up at 3:00 to catch our taxi to the airport. Shannon left us
for her boys and Kristy and I are now back in Brussels. It has been a
very leisure day which was much needed. We got back to Kristy's
apartment, made breakfast, and took naps. After that we scouted out
the laundromat and then went to the grocery store for dinner supplies.
While we were there we got an entire yogurt cup (Dannon Greek) each as
a sample. We liked it so much we bought a two back. We loved the
surprise that the package was buy one get one free. If you do that
math that makes six yogurts for the price of two. It's the best deal
we've had over here. And the experience of a sample made me a little
homesick for Costco which means I'll be going there very quickly after
I get home.
Making dinner was really fun. Salsa chicken, basmati rice, and steamed
veggies. Besides the fact the salsa was hot it was a total success.
Later we attempted making peach cobbler with very few ingredients. It
was all so tasty and American :) Bye Bye Birdie was our movie of
choice. Sadly I fell asleep for the last chunk (typical). With that
said, I'm pretty sure it's time for me to go to bed.

My Blog of Prague

Step count: 28,000. A new trip record. Many of these steps were uphill
in a convection oven with the way the heat was coming from the ground,
the wall, and the blazing hot sun.
But Prague is awesome. The architecture and scenery is amazing.
Everything else is super smokey. I feel like I've smoked a pack a day
here which I'm sure is doing a number on my lungs. Unfortunately it's
not just cigarettes if you know what I mean (cigars, pipes, and weed
to be specific).
Top photo: Astronomical Clock. It's the third oldest is the world and
the oldest that is still functioning. It's coming up on it's 601
anniversary in October. Masses of tourists wait in front of it on the
hour to see some things happen. Check out Wikipedia for the details.
Second photo: Vitus Peter's Church. Most significant church in the
Czech Republic. It had exquisite stained glass in the widest variety
of colors.
Third photo: a view of the back of the church.
Fourth photo: We had heard from a backpacker that KFC had free refills
so when it was lunch time and we were passing one it was impossible to
resist. Not only was there ice, but the diet pepsi tasted more like
diet coke than coca light. We spent a considerable amount of time here
enjoying the free refills and bathrooms.
Last photo: There was an awesome open-air market where we found dinner
that was some of the best food from the trip. Chicken shish kabob on a
baguette. We had crepes for dessert. It was all so good.
We did a lot of window shopping. I did manage run into Hard Rock Cafe.
We didn't eat here but a bought a shirt that I'm happy to add to my
small collection.
One of the funnest things we did tonight was totally random. Picture a
bike with one driver, six seats in a circle facing each other, and
crowds of people dashing to get out of the way. The contraption might
be called a spider bike and all we had to do was tip the driver. It
wad five minutes of sheer terror, laughter, and excitement. We walked
around for a bit after and ran into the newer part of Prague which was
a nice change of scenery.
It was a great way to end this leg of trip and say goodbye to Shannon
and our other travel buddies. Bon voyage!

Prague? Czech!

Approximate step count: 17,500. Most of this was in Vienna, some in Prague.
The hotels we've been staying in have had breakfast included. Today's
breakfast was the best. Our hotel was really nice and let us leave our
bags there today while we went to Shönbrunn Palace. The exterior and
gardens were most impressive. While we were walking in the garden a
spider crawled on Kristy and she had a major freak out. We had a good
audio guide that explained a lot of the details of each room in the
palace. Next the boys went on an outing to see some of the building we
walked past last night while Shannon, Kristy and myself went to a
chocolate shop/cafe for dessert. Kristy had been there before and was
very excited to take us there. The desserts were beautiful and our
Rose/Raspberry macaroon and chocolate cake were pretty delicious. I
also really liked the gelatto we got down the road. After that we
collected our bags and made it to the train station to head to Prague.
Funny stories were told on the train. A funny thing happened also.
Kristy misread the military time and told us our train ride was only 3
hours instead of 5. We almost got off at the wrong station but we
figured out pretty quickly and kept going. We landed and walked to our
hotel. We were only confused a little bit when navigating there.
Prague is beautiful at night. We strolled through Old Town and found a
nice restaurant to eat at. The food has been good during our whole
trip which has been nice.
We've already had some excitement at our hotel. As soon as we dropped
our stuff off Kristy noticed two giant spiders and had an even bigger
freak out. She was brave enough to kill one and had Ty kill the other.
Now that dessert is here I'm going to say goodbye. As of right now
Prague is worth a visit. Czech it out.
PS- figuring out the dividing of the dinner bill was far too
complicated considering the amount of college education at the table.

A Real Life Geographer

Step count high for the trip was achieved today: 26,764. We did this
by walking around Bratislava, Slovakia for the first part of they day,
and Vienna, Austria for the other part.
There wasn't much in Bratislava that we couldn't see from our hotel
but we had a nice time in the older part of town. Kristy found the
book she collects, The Little Prince, in Slovakian in a bookstore with
almost no books. Shannon is the one that really found it.
The first picture is of a building in the old square, I don't know
what, I just liked the roof. The next picture is of the most Slovakian
dose our lunch restaurant had, gnocchi in soft sheep cheese with
sausage. It was a very strong cheese but overall pretty good.
After lunch we caught the bus to Vienna and had a bad first impression
because of the transportation system and signs. That impression was
quickly changed and we spent our time in the city walking around the
town center. We were able to see a few churches and managed some
window shopping as well.
The third picture is from outside a large church that was the location
for a film festival. They were broadcasting an orchestra concert to a
crowd of thousands. In the vicinity they had several food booths that
smelled amazing. It reminded me of Taste of Chicago.
The highlight of the night was being navigator for Shannon, Trevor,
and myself while Kristy and Ty were at a different concert. We walked
around the main attraction buildings and had a fabulous time. Using
the map made me feel like the last three years of my college education
haven't been in vain. I think most helpful may have been my class
called map use and interpretations.
My second souvenir from the trip is a mirror compact with Gustav
Klimt's 'The Kiss' on the front. It's one of my favorite paintings so
I'm glad my trinket will be useful. There has been a lot of Klimt work
made into souvenirs here. Without doing any research I'm guessing that
he was born or lived here.
The content of this post is factual but the order it was presented in
might be a little less accurate. But you get the idea.

Rise and Shine, it's Bath Time!

Daily step count: approximately 21,000. Today started out great. We
woke up at 5:30 so we could make it to a traditional Hungarian bath
house for the 6:00 opening. Kristy, Trevor, Ty, and I thoroughly
enjoyed it. Shannon would have loved it but she didn't come.
The bath house had at least 10 different hot and cold tubs of varying
sizes. There was a large tub outside that was more beautiful than
anything in Vegas, or maybe even Disney. Wow, I know. There were
multiple saunas as well. We were brave enough to test out the 80-100
degree C for about two minutes. It felt like Hell. Even the slightest
sniff felt like my nostrils were on fire.
We made it back to the hotel and ate a delicious included breakfast at
our hotel. Luckily we got to store our backpacks at the hotel because
today was HOT!! We decided to spend our little amount of time on a hop
on-hop off bus tour which proved invaluable. We were able to see the
highlights of the city without the waking. Downfall: being in the sun
all day.
One of the stops on the bus tour was at Heroe's Square. It has An art
museum on either side and a giant statue in the middle. It was on the
list of things Ben Carlson told me to see so I'm glad I did.
My favorite thing from the tour was the castle. It was mostly a giant
permanent sand castle wall that surrounded a church. The church had
the most exquisite tile roof ever. It's even better than roof on the
church by the capital.
After the bus tour we went on a boat tour of the Danube. That makes a
boat tour in every country so far. Maybe we'll keep the habit. Another
thing we've run into in every country is missionaries. The pair in
France didn't stop to talk, the Belgian set was at church, and this
Hungarian set was interested in conversation. 3/4 were from Utah, and
1 from Cuba.
After the boat tour we ate a traditional Hungarian meal, goulash stew
and potatoes. We made it back to the hotel and got our bags and headed
to the train station across the street. It took a while for the ticket
lady to sell us the tickets to Bratislava but it finally happened. The
train didn't come on time and we finally made it out of the station
more than an hour later. We are sharing a compartment with a cute
Swedish girl who played Phase 10 with us.
We've been on the train for nearly three hours and I think we are
almost to Bratislava. Who knows what we'll do tomorrow before we go to
Austria but I'm sure it will be fabulous.
Good night my dears.