Eurotrip 2009

Ben is headed for Europe

Welcome to my weblog! I've just started this weblog and will try to keep you posted on my experiences during my travels. Have fun!

JUN

Roma! Ciao bella!

From Italy on June 9, 2009

Buongiorno! Sorry it has taken me a while to write, but we've been jumping from city to city these past few days. We made it to Rome finally! From Prague, we went to Munich where we spent two nights. Munich was really nice, quite different from Berlin and Frankfurt. The city is beautiful and there is a lot of culture to take in. We got the chance to visit the concentration camp in Dachau, only 30 minutes away from where we were staying. It was an incredible experience to see what remains of what was the first, and longest run, concentration camp before and during the war. The iron gate with the phrase 'work brings freedom' set the tone for what were about to see. The time when it really hit all of us was when we walked through the gas chambers and crematoriums. horrific.

The other side of Munich was nice, we got a chance to go to the Hofbrauhaus. It was fun, and it seemed like we definitely were having a beer with every other tourist in Munich! The second night was a little less touristy..we had dinner and enjoyed a brew in the English Garden in one of the beer gardens. Fun experience, and definitely different!

After Munich we took the train to Zurich to spend the day there. Zurich is EXPENSIVE. We knew our wallets were in big trouble when we saw that a whopper meal at Burger king costed 12 swiss francs!! (1Chf = 1USD)... So what we did instead was walk along the Bahnhof strasse, which is one of the most fashionable streets in Europe...everyone was wearing their best. We took lots of pictures and got the chance to take the paddleboat out for a spin in lake Zurich. It was nice to enjoy the nice weather in such a beautiful city.

Then the overnight train to Rome! We arrived yesterday in the morning, and got settled at our fraternity brothers' apartments right away, and headed to the Colosseum. one word..WOW. We paid for a guided tour through the colosseum and for a tour through the Paladine hill that we will do today. There is so much history in this city! Hopefully we'll be able to see enough to be ablel to leave satisfied! I'm almost out of time...but one of the guys hopefully will have internet set up at the apartment so that i'll be able to post all the pictures! theres a lot of good ones!

Miss you guys, and thanks for all the great messages!!

martha

Posted on June 9, 2009

hola como estamos , hoy andas muy contento ya te olvidaste de nosostros jajajajajaj no te preocupes ya cuando llegues a casa nos mandas las fotos y tus comentarios cuidate mucho y diviertete gosala , saludos besos, saludos a tus amigos bye

Ben Sr

Posted on June 9, 2009

hola Hijo, pues ya mejor esperaremos sentados las fotos, pues ya te tardaste. q' no pues tenias forma de entrar a la compu con tus amigos en Roma? me imagino q' con tanta pachanga no hay tiempo de nada. verdad?
Bueno Benji, cuidate mucho y disfruta la experiencia. tendras mucho q' contarnos cuando regreses.
Love you
Dad
P.s. B good

leenda and steve

Posted on June 9, 2009

oh my God...cia bella....have fun...learn some new
Italian words for Leenda. So happy for you.
Drink some great Vino and eat alot of pasta, even
chicken ala feather....hugs leenda and steve

martha

Posted on June 8, 2009

mi querido nino como va la divercion y los paseos hoy se le olvido el espanol , y como dice ilce las fotos por favor , y fue mucho ingles jajajaaj cuidate mucho seguimos contigo en la mochila ,te quiero bye

Ilse

Posted on June 7, 2009

hey benji! (:
I'm jealous of you, i want to be in Rome with you right now.
Take lottttts of pictures there, and well, EVERYWHERE!
I love you Benji, miss you too.
Have fun!

Lyssette

Posted on June 6, 2009

Hi Beji de verdad ke te felicito y envidia me das por ke se ve ke te la estas pasando de maravilla, y es una experiencia ke a tus hijo y nietos podras contar, y como dice mi tio dale gracias a Dios por permitirte pasar esta experiencia inolvidable y si pasa a las iglesias por ke la arkitectura es muy bonita, y como muchos rabioles me encantan!!!
Bueno siguetela pasando muyu bien y ya no nos tengas en tanta espera ok
Bye
Cuidate

Ben Sr.

Posted on June 6, 2009

Hi Benji, you made us wait for a while... it looks like President Obama is following your tours. He has being in the concentration camps and Omaha beach.. so when we see the news is like we have being there recently... we can't wait to see those pictures. If you can, visit a church every once in a while and thank God for all the good fortune He has giving you. I am sure you should be able to find beautiful churches all across Europe, specially in Italy and Spain..
Love you and miss you,
Dad
B good

Kathy Budge

Posted on June 6, 2009

Hi Ben
Thanks for your great travelogue. I missed it for a few days!
You guys seem to be having a great time--but I knew you would!
Thanks so much for helping Brian out with the cash situation-his Dad and I really appreciate it. We felt terrible about what happened to him.
I look forward to more living vicariously through your journal.
Enjoy every moment--it will go so fast!
Kathy Budge