I vacationed in Europe._?xml_:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
I took a vacation for 2 weeks but I had no idea what to do at first. Suddenly, I remembered that I had been dreaming of traveling for a long time, so I decided to go to Europe by myself. I packed my backpack lightly and I just booked a flight.
My trip began in Germany. I looked around at München(Munich). München has many churches and chapels. Especially, I saw “Glocken Spiel”, which is a special mobile that performs on a schedule (three times a day). The figures are mechanical and they act out different things. Also, I went up the bell tower at St. Peter’s. From there, I could enjoy München’s landscape. I also visited Regensburg & Augsburg in Germany. I think Germany has lots of beautiful towns. Every house has a sharp and red roof. Also, there is a beautiful river called the “Donau(Danube)”.
Next I went to Paris. I think that Paris is a city which is good for people who are interested in art. I visited many museums there. I stopped by Louvre, Orangerie, Orsay, and I met many maestros of art including Leonardo da Vinci, Vincent Van Gogh, and Claude Monet. I was very moved by van Gogh, so I went to Auvers-Sur-Oise where Vincent Van Gogh spent his final months and where he died. I visited Notre-Dame, and I stepped on “Point Zero”. It is believed that if one steps on it, one will return there again later.
At night in Paris, I took a tour boat on the River Seine. It was cool. I could see the flashing lights of the Eiffel Tower at that time. It looked like a tower covered with a million stars.
I went to Versailles, where the unofficial capital city of the kingdom of France was from May, 1682, (when King Louis XIV moved the court and government permanently to Versailles) until September, 1715. I felt the heavy weight of history. Also there were big rooms where the king and queen lived. The Hall of Mirrors, especially, was the best room and is the central gallery of the Palace of Versailles. Even if I knew the dark history, my eyes got a surprise.
In my opinion, the best place was Montmartre hill in Paris. This hill is a very popular place where many artists had studios or worked around the community of Montmartre such as Salvador Dalí, Modigliani, Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, Edgar Degas and Vincent van Gogh. Montmartre is also the setting for several hit films. One of my favorite movies, Amélie, which is the story of a young Parisian woman, happened in this place. I spent much time there. It was great.
Next, I went to Roma from Paris. Roma was very hot. But it was cool. I saw the real Coliseum, the Pantheon, and the Trevi Fountain. Also, on the Spanish Steps, I tried to eat gelato like Audrey Hepburn did in “Roman Holiday.”
I went to the Vatican. It is the smallest country in the world by both area and population, but it is the strongest power in the Catholic world. Also St. Peter’s Basilica is there and it is the biggest in the world. I got surprise several times there. One experience happened when I “met” Michelangelo. I really respect him as a genius. When I saw the Sistine Chapel ceiling, painted by Michelangelo, I was stunned into silence.
Next, I was in Firenze (Florence), where Michelangelo worked much time as an artist. I felt cozy there. The oldest bridge in Firenze is there and it has many shops on it. It is called Vecchio. I thought it might appear in a fairy tale. When I went up Michelangelo’s hill, I saw a nice view of Firenze.
I went to Venice. I understood why that city’s name is ‘the city of water’. Every picture that I took was good. I visited Murano. It is an island about a mile north of Venice and it is famous for its glass making, particularly lampworking. I saw people making glass. When the glass melts it changes into art, I sighed without knowing. I can’t forget being there and I want to go to Venice again if I can.
Then, I visited Salzburg in Austria. It was a rainy day. When I was there, I indulged in romantic thoughts. So, I heard Edelweiss. I went up the Hohensalzburg Fortress (high Salzburg Fortress). Because of rain and fog, the castle and fortress were more mysterious and more wonderful. I dropped by Mozart’s birth house, and I visited the Mirabell Gardens, which is one of the most popular sights in Salzburg. This is probably because many "Sound of Music" scenes were shot here as well. Do you remember Julie Andrews and her seven children singing "Do - Re - Mi"? I prepared the song in my MP3 and I enjoyed it at the actual place.
I came back to Germany, and I went to Heidelberg. I heard that when they dropped bombs during World War II, people who saw it from the plane let it slide because this city looked too beautiful to destroy. I stopped by Heidelberg castle, and I saw the biggest beer-keg in the world. How big is it? It is 220,000L (58,118gallon) I ate Schweine Haxe in a famous restaurant, and I had German beer also. It was awesome.
That’s it. I can’t believe that my trip is over now. I can’t forget these memories in my whole life. That’s why it was a fantastic summer vacation, and I want to get another chance to go.
Don’t you want to go now too?
