Enjoy!!
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Spain
This post is long overdue. But it may also be our last video post. We have lost the USB cable so we can't upload any more video to the computer. We will try to post pictures as much as possible. Our count down to coming home has moved to the single digits with only 9 days left in our trip. All of us are ready to be home but will also be sad to leave, it has been an absolutely amazing trip.
Monday, June 22, 2009
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Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Sunday, May 31, 2009
A quick update
We realize it has been some time since our last post. We quickly learned how spoiled we were to in London to have our own hotel room to create, edit and post our videos. The hostels we have been staying in the past few days have not been quite as nice as our London suite. We have some great video in the process of being edited together and we hope to find some time in the next few days to post it. Until then, here is a QUICK rundown of where we have been and what we have been doing:
We flew into Belfast, Ireland from London and immediately took the two hour train ride south to Dublin. We quickly found an awesome hostel there where we stayed for the next 3 nights. In this hostel we met some really cool people and made friends with people from America, England, Ireland and Australia. In Dublin we toured the Guinness factory as well as the Jameson Whiskey factory. We realize this sounds like we did a lot of drinking in Ireland, but we promise we were very responsible!
Leaving Dublin we took the train back to Belfast to catch our flight to Paris, France. It was some adventure, as we arrived in Paris with no hostel reserved. Our flight landed around 8 PM, which meant we were in a mad scramble to find somewhere to stay that night. We ended up finding a pretty lame hostel with 3 beds, 2 in one room and 1 in a separate room. Sam and Bo took the two beds together and Tommy slept in a different room with strangers. The two girls sleeping as Bo and Sam walked in the room were quite surprised to see us! It was interesting to say the least. The next morning we packed up and headed to a better hostel that had room for us, and happened to be within walking distance to the Louvre.
During our first day of touring in Paris we saw the Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, climbed (literally) the Eiffel Tower, and went to Sacre Cour. It was a busy day. The next day we toured Versaille. We have video and pictures of all of these events we will post sometime soon. The Eurocrew did not love Paris and were anxious to move on, so after our second day of touring we headed to the train station and took the 7:45PM train our of Paris headed towards Madrid. That is where we currently are. We just arrived and are waiting to get into our rooms at the hostel so we can get cleaned up and ready to head out and see what this city has to offer!
We are all doing well. Health is decent (Bo has been fighting a small cold), spirits are high. Tommy has done a great job planning the details of the trip and all(most) has gone according to plan. We are currently experiencing a slight "hiccup" with our finances, in that the money we were hoping to find in our bank account for the next two weeks is currently not there. Once people in America wake up we are hoping to get those "details" straightened out. One other issue we are currently facing is that on the metro ride to the Madrid hostel Sam had his wallet stolen out of his back pocket. We are now in the process of having all of his cards cancelled and are working hard on making due with the little money we have until we can get all of this handled. Please keep praying for us and checking back for blog posts. We will do our best to keep everyone in the loop! Thanks guys! Love all of you.
The Eurocrew
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Friday, May 22, 2009
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Monday, May 18, 2009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Packing Time
This is a BAD example of packing
If you pack like this, you are bringing WAY to much. Luckily we have backpacks to pack in, but it is still easy to try to fit that amount of clothes into our backpacks. Let me just say that it won't work and if by some way you do fit it in, you better be willing to carry it all around Europe. So to help everyone with their packing here is a list of what you should bring.
T-Shirts: 4
Long Sleeve: 1
Shorts: 1
Long Pants: 1
Swim Suit: 1
Underwear: 5
Socks: 5
Sweater/Jacket: 1
Shoes: 1
Flip-Flops: 1
Small Towel: 1
Toiletries:
· Tooth Brush
· Tooth Paste
· Shampoo
· Soap
· Deodorant
· Razor
Dress Shirt (wrinkle-resistant): 1
Day Pack: 1
Hat: 1
***Combination Lock: 1
Optional
Sun Screen: 1
Camera: 1
Video Camera: 1
Pillowcase: 1
Bed Sheet: 1
Book
Notepad
Pen
Bible
Packing
· If you won't wear it more than three times, don't bring it!
· Pack light, wash frequently, buy it if you need it
· Your pack should weigh about 20 percent of your body weight, preferably no more than 20 pounds
A week before your trip, pack your bag with everything you think you want to take, and carry it around for a day. Is it comfortable? Too heavy? Better to know now than later
**Leave a copy of ALL documents (Passport, DL, Credit Cards, etc.) at home AND with Grandma!!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
A few updates...
Now that we are under the 10-week mark to the launch of the trip of a lifetime, the Eurocrew has some more news and updates to share with anyone who cares to follow. First, we are pleased to announce that the former “Eurocrew plus two” has now become “Eurocrew plus three!” Hector Sepulveda will now be joining us for our nights in Monte Carlo and our time in Switzerland. He will be flying in with Tom and will be a part an amazing couple of days!
On a sad note, the Eurocrew disappointed to tell you that we are down to three. Tim has decided to pursue some educational endeavors, which would interfere with the trip, and has wisely decided to follow his goals for education and work. We are very sad that he will not be joining us on the trip, but we are happy that he has decided to invest in his future. He will be missed greatly!
On a brighter note, the Eurocrew had nailed down our lodging plans for London. As previously noted, our Grandma has graciously given us 5 nights in a London Marriott of our choice as a Christmas gift. The choice has been made, and will be spending our nights in London in the London Marriott County Hall, located within walking distance of the London Eye and Big Ben.
Another bit of exciting news is our hotel has been booked for our time in Monte Carlo, Monaco. Thanks to the kindness of Tom, we will be staying in the Fairmont Monte Carlo for two nights.
We know what you are thinking, and don’t worry, there will be many nights spent in not-so-nice hostels as well. It is just more exciting to tell you about the few nice places we will be staying! Thanks again to our Grandma and Tom for the gracious gifts they have contributed to this trip. Check back soon for more updates!
On a sad note, the Eurocrew disappointed to tell you that we are down to three. Tim has decided to pursue some educational endeavors, which would interfere with the trip, and has wisely decided to follow his goals for education and work. We are very sad that he will not be joining us on the trip, but we are happy that he has decided to invest in his future. He will be missed greatly!
On a brighter note, the Eurocrew had nailed down our lodging plans for London. As previously noted, our Grandma has graciously given us 5 nights in a London Marriott of our choice as a Christmas gift. The choice has been made, and will be spending our nights in London in the London Marriott County Hall, located within walking distance of the London Eye and Big Ben.
Another bit of exciting news is our hotel has been booked for our time in Monte Carlo, Monaco. Thanks to the kindness of Tom, we will be staying in the Fairmont Monte Carlo for two nights.
We know what you are thinking, and don’t worry, there will be many nights spent in not-so-nice hostels as well. It is just more exciting to tell you about the few nice places we will be staying! Thanks again to our Grandma and Tom for the gracious gifts they have contributed to this trip. Check back soon for more updates!
Monday, March 2, 2009
Eurocrew plus two!!!
The Eurocrew is pleased to announce that we will be having two new members join us for part of our trip. Our Uncle Tommy (or Tom) and Uncle Robert (or Robert) will be flying over to Europe and meeting us for a few days of adventure.
Tom will be flying into Milan, Italy on June 12, where he will then take a train into Monte Carlo, Monaco. The Eurocrew will meet with him there for a one-night stay in Monte Carlo, most likely in a hotel slightly nicer than the hostels we will be used to staying in.
From Monte Carlo, the Eurocrew (with it’s new member) will train up into Switzerland, where we will meet up with Robert who will have just arrived in Milan on June 14. Together, the six of us will explore Switzerland together. We are also in the process of adjusting our schedule in Switzerland, and may be taking Zurich out of the schedule. There seems to more in Switzerland that we want to do than we have time for, and going to Zurich just because it is a big city to see does not seem like the wisest choice. Instead, we will be spending most of our time in Interlaken and the surrounding areas. More to come later on our final schedule of destinations. We are sure that with the help and company of our two new members, our time in Switzerland will be truly unforgettable.
Our two new members will then both fly out of Milan, Italy on June 21, as the Eurocrew treks south towards the Cinque Terre and Rome. We couldn’t be more excited to have our honorary Eurocrew members join us for what should be an amazing time in Monaco and Switzerland.
On a side note, Bo will be flying to Dallas for the week of March 7-15, where he and Tommy will be spreading out a giant map of Europe and will be finalizing many of the details of the trip. 52 days doesn’t seem to be enough time to see and do everything the boys have dreamed of, so the unfortunate process of trimming things out must take place. We are currently finalizing our tour of the Normandy beaches, which we hope will be with a group of American veterans who were a part of the invasion of the beaches in 1941, and now live in France giving tours of the famous site.
The planning continues! Please keep us in your prayers. The time for saving money is running out, and we are all counting on a miracle. Talk to you guys soon!
-The Eurocrew
Tom will be flying into Milan, Italy on June 12, where he will then take a train into Monte Carlo, Monaco. The Eurocrew will meet with him there for a one-night stay in Monte Carlo, most likely in a hotel slightly nicer than the hostels we will be used to staying in.
From Monte Carlo, the Eurocrew (with it’s new member) will train up into Switzerland, where we will meet up with Robert who will have just arrived in Milan on June 14. Together, the six of us will explore Switzerland together. We are also in the process of adjusting our schedule in Switzerland, and may be taking Zurich out of the schedule. There seems to more in Switzerland that we want to do than we have time for, and going to Zurich just because it is a big city to see does not seem like the wisest choice. Instead, we will be spending most of our time in Interlaken and the surrounding areas. More to come later on our final schedule of destinations. We are sure that with the help and company of our two new members, our time in Switzerland will be truly unforgettable.
Our two new members will then both fly out of Milan, Italy on June 21, as the Eurocrew treks south towards the Cinque Terre and Rome. We couldn’t be more excited to have our honorary Eurocrew members join us for what should be an amazing time in Monaco and Switzerland.
On a side note, Bo will be flying to Dallas for the week of March 7-15, where he and Tommy will be spreading out a giant map of Europe and will be finalizing many of the details of the trip. 52 days doesn’t seem to be enough time to see and do everything the boys have dreamed of, so the unfortunate process of trimming things out must take place. We are currently finalizing our tour of the Normandy beaches, which we hope will be with a group of American veterans who were a part of the invasion of the beaches in 1941, and now live in France giving tours of the famous site.
The planning continues! Please keep us in your prayers. The time for saving money is running out, and we are all counting on a miracle. Talk to you guys soon!
-The Eurocrew
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Where Will This Train Take Us?
Hello Friends and Family,
We would like to update everyone and let them know that we have purchased our EuRail pass. We now have our means of travel throughout Europe. In a few weeks we will be buying our EuroStar tickets which will take us from Paris to London and our ferry tickets to get to Ireland!
We also have a few updates from the last post. We have taken out Croatia from our itinerary simply because it would cost us too much money and time to get there. On a happier note for some readers, due to Grandma's threat of withdrawing her support from this trip we have decided not to be in Spain during the running of the bulls. Also, as an addition to our trip we have decided to add Cinque Terre, Italy to our itinerary. Cinque Terre is a chain of 5 small towns on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. We hope to spend a day hiking between the 5 towns and then spend an evening watching the sun set over the Mediterranean. (Vernazza, Cinque Terre pictured below)
Check back soon, as we plan on updating the blog regularly. Thank you for your continued prayers and support. As always, Financial contributions are welcome!
-The Euro Crew
We would like to update everyone and let them know that we have purchased our EuRail pass. We now have our means of travel throughout Europe. In a few weeks we will be buying our EuroStar tickets which will take us from Paris to London and our ferry tickets to get to Ireland!
We also have a few updates from the last post. We have taken out Croatia from our itinerary simply because it would cost us too much money and time to get there. On a happier note for some readers, due to Grandma's threat of withdrawing her support from this trip we have decided not to be in Spain during the running of the bulls. Also, as an addition to our trip we have decided to add Cinque Terre, Italy to our itinerary. Cinque Terre is a chain of 5 small towns on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. We hope to spend a day hiking between the 5 towns and then spend an evening watching the sun set over the Mediterranean. (Vernazza, Cinque Terre pictured below)
Check back soon, as we plan on updating the blog regularly. Thank you for your continued prayers and support. As always, Financial contributions are welcome!
-The Euro Crew
Friday, January 2, 2009
A Long-overdue Update!
Hello friends and family! We want to apologize for going so long without updates, but all of us in the Euro Crew have been extremely busy in the past several months. A lot has happened that we would like to share with all of you!
The biggest news to report is that all four of us have in our possession our plane tickets! We would like thank over and over again our Aunt Cari (or mom), Uncle Tommy (or dad), and Grandma for donating frequent flier miles to purchase our tickets. It was an unbelievable blessing that none of us were expecting. So to Cari, Tommy, and Grandma – THANK YOU!!!
Our travel plans have changed slightly: we are now leaving Houston, TX on May 18th and are coming home on June 14th. Also, we are now flying in Paris instead of London. We will be leaving Paris immediately and heading up to London and still plan to start our trip there. Another blessing we would like to share with you is that for Christmas, our Grandma gave all four of us a 4-night stay in a Marriott hotel in London – another blessing that none of us were expecting. We will now be starting our trip in a beautiful hotel instead of a not-so-beautiful hostel. But don’t worry; we will have many nights to get familiar with Europe’s finest hostels!
As for our itinerary, we have had a few additions we would like tell you about:
• We have decided to add Ireland into our trip. We plan on leaving London and heading across England and Whales to take a ferry to Ireland. We are still not exactly sure of all we should do there, so if anyone has any suggestions, please let us know!
• We are planning on visiting Normandy, FR on June 6th, which happens to be the 65th anniversary of the D-Day invasion. We hope to find some US Veterans from the war, buy them a beer and have them tell us their story from the war.
(Normandy beach)
• Depending on timing, we are hoping to be in Pamplona, Spain during the running of the bulls. From what we can find, the running of the bulls begins July 7th and happens every morning for several days. While we know this may upset certain readers, particularly mothers and Grandma’s, we just feel we could not live with ourselves knowing we were there during the running of the bulls and did not participate!
• We have added Gibraltar, Spain into our travel plans, and hope to hit some beaches on our way back up the Costa Del Sol (only the ones that require bathing suits, of course!)
(Gibraltar, Spain)
• We have added several stops on our way to Rome from Switzerland in Northern Italy, including Lake Como, Florence and Siena. We also hope to take a trip from Rome south one day to see Naples and Mt. Vesuvius.
(Lake Como)
• If time allows, we would like to visit Vienna, Austria. Our original plan did not include stopping in Austria, but since we are passing through it on our way to Prague anyways, why not stop and spend a night or two?!
• From Munich, we would like to take a day to travel to Berchtesgaden on the Germany-Austria border to see Hitler’s Eagles Nest.
There are just a few updates we have for our activities!
We have decided to take a laptop with us on our trip. Many of the places we stay will have wireless internet and we have decided to update the blog as regularly as we can during our trip. We are also taking a video camera, so we will be able to do some video-blogs during our trip, hopefully both of testimonials and maybe even some short, edited videos of what we have done in the past few days. We want to keep all you updated on where we are and what we are doing!
The next item on our agenda is to purchase our Eurorail passes. We are doing decent on saving money. We all have enough money saved to buy our train tickets, as well as pay for all of the tours we plan on doing. Now are trying to save money so we can eat and sleep there too! Donations are still welcome! After all of our travel expenses are covered, we are all hoping to save between $4,000-5,000. Please pray for us as we attempt to meet this goal, and if you feel led, feel free to contribute! ☺
Thank you all for your prayers and support. We welcome input as to travel plans, things to do, foods to eat (or foods not to eat!), or any advice on places to stay. If you have friends or family who would be willing to let 4 bums sleep on their floor for a night, please let us know! We love you all!
-The Euro Crew
The biggest news to report is that all four of us have in our possession our plane tickets! We would like thank over and over again our Aunt Cari (or mom), Uncle Tommy (or dad), and Grandma for donating frequent flier miles to purchase our tickets. It was an unbelievable blessing that none of us were expecting. So to Cari, Tommy, and Grandma – THANK YOU!!!
Our travel plans have changed slightly: we are now leaving Houston, TX on May 18th and are coming home on June 14th. Also, we are now flying in Paris instead of London. We will be leaving Paris immediately and heading up to London and still plan to start our trip there. Another blessing we would like to share with you is that for Christmas, our Grandma gave all four of us a 4-night stay in a Marriott hotel in London – another blessing that none of us were expecting. We will now be starting our trip in a beautiful hotel instead of a not-so-beautiful hostel. But don’t worry; we will have many nights to get familiar with Europe’s finest hostels!
As for our itinerary, we have had a few additions we would like tell you about:
• We have decided to add Ireland into our trip. We plan on leaving London and heading across England and Whales to take a ferry to Ireland. We are still not exactly sure of all we should do there, so if anyone has any suggestions, please let us know!
• We are planning on visiting Normandy, FR on June 6th, which happens to be the 65th anniversary of the D-Day invasion. We hope to find some US Veterans from the war, buy them a beer and have them tell us their story from the war.
(Normandy beach)
• Depending on timing, we are hoping to be in Pamplona, Spain during the running of the bulls. From what we can find, the running of the bulls begins July 7th and happens every morning for several days. While we know this may upset certain readers, particularly mothers and Grandma’s, we just feel we could not live with ourselves knowing we were there during the running of the bulls and did not participate!
• We have added Gibraltar, Spain into our travel plans, and hope to hit some beaches on our way back up the Costa Del Sol (only the ones that require bathing suits, of course!)
(Gibraltar, Spain)
• We have added several stops on our way to Rome from Switzerland in Northern Italy, including Lake Como, Florence and Siena. We also hope to take a trip from Rome south one day to see Naples and Mt. Vesuvius.
(Lake Como)
• If time allows, we would like to visit Vienna, Austria. Our original plan did not include stopping in Austria, but since we are passing through it on our way to Prague anyways, why not stop and spend a night or two?!
• From Munich, we would like to take a day to travel to Berchtesgaden on the Germany-Austria border to see Hitler’s Eagles Nest.
There are just a few updates we have for our activities!
We have decided to take a laptop with us on our trip. Many of the places we stay will have wireless internet and we have decided to update the blog as regularly as we can during our trip. We are also taking a video camera, so we will be able to do some video-blogs during our trip, hopefully both of testimonials and maybe even some short, edited videos of what we have done in the past few days. We want to keep all you updated on where we are and what we are doing!
The next item on our agenda is to purchase our Eurorail passes. We are doing decent on saving money. We all have enough money saved to buy our train tickets, as well as pay for all of the tours we plan on doing. Now are trying to save money so we can eat and sleep there too! Donations are still welcome! After all of our travel expenses are covered, we are all hoping to save between $4,000-5,000. Please pray for us as we attempt to meet this goal, and if you feel led, feel free to contribute! ☺
Thank you all for your prayers and support. We welcome input as to travel plans, things to do, foods to eat (or foods not to eat!), or any advice on places to stay. If you have friends or family who would be willing to let 4 bums sleep on their floor for a night, please let us know! We love you all!
-The Euro Crew
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