26 Days, 10 cities, 5 countries, and 1 backpack...

Phew.

I finally made it back to Cork yesterday night, after a long day of the walking, the metro, multiple buses, and a plane. As I was sitting next to the Eiffel Tower yesterday morning, I wasn’t ready to end my travels. I was ready to pack up my bag and move on to the next stop- maybe Prague, Amsterdam or Berlin. But my funds were low, my clothes were dirty, I had a flight already booked back to Ireland and two exams looming in the future to study for. It wasn’t until I heard the Irish accent pronunciation of “C-ark” that I realized how much I missed everything back in Cork. I woke up this morning disoriented in my own bed. It was strange not to wake up at 7am to a hostel room full of roommates. Taking a long shower in my own bathroom without flip-flops was fantastic. I had an amazing time traveling Europe, but am glad to be back.  

For my month of traveling, I started off in Athens and took a ferry to the Greek islands Ios and Santorini. From there I flew to Rome, and made my way up Italy onto Florence and Venice. I took a train over to Nice on the French Riviera and a day trip to Monaco. I flew to Barcelona then ended my trip in Paris.

I met up with friends in Santorini, Rome, Florence, and Barcelona catching up with stories as it seemed like we had been away forever. I met tons of new friends on the roads, as our paths crossed at hostels.

I saw all the amazing sights; the Acropolis, the Colosseum, the Eiffel Tower, ancient ruins, St. Peters Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, the Sagrada Family, Notre Dame and the Palace of Versaille. I walked on a volcano, rode donkeys, saw Michelangelo’s sculptures, took a gondola ride, spent a few days on the Mediterranean beaches, and wondered through the Louvre. I tried all sorts of Greek, Italian, Spanish and French foods; from spinach pie and paella to crepes and gelato.

I have mastered metro systems, maps, planes, train timetables and the bus system. There are so many ways to get from here to there. I am going to enjoy the next couple days of sticking around Cork with no place to go.

We were really lucky, and had a great trip with no setbacks. A canceled ferry here and a delayed flight there, but other than that traveling went smoothly compared to lots of stories we heard.

I am back in Cork for a few days, lots of odds and ends to get done, but when I get a chance I will write some posts about all my travels and adventures. My camera broke in Ios :( but when I bum the photos off of my three traveling buddies I will be sure to upload some! Time to get back to reality and go grocery shopping and start some much needed loads of laundry.