So when I left off writing I was heading out on a two week adventure on my own. O by the way I don't know how the communication got messed up...but apparently my mom didn't know that I was going to be travelling on my own. I did invite a couple of different friends along...and they really wanted to...but things just didn't work out for them to come. So to say the least my mom just about fainted when she found out after the fact. I don't normally keep secrets like that...and it was not a secret!! Sorry mom :) !
So I figured...who knows if I will ever have a chance to travel in Europe again. What an adventure! I first went to Berlin Germany for a couple of days. I went on two different walking tours with different groups of people. It was neat to meet people from all over the world.
The first day I walked all over Berlin with the group and seen so many landmarks, saw and heard so much history...it was mindboggling, sobering, overwhelming. At the same time seeing the architecture and the detail and thought put into the buildings there is amazing.
Also a little random. As I looked at these pictures I put on here...it looks like it was a sunny day. Ok well it was some of the time. But we actually got rained on twice in those 4 hours...and later when I was heading back to the hostel it poured again. And for some reason I was not smart enough to bring a sweater or coat with me on my 2 week trip!!. I really did not know how to pack after being in Spain and not needing heavy clothes or a jacket.
Berliner Dom
Humboldt University
Empty bookshelves. The Nazis took all books that did not go with the new way of thinking (their thinking) and burned them all. This is a memorial type thing
Jewish Memorial
Jewish Memorial
A portion of the Berlin Wall
A portion of the Berlin Wall
A portion of the Berlin Wall
The second day I went with a different walking tour. This time we were heading just outside Berlin to a concentration camp called Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp. The camp was for men only. Even though they did bring women in for a variety of reasons. I want to be very sensitive and not show much of my pictures from that. If you have questions or want to know more and or see more pictures that I have for that just let me know.
The train station where we got off...but also the same train station where all those people got off and marched to the camp.
Main Entrance
"Work makes you free"
A miracle if anyone could escape.
Two of the original buildings where the men stayed.
Bunk beds 3 beds high. They would roughly have 3 men on each bunk
A window frame on a door.
The plots where the other buildings used to stand.
Then I was off to Salzburg Austria. Yes the Sound of Music...and if your next question is..."Are the hills alive with the sound of music?" The answer is yes... only if you go up in the mountains on a Sound of Music Tour bus!!! :) Other than that not really. The tour was really great and the tour guide made it super fun.
I was very grateful to be in Salzburg after having a history overload in Berlin. It was also good to be somewhere warmer as well. Berlin was super cold and rainy. I knew I was heading back there for one more night...so the absolute best purchase I bought in Salzburg was a sweater...cause I needed it for sure in Berlin but also in Holland a bit.
Anyone recognize this one?? "I am 16 going on 17"
Overlooking Salzburg
Church were the wedding was filmed...but not the actual place that the real Von Traps got married.
Apple Strudel...yum!!
Marabell Palace Garden...with the castle in the background
"Doe, Rae, Me..."
I could have stayed in Salzburg much longer...but I had one more country to go to. Well first I flew back to Berlin for one night then headed to Amsterdam, Holland.
In Holland I stayed in Amsterdam but ventured outside of the city. Sure I did walk down a few street in Amsterdam...but I found out quickly it's not a place I would like to live or stay there to long. The first thing I noticed was the smell of pot. Also if your not careful you could be run over by someone on a bicycle. It's amazing the amount of people that walk and ride bikes in Europe...in the rain, snow or shine!!! They even have a special lane! Like in this picture. Sidewalk, bike lane, car lanes, and a bus lane. I had to laugh and shake my head as a girl rode her bike down the middle of the road...texting on her phone!!! I'm not sure if that was talent or stupidity!! And I thought texting and driving a car was dangerous.
Many many house boats!!!
One of the best hamburgers I have ever tasted...in Zaandam.
I actually went up in one of the windmills that was running.
This is a few rows of bikes at the train station...there are walk ways between. So the bikes are easy to get to...but I don't know how they remember where they park their bike!!!
Corrie Ten Booms house...and there still is a watch shop below.
Her room...and the space behind the wall where they hid. It was so incredibly small I don't know how they put 6 adults back there.
This is the hole in the bottom of the linin closet that they crawled through
In the basket in front...it's either storage...or kids sit in them.
Yes there are lots of stories...Like not figuring out the train system in Germany (and just getting on the train) me and trains have a love hate relationship!!, or attempting to avoid being in some ones picture...stopping...took one step back and some guy literally walking right into me. It was half my fault and half his...he obviously was not looking where he was going (but equally shocked). Or when I took the train to Zaandam and didn't realize there was two different stops...the one was super close to where I wanted to go...and the other...I ended up walking about an hour and a half just to get to the place I wanted to go. Plus all the walking once I got to my destination. To say the least I slept good that night!!! Or when I got a little lost trying to find my hostel in Salzburg...what could have been a half hour walk...turned into a 2 hour walk. But it was a great thing it was the afternoon and I had time and sunlight!
I have more...so just ask! I'm sure you don't have all the time in the world right now to read all of them...and I don't have the time to write it all out!!! But this was just a preview of my backpacking adventure.
Now back to Spain!!! I had a couple of weeks to recuperate from my trip then start to make the transition from life in Spain with the Smith family to life back in Alberta Canada. All the packing and saying my last goodbye, hanging out with the kids and all that fun stuff!!
It's truly amazing how even if you leave stuff behind and try to pack lighter...it doesn't seem to work!!! Those two suitcases were still extremely heavy, my backpack and another small...but not light bag...I still don't know how I made it home in one piece. I could barely move those suckers let alone get them onto 3 different trains, one bus, 2 cars, and move them at 3 airports. No wonder why I ended up having to go to a chiropractor for the first time once I got back to Canada!! I was also incredibly grateful for the few men that came to my rescue as I attempted to get on and off those trains.
I honestly think that I tried myself out so much from travelling and moving overweight luggage and staying overnight at the Madrid airport...that jetlag really did not effect me as much on the way back. Yes a little but not bad.
Saying goodbye was not the easiest but I knew that it was time to go home. I accomplished what I went there to do. I learnt so so much in the process and had some fun doing it too. Really thankful that I had the chance to go to Spain and help out the Smiths. They let me into their home and their hearts! I also had the privilege to homeschool the triplets and their little friend Peter. They learnt so much and I am so very proud of them. They are awesome kids!! So many great memories with them. And if you have not noticed I love to take pictures...so there are plenty of pictures of all the fun and crazy things we did...colored bubbles, markers...that all turned into body paint. Songs and stories! Tears and time outs Laughs and tickles! All in the crazy world of being a nanny for triplets. Jonathan, Michael and Sierra...I love you kiddos.
Abdou Family thank you for making me a part of your family as well. Also for giving me the privilege to homeschool Peter I am very proud of him. It was so wonderful to be apart of seeing both Peter & Kinzi grow and learn so much. And to see Kinzi when she first started to crawl!!! So exciting. Also as Peter overcame his fear of being in the swimming pool!! There is so much I could say. Thank you for letting me into your family too! Love you guys!!
Naomi and her kiddos...minus her hubby.
Jonathan
Michael
Sierra
They tried to fit into my suitcase!! Didn't really work :(
Now I am back in Canada!! Readjusting to many things. So far so good! Just taking it one day at a time! I have moved into my own place. An awesome basement suite and I am settling in and it's feeling more like home! Yay!!
I start my job in the morning. Working at the daycare at the church I attend. It will be some more readjusting and getting used to. But I am also excited to be there and I am sure there will be many stories to tell and adventures with the 15 kids between the ages of 3-5. It feels like I am going to the next chapter...and you never know what will happen!!! :)
Thank you for all the people that followed along with me in my adventures in Spain. I still would like to write on here...but as to how often...we will see! Once I get more settled into life here then I will try and write some!
