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Since that time, I’ve
been to four continents and countless countries—all as a direct
result of having an enjoyable first time journey across Europe. So, overall,
I’d have to say that Europe was a great first-time overseas destination.
Here are some highlights
of my trip:
England
In England, in addition
to the punk nightclubs, I thought that Stonehenge was interesting.
The giant rock structures
weren’t constructed as a random religious object as many mainstream
scholars have hypothesized. Rather, it was strategically placed pursuant
to strict astronomical considerations. No one really knows exactly what
function these rocks served, though the particular arrangement of the
stones shows that the designers had a thorough knowledge of astronomy.
In fact, it’s
been shown that the alignments that result between Stonehenge and twelve
major solar and lunar events are highly unlikely to have been a mere coincidence.
Pondering the strength
and knowledge it must have taken to create this structure is something
that one can spend hours thinking about. On a side note, Carhenge in Nebraska
is also worth visiting, though it’s far less cerebral than England’s
Stonehenge.
France
In France, a visit
to Les Catacombes is well worth the price of admission.
In the late
1700s, the French government converted several subterranean caverns into
mass graves. This was necessary due to extreme overcrowding in the medieval
cemeteries in the center of Paris.
During this time, millions
of bones and rotting corpses were transported from the cemetery in Les
Halles to underground rooms and tunnels, which extend over 11,000 square
meters underneath the city of Paris.
This bone collection
from approximately six million people consists of skulls, femurs, ribs,
tibias, and other skeletal remains. Some are displayed as crosses and
other configurations, while others just seem to be in random piles.
These gruesome “galleries”
average 2.3 meters high and the tunnels remain at a constant temperature
of 11 degrees Celsius during both summer and winter.
If you’re not
easily frightened or claustrophobic, it’s a fascinating display.
However, if death and bones freak you out, this place will keep you in
nightmares for years to come.
Italy
In Italy, a place I’ll
never forget is a local ristorante that I visited in Vernazza. It was
at this point that I realized how totally different real Italian pizza
is from the fast food version I’d become so accustomed to in the
United States.
I ordered my pizza
with pepperoni and, as it turns out, in Italy “pepperoni”
is different than what Domino’s thinks it is. It means peppers.
While Americans serve
up their pizza with layers of cheese, meat, and numerous other toppings,
Italians make pizza the simple way with tomato sauce, spices, fresh herbs
and vegetables. Even though people around the world probably associate
pizza more with America than Italy, I recommend the Italian version, as
it was much tastier and healthier.
Germany
In Germany,
one memorable place is the Hof Brau Haus in Munich. If you’ve ever
been to a beer hall or German restaurant in the US and actually enjoyed
it, then this place is not to be missed.
The Hof Brau Haus is
like an American brewpub on steroids. It’s the quintessential Bavarian
beer hall, complete with deafening German music and never-ending amounts
of beer.
I don’t really
have a good concept of how big the Hof Brau Haus is, all I remember is
throngs of people. The atmosphere is great and I think just about every
young American who visits the place pilfers one of the giant beer mugs
to remember the experience. The wheat beer is very good, possibly the
best beer I have ever tasted—and I grew up in Wisconsin, where the
official state beverage is beer.
Actually,
much of Germany looked a lot like Wisconsin to me—like in my home
state, most people I met there were friendly and helpful.
Parting
Shot
Here’s one last
piece of advice for you, carry a lightweight backpack, take half as many
clothes as you think you need, and invest in a Eurail pass. The rest will
work itself out.
Amy
Loftsgordon is a contributing editor at InsideOut Travel
Magazine and works as a lawyer in Colorado, though she much prefers
airports to courtrooms.
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