Day 30: To Barcelona, I go!

May 28th, 2012 ---

Check out at the hotel was 10am this morning and though my flight wasn't until 2:30, I decided to head straight to the airport.

I walked over to the train station, hoping on the local line to Fiumicino Airport. The airport was a mad house. People and check in booths everywhere! I was sooo confused! 

If you've ever been to the airport in Rome then you may understand why I suddenly became overwhelmed with confusion of where to go next! The gates to check in were EVERYWHERE!!! Maybe I'm spoiled when in the United States because our airports make it very easy to figure out where your airline check in is because all the stands are in one big line down the terminal, but in Rome you have hundreds of check in booths! I'm standing in the middle of the terminal with the stereotypical confused tourist look on my face, thinking "Uhhhhhhhhhh....."

I see airport security and ask where the information booth is so that maybe I could actually get some information about why the heck this airport has to be so confusing (okay, well no, but I could at least find out where my check in booth was!). The woman at the information desk gave me a number... because apparently it's actually not that hard to figure out where check in is if you notice the numbers on the top corners of each booth and look at the giant board that tells which airline is what number... Duhhhhh... (sigh..) 

I walked over to the check-in and to my surprise (which I haven't ever notice in other airports) there was a giant scale to weigh your bags before you get to the desk.
Oh god.. here we go... please, please, please, please, please, pleeeeeeeeease don't be overweight!!!!

28kg. (61lbs... limit is still 50lbs...)
Son-of-a!!!!

Alright, alright.... So I drag my bag over to a nearby corner and start emptying. My carry-on bag almost ready to rip. (Hey, it was a free-with-purchase Steve Madden bag... they only hold up so well.)
I put my bag back on the scale, "24.1"
....hmm.... my carry-on is about to make me topple to one side, I'm starting to sweat from the lack of AC in this place, and the line up is starting to wrap around the corner..... WELL, time to cross my fingers and hope luck stays on my side for this one!

AN HOUR FREAKIN' LATER...
I finally get through the line, to the check-in counter and I put on my "Let-me-dazzle-you" face.
"Hiiii! How are you? (*insert big smile here*) ...Busy Day? ...Aww.. yeah, that's hard! ...Yes, I am going to Barcelona!" (Please don't look at my bag, please don't look at my bag...) "I know! ...Yeah, they reaaally should turn on the AC in here! ....So sorry to hear that! ...Well, have a great day!!!"

PHEW!
... almost wished I had left more stuff in my bag now! Ha!

Thank goodness I was so early because it took me another 30-40 minutes just to get through security! By the time I got to my gate, the flight was just beginning to board!

I was on an airline called Vueling. I was a little nervous because I had never heard of it before, but it was super cheap so I decided to take a chance! It turned out to be pretty great! I mean it was nothing super special but it was clean, the seats were comfortable and I can't complain about the service.

I was stoked to have an entire exit row to myself.. stretch out.. take a nap... take up as much room on the arm rests as I like.. Maybe sit in the aisle seat.. then have a peak out the window... You know, just enjoy the luxury of having an entire row to myself... that is until this older couple decided to switch seats and sit beside me RIGHT when we got into the air. (D'oh!) I wouldn't have minded it they had at least apologized for constantly bumping into me, trying to move my stuff to make room for their stuff and hogging the arm rests. Sigh... well at least I got lucky with the slightly overweight baggage right?

When we landed in Barcelona, I couldn't believe how beautiful the airport was! It was so modern and clean and open! They had tons of shops and restaurants and even a beautiful courtyard with trees and a grassy area in the courtyard to kick up your feet for a while and read a book, if you will. If only all airport looked like Barcelona's!

After I grabbed my bags, I soon realized my phone had no battery. I searched high and low for a plug and ended up being told the only outlets were in the washrooms.
Really?
Okay Barcelona Airport, you were pretty great until now.

So there I am standing in the bathroom with my phone plugged in and charging while watching women wash their hands, put on lipstick, powder their noses, fix their hair, etc... seeing a few drink from the sink was a little gross but whatever.. Not my cuppa'tea.. I guess when you're thirsty, you're thirsty, huh? Haha

I let my phone get to about 20% before getting out of there, with the directions on my phone, I caught the Aerobus to Plaça Catalunya where I would catch the metro to my hostel.

 The metro was no big deal, got on at one stop, off at the next. Had no idea how close it really was... probably could've walked! Oh well. I walked a couple more blocks down to where it said my hostel was.. in this cute little square called Plaça Reial! The square featured lots of little cafes and restaurants with people sitting and drinking their sangria on the patios and a big round water fountain in the center. Super cute!

I walked through the entrance of Plaça Reial, off La Ramblas, and made a right - my hostel, Kabul, was just a few storefronts down. I was buzzed in and had the fun of lugging my giant suitcase and heavy carry-on up a flight of stairs to the check-in desk. There was music going people having beers at the bar around the corner in the lounge.. it was so lively in there! My excitement perked a little bit having stayed in really mellow accommodations previously.

After checking in, I took the elevator (thank God) up to my room on the third floor and put my stuff in my room. As I was starting to change, two girls walk in - my roommates for the night. "Hi!" They say hi back.. and then I quickly realize, after trying to make a bit of conversation with them, they don't know more than a few words of English. Of course I get stuck with the non-English speaking French chicks. Darn! Was really hoping to maybe make a cool friend today! Maybe later, downstairs I guess!

So I cleaned myself up, putting on a cute little outfit and then headed out the door to explore Barcelona before having to head over to Palau de la Musica Catalana for a Spanish guitar concert by Manuel Gonzalez!

---

When I first moved to San Diego, I had lived in an apartment in Mission Valley called Club River Run. It was the same complex that my school, the Art Institute, had their student housing. We thought this was a good plan for meeting people as well as being close to school, and for safety, etc. On one of my first days in the complex, there was a group of younger people (my age) sitting on their second-story walk-up balcony... as my mom and I walked by, all I hear is "Dammmmmmmnnnnnnn!"
Of course I crack up laughing, and then we all start laughing when my mom turns around and says "Oh thanks!" hahaha!

Well, that guy that said that... that was Afram, who later ended up becoming one of my best friends, and after that my roommate when I moved downtown. Afram grew up playing guitar with his dad, specifically that Spanish style. So when we became good friends, we would all sit in my living room doing homework, or on my balcony telling stories with Afram playing his guitar in the background. It got even better when we lived together and I would come home and he would be sitting on my couch or balcony just playing guitar. It was awesome! Him and I always used to talk about how great it would be to go see a real show, whether it be in LA sometime or one day, dare to dream, in Spain. Well Frammie, because of you, I fell in love with the sounds and styles of Spanish guitar and here I am, in Spain, off to see that concert!

---

After wandering around for a little while, I arrived at the beeeeeeeaaaauuuutifullll Palau Musica Catalana! Designed by architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner, it was built in the same Catalan modernista style that most of Gaudi's designs are done. It was amazing! The small details of the pillars, the ceilings, the walls, the windows... everything was so intricate! It was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997, in person, you can most definitely see why.

As I waited, in awe of the incredible and historical building I was standing in, I grabbed a quick appetizer and drink at the little bar set-up they had. I was absolutely starving from having not eaten in so long. Before I knew it, the lights started blinking and it was time to go find my seat!

I was sitting in the third box to the right of the stage, first row, and super cramped seating. I was relieved to have had a corner seat so I had a liiiiiiitttle bit of room, but still not much. Manuel Gonzalez comes out, everyone claps, and he sits down under the spotlight on a chair and begins to play.

It was so magical. I feel like Spanish guitar always evokes so much emotion when its played; sometimes I think even more than any other style of music. I love it. It was nice to even recognize some of the songs he played! He was fantastic!

After the show, I ended up meeting him, thanking him, and getting an autographed cd! Look at me go! Wahoo! haha Maybe I'll give it to Afram the next time I see him! :)

When I left the Palau, I was still starving and exhausted. That little appetizer did nothing. So I found an amazing little vegetarian place just on the outside Plaça Reial where I had my first falafal! I couldn't tell you what was in it, other than some hummus, I knew that much - but it was GREAT! If only I knew what the whole thing had in it so I could try and find it or make it in San Diego!
Oh well...

Following my first and awesome food experience in Barcelona, I went back to the hostel, exhausted. It was nice to meet my third roommate that night when I got back. She was super nice, chatty and from Vancouver! Sweeeeet! We chatted a little bit while I was laying on my top bunk, her on the bottom before finally passing out...

Nice end to a busy day! :)

----

This is Manuel Gonzalez at the Palau back in 2009, but he did play this song as well when I saw him! :)

---

Pictures of Palau De La Musica Catalana:

Day 18: Homemade and happy!

May 16th, 2012 ---

I had woken up to the sunrise, exhausted from such a crappy couch sleep at 6:30am. At this rate, I'm counting down the days till I will be in a lovely hotel my dad booked me before my cruise, complete with a squishy mattress, reaaaaal comforter, lots of cushy pillows and some time to sleep in before having to be at the cruise ship around noon for boarding.

I slowly got up off the terribly uncomfortable couch, grabbed myself a tea and then took a gander outside on the balcony at a beautiful day and Croatian coast in sight!

I could see the small houses stacked on the hillside, mountains in the distance, and the sunrise gleaming off the water. Even though I was semi-grumpy and so tired, I was most definitely able to appreciate it.

I was off the giant ferry by 7:30, and off to my hostel about 3 blocks away. I'm walking in circles around two small alleyways - lost again! I don't see a single sign or anything that looks like a hostel. Ugh.. Here we go... Where the heck am I, now?

I whip out my phone (I love you, iPhone) and google the address. Apparently I'm here.
Well that's not right...
I click on the 'Get Directions' from 'Current Location' ... I was apparently 3 doors down. I slowly walk down the alleyway, look for anything. The address apparently #3.

When I get to #3, I see a little sign saying "Aparman" with a bed and two little stars... Must be it? There's a buzzer (apartment style) and one name saying "Kolega" - perfect! It's the Kolega Guesthouse I'm staying at.

I ring the buzzer and a man answers, I say I'm here for the hostel and he buzzes me in.

It's on the fourth floor.

How come I can never win against the stairs??! 6 floors in Paris, 4 floors in Cologne, 4 floors here... Common! Someone throw me a bone! ... Or an elevator, for that matter! Haha I swear my arms are going to be so toned after this trip if I don't eat any possible weight loss back in mounds of spaghetti!

The "hostel" is more of a three bedroom apartment, all rooms with locks on them, new modern kitchen and a computer to use with printer (awesome because I had to print my confirmation documents for my cruise.)

My room is nice, queen bed, small sofa, makeup table - its pretty big in comparison to everything ive been staying in. Nice change! The owner tells me that I'll have the place to myself till another guest arrives tomorrow. Sweet! Things are lookin up!

He leaves to go to work and I settle in, decide to get on the computer for a while and get my cruise stuff sorted and just be a bit lazy/ relax before I go explore.

Well, about an hour passes and as I'm about to figure out what to do with the day, it starts to completely downpour. Thunder, and all.

There goes that idea.

Too tired and losing motivation by the second.

As I sit talking with one of my friends in San Diego, who always has trouble sleeping and is up till the crack of dawn (yes, you. You know who you are lol) I began to have my first homesick meltdown.

It's raining, which always puts a damper on a good mood, I'm exhausted & crabby and as much as I love being independent and doing things by myself, I'm the type that loves being friendly along the way. I think that why I'm good at doing thins by myself - I always make conversations with cashiers, information people, anybody - who ever! And when you're in a continent where so few speak English, you kind of become a mute, which is such a downer when you're a very friendly and chatty person by nature. Thus leading to my sudden frustration and anger about all the unfriendly Europeans I've come across - especially the French, I finally get that whole stereotype now.

So after ranting for a few minutes, my friend told me that maybe I should just take the day to chill out, get some sleep and enjoy doing nothing since it was raining anyways. I agreed, I didn't feel like dealing with more rain anyways - cute rain jacket or not, it was coming down hard.

I spent the afternoon researching places I'd be going and relaxing about - taking the best feeling shower after such a long traveling day yesterday/last night/this morning.

Finally, I realized I hadn't eaten all day, it was around 6pm and I was starving. I knew there was a little cafe around the corner, I had passed it earlier, so I threw on my shoes and walked over. Thankfully, not in the rain since it had stopped by then.

The cafe had no food, just drinks. So I walked around, everywhere I managed to find only had drinks and pastries or pizza. I just wanted something healthy! Walking down the street, I notice a man with grocery bags.
YES!!! A grocery store!!!
I asked him for directions (yes, he understood/spoke some broken English - stoked!) and headed that way.

It wasn't too far, a few blocks. I was so happy I could cook an make something for myself tonight! I grabbed some fruit and veggies, a little prosciutto, some cheese, small thing of pasta noodles and then when I got to the bakery area I saw some flakey thiiiiingggg, looking like it had meat in it - maybe a meat pie or something? I couldn't read the sign, so I decided to just wing it and get it.

I walked out of the grocery store happy as a clam and walked home ready to make a good home cooked meal.

I made a small bowl of salad, tiny portion of pasta sprinkled with a bit of oil (so the noodles wouldn't stick) cut up a little prosciutto for the pasta, little Parmesan, and the heated up whatever that flakey thing was. Haha

I sat down and enjoyed my pasta and salad, leaving the unknown flakey business till last. I took a bite... Not a whole lot of flavor... Still not really sure... I take a few more bites... No idea what I'm eating but it's not meat that's for sure. I think it was some kind of fruit, some flakey apple-something pie? I still have no idea, but it wasn't all that fantastic so I ended up chucking the other half of it out, content with my little portion of pasta & salad. And my mood definitely was better after being able to do something I enjoy and making me feel at home.

I spent the rest of the night listening to music, reading, and now blogging about my day... And now I'm heading to bed! Really need some good solid sleep!

Good night, all! ... Or depending on what side of the world you're on, good afternoon! :)

Day 11- Art?

May 9th, 2012 ---

Having checked the forecast last night, I knew today was supposed to be a rainy one. I decided it would be a good day to hit the museums and some giant Imax theatre that was across the lake.

Before leaving the hostel, i had a peak around looking for information about the museums and checked if perhaps there were some coupons or discounts I could use with my Eurail pass because the admission to this huge museum, apparently was a bit pricey.
Well! After I peaked here and there, turns out that big museum i was hoping to check out was the Museum of Transportation! Boring...

Don't get me wrong, all museums are interesting in their own way, but I was hoping to look at more than just transportation stuff. I wanted to check out lots of things!

When I had first arrived in Lucerne and came out of the train station I had noticed that across the street was the KKL Lucerne Museum of Arts. So, I changed my plan and decided to head that way instead.

The building was very beautiful in a modern and architectural way. It was a large, all glass building with part of it jutting out and held up by two large pillars, between the pillars - a large round water fountain.

When inside, I found that the museum was only one level of the building on level K. I jumped in the elevator and made my way upstairs, bought a ticket and to my surprise, I had to put my purse in a locker.

I grabbed my phone and iPod, putting on some RJD2, Emancipator and Röyskopp for a mellow cruise around the museum. As I head through the glass door, I took a right into the first room where I stood looking at photography that some woman took of her covered in mud attempting to blend into a large tree.

Okay....
I keep walking...

Room 2 is full of projectors and televisions showing videos. One video, literally a surveillance tape of a restaurant kitchen, another a girl painting on the bones in her arm, on her arm (then it was start over and repeat).

By this point, I'm recalling an article I had read last night that my friend ha posted on Facebook. It was about how the author, Glen Coco, was sick of pretending, he just didn't "get" art. After attending many, many art shows in his career he thought it was hilarious that we all stand there, staring at an art piece trying to find some greater meaning to it when really your looking at a potted plant on a post.

So I'm walking through this museum, with this article in mind just asking myself "what is considered art?" and "why are these people famous and considered true professional artists when I could've taken the same picture with my iPhone?" On that note, I probably could've taken a better picture on my iPhone -- look at me, I'm an artist! Even based on the many principles of design I've learned over the years, some of this "art" was really just crap.

Please, let's do an experiment. Let's take these 'works of art' and tell these artists to pretend they are students for a day. Have them present in front of my teachers and then sit back and watch as they get torn apart for work that looks like a child got a hold of a disposable camera.

... And really, a surveillance video in a restaurant kitchen? Common. If that's all it took, security guards would be raking in the cash!

I walked around the museum for about an hour or so, until I got to the last room - tables with table cloths that had crayon drawings on them.
I'm done.
To put it bluntly and with some sort of comedy to it: this museum was wack! Hahahaha
Okay, I promise, I'll never say wack again. That felt weird coming from me. Lol

Anyways, I ended up heading out of the museum with a whole day ahead of me and suddenly blue skies! I decided it would be nice to just walk around town for a few hours, see where life would take me.

Well it took me to H&M. Dammit. Soooo many cute clothessss!!! Why was H&M America not as cool as it was here??! After about a solid 30-40mins, I ended up finding a few really, really unique finds and was absolutely thrilled about them! Bring on that cruise! This girl's got a brand new wardrobe! (okay well not a whole wardrobe.. But still!)

After browsing around a little longer I decided to grab a sandwich at a neat little place called Bachmans and then grabbing a small ice cream and walked along the lake.

It turned out to be, really, quite a beautiful day! This may sound funny, but it was like Lucerne was in high definition. The air was crystal clear, the lake so clean, the sky so, so blue, snow-covered mountains in the distance but still reflecting onto the lake and tons of swans hanging out by the shore. Everything was so saturated in natural colors. It was extraordinary.

It was around 5 when I decided to head back to the hostel. I received a message before from that ropes course instructor Kevin, who invited me out for a casual drink by the train station. I thought it would be a nice way to learn a little more about the city and a good way to end Switzerland. So we planned to meet at 8 at the large archway that sits in front of the main station.

I got back to the hostel, read a book for a while, just chilled out, then headed over to meet him.

When I arrived, he greeted me in typical European fashion with a cheek-to-cheek kiss on both sides and then we went into the station to buy two beers at the store.

With beer in hand, we walked along the lake to the park that was right by my hostel and parked it on a bench. Our conversations were pretty hilarious, most involving a lot of hand gestures to help with the German-to-English language barrier.

He had told me that the indoor skate ramp his friends built was right around the corner, to which I thought would be fun to go see! We walk about 5minutes to a garage right beside he train station and as soon as we get close I can hear the sound of skateboards zipping back and forth on a ramp.

The place was really cool! It was a small ramp from wall to wall, with pipes along the edges to grind on. There were drawings all over the walls and music blasting. I met a bunch of locals who showed off their skills while sitting on the above landing with my beer and enjoyed some conversation with one of the guys that had built the place and competes with Kevin. He had to have been like 45 and he skated so well, almost better than the rest of them that we're there! It kind of made me laugh that he was still killin it at his age! Good for him!

We hung out there for about a half hour before making our way to a nearby bar in a hotel on the other side of the train station. It's strange that they play so much American music at the bars, restaurants and shops in Europe. I've noticed it everywhere I have gone. It almost ruins the experience a little bit. It's hard to emerge yourself in a culture when an American top 40 song is playing in the background.

We had a few drinks and danced, a few of Kevin's friends also there and socialising, then he very kindly walked me back to my hostel around 1am where I immediately crashed out with my alarm set for 6am!

Tomorrow: I head to Milano!! :)

KKL Lucerne Museum of Art: Paper Rings?

KKL Lucerne Museum of Art

KKL Lucerne Museum of Art

Lucerne!

Skateboarding Mini Ramp

Day 10- Fear is a state of mind.

May 8th, 2012 ---

Last night was my first night in a hostel. Backpackers in Lucerne is a cute little place with kitchen, common area, rooms very much resembling dorms lining one side of a hallway. The opposite side with bathrooms and showers and an open area of sinks and make up tables. Quite comfortable and a great place to stay, especially for having never stayed at a hostel before.

I set my alarm this morning for 9:45 so that I could quickly get ready and get on with the big day I had planned. Mind you, it's not as big as my Montmartre/ Louvre/ Black Seeds day in Paris, but it was definitely an extraordinary day none the less.

I started by walking the 10 minutes back in the direction of the train station along the lake. It was a nice morning, nothing special really, 68 degrees, a bit of overcast but with the blue sky peeking through here and there. I stopped at the train station momentarily because the smell of a hot dog/ sausage stand was enough to get me in there! Haha As I ordered my sausage with mustard, I couldn't help but laugh as I watched this man beside me whip out a Swiss army knife and cut up his sausage. He did it like it ain't no thang! Am I the only one that thinks that's really funny?? Swiss army knife... Switzerland...for a sausage...? I mean I know we have Swiss army knives in North America but I don't think I've ever actually seen anyone use one especially as casual as he did! No? Not that funny? Hmm.. Okay well i thought it was hilarious! -- Tough crowd.. Haha ...Moving on..

So after enjoying some lunch I went down to the ticket booth and bought my ticket to Mt.Pilatus! I was told to take the #1 bus, which I confused with platform #1 which is how I ended up on the wrong bus.

I knew something wasn't right as soon as I got on it. Just as the doors were closing I ran up to the bus driver, ticket in hand, "I don't think I'm on the right bus!" He looks at me and chuckles, looks at my ticket and tells me I most definitely am not and that I have to go to the platform across the street! Phew! That was a close one... Who knows where I would've ended up!

As I'm walking over to the platform, I notice the bus has already arrived and about to leave. So I make a run for it and jump on!

I arrive at my stop approximately 10 minutes later. Confused on where to go, at first, I look around for signs to the mountain. I notice a woman with a large hiking backpack, heading in the general direction that seemed to be the way to go, it also seemed like following her would be my best bet.

Minutes later I find myself behind a church, in a cemetery. Son of a -- ! Hmm.. Okay.. But then! As I take a peak around - a gate! Ah ha! As I watch her go through the gate, I tip toe behind and keep following at a distance. Such a creeper... Haha But! The gate led to the road to Mt.Pilatus! Wahoo! After walking up a small hill I see the gondola station for the mountain.

I go up to the ticket booth and exchange the ticket I purchased at the train station for a mountain ticket and jump in a gondola, solo.

The ride takes about 15minutes and it's absolutely breathtaking. How could one city be so beautiful?! From the gondola you could see a large portion of the Swiss Alps, a panorama view of the entire city and of course the glistening lake. Incredible.

Now, I've always believed that fear is just a state of mind and it can be overcome. (Except for spiders - pshhhh! I will always battle some sort of anxiety attack and find the most creative ways of killing them while screaming or whimpering in the process. #ThanksMom -- And Kirby/ Noora, if you are reading this... You both know exactly what I'm talking about. #BathroomMirrors #AboveDoorways Haha)
Back to the topic, if I had any fear of heights before... I'm pretty sure I conquered every single one of them today.

When I arrived at the hostel last night, I decided to scope it all out. I had grabbed my keys and my phone and went off to find the lounge, ya know, see what that's all about and who might be there. I was lucky enough to meet a few people from Michigan and one from New York, Buffalo - to be precise. Of course he knew exactly where Kitchener was (my hometown in Ontario for those that don't know) and proceeded to ask me if I owned a pair of Birkenstocks. My response: "Hahaha whaaaa?!"
I had seen my younger couzin wearing Birkenstocks but I did know it was the latest "thing" back home and our city apparently had a reputation of always wearing them... I must add, my couzin is the only person I've seen where them... Shrug. Whatever.
I explained I owned no such thing and continued to chat with them a bit. They were talking about Mt.Pilatus. I overheard them talk about some ropes course but didn't really know what they were talking about. When I asked, they told that Mt.Pilatus had a huge ropes course on top of he mountain! Coooooooool!

Back when I was 13, all the eighth graders go on a leadership/ religious retreat (to my friends reading: ya, I said it! I did a religious retreat! Betcha never coulda guessed that one!) Part of the retreat was to Mt.Mary (not exactly a mountain, more like large hill) and the other half was to a lake around Camp Wabanaki (I believe? Could be wrong about that one..) But at the lake, there was canoeing, kayaking, rock climbing... And a ropes course! At 13, the thought of being suspended high in the air, suspended by a rope and walking across a wobbling log - well it wasn't exactly my idea of fun. So I ended up skipping that part. To this day, I still regretted not trying.

So as soon as I heard about the ropes course on Mt.Pilatus, my ears perked up.
What's that you say?...Ropes course..??! Hmm.... !

When I arrived at the top of the gondola, the landing before taking the second to the very tip top, I saw the ropes course to my left.
Hmmmmmmm.....!!!!
... Well maybe I'll just see how much it is.....

I get to the booth and a very nice guy named Kevin comes out and I ask him how much it is to do it.
27 Swiss Francs.
Reasonable... Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...!

Screw it. I'm doing it.

I look at Kevin, "Okay. I wanna do it."
He looks at me, "Wait, just you?You do alone?!"
"Ya! No wait, hell yeah!!"
"Wow! Okay!"

I pay, he gives me a harness, helmet and pair of gloves then goes through all the safety procedures and instructions of what I have to do. Red tape = safety wire to clip onto; Blue tape = Zip line. Sweet.

(Insert nerves and deep breathes here.)

I'm okay, I'll be fine.

You can do this, Jessica. You got this. Ain't no thang!

(deep breath)

I walk up the first little log ladder.

Holy crap!!! Ahhhh!
(I'm only like 4 or 5ft off the ground- haha)

An older gentleman comes over to me, he tells me his name is Freddy and let's me know he'll be here to help if I need him! Nice, nice guy! Funny too! He offers to grab my camera and take photos for me, cracking jokes along the way.

I can't remember which obstacle was first but I believe it was just flat wooden planks suspended by ropes, of course.

Eek! Here it goes!

Step. Step. Step. Step. And I'm on the next platform.

Okay, okay, this isn't so bad...

Wait. You want me to walked across a tight rope now?! You have got to be kidding me. Ahh!

After conquering the tight rope like a boss, I get to the platform with nothing but a wire to the next.
Blue tape.
Crap.
"FREDDY!!!"
Freddy, standing just below me, starts to laugh.
I ask him to make sure I'm clipped on right - I'm not prepared to break any bones by zip line today. He assures me I'm good and tells me to take a seat on the platform and the inch my way off while he takes a video. Haha Good man.

By this point, there's a woman sitting with her kids watching and cheering me on. And by the way, I'm quite a bit higher at this point.

I take a deep breath and launch! I fly down the line, slowing myself down with my gloves hand on the above wire. Landing on the next platform, the mother & Freddy below - both with big smiles, are clapping and happy for me!
I'm stoked!

I'm come down the steps, "alright Freddy, where to?!"

He shows me the next ladder up to a platform of higher difficulty. Small logs hung by ropes that begin to sway as soon as you step on them. Awesome.

About 20minutes later, I had accomplished about 3/4 of the entire course! It was a breeze! No problem! Tires on ropes, rolling logs, hanging poles with little pegs to jump from one to the next, high tight ropes.. Felt like an acrobat! ...Please excuse my informal attire, Freddy, my circus costume is at the dry cleaners!

As I was approaching one of the last platforms in the course. Freddy came over to the vicinity. (German accent..) "You ah very guud!"
"thanks Freddy!"
"Now you have option to take exzeet or keep going"
"keep going where?"
"Up derh!" He points up. "18 meters!"
Uhh....
"You take ladders to first platform. Den second ladders to top!"
Hmm... That's really freakin high...
I analyse it for a moment...

If I don't go up, I'm gunna feel like a wimp. I will also probably regret it just like I did the first time back when I was 13.

"Freddy, I'm going for it!"
"Wowwww! Guud for you!"
"yeah!"
"I warn you, when you get to top, you have to jump."
"what?"
"Jump."
"What do you mean jump?"
"No line, no zipping. Jump!"
"Jump?"
"Yes, jump." By this point, he's laughing.
"But..."
"Jump."
"Hoowwwww..???!!"
"You see rope hanging?"
"Yes." Looking up at the little log jutting out from the tree with a blue pulley-rope hanging off it, with a clip to hook into.
"You attach harness to zat and you jump! It bringz you down slow"
"oh.. Okay....."
"Sure you want to do?"

Hmm....jump, huh?...

"Yup."

After nervously climbing to the first platform, then to the very top - with Freddy calling up to me, telling me to take my time. When I get to the top, the view is freakin awesome! So worth that climb to the top. I snap a few pictures and sit on the platform enjoying the view for a few minutes -- also avoiding the fact that I have to jump off this damn tree very shortly.

Finally, I clip myself onto this blue cord. Freddy yells up again, "Sit on the ledge! Take your time!"

Ahhhhh!!!! This is crazy!!! I'm 18 meters off the ground having to jump off the ledge.

Remember that song Third Eye Blind, "Jumper"?
"I wish you would step back from that ledge, my friend..." --- theme song for the next few moments.

Heart racing. Starting to sweat. Hands getting shakey.

"It's okay! You can do it!! Just jump! We are cheering for you!" .. Oh Freddy - you cray.

Okay, here it goes. AH----- Nope! I grab the ledge so fast, I don't move more than a few inches. No way, no how. Where's the emergency exit?!

Deep breath. Just breathe, Jessica.

I tug on the rope to see if it slows down when I pull. It doesn't.

"Freddy! I thought you said this thing slows you down??!"
"It does! It does! After you jump! After one zecond!"

Of course, it's after I jump. Ugh...

Attempt #2 through 4 are pretty much the same, except add Kevin, crowd of teenagers on field trip and a couple others watching.

"Just look straight ahead! Don't look down! 1, 2, 3, Go!" --- Freddy, you're not as funny as you were before.

I take another deep breath.
I gotta do this. I CAN do this.

Deep breath. GO.

I hurl myself off the platform, almost pee my pants. The rope make a jerk stop and slowly brings me down to the ground where I just sit, heart racing and taking deep breathes. Phew!

"See! You do it! And you will always remember!"

Okay, Freddy, you're right. Touché my friend. Touché.

After catching my breath, I decide to do one more course then head out. As I'm handing my stuff back to Kevin, he chats me up asking me where I'm from etc. I tell him I live in California. He's stoked! Apparently he's some sort of competitive/ pro skateboarder and has a competition coming up somewhere in California!
Cool! He asks to exchange information that way when he comes to Cali if I want to, I can bring some friends out to his competition and come watch. I say sure, thinking that's be super cool and then head on my way up to the next gondola.

This one was rather large, myself and about 5 or 6 others were inside all standing. The gondola starts to head up the mountain and we are approaching a cliff that you can't see over. The view already spectacular.

We get over the cliff and all of a sudden we all feel a bit of a falling feeling as we tip just slightly forward (of course I was standing at the front window, preparing to have my life flashed before me.) Everyone in the gondola lets out a little sound of anxiety. The gondola operator doesn't seem phased at all - clearly a normal reaction on our part, I suppose. We level out and I'm just blown away by the view. All of Lucerne and all of the Swiss Alps in sight!

As if it couldn't have gotten any better, we get off the gondola and I head up the stairs to the main area atop Mt.Pilatus. I can now see all the Alps which were on the other side, to the south.

I may have thought I was on top of the world when I reached the top of the dome at the Sacre Coeur, looking over all of Paris... But this... This was something completely different. Mind blowing, to say the least.

I climbed up a small hill with rocky stairs and was at the very peak of the mountain. Absolutely outstanding. There are literally no words to describe how incredible the view was. It's amazing an area so beautiful exists in this world. It's something everyone should experience in their life at some point.

I stood up there snapping a thousand pictures, enjoying the views and picking out lines that would be really cool to snowboard. Also wondering if anyone has snowboarder down here just to give it a whirl.

After a little while, it was approaching 5pm, the last gondola down at 5:30. I decided to head back down.

I hopped on the same bus I took there and made my way back to the main train station where I decided to wander around town and find somewhere to get supper.

I ended up finding a little place called Grendel 19 across the bridge. By far the BEST white wine ravioli of my life. Take note Italy, because I sure hope you can beat that!

As I was leaving, it had begun to rain and I had forgotten my cute little raincoat. So I grabbed what turned out to be an expensive can ride for such a short distance and then headed back to the hostel for a shower and bed.

Zzzz....

Going up Mt. Pilatus in the Gondola

Ropes Course!

THAT is what is I have to use to jump down?

Swiss Alps! Bird: Straight Chillin. haha!