Here's a video recap of my recent trip to Europe!

Recently, while I was on a 2 week trip in Europe, I captured some video of the Vespa lifestyle.

RBC is currently holding a contest for clients where they can win a Vespa S scooter or 1 of 3 Sony 32" LCD/PS3 combos per day

http://www.rbcp2p.com/freetoplay

Its early morning in Vancouver and as summer is now over the rain has returned. The rain makes my commute and everything else that I do seem so much more tedious. Whenever this is the case I feel my dreaded “car envy” return.

I begin to imagine what a life with a car would be like. I imagine how nice it would be to just hop in my car and head to the mountains or the beach without any worries. I imagine other poor students envying me! Once I have daydreamed enough I usually hope online and start looking for cars and estimating how much it would actually cost me to own and run a car in Vancouver. The result is a rude awakening from my dream and a quick cure to my “car envy”.

The ironic thing is that I have some money saved up so buying the car would be the easiest part. The hard part of course would be running my baby and the added monthly cost that would cripple my budget. Right now with full time school and three jobs I am living an extremely busy, but comfortable life. I can pretty much buy everything that I need and a lot of things I want. Buying a car would pretty much end all of that. Although there are plenty of sites where you can find great deals on used cars like kijiji.com and craigslist.com once again the issue of maintenance comes up as the biggest concern.

Lets imagine that I decided to buy a Mazda 3 and now I have had my Mazda 3 for a month or so and these are the costs that have now been added to my monthly budget:

Apx $260 month insurance
Apx $250 gas every month
Apx $20 month extra costs every month (air fresheners and cleaning supplies)
Apx $400 dollars a school year in parking
Apx $60 drive through fast food

Currently, I have a one hour commute to school each way and I pretty much only walk and use transit for my transportation. Currently the cost of transit for me every month comes out to:

Apx $0

Can you see now why over and over again when I think about buying a car I come to the same conclusion. If I get a car I will have maybe a 15 min shorter commute and I wont be able to do any work on my commute because I will be driving. Right now because all students at UBC get the Upass I don’t have to pay anything for transit and although it does suck walking in the rain sometimes I can use my extra money every month to look stylish when I’m drenched.

Although “car envy” is definitely something that I do suffer from and if I did win the lottery today I would surely ditch the “loser cruiser” (car drivers nickname for the sky-train) and drive some huge luxury SUV, I still think that transit works for me. Transit is cheap, fashionable, eco-friendly and is becoming more an more dependable. So if you are coveting your friends automobiles, get over it and try to realize how much sense taking the bus really makes.

I could write many lines of text lauding how beautiful and wonderful my trip to Europe was, but why not create a Top Ten list instead? In no particular order, here are 10 of the top things about my Contiki tour.

ONE. All of my amazing tourmates - Seriously, the tour was made much better by all the crazy and awesome characters we had. I think the quality of the experience depends pretty heavily on the friends we made.

TWO. Munich...all of it - I didn't know what to expect of this place but man did it blow me away. Bike tour in the rain, crazy beer hall experience with litre-sized beers and then a club that actually let us in (without paying cover) the way we were dressed. Blam!

THREE. The little moments - The inside jokes and the nonsense are what it’s all about. I'm sure everyone's got these personal times that just made the whole thing much more enjoyable.

FOUR.. McLovin – I had a guy on my tour that very much resembled McLovin from Superbad. I didn’t see it until it was pointed out on Day 2, I believe. Felt like I was in some mixture of Eurotrip and McLovin Goes To Europe.

FIVE.. Having a day song – Every day on the bus started with the same song. Looking back I'm glad we had that, which has very much come to represent the tour and the experience. It helps that I like Sweetness by Jimmy Eat World.

SIX.. The absolute debauchery - Man, I didn't even get the craziest of the bunch but I sure did let loose. Oh to have been on this tour when I was younger...haha.

SEVEN.. Dave (tour manager) and Paul (driver) - I have nothing to compare them to, but I'm sure there are much worse people in this world that could have ended up as our guides during this trek. They treated ME well, so they're on my list. Dave has a wealth of knowledge and Paul put in some hardcore driving hours and still remained patient.

EIGHT.. Seeing so many sights - I saw so many things along this trip that it's hard to even keep track. In 10 days I saw things that could have been fake, as far as I knew. So that's pretty awesome.

NINE.. Paris - The 2 days on tour were pretty nice, since I had been looking forward to Paris (despite not having much of a voice). But as some of you may know I spent 3 days after the tour, courtesy of a certain someone, and THOSE were absolutely magical for me.

TEN.. She - last but not least comes the one thing that completely took me by surprise about this trip. If not for her, I would have certainly left the tour with a different impression, and not experienced Paris the way I would have wanted to. She gave me the time of my life, that will not be forgotten.

As My Most Anticipated Destination, Paris Does Not Disappoint.

Coming into Paris, I was still feeling the effects of The Contiki Cough. It was actually getting worse. The one place I had REALLY been looking forward to, and it would have to be experienced while sick. Not only was I sick, but I had next to no voice. I was approaching the one country in which I could speak the language, but I could hardly speak! Still, I refused to let this ruin my enjoyment. Upon arriving in Paris, we had a few hours before dinner would be served so The Object of My Affection (upgraded from Attention) and I set out to see Paris instead of waiting around. There was a bus (the bus we had been riding for SO many hours) tour of the city that night but my companion was familiar with the city so we skipped that and explored.

I was immediately impressed with the city. I thoroughly loved hearing French being spoken around me. It was nice to finally understand the locals. We saw the Arc de Triomphe and The Eiffel Tower that night – both awesome sights. Later, we met up with some other tourmates and walked an incredibly long distance (seeing much of Paris in the process) to end up at a place called The Canadian Bar. It was nice to have a little bit of home, but by this point I had NO voice. My partner in crime, refusing to let me be miserable, was patient enough to read what I typed out on her Blackberry. Challenging situations require creative solutions, and now she has a permanent record of my end of the conversation.

Having slept in the next morning, the day had a bit of a late start. I did venture out but along this exploration I discovered that one of my contact lenses had a huge tear in it. Frustrated I threw it on the ground and proceeded to walk around with one eye, and not much of a voice. I still refused to let these things get me down. I was in PARIS! Even a challenging time in Paris was excellent, so if you’re able to experience it without these little annoyances you’re in for an amazing visit. This was the last night of the tour and a lot of my tourmates were checking out cabaret shows, but I had opted out of this one. It’s the only optional excursion I chose not to do. It’s a good thing, too, because something presented itself that required having some extra cash – an impromptu extension to my Paris experience!

The final night of the tour, T.O.o.M.A asked me to stay in Paris with her, as she had already planned to stay for 3 more days. After some deliberation I decided that it was an opportunity I could not pass up. Thus began my magical relationship with Paris. It was during these days that I got to feel what Paris is all about. We did things according to our own schedule and I absolutely had the time of my life! Paris is a city that is better enjoyed when slowed down, as compared to the go-go-go of the tour. As of the first 2 days, I would have left having enjoyed Paris but the extra 3 days solidified my love affair with The City of Lights. There is such an air of romance and relaxation that it’s difficult to not become consumed by it all. Overall, Paris was definitely the highlight of the tour for me, and I would highly recommend seeing this beautiful city.

I’m sure you can very well imagine that gathering 51 travelers, ranging in age from 18 to early 30’s, and exposing them to the enchantment of Europe can easily lead to some romantic engagements (to avoid using slang). I don’t think I have to spell it out for you, but in case you don’t know what I’m talking about I mean singles coming together and becoming duos. Some may take a tour such as this one with the explicit plan of hooking up, while others refuse to go that route. Others, still, will take things as they come and decide which route to pursue. I could tell you stories (oh so many stories), but out of respect for those involved I’ll avoid doing that. I can, however, speak in general and from my own personal experience. Oh boy, here we go.

Europe has been romanticized to such a great extent in films, music, books and on television that it’s almost impossible to think of Europe without feeling a tinge of romantic yearning. On my tour there were about 6 couples (in the beginning) but many one’s became two’s along the way. As humans it’s second nature to want to find companionship, love, romance and intimacy. As (on average) 20-somethings it can sometimes be about just the physical connection, and on the tour there have been examples of all, I would say. The majority of my tourmates are traveling alone and a good portion of them are unattached (as the traffic light game proved early on), so it’s natural to want to form friendships (and more). There will always be those who want to have a good time at all costs - including neglecting others’ feelings - but I can honestly say that I have seen some legitimate connections.

I can say from personal experience that it’s possible to meet someone with whom you connect on a real level, and not just a Contiki level. Or, at least that’s how it feels. When the tour is over and we return to our own lives it remains to be seen how we’ll look back on it, but for right now it’s real and I’m enjoying it. Each person’s experience will vary drastically from the next, and whether or not they experienced a little romance (assuming they wanted to) can mean the difference between a mediocre experience and a wonderful one. This is not to say that it’s the only measure of happiness and satisfaction, but it’s ONE way to enhance a trip. As tricky as dating (if you can call it that on a tour) is, it can become very challenging on a tour when you consider that there are 10 days of close-knitted bus traveling. To quote the tour’s driver: “better an awkward morning than a boring night”. You may disagree, but many of my bus companions seem to live by this statement.

As the tour winds down, it becomes ever trickier to consider how things will be when we all return to our respective homes. The length of the tour (or even part of it) can definitely be long enough to develop a close relationship with someone. Hell, I’m downright going to miss a bunch of people from this tour, including the Object of My Attention (I’d use affection but it seems a little too strong, considering the circumstances). In no way am I saying that the tour is ABOUT this, but just like The Contiki Cough it’s just an undeniable part of the whole thing and I’m grateful that I got to experience it along my journey. It may seem silly, but despite the shortness of the whole thing I will not soon forget the woman I kissed at the top of the world.

Nick is currently adventuring in Europe. One of RBC's partners, Carlson Wagonlit Travel, has recently launched a travel site featuring exclusive travel deals. Deals are exclusive to students who have RBC No Limit Banking for Students™ and Nick is currently experiencing one of their travel deals. Over the next 2 weeks, Nick will be writing about his experience as he tours Europe on a Contiki tour.

I woke up in a prison today, with an achy body. The cell was hot and the bed was pretty small.

Ok, to be fair it WAS a prison and is now a hotel. Lucerne, Switzerland is the last stop before the final city of the tour – Paris. It has been a long trip thus far. SO much has happened that it’s difficult to keep track of it all. To be completely honest I felt terrible yesterday in Switzerland. There is a phenomenon on tour called The Contiki Cough, which is exactly what the name implies. It is not specific to Contiki tours, of course, but it just so happens that the fast pace combined with the large number of travelers (on a bus much of the time) makes it very easy to get sick.

I have fallen victim to TCC, and currently lack a voice for the most part. I have tried to make the best of it, but I’m disappointed that I forgot my cough medicine and didn’t bring more throat lozenges. Please do yourself a favour and bring these items if you plan on doing any traveling for a trip such as this one. Also, do everything in your power to keep healthy, so you can avoid this altogether.

Upon first entering Switzerland I was completely blown away by the beauty of the Swiss Alps. I’m from Cape Breton, so I know mountains. Or, rather, I THOUGHT I knew mountains. The first optional excursion was a ride to the top of Mt. Stanserhorn via a funicular train and aerial cable car. At an outrageous height of 6300 feet, I felt like I was on top of the world – both literally and figuratively. I could not have been more content, to be honest. With my head in the clouds, I also got to kiss someone at the top of the world. Life was beautiful, indeed.

Currently about 425km from Paris, I’m heading to the place where I absolutely wanted to kiss someone – in front of the Eiffel Tower. It looks like my wish has come true ahead of schedule. I can’t speak for all my tourmates, but the idea of a Euromance crossed my mind prior to getting here. But I suppose that’s a different blog entry altogether.

Back to the mountain. Having already been a little sick upon climbing the 6300ft, it appeared that one of my ears got plugged and would not unplug itself. My friend suspects that it was due to my congestion preventing the pressure from escaping. Whatever it was, it began as an annoyance and turned into legitimate pain. Even later last night it was still plugged and I felt a lot of pressure behind my face.

As of right now, I’m not even sure if it has unplugged itself, because my body has adapted to it. The pain and stuffiness made it difficult to appreciate the second optional excursion on the Lake Lucerne cruise. Had I written about it at the time, I would have had a negative attitude, but thanks to catching up on sleep in the bus and the special lady who has garnered my interest, I am now able to cheer up and see the positive. Switzerland is breathtaking and a nice stop on the way to my most anticipated destination!

Sleeping in a hotel that was once a women’s prison was quite an experience, I have to say. The accommodations thus far have varied from city to city, with a range of simple and functional to luxurious. The prison hotel is not really meant to be the most comfortable experience, so much as a wholly new one. Had I not been so miserable due to my sickness, I’m sure I could have better appreciated it. Looking back, however, I can say I slept in a prison cell without having gone TO prison. Sleeping on the 3rd floor (no elevator) and carrying my suitcase up so many flights of stairs while feeling as I did was not so pleasant. They gave us the option of packing an overnight bag, but I prefer to have access to all my things at all times because you just never know. Again, this had more to do with being ill and less to do with it being THAT bad.

One last tip I will pass on that relates to my Switzerland stay is to pack earplugs. These come in handy in several situations, like when your room is right above the hotel bar and the patrons party until about 5am, disturbing your off-an-on sick sleep throughout. Or when you need to catch up on your sleep while traveling on the bus. Prior to writing this entry, I slept for almost 3 hours on the bus with earplugs in, and it helped tremendously. Paris, here I come!

Nick is currently adventuring in Europe. One of RBC's partners, Carlson Wagonlit Travel, has recently launched a travel site featuring exclusive travel deals. Deals are exclusive to students who have RBC No Limit Banking for Students™ and Nick is currently experiencing one of their travel deals. Over the next 2 weeks, Nick will be writing about his experience as he tours Europe on a Contiki tour.

Due to a lack of Internet access and time, I’m writing about the three cities I visited in Italy AFTER the fact. To be honest, I’m actually glad to be doing it this way since I am now able to compare each to the others. Before I get into describing each city, I’m going to address Italy in general. Knowing a little bit of Spanish and being quite fluent in French helped tremendously in understanding signs and communicating.

Italy is unique in that they do a few things completely differently than the other countries I’ve visited. There really isn’t such a thing as getting tap water in restaurants; instead it’s large bottles of water that cost between €2 and €3. The meals that we paid for as optional excursions included 3 or 4 courses, but when it came to paying for my own I tended to get pizza (a whole thin crust pizza, as opposed to a slice) for as low as €6, to save money.

Lots of toilets don’t actually have toilet seats, and require crouching over it. To buy food in snack places you pay for the food first and bring a receipt to the person who serves you the food. These may seem like small things, but these and other little things all add up to make Italy the first country where I felt I had to adapt. Then again, we were there for 4 days so I suppose the extended stay could be part of it. Now, on to each city in the order I visited them.

Venice

Venice was the most tourist-y place we’ve visited so far, but that’s part of what makes the city so great. There are so amazing shops to see that a person could easily spend an entire day wandering through the crooked streets and still miss some. I bought a pair of sunglasses for €10 but my friend actually bought a designer pair, which appear to be worth the money.

After we had walked around for about 3 hours we made our way to the gondola (you know, those long skinny boats with a man standing at the back with a long stick) ride, where 6 of us shared one. We had a couple of bottles of wine for the 35-minute journey through the canals of Venice, and just as I started to photograph the sights both my camera batteries died. It hasn’t been easy keeping them charged. I guess my memory will have to suffice for that part of my trip.

Following the gondola ride, we made our way to a nearby Italian restaurant for a very traditional Italian meal. Both of these were optional excursions, which some people chose not to attend. The great thing is you can do your own thing if you’ve got different ways to spend your time. So far I’ve done all of them, and the meal did not disappoint. There were about 5 courses (maybe more), a bottle of wine to split between 2 people, and a man playing the accordion and serenading us. He was so incredibly happy doing his job that it brought a huge smile to my face. Ok, so maybe part of the smile was wine-induced, but the whole dinner experience was a great way to get a feel for Italy.

Venice as a whole, though, felt a little overrated as far as what I expected. I think it’s marketed very well and beautifully portrayed in films, but the reality was that it paled in comparison to some of the other cities, even within Italy.

Rome

Although I would say that Rome was a better experience than Venice (mostly due to the sheer magnitude of its history) it was the city in which I was most ripped off. To avoid focusing on the negative I’ll first say that the buildings and ruins in Rome were an absolutely awesome sight. Rome is such an old city and was once the centre of the Earth, essentially. That part is amazing, but Rome also has its share of swindlers, scam artists and those ready to take advantage of foreigners. It’s something to beware and if not for having been warned I could have fared worse.

Both cab drivers I had charged us too much and tried to take advantage of us, and a restaurant charged us more than the actual cost of the meal. We hadn’t paid enough attention but realized afterwards. We had an extra day in Rome so we got wise to the attempts to milk us of extra money. I guess any country can have dishonest people, but to experience them at just about every turn was frustrating. I’d recommend seeing the city for its undoubtedly breathtaking architecture and history, but be aware that it’s a busy city that sees many tourists and therefore many locals out to make a buck. And yet, some of the street vendors that approach you actually have good deals. For example, 15 roses for €5, as offered to me by a man (who also sold megaphones) outside a bar we were attending.

After my previous experiences, I assume there was a catch of some sort. Oh Rome, why did you have to make me so suspicious of you?

Florence

Prior to leaving for this trip I had a friend tell me Florence was more beautiful and a better overall experience than Rome. I have to agree, and would say that it by far surpassed the other Italian cities. Venice was a cool city to see and Rome was brilliant in its historical significance, but Florence is a city that I could see myself re-visiting in the future. In the afternoon a few us walked around the city and just relaxed after the two days of hectic Rome.

Florence is a cleaner and friendlier city than Rome, in my opinion. It also has some gorgeous buildings and more than enough places to find Italian souvenirs and goods. The evening brought a couple f optional excursions my way, with a Tuscan dinner followed by some karaoke and dancing at a discotheque. It was a great evening of food, drinks and pleasant company. This was one of the first chances we had to visit a club as a group, with the majority of my tourmates opting to attend.

Overall

In a sense, every city I saw in Italy outdid the previous. Despite the struggles and frustrations of some, I’d recommend all three cities as they each bring their own special quality to the Italian experience. Onward to Switzerland, where I hear the water may be free again.

Nick is currently adventuring in Europe. One of RBC's partners, Carlson Wagonlit Travel, has recently launched a travel site featuring exclusive travel deals. Deals are exclusive to students who have RBC No Limit Banking for Students™ and Nick is currently experiencing one of their travel deals. Over the next 2 weeks, Nick will be writing about his experience as he tours Europe on a Contiki tour.

Alone, With Friend or On a Tour

Prior to this Contiki tour, I had never really been anywhere. I have friends who have traveled the world and seen some amazing things. I’ve wanted to travel, but the opportunity never really arose, until now. This entry is mostly for those among you who haven’t yet spread your wings, and are wondering how you should go about doing so. Essentially, I’ll look at three of the ways that most people tend to do it:

Traveling Alone

The clear advantage of this method is that you are your own boss and call the shots. If nobody else is with you, then you see the things you want, according to your own schedule. Some people will much prefer to be independent and not rely on someone else. Also, having a friend will decrease the likelihood of branching out as much, since there is an element of comfort at your side at all times. The flipside is that you are, of course, alone. Certain cities can be more dangerous when traveling alone, and it’s always nice to have the added security of a close friend or partner. So while traveling alone may seem like the option you want, it’s wise to consider all the potential pros and cons.

With Friend (Partner, Family Member)

For someone who has never traveled before, the whole experience can be quite daunting. Not everyone is capable of embarking on this journey by themselves, without someone to help them along. This is where a friend, partner or family member can come in handy. Whether they are also first-time travelers or experienced, the fact remains that sometimes we simply need someone by our side to make us feel more comfortable in challenging situations. And again, it’s much more secure having someone along for the ride rather than being alone in foreign locations. There are countless amazing places on earth and sometimes you want to share it with someone.

On a Tour
Seeing as how this is the way I ventured across Europe, I can definitely say that it was a great introduction to traveling. There is an element of structured activities mixed with the freedom to do your own thing. There are many people around if you wish to share experiences with someone, with the added bonus that you can always find someone who wants to do what you do. This may not be the case with a friend, leading to your missing some desired sights. Essentially, going on a tour (such as Contiki) allows you to explore by yourself or to enjoy the sights and scenes with good company.

When choosing a tour there is always the option to book it with a friend or to do it solo. Just like traveling without a tour, much of the same applies, but the big thing I have noticed is that many of those who came with a companion tend to stick with those people. Not always, of course, but much of the time the friends (partners) do the same activities and spend more time with each other. I can honestly say that one of the biggest attractions of my tour has been the awesome people I have met. Had I traveled with a friend, I may never have gotten to know these great people. These are just some of the things to consider when deciding to travel for the first time (or even the first time to a specific place). The ultimate goal is to maximize your enjoyment, and only YOU will truly know what that entails.

Nick is currently adventuring in Europe. One of RBC's partners, Carlson Wagonlit Travel, has recently launched a travel site featuring exclusive travel deals. Deals are exclusive to students who have RBC No Limit Banking for Students™ and Nick is currently experiencing one of their travel deals. Over the next 2 weeks, Nick will be writing about his experience as he tours Europe on a Contiki tour.

My body and I have a tense relationship right now. I don’t think it likes the way I’ve been treating it. It hasn’t necessarily been intentional, but I haven’t been sleeping nearly enough since I arrived in Europe. It’s not easy being surrounded by 18-30 (mostly early 20’s) year-olds that are very persuasive in their attempts to keep the party going. I’d love to keep going but I have to listen to my body. The last thing ANYONE wants is to get nauseous on the bus, or even worse – sick! I predict that some of my fellow tour-goers will learn very valuable lessons by the time the trip nears the end. Or, maybe they’ll be able to pull off the night-after-night drinking until late, to rise early. Once upon a time it was more appealing to do so, and my body could handle it. Approaching 30, I don’t feel the same desire I once did to be in a constant state of inebriation.

This is the breakdown of the trip’s sleep schedule thus far:

London: 4 hours
Amsterdam: 3 hours
St. Goar: 3 hours
Munich: 2 hours
Austria: Hopefully at least 6 hours (UPDATE – about 7 hours or so)

I love my sleep, too. At first I thought that less sleep meant more time to do things, which is partially true. But after 4 days of depriving my body of something it is severely lacking, I actually don’t feel like myself. It’s been a non-stop flurry of awesome activities, long (not overly comfortable for extended periods) bus rides, rushed meals, late nights and early mornings. Today is the first day that I feel it catching up to me, and I don’t like it. I can honestly say that every day has been better and more exciting than the previous. Currently in Hopfgarten, Austria, the way here led us to white-water rafting (made much more difficult with the late night, many drinks and 2 hours of sleep) along with a gorgeous drive with a view of what I believe are the Swiss Alps.

It’s currently 9:15pm and I’m exhausted. To add to my already tired state, dinner included Turkey – with its sleep-inducing agent, tryptophan! I think that may actually help me to crash tonight. Tomorrow’s bus ride to Venice is quite long and the last thing I need is to feel ill or weak for the drive. A few of my co-travelers are realizing that sleep is probably a better option than another late night of drinking, but the majority of them are still going strong.

Breakfast is at 6:45am tomorrow morning, which would be 1:45am Halifax time. Wow. It’s probably best not to do the time conversion. If that’s how they choose to spend every evening, that’s entirely their choice. After all, they’ve spent the money to come enjoy Europe, so why not live it up? All I know is that partying (even if it IS in a place I may never see again)is not worth losing all my sleep, and becoming weak, shaky, losing my appetite and feeling delirious. It remains to be seen if I’ll keep up the responsible approach, but for tonight it’s going to be an early one.

Nick is currently adventuring in Europe. One of RBC's partners, Carlson Wagonlit Travel, has recently launched a travel site featuring exclusive travel deals. Deals are exclusive to students who have RBC No Limit Banking for Students™ and Nick is currently experiencing one of their travel deals. Over the next 2 weeks, Nick will be writing about his experience as he tours Europe on a Contiki tour.

London was interesting, and I really enjoyed being there but after experiencing Amsterdam I just feel that it pales in comparison. So, Amsterdam one-upped London, and St. Goar (despite the fact that we weren’t there long and arrived on a rainy night) rocked our socks off too with the private hotel party and incredible scenery. Refusing to be outdone, Munich has become the new recipient of the coveted wildest night. We departed on a bike tour in late afternoon and the weather luckily cooperated, despite our fears it would rain (since it was when we arrived in Munich). It’s so unbelievably relaxed and peaceful in Munich and I figured out what the difference is between it and North American cities – it’s the way people get around. Bikes, scooters, walking, and trams all seemed to be the transportation options of choice.

As part of the bike tour, we cruised through Englischer Garden - a park that is 4 times the size of Central Park in New York City – where we stopped at The Chinese Tower. With a capacity of about 7000 (if memory serves me correctly) it’s a sit-down area where food and drinks (emphasis on the drinks) are served. This is where we were first introduced to the 1-litre beer. That’s right, you heard me. A litre of beer in a mug that has a handle big enough to put your whole hand through. After drinking a beer - about the equivalent of 3 standard-sized cans - we re-embarked on our bike tour in the rain that had found us again. I can’t emphasize enough how cycle-friendly the city of Munich is. It’s truly remarkable, considering there were 38 of us all on bikes in a city unknown to us, just flying through the streets.

The afternoon ran into evening and following the bike tour, most of us headed to one of Munich’s biggest attractions, for both locals and tourists.What followed can only be described as one of the most insane experiences I’ve had in years. Picture hundreds of Germans packed into a large beer hall, at long tables, chanting loudly as they gulp down their 1-litre beers. Let’s just say that I drank about as many as I would typically, if they were the standard 355ml. After hours of sitting with these incredibly friendly Germans (who were more than willing to teach us drinking songs, take photos, and even offering us their seats) we set out to find a club. We wandered through Munich rather aimlessly, but we did in fact stumble upon a club. One of my tourmates managed to convince the doorman to let us in, despite our less-than-stellar attire. Somehow we didn’t pay a cover charge either.

Although it wasn’t necessarily the wisest choice (both financially and physically) I consumed a couple of energy drink/vodka drinks to top off what had begun at the beer hall. At 13.50each, they were QUITE expensive, but perhaps the energy drink helped me in the long run. I don’t think I really know how long we stayed there, but I did dance for what seems like hours. In the end only one of my female companions and I remained, as the rest of the crew must have caught a cab while we used the washroom.

Luckily we had someone totally save us at this point by figuring out where we had to get and telling a cab driver to take us there. We had been trying to make sense of a falling-apart-because-it-got-soaked-on-the-rainy-bike-tour map but were not succeeding. He (or anyone else seeing us in our condition) could have taken advantage of us, but like I said Munich is full of friendly and helpful people. In fact, Munich may very well earn itself a “Friendliest Residents” Award in addition to the “Wildest Night of the Trip”.

Nick is currently adventuring in Europe. One of RBC's partners, Carlson Wagonlit Travel, has recently launched a travel site featuring exclusive travel deals. Deals are exclusive to students who have RBC No Limit Banking for Students™ and Nick is currently experiencing one of their travel deals. Over the next 2 weeks, Nick will be writing about his experience as he tours Europe on a Contiki tour.

We just left St. Goar (Germany) and the majority of my tourmates are passed out, and with good reason. Last night we arrived in the breath-taking town around 7pm, changed quickly for dinner (which consisted of tasty soup, followed by pork, veggies, and egg noodles) and finished off our desserts quickly to catch the next event. Right around the corner, we got to sample 4 different German wines – ranging from dry to very sweet – in a cellar full of ambience. This started the ball rolling for a night that would contain many more beverages for some, while others took it more slowly.

I say that Germany became the turning point for several reasons:

• Cliques have all but been solidified by this point. There is some hovering and meandering in and out of circles of friends, but for the most part we seem to find ourselves going back to the same groups. I think it is a little difficult to break into new groups in some cases, but one of the greatest things about the trip is that there are so many different nationalities and personalities that it’s a waste not to try and meet everyone.
• As part of a get-to-know-your-tourmates activity, the tour manager asked us to write down our names, where we’re from, what we most want to see and also to identify our dating status by using traffic signals. Red means taken, green means available and orange means a middle of the road/could go either way. Not everyone included this bit of information but I don’t think it’s coincidental that it came out just before arriving at a location that was sort of a pit stop, with a bar right inside the hotel serving as a private party.
• Based on events that are confirmed and those that are assumed, the seating arrangement on the bus appears to have changed slightly. I can’t say for certain whether this will last, or whether it will continue to change based on the evening happenings. The group dynamics are interesting to watch for sure.
• Although it was raining when we arrived in St. Goar, this morning was beautiful. The view from the bank of the Rhine river was absolutely amazing. It has rained in London and Amsterdam, so it’s great to have a break from the rain.
• The hectic and non-stop nature of the trip is starting to catch up to some. I, for one, am operating pretty well on limited sleep, especially considering that in Halifax it is currently 5:40am. And yet, I’m wide awake (yawned as I typed the words). Last night I got 3 hours of sleep and the night before that was about 4 hours. I think I prefer not having spare time, because it would no doubt lead to sleeping and I didn’t come to Europe to be unconscious.

Overall, I must say that it’s rather nice not knowing what day of the week it is or what the date is. It just doesn’t matter. It’s Day 4, and that’s all that matters. We’re headed to Munich where the optional excursion is a 3-hour bike tour through the city. If you’re planning a trip like this, be warned that due to the go-go-go aspect of the trip, it’s not always easy to document it as much as you’d like.

If it were possible to combine everyone’s photos and footage that would be brilliant, but the fact of the matter is that there’s so much going on at any given time that it becomes difficult to capture it all. I’m doing my best, and will continue to provide you with life (in Europe) as I know it.

Nick is currently adventuring in Europe. One of RBC's partners, Carlson Wagonlit Travel, has recently launched a travel site featuring exclusive travel deals. Deals are exclusive to students who have RBC No Limit Banking for Students™ and Nick is currently experiencing one of their travel deals. Over the next 2 weeks, Nick will be writing about his experience as he tours Europe on a Contiki tour.