Christmas vlog!

Christmas Blog Part 4! Amsterdam/Holland/Netherlands :-)

*Continued from my christmas vacation with my parents.*

    After getting up on new years day in Paris at around 10 we hopped in the car and headed to Amsterdam. Now since I had arrived home at 6am I had spend everything but about 20 minutes of the drive asleep. And when I woke up my parents proceeded to ask me if I remembered stopping at this place and that place... All of my answers where no... Then they added that we did stop and that I missed the really good coffee and pretty good burger from McDonalds and the gas station some where else that had ok coffee. Once we arrived at our B&B and deciding that we were all too tired to go into the city we went on a walk to find dinner in the village that we were living in. The village was so cute and had some nice quaint stores within it. We decided to eat at this Italian restaurant that was kind of hidden but had quite a few people eating in it. Now as a side note... While I live in Germany and I speak a little German. "Ich spreche ein bisschen Deutsch" meaning I speak a little German, I do not speak any Dutch as in Holland or Netherlands language. And you know what neither do my parents and in general they can’t see anyways so guess who got to reads the menus and guess what they meant... Yes that would be me!!! Haha and that would be fine but some days I can't even read English ... Let alone German or Dutch! Haha I think my English teachers would just be so proud to read that sentence.... NOT!  But that is not the point... The point is that when you give me the choice of a menu in a different language... Or to talk to the HOT waiter... What would I prefer? Yah the hot waiter all the way!!! So after I read the menu (wrong) and asking the hot waiter I took his suggestion and was getting some pizza that actually turned out really good my mom with meat lasagna and my dad having faith in the special of the day... The food was great, I was happy with my parents and by the time we got back to the room I was ready for nothing more but sleep! :D 

Waking up and getting out the door at I have no idea what time we walked to the train station and were ready to go into Amsterdam. After the 15 minutes ride we had made it! My dad had decided that we would take a tour of the city so when we made it to our group we were ready to go! We were on the tour of the city when I learned some very interesting things about Amsterdam and things that I will take along with me through the rest of my life. One of the first things that I learned was that the consumption of marijuana in any form is illegal. So smoking weed… yeah that is illegal. But with that I learned the 3 rules of Amsterdam: 1. Be discrete 2. Don’t hurt others and 3. Be good for business. So when it comes to the consumption of marijuana as long as you are discreet, and good for business they don’t “care” what you are doing! Now the way they show these laws is through the whole I Amsterdam and XXX. So if you see anything that that has XXX then that is showing the only 3 laws that the city really has. Originally the 3 X’s stood for Fire, Flood, and Plague. But sooner or later when the society got more developed these soon became the “laws” or rules instead. Now i have learned that for the most part if you go anywhere in the world and you apply these "rules" to your life you will end up getting away with a lot of stuff... Now I am not really sure if that is a good or bad thing. But its just my thought and opinion.

More about my time here to come soon and a video to follow! :)

Your Animated Traveler,

Natalie Romo

Christmas Blog Part 3! France Part 2!

Continued from Wednesday January 16, 2013, Christmas Blog Part 2! France Part 1!

After Leaving the pastry place we headed through the Latin Quarter again and walked through all the little shops. All of the boutiques were so cute and there was so much that I wished I could have bought!!! (Shopping in Paris! J) Sometime after while we were walking in the streets we sopped and watched a street performer. He was a dancer and a ball balancer…? If that makes sense. But he was really good and super nice when I asked him if I could take a picture with him he was so happy to and talked to me for a little bit! :D while my mom rolled her eyes at me my dad was happy to feed my addiction of taking pictures of street performers. LATER THAT NIGHT… We took a night tour on a boat. That was really cool we saw Notre Dame, the Eifel Tower, the MINI Statue of Liberty, and so much more. And since it was at night you can only assume that it would be freezing! Well yes… it was! J but it was so beautiful and there were things that I was happy that we had gone on it. I heard all about Paris and that was nice also! After we got off I was hungry so we decided to grab a bite to eat. We stopped at a pub. While my parents got drinks I ordered some escargot! I was so excited and it was SO good! I mean I guess I could have just liked that it was just pure butter and garlic but still! It was rather yummy! This is were we talked to a really nice French guy who had 2 kids and was moving to Miami. He was so friendly and funny! He ended up giving us 2 shots of Cognac. And this was the first French guy to kiss my hand, which had me giggling! But that was a really good experience and it will be so much to be able to tell my kids all about the Crazy guy that I met in Paris!

New Years Eve
When we finally got up we had decided that we were going to The Louvre Museum.  When I learned that we were going to Paris for a couple of days I thought that if we did anything that was the one place I wanted to go see! I didn’t know why or what I would want to see but just to go there and see all the history. All I could think is to be that close to history, AMAZING! Later I had learned that if you wanted to look through the whole Louvre it would take you 3 months looking at each piece of art for 3 seconds each. That doesn’t including sleeping, eating or going to the bathroom! Crazy huh? Yah I thought so! And a quick fun fact: there are over 8 million visitors to the Louvre each year and is the worlds most visited museum. When we went it took an hour to get in and then we went to see the Egyptian area first. After I got lost from my parents saw a mummy and found my parents we went to the Ancient Greece. I thought that I would like Egypt better but I was so wrong! Looking at all the sculptures you can only imagine the thoughts running through my head! Looking at all the artifacts and realizing why I liked this part of English and history! While in the Greece area I decided that I should take art history once I go to school because I will enjoy it so much! Also while we were there I actually thought about maybe going to Greece in my month of travel! :D Shortly after me being awe struck by Greece we went and saw the Mona Lisa! Hahah its so funny that we really didn’t have it on our list to see but we had a couple of minutes before closing and passed by it so thought what the heck why not! :D I am serious it was cool to see but I am glad that we didn’t take out time special just to see it. It was beautiful and I even got a picture with it! J But other the that I liked looking at some of the other pictures in the room more then I liked seeing her! Anyways! So while we were being kicked out of The Louvre my dad and I were talking about how they do it! You feel like you are being herded like cattle out the door. And out of all the people there all I hear is someone MOOOing to my side… ONLY my dad would walk in a huge crowd of people and just start to MOO! I started laughing so hard and an employee had heard also and was laughing… BUT everyone else that was around us just stared at him like he was CRAZY!
Later that night we were headed to a friend of my moms for new years. This lady was an exchange student who lived with my mom nd her family when they where in High School. She was so nice and had 2 kids a girl who was 19 and a son who was 17. Then we also met her sister who had 2 sons that were 21 and 17. That night I was asked by one of the guys if I wanted to go out and spend New Years with all of them. Of coarse who would I be to say NO! :D I had so much fun! All of the guys were so nice and cool to hang out with! There was only one downside to the whole night and that was that it was raining the whole night so by the time we got back to the apartment to call me a cab to get home I was SOAKED!!! Oh and I guess that was a problem also there were NO CABS to get back to my hotel! So I didn’t get back until 6am. But I had a really great night and met some really nice people and some pretty hot guys also! And as we all know that’s a great highlight in my life! :D

Paris and France in general were so amazing and I really loved it there! I hope that I will be able to go back and spend more time there to adventure! There was so much beauty and so many people there that it was a little adventure girls DREAM! It really made me excited about July, and that whole month of traveling! J

There are 3 possibilities of the next blog. 1. Pictures from all the places that I went. 2. A video with all the videos I had taken on the trip/ pictures. 3. A written blog about Amsterdam, Holland, and the Netherlands. J anyways whatever it turns out to be it will but up by next week Sunday or Monday! Have a great week!

From your cold adventuring Au Pair,

Natalie Romo

 The Mona Lisa

The really nice French Guy! 

Christmas Blog Part 2! France Part 1!

France, Paris

After leaving Prague we took an extra day to get to France stopping in Rothenberg (I think that’s what it was called) and it was a cute LITTLE village. And right when the clock clicked 6 pretty much all the stores closed and the restaurants started to open. We ate at a nice place that was very touristy. And there was a cranky little Asian working that made my dad and I giggle. Rothenberg was nice but I personally was ready to move on. When we left there we were headed for France. We stopped in Metz for a break, coffee and crepes, and then we also walked in what we, my family, have decided to be one of the prettiest churches that we have see the whole trip. Groundbreaking for the cathedral was in 1220 and it was completed in 1550. After leaving there we were on the road again towards Paris. The following day we FINALLY made it! Now I would like to say that I thought I wasn’t going to like Paris and France because I thought it would follow the stereo type of mean people. But I am happy tell everyone that most of that is a dirty lie! Most of the people we met were amazing! One of the days while having a “mid night snack” at a pub one of the waiters came and sat down and talked with us for most of the time that we were there! Then proceeded to give and take a shot of cognac with us. But he told us about his family and how he was going to move to Miami and a little about what he was going to do! But he was really cool! And he was the first French guy to kiss my hand! I stared laughing so hard! But anyways the first day we were in Paris we went to a huge mall, the Arc de Triumph, and the Eifel Tower. We went to a Christmas Market that was right next to the Defense Monument. There I had a very nice talk with one of the vendors about how he was from Nigeria and how he was so excited to go home to where it was warm. He proceeded to ask me on a date and I was laughing so hard!!! He was such a sweet talker that I couldn’t help but just totally laugh and while I walked away he was yelling at me about he was serious. And all his buddies were laughing also! When I left I realized that my parents just left me there to talk to this guy… I think they decided that if I was going to get myself in thee problems that I cold also get myself out of them. J  We also spent a nice amount to time in the DELIGHTFUL underground stations that all had a DELIGHTFUL aroma of piss! Haha But I really liked seeing the Eifel tower. Did you know that it is more then 3,000 feet tall! Yah amazing! And it really makes you feel so small! And after we walked under the Eifel tower we went to another Christmas mart. At this one we tried something called Macaroons and they were SOOO GOOD!!!! They still make me drool just thinking about them. After we made it to the end of the row we turned around and looked at the Eifel tower and it was “sparkling” literally! And that was pretty cool. The rest of the night was pretty normal dinner and walking around. J

The next day was another great day we woke relatively early (9:00 Early for me!) and went to get breakfast! My parents both got coffee and normally I would do the same but everywhere in Paris they were selling hot coco and I was dyeing to try it so I did! It was the BEST hot chocolate I have ever tried in my entire life!!! It was creamy and so chocolaty and so good! I think I may dream about this for maybe the rest of my life! But anyways I also had a croissant and then my dad had eggs and bread and butter!!! And may I just say that the butter on the Baggett was out of this world! And there is probably only one place where I will ever eat something that tastes like that and it will be only in France… Or maybe just Europe, but I think its just France! All the breads and pastries are all just better then America, sorry my fellow Americans but that is just something we are just not nearly as good at! But moving on. This day we went and spend all of our time in the Latin Quarter and also we went to Notre Dame and all the surrounding areas. Getting off the Metro we walked right to the monument of Fountain St. Michael, which was finished in 1860 during the French Second Empire. It was magnificent! Then seeing Notre Dame everything was so amazing! From the outside of the Cathedral there were already so many details, the complete construction for the end result took from 1160 to 1345. I would like to note that it was broken up into different chucks. But still that is a long time! After waiting in line on the outside and walking on the inside for maybe an hour we left and headed toward the Latin Quarter for lunch. On our way we had to walk over a bridge and the whole fence was filled with locks! The locks are called “love Locks” or “Wish Locks” they are attached to the bridge by a couple who puts there names on the lock and then after being attached they “throw away” the key into the river that is passing under the bridge. After doing this it is said that the couple will have ever lasting love. Over the whole trip I think that these photos may be my favorite! And that night we went back and the night photos are just a good! :) Then we continued our journey to the Latin Quarter. This whole area was really cool! It was small streets and full of people. The reason for me that this was cool was because you would walk down the street and all the people working at the restaurants where outside talking to you trying to convince you to eat at there place and how they had the best deal. We would walk by and I would start laughing and one guy and my dad had a very in depth conversation about… I have no clue! But we didn’t even end up eating there! But it was so fun to just see all the people yelling and then walking down the small crowded streets. After we ate at a Doner place (gyros with chicken) we went to a little café and they had all these brightly colored things in the windows and it looked really pretty! And my parents had one of my cameras and were acting like children that you put in a candy store. So while they took pictures I was standing on the side and I was laughing so hard! After they took their little photo shoot we went in and I had my first Napoleon in France… J It was yummy. The flakey was so flakey and the cream was just delightful. And my mom was so excited because the only reason she was happy to go to France was because she wanted to eat all the pastries.

 Your travel crazy Girl,

Natalie Romo

I am not done talking about France. So this is France Part 1! :D I hope you enjoyed! Another will be coming soon.

CHristmas and Travels PART 1

WARNING! This blog contains stories of an average girl who gets an extra special Christmas present! The stories that proceed have happened in real life and are most probably only slightly exaggerated. This was written for my pleasure and entertainment.

For Christmas this year I spent it a little unconventionally. I was lucky enough to have my parents come out to Germany to see me and take me to a few places! I was able to show them where I lived and the family I worked for! For Christmas Eve we spent it with my host family. Now I would like to say that here in Germany Christmas is celebrated a little differently. You are pretty much celebrating all December and that’s just a start. The kids have advent calendars where they get a little gift every day! Then on the 6^th of December Santa comes and he brings you little chocolates, nuts, fruit, and some gifts along with a list of everything good and bad you have done in the year. And for some people Santa comes to your house and awards you the gifts and treats and your naughty and nice list for you! Now back to Christmas Eve. I brought my old family and my new family together for an amazing Christmas celebration that I will never forget and I have a feeling my parents wills not either! We started with church and then when we came home everyone went up stairs (the kids and my parents and me a little later {the kids LOVE playing with my parents}) Note* No Christmas presents are under the tree yet or anything! Anyways while everyone is upstairs that’s when Santa comes and drops off the presents. It’s cool because you could hear his sleigh bells and everything! And the kids their faces are priceless! Everything was amazing! Then after the kids opened a couple of gifts my parents and I experienced something completely new. Meat Fondue. And may I say that meat fondue is like any meat eaters DREAM! It was so yummy! And we just sat and talked and ate! :D But by 12 I was so tired and I was falling asleep on the couch. :) This year will be one of the most memorable Christmases I have ever had! :) I got the best Christmas present any girl could get. My parents. Now lucky for me I had the 2 weeks off while they were here so they have taken me along with them on a small tour of Europe. We have been to Prague, Paris, and Amsterdam/Holland, plus all the little towns in between because we drove. ALSO before Christmas we went to Salzburg. So I guess we will start there! J

Salzburg:

Now as some people know I am sort of following my moms footsteps when I came here to Europe. When she Graduated High school she started her 1^st year of college in Europe. She lived in Salzburg and is still in contact with the family. So our main reason for wanting to go was to see her Host Family! Now I had already met the mom because she had come to America for a visit but this time around got to meet my moms “siblings” while living in Salzburg she had a brother and sister. For me it was great to meet them and when I go back it will be nice to know people! J Now I brought Dominik with me so I was never bored. But I really did enjoy being able to hear the stories about my moms past! I met the sister who had 2 boys and the brother who had a daughter. All of the family was so nice and after we had lunch with them they showed us a beautiful church and a little bit of the Salzburg Christmas Market.  Over all it was a great day being with friends and family that I love to hang out with and be around!

Prague:

On Christmas day we left my house and headed to our first destination, which was Prague. Now for those of you who don’t know me very well or you have never been in a car with my longer then 45 minutes then you don’t know that for me driving in cars is pretty easy… I get in sit down and a couple of minutes later I am asleep! Like magic! J It drives everyone I know crazy! But I can’t help it! But the point of that was that I fell asleep an hour into our drive and woke up when we arrived 20 minutes before we entered into Prague! So if you asked me if the surroundings were pretty… I would have no clue! Sorry! But I can tell you all about Prague once we got there. Now once we got to our little apartment and got ready to go we went to dinner. We went to a cute place. And while my parents ordered something that had a very interesting name and had more kanoodle then meat! But I got duck! And it was Super yummy and that taught me a lesson. Just because it says # dish of country doesn’t mean its going to be your #1. Anyways after we ate we went for a walk to the Castle and let me just say… this whole trip that I have been on. It has been a lot of walking. Just to the castle was a couple of miles… or maybe it just seemed like that much because it was all up hill and up stairs! But once we go there it was beautiful! The castle was opened in 870 AD and is still the biggest castle in the world (according to the Guinness Book of World Records.) The first thing that had me really jaw dropped was the church! It was HUGE and the details where crazy! Once we walked around the church and turned around… now that was really what was crazy! There were lights showing the windows and then the tall spires. Every detail was really just incredible. After we walked around for a while we had stumbled upon one of the Christmas markets. We walked around and looked at all the food… and I really must say ALL the food looked really good! We tried a Cinnamon roll thing that was like a tube… yah that was actually pretty good! But the real reason that we walked through the market was because before we left our hotel one of the guys working told us to go to this really cool Jazz club. Yes I would have to say that the jazz club was really cool. It was underground and in a cellar like room. But with that I will have to say that I really hope no guy ever takes me to a jazz club because YES the music was GREAT… BUT the saxophone player was so good that every time he played I would fall asleep. So later in the night the base player happened to look over at me and saw me asleep… and le me explain that it wasn’t like a AWE she’s asleep look I had on my face… NO it was like head back mouth wide open… Not Attractive! But anyways so the base player was looking at me laughing at me… I woke up after the guy stopped playing his saxophone and I was just so confused. But when we left my parents filled me in. GREAT! Haha but it was a cool first day in Prague! The second day we went on what I would consider just a very long walk. We walked through a lot of little Christmas markets, into a little church, through the Jewish quarter and just in the streets in general. It was great because it was really all-old coble stone streets and then the buildings were all different colors. You could just feel the past as you were walking through the streets. In the center of the town there was a big clock tower and every hour on the hour the clock rings and then at the top of the tower someone plays the trumpet on all 4 sides of the tower. And this happens everyday rain or shine no matter what between 9am and 9pm. The clock was installed in 1410 making it the 3^rd oldest astronomical clock in the world and the oldest one still working. After we saw this little production we decided to go up the tower and see out. The site was indescribable! You could see everything and it was so beautiful. All I could do was look out and be speechless. Finally when we decided to take a break and have a coffee and of course we had to get pastry’s while I got a chocolate cake my mom got her favorite… a Napoleon. And might I say! It was fabulous!!! Every bite my mom took she would get a little smile on her face. :) Then later that night we were looking for a place to chill and we happened upon a really cool bar. It was really all underground. It had 5 different rooms the entrance drinking area then going downstairs into a foosball area then down more stairs into a room full of tables but it was silent, so this room was good for talking. Then into the next room, which is where we sat, and it had a bar in it and then it was playing really good rock music. The last rooms that we found was down the hall and it was also silent but it had a pool table and a bar in it as well. After leaving the bar it was like 11 and we decided to pick up a little bite to eat and then head home. It was another great night in Prague. I was happy that we went there first! It was so beautiful and a great place to start our journey. But after two days in Prague it was time for a little French influence.

OK so you may notice that there isn't much writing after this... This is just part one of my traveling. Paris was my favorite place that I traveled and we spend the most time in Amsterdam and Holland! so there is so much more to write and I just haven't had the time! So very soon I will be posting more writing and I will post some pictures soon also! My next written Blog will be up by Monday January 14, 2013! Happy New Year/Bon Anni! :) <--- I think thats how you spell it in French


From your Young Traveler,

Natalie Romo! :)

                                                    Prague!