Eurotour...The trip of a LIFETIME!!!-Half 1

Hooly Dooly....Freaking awesomest thing ever! (from left) Host father Petri, me, host brother vili+ girlfriend kertuu


I shall start with a few minor occurrences: The pictures above are of the last day with my third family...and I broke a chair just to remind them of me...anyway...

EUrotour!!!!!!!!!!
COmpletely amazing experience...I have way too many pictures and I'm trying to fit them all on flickr ( a pic website)
The epic begins...
Day 1: A group of cynical exchange students meet up at turku ( a large city in finland)...here we are lectured on what not to do and where...and threatened with a recurring theme: The breathalyser *evil music here*...
However we survived the initial interrogation ("And don't sell drugs in Amsterdam like the last Australian boy"...*Ahh okay there goes that theory*...)



And we continued on to the swedish ferry...it was a restless night...the breathalyser kept haunting my dreams: *breathe on me boy*
but omgosh...Oh and I nearly forgot the absolutely amazing buffet!!

Waaaay too much chocolate in that dessert...and sugar...
And gluttony does not pay...I was feeling sooo bad in this!! And for the second time in my life after overeating I made a visit to the bathroom...
But anyway!!
IT was AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL!
The sunset was absolutely amazing!



(exhange students...this doesn't look real does it...)

Anyway, we continued:
Day 2: Sweden...To Denmark
This was fairly tame...we travelled by bus across sweden and didn't really stop...(it was assumed that many people had been there already and often hence we didn't "waste" time there...)
And we were all wide awake...


And now a few pictures emphasising the awesomenes of being on bus 1...the tiny bus with only 13 exchange students at the start and then it managed another one...

Me Caitlin and Peter
Stuart...the meen frim suth efrica...I miss the exchangers sooo much...


So in Denmark...
FIRST TIME AT A THEME PARK!!
Freaking awesome! Screamed my head off for fun and amused the friendly locals...A few exchange students weren't feeling too well on the rides (Especially a certain Canadian...and one Australian threw up...) so it wasn't a perfect experience but I'm sure they enjoyed it too...
My camera unfortunately died...but not before a beautiful shot of the night time lighting

The theme park: First ride I ever went on was the spinning high one in this picture...I LOVED it!
but the best one was the drop and screaming

That's Luciana from Argentina

amazing!

The next day!: Day 3: A tour of denmark
Ah yes this picture reminded me of some bathroom humour...


This stupid shower head fell off when I was using it drenching the entire bathroom... bloody irritating but exciting :) I think the finns should embrace chaos just that little bit more... sometimes it can be too well organised there...


Okay I love the colour scheme of this funky movie theatre! Unfortunately no time to stop and enjoy the view...
And after a nice walk around the city I thought I'd get a picture with a famous guy...

Me...in the lap of Hans Christian Anderson! And my T-Shirt says: I speak Finnish! In finnish!
And on

And finally we have what they tried to call a beach...*stifled laugh*



But it was amazing...this bridge that I didn't even know existed



but it's quite nice
And we also have a few crazy dutch kids


Day 4: In Dutchland *aka the netherlands*
Cheese...cheese cheese cheese...
Amazing there couldn't stop downing the stuff and the free samples were gone sooo quickly
we went to a cheese factory and a cloggs factory...
Apparently this big shoe is famous:

And a friend in the factory:

And OH man some of the exchange students are hilarious! Peter who I first met in russia who didn't give me the best of first impressions ("These are some ghetto-ass cigarettes!")I became best friends with...

Crazy crazy man...anyway

And after a brief break stop in amsterdam (so we couldn't buy too many drugs oh and this T-Shirt is amazing:

I bet My physics teacher would love this...she loves Einstein!) we visited the Anne Franks museum...They didn't allow pictures and what was a little too stereotypical was that we had to watch anne frank's diary on the bus as well as schindler's list...

After anne franks diary museum we went on a boat trip with a Swedish guide, fun fun fun
And after the trip I took this beautiful picture in passing...

If you look very carefully there's a big bird just sitting on that car!

Day 5: Belgium and France (paris)
Belgium was a nice place...
Okay this was some famous statue which I was supposed to get lucky from rubbing... strange rituals these belgians have
And a big beautiful set of buildings...some kind of shopping area...But it's nice

And we did indeed visit the eiffel tower when arriving in france...and they wouldn't let me fly the finnish flag up there!!!
The Crazy aussie with the crazy south african..."God forgives I don't" T-shirt inclusive
I definitely took note of this...One of the french canadians (Carl) had already proven his adeptness at the art o pickpocketing, so I took no more chances...
And here we are, exchange students filling up a lift with our bulk and noise...oh it was fun...
Okay this is an UNBELIEVABLE COINCIDENCE!!!
Picture my house...walk a short distance in the direction of the beach...and right next door to my grandmother you'll find the mavratzakis family...and I MET THEO MAVRATZAKIS AT THE TOP OF THE EIFFEL TOWER...I love these crazy coincidences...


okay I filmed this as well and it was AMAZING ...the eiffel tower flashed on and off all the time...

Day 6: The Paris Journey Continues... To the Louvre...and beyond!
This is the palace of someone...it's nice...I think a king louis...
Oh dear...I was told all my pictures look the same...but this is dreadful...what happened to my mouth?... This is one of the Tutors Anna-Mari...they were all once exchange students too...they feel our pain/fun...
*sigh*...US-americans and patriotism... From left to right, Alex and Mackie outside one of the 3 (or 4) statues of liberty that exist in paris...I mean us Aussies would never cheer and say "Wow we must go and visit the australian bar called "Aussie bar" or "down under cafe"...would we?
Hmm...I think this is notre dame...but I can't be sure...Indeed: Thank you Australian Rachael for your confirmation...This is indeed notre dame!
oops my mistake...it seems the louvre is tomorrow :P...

day 7: The real louvre day

Le arc de triumphe...It just sounds a bit up itself..."we beat everyone and now let's rub it in"...though it was rather well made admittedly...
The louvre...however the picture unfortunately hides the well known pyramid out the front... Which regretfully I only know because of the davinci code...
This pyramid...And that's Hannah the Australian (in the middle)...*sigh* I miss them all already...

Jeez it's amazing how all the buildings in france look awesome even if noone knows about them... I mean some buildings are famous and look terrible...though none spring quickly to mind...
And these are real gargoyles...and thanks to the da vinci code I know that the name comes from the noise the rain makes in them...some things are true in that book...the non controversial things...

And the tour continues...
Day 8: Paris at night and grenoble by day...
I can't believe this... in the middle of the street in paris...the french may or may not be great lovers...but they sure are careful...
Canada (victoria) and south africa (Stuart) tired and happy...
Germany (rebekka)way too happy... david not feeling too good...not enough sleep the night before and I think I missed breakfast...wait no that was in germany... only 2 meals a day can get to you...
and everyone unconscious...on the way to grenoble... wait no grenoble was later...we went first to this alcohol making place...Distillery that's the one! It's name is "Chatreux"
and even that was made to be beautiful...
A few of us trying the drinks...free and brilliant...I bought a few...They were heavy spirits and light liqueurs...very nice...all distilled from nice herbal infusions...
and some trying too many of the drinks...Oh c'mon the hair is proof...

Oh and we had an awesome pool party and then a few games of frisbee and soccer...AND I MET MY COUSIN AT 1 or 2 IN THE MORNING!! Ellie lived about an hour and a half away from the hotel by bike...and so we chatted and she left with some exquisite finnish chocolate (geisha is it's name, awesome stuff)

Day 9: Through the alps!
One of the many cities we drove through without appreciating properly...the scenery was too beautiful...
As this picture also tells you...amazing
and again

and again :)Good old peter wide awake on our epic tour...never enough sleep time there! but hey, it was worth it!

Amazing set of rocks...the tour guide liked them too...
here was taken from the french village of sisteron ( I think that's the name!)
We were sooo glad to have this break...
an interesting castle...
I don't know why...Hoegaarden just looks funny to me...I'm sure it's good beer as well...
Jeez this was an insane view...
okay this proves my immaturity...but I couldn't help myself...the shop name leapt out at me...
Oh dearie dear...this is freaking crazy...I only just managed to resist the temptation of buying a NINJA STAR!! from the shop...customs might not have been too happy in aus...
some more dangerous people hunting weapons freely on display...

An interesting archway...and effect from the window's reflection
okay now we have many more views



amazingly that small building at the top of the cliff is a church!just 2 euros and soo much value...
...As my face quite clearly demonstrates...to my left is cata from argentina
Me cata and hannah from canada

Alex from the US...the water tasted soooo good...was freezing thoughand still more...
the crew of bus one...Gillian (shite I forgot the german girls name...)Stuart Alex Mackie Victoria and Jack and the tiny yellow figure of the khiller! (his name is christian khiller)
And peter...
Inside an interesting perfume factory...my nose still hasn't fully recovered...
AND OMGOSH!!! Sophie Hannah Me and Sasha(?) (my name memory is appalling I'm sorry If I screwed up a name or two there!) but wow...two separate eurotuors meeting in the same place was a bit amazing!

Day 10 to 18 shall follow in a future post! hope you've enjoyed this so far!!
Davidakarobbie