Northern Loop 03.10.2011

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Have a scroll through our slideshow to see the pictures from this trip.

Wednesday and Thursday Days 5 and 6 (Amsterdam, Belgium, Paris)

After two awesome days in Amsterdam spent visiting museums, riding bikes around the city, eating all sorts of yummy things, and for some, even going to a Katy Perry concert, our group pushed onward today to Paris. Our bus ride here was about 7 hours but we’ve made it safe and sound! Tonight most of the group will be heading out on a pub crawl to celebrate St. Patty’s day while others will be checking out the Eiffel Tower light up and sparkle after dark.

Tuesday Day 5 (Amsterdam)

After an awesome group dinner last night in Berlin and another overnight bus ride, we arrived in Amsterdam at about the crack of dawn this morning. It seems as though most people have been anxiously awaiting this city more so than any other and so everyone was very happy to arrive. We checked into our hostel and managed to squeeze in a couple more hours of sleep before going out on a walking tour of the city. On our tour we checked out the Red Light District, learned about the idea of tolerance in Holland and the coffee shop culture and was reminded of the story of Anne Frank. After the tour, Stephanie took everyone who was hungry to her favorite pancake/waffle place in town where everyone got unique lunches of pancakes with ice cream, pancakes with bacon and apples, and all other sorts of crazy pancakes and waffles. Since then everyone has been off exploring the city and checking out some of the many museums here in Amsterdam. Tonight is looking to be a more low-key sort of night.

Monday Day 4 (Berlin)

While today started out with a bit of rain, that certainly didn’t stop us from having a good time! After another crazy night out last night, we were out and about early this morning exploring the city on another awesome walking tour through Sandeman’s New Europe. Everyone seemed to agree that while we have each learned about the Holocaust throughout all our years in school, what we saw on this walking tour was invaluable to everything we were ever taught. We learned all about how Berlin, as beautiful as it is now, was destroyed in the final years of WWII and about the effect that the Berlin Wall had on the entire world. We checked out The Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie, a memorial to the 6 million Jews killed during the Holocaust and even the lasting bits of the Berlin Wall among many other significant monuments. Since the walking tour, everyone has been out exploring the rest of the city and picking up a few last minute souvenirs. Tonight we will all be going out to a traditional German dinner before heading out on an overnight bus to Amsterdam. Tomorrow morning we will awake in what is one of the most interesting cities in the world.

Sunday Day 3 (Prague 2 Berlin)

Our last night in Praha was spent dancing the night away at the 80′s 90′s pop club Lucerna where everyone had a blast. Today we took a short bus ride to Berlin and since arriving the group has been out exploring the second of 4 cities on the Northern Loop. Tonight we’ll be exploring the eclectic nightlife of Berlin.

Saturday Day 2 (Prague)

After a great night out last night, everyone was up and ready to check out the rest of Prague this morning. The Bus2alps guide, Stephanie, led everyone to some of Prague’s most interesting tourist attractions, including the John Lennon Wall and the famous Charles Bridge before taking the group to a traditional Czech lunch. After what was a very hearty 3-course meal, it was time for some photos from the spectacular view of the city from atop Petrin Hill. Mother nature was certainly on their side as many students were shedding layers thanks to the gorgeous, warm weather. The last stop of the afternoon was Prague Castle, the largest Castle Complex in the world, where everyone got to check out the inside of the beautiful St. Vitus Cathedral. Tonight is the group’s last night in Prague and just about everyone is looking forward to rocking out to the good old 80′s and 90′s all night at a video music club in downtown Prague before hitting the road to Berlin first thing tomorrow for the next leg of the trip!

Friday Day 1 (Prague)

The 30 students traveling with Bus2alps on this week’s Northern Loop Spring Break arrived in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, early this morning after an overnight bus ride from Florence. Greeted by unseasonably warm weather (as in not as cold as it usually is), they set out to explore the city and discover it’s unique history and communist past on a 3-hour walking tour through New Europe. Right now many of the students are exploring Prague’s Jewish Quarter and the Jewish Holocaust Museum, while at the same time, looking forward to a fun night out on the town tonight!