Eurotrip 2010

Who

Five Americans who work as International Teaching Fellows in Thessaloniki, Greece: Agni, Becky, Barbie, Emily, and yours truly.

What

Cover 5000+ kilometers of Western Europe in two weeks without killing each other or ourselves (a.k.a. launching). Picture an episode of the Real World that takes place in a station wagon and stuffy hotel rooms/hostels that are approximately the same size as the station wagon.

When

Spring Break 2010 – March 28^th April 10^th

Where

Spain, Southern France, and Northern Italy: Barcelona to Sevilla to Malaga to Granada to Madrid to Montpellier to Cinque Terre to Pisa to Florence then back to Barcelona via Monaco

Why

Because we’re all travel junkies

How

In a cramped and increasingly musty rental car (Emily, weren’t you in charge of buying the Febreeze?)

Random Observations and Recollections In No Particular Order

To everyone’s credit, the trip went smoothly and we all had a blast. We covered an immense amount of territory in two weeks, but the time spent in the car did not detract from the enjoyment at our various destinations. Each locale had much to offer (we could have enjoyed a full two weeks in any of the cities), however we lingered just long enough at each site to get a distinct taste of the lifestyle. The rich history and individuality of each stop enthralled us; each city or town exposed a new array of culture and style, and overwhelming physical beauty surrounded us throughout the trip (both of the natural, scenic variety and the two-legged female variety).

We spent most of Easter Week in Sevilla and Granada, Spain—both homes to renowned Holy Week (“Semana Santa”) festivities. They celebrate in the form of processions that last into the wee hours of the morning. People line the streets for miles and robe-clad Spaniards trod through the streets holding massive wooden statues of Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and saints. The attire for the marchers is identical to Ku Klux Klan robes and pointed hoods; the KKKs was founded as a Christian order and modeled their look after these Spanish costumes. The traditional concept for the Spaniards is that only God can know the true identity of the participant, which also conveniently hides the identity of cross-burning bigots with pitchforks.

Agni, Becky, and I divided the driving duties because Barbie and Emily lack stick-shifting ability. After seven months of observing Greek traffic habits, I was not looking forward to testing my abilities on the European highways; however the Western Europeans seemed like docile angels behind the wheel compared to Greek drivers.

Has anybody ever received a speeding ticket in the mail from a rental car company? On dozens of occasions, we thought roadside cameras snapped pictures of our car, and we are all on-edge about receiving a slew of speeding fines once the tickets reach the car company.

European tolls are sneaky and fierce. Before the trip, I didn’t factor tolls into the estimated cost…ouch. European tollbooth employees exhibit a stern haughtiness while proclaiming that you owe 30 euros (about $40) for driving a 10-kilometer stretch of highway. Fifteen minutes down the road, the next tollboother is just a cold; I think the tollbooth employee handbook requires staffers to show zero emotion. Perhaps manning a tollbooth is a prerequisite to starting a prosperous career as a human statue in Barcelona.

Carrefour, Walmart’s slightly less evil European cousin, was the most frequent source of sustenance. A baguette, a box full of Laughing Cow cheese, and glorious stacks of oddly colored salami were my meal of choice for the duration of the trip. Each of the cities we visited provided amazing public parks to set the scene for picnic lunches.

And I’m spent.