I started the first leg of that journey on September 9th, 2008. I had prepared to spend the 11h30 hours of the train ride reading and doodling. But somehow things came differently.
Around Europe in 30 days #13: Human connections (France)
Around Europe in 30 days #12: Falling in love with a city (Barcelona)
Barcelona is truly a city I fell in love with. I can't pinpoint it to one thing. Maybe it's the weather. Maybe it's the vibe. Maybe it's the architecture. Maybe it is the international scene. Maybe it's being so close to the seas and the beach. Maybe it is the laidback attitude of it's inhabitant.
Around Europe in 30 days #11: Rosemary twigs and fairy tale palaces (Granada)
After my breakdown the night before, I felt peaceful for the first time in months. This gave me the opportunity to wander around Granada while waiting for my actual day to visit the Alhambra. It was lovely exploring the streets, but it was especially memorable to climb up the hills and get an amazing view of the city.
Around Europe in 30 days #10: Losing myself (Granada)
Time and solitude are pure luxury for me nowadays, but back then this created a different kind of trouble. After a couple of hours in my hostel room, the full scope of traveling alone finally hit me.
Around Europe in 30 days #9: The long way round (Granada)
When I arrived at the train station, I was surprised that I could not find any free city maps, something I was pretty much relying on to find my way around in that pre-digital age. I had the address of the youth hostel I wanted to stay at, but I did not know how to find it.
Around Europe in 30 days #8: Would you like to join us? (Madrid)
On August 31th, 2008, I boarded the first actual train ride of my Interrail journey. Switching trains in Bordeaux and Irún, it took over 12 hours to get from Paris to Madrid. I remember being slightly nervous at the first ticket control.
Around Europe in 30 days #7: Wrong place, wrong time (Paris)
My last day in Paris came with gorgeous blue skies and amazing August weather. Perfect to visit some of the spots that were still on my list across Montmartre and the northern shores of the Seine. But for better or worse, that day came with a bit of a damper.
Around Europe in 30 days #6: Making a dream come true (Versailles)
The Château de Versailles may be considered a masterpiece of baroque architecture and was the blueprint for Central European palaces for decades to come. Every time I heard about the palace or its creator, I dreamed of seeing it for myself.
Around Europe in 30 days #5: Starting the journey (Paris)
I was feeling lightheaded and weak even though physically I should have been fine. Regardless, once I had secured myself a bunk bed in the youth hostel and freshened up a little bit, I felt way to exhilarated to stay put.
Around Europe in 30 days #4: Getting cold feet
And suddenly, I got cold feet. Planning the trip had been the easy part. But when the plan was finally about to become reality, I was afraid of my own courage.
Around Europe in 30 days #3: A rookie’s packing (mistakes)
My struggle during the planning phase was how to figure out what to take and what to leave behind. After all, I would have to carry all of my belongings for a good portion of the trip. And every unnecessary kilo hurts eventually.
Around Europe in 30 days #2: Money, money, money
I did some additional research to figure out what would be a reasonable budget. I figured that some countries (e.g. Italy) would require a little bit more daily allowance while other's would be cheaper (e.g. Turkey).
Wandering Explorer Travel 