Hey, how are you all? So excited to share another Contiki post with you, this one's a continuation of the previous post!
If you haven't seen that yet, you can have look here and then connect to this post after reading that one! :)
Putting up a travel post together is a bit of a task, and I enjoy doing it because during the process all I do is reminisce about my travel!! :')
So...St Goar was definitely beautiful, it was so peaceful and we soon realised that we were about to see so many more beautiful things. Leaving St. Goar, we headed to the capital of the area, Munich! The best part about Contiki is that they make sure we are travellers and not just tourists. They really want us to do what we want to & not what we should do. Basically do what you love! They recommend us places to visit but at the same time, they give us options on personal interests as well. How awesome is that now!
We arrived in Munich earlier than we expected and had some free time at the heart of the city to explore the beautiful shopping street near The New Town Hall. After which we went ahead to meet our bike guides! Oh yes, we were going to bike in and around Munich, to visit the big gardens. We all were so excited for this and I was definitely looking forward to it. There's so much to see in this wonderful place. Here's how our day sheet looked like! :)
An interesting part of the tour was that Megs would tell us all the stories of the places, right from the history to its current scenario, talk about World War 1 & 2; well we know it all! It didn't even feel like a boring history lesson because Megs made everything so much fun and this is coming from someone who would just snooze as soon as someone starts to talk about history and all of that, but she always kept it so interesting. I used to be so engrossed in her stories all the time! And it would feel great to know more about the place. Can't tell you how much I love Megs!
Biking around this beautiful city was one of the best experiences I've ever had... Especially to do this with my Contiki family was happiness indeed! We met our bike guides there, Megs had already spoken so highly of them, and trust me, they lived up to the expectations; entertaining and so much fun. Biking was definitely an amazing inclusion. I don't think I'll ever be able to forget this day and the guys of course haha! While doing the bike tour, we grabbed some yummy pretzels! It was such a fun day. We all were just making the most out of the present moment...and I realised it's really good to be without internet for a while..but but but only if you have such awesome people around you yea! ;)
During the bike tour, I saw people running around with their wet suits and surf board in Munich, all I wondered was why?? I now realise that people make the best of what they have. That's something which makes me be thankful always and appreciate what I have and make the most out of it, because if not now, then when? Now whenever I see any bike, all I think about is this day with Contiki in Munich! Lovely!
When you enjoy the present moment, the situations around you, your manifestations become true, because in your sub-conscious mind you are actually working for something that you always wanted in your life...and for that you always have to be grateful for what you have.
After learning about the history of the city during my bike ride, I was shocked how an entire city was devastated by war and how it recovered its magic. I also admire the German style of life, the beauty of the streets and the peace in which they live. After the bike ride we headed to Hofbräuhaus (3 - floor beer hall dating back to the 16th century, with a Bavarian restaurant, shows & upbeat vibe). We tried some delicious German food there & had a lovely time...conversations, good food, jokes and positive vibes! There are so many beautiful moments that took place...I realised you can always have fun with life!
The bonding just got better and better as the days passed. Literally felt like I've known them for years now!
Day 3 - Outfit details -
Top - F21
Vest - Aruni Designs
Bottoms - Arabellaa
Shoes - F21
Bag - F21
In Germany, you can take your dogs to the hotel, like how cool is that! This should be applicable all over the world right?
The following day we were able to spend plenty of time in Innsbruck, Austria which was fantastic. I had some funny experiences here, (you'd know if you are following me on snapchat, haha) but being alone, I didn't panic, I learnt how to deal with situations with calmness and all I thought was it's going to fine, you'll manage! This definitely worked! :) We had some apple strudel and a cup of coffee along the main square of Innsbruck, ahhha...I miss it! Saw the River Inn and the golden roof. Innsbruck was lovely! Megs treated us with Manner wafers, OMG they are so good! So if you are in Austria you HAVE to try them! Basically I loved this day...breakfast in Germany, lunch in Austria and dinner in Italy! Plus we celebrated some birthdays on the trip, isn't that awesome? Celebrating your birthday with people you just met few days back and calling them your family later?! That's creating memories that you will always cherish!
On our way to Venice, we played some games on the coach, this one was interesting! As Venice is a city of fashion, this one was all about fashion! Haha! I was definitely in my "Game On" mood! It was indeed fun...the game was called as Fashion Parade, we had teams for this and all of them were awesome! Nick, my friend from Toronto, was the best! We just converted the entire place into a party! Thanks to our Contiki manager, Megs! :*}
Italy is an organised chaos according to Megs, and that's the best part about it! We arrived in Venice, Italy in the evening...had dinner and guess what? We went to a bowling alley near by...I, again have some funny stories there! But this day for me was one of the best ever. I created some great memories with all different feelings and emotions; the whole feel from one place to another was magical as all places have their own kind of feel & language... And it's all about how you experience it and go with the flow.
Day 4 - Outfit Details -
Top - Arabellaa
Skirt - Zara
Denims - H&M
Shoes - Adidas Originals
The next day we headed to the beautiful island of Venice. Well my third time in Venice, and I was overwhelmed to be there again! It was such a pleasant day; I have always experienced Venice in different weathers. But this one with Contiki was so good as I finally got to experience the much talked about...Gondola ride.
In the morning, people headed to a walking tour in Venice, whereas me and Datonna decided to explore city on our own as for me I have already done the tour earlier. I had such a great time in the city with Datonna, she's beautiful and we spoke so much about life in general and shared so many things with each other about our respective lifestyles. Some suggestions, advice and learning happened for the both of us...and more than this we experienced a sunny day which suddenly got rainy...but it was still fine. We indulged in gelatos and pizzas in Venice. No wonder I feel fat now! Haha. Also, the espresso coffee there! Yum!
Later we headed to the Gondala and it was magical. Especially all I was thinking was - I’m here, on this boat, enjoying the breathtaking views of the canals with these amazing friends that I have made on this trip. After the Gondola we headed to the Venetian Mask Dinner! Yay! We all got some amazing colourful masks, clicked pictures, danced & had some good Venetian food. We took a train back to the hotel and hopped in a nearby cafeteria which was more like a pub and ended our day sharing some amazing memories.
I can't wait to conclude my experience in the last Contiki post which will have my further journey from Switzerland to Paris! Hope you enjoyed reading this one. Good vibes xx
Day 5 - Outfit Details
Top - Zara
Trench jacket - F21
Denims - H&M
Shoes - F21
Bag - F21
ARE YOU PLANNING FOR A CONTIKI TOO?
If you want to have as much fun as I did on my Contiki trip, you’re in luck! Contiki is offering 10% off 2016 on Contiki Europe Summer trips booked by 30th of June– EXCLUSIVE to my readers. All you have to do is use the promo code PPSANTUSHI when you book! So what are you waiting for?!! DO IT! :*)
For any queries you can contact the contiki team contact@contiki.com