Pictures from Europe Backpacking Trip Summer 2008

Our first and last stop on our backpacking trip was the Netherlands. Among our favorite parts of Amsterdam were the canals and the boat ride that we took. Amsterdam is sometimes called the Venice of the North because of the canals which divide the city into ninety small islands, joined together by more than a thousand bridges.































Here we are standing in front of the Bradenburger Tor in Berlin, Germany in July 2008. The winged goddess on top of the structure was once taken by Napoleon and brought to Paris- but evenutally was returned to Berlin. Now the area is called Pariser Platz to remind the Parisians of the event. Berlin was our second to last stop on our backpacking tour of Europe.



























Stavros, Lauren, Sophie and I take a gondola ride through Venice, Italy in June 2008. Our gondolier, Antonio, told us information about the city during the 80 euro tour which lasted 30 minutes. The tour began in a small canal away from the main tourist areas and ended next to one of only three crossings over the Grand Canal, the Rialto Bridge.


My friends Sophie, Lauren, Issa and I in front of the Eiffel Tower in June 2008. Paris, France was our second stop on our backpacking trip through seven different countries in Europe. A few nights after this picture was taken, the tower was lit in all blue lights and the 12 golden stars of the European flag were mounted on the base to signify the start of the French Presidency of the European Union.




















While backpacking through Europe, I visited Rome, Italy in June 2008 with my friends Lauren Englebrecht, Sophie Subbiah, Issa Issa and Patrick Carroll. Here we are after visiting the Colosseum, one of the city's most famous pieces of history. It is the largest amphitheatre ever built in the Roman Empire and construction started from 70 to 72 AD.




















River rafting in Interlaken, Switzerland with an adventure group, including my two friends Lauren Englebrecht and Sophie Subbiah in July 2008. Interlaken is famous among backpackers for its variety of offered outdoor sports, including canyoning, bungee jumping, paragliding and sky diving. While backpacking through Europe from June 23-July 24, Switzerland was our stop between Venice, Italy and Munich, Germany.