On Friends

As much as this crazy adventure is about seeing new and phenomenal places, it's also about meeting friends, old and new. We've been incredibly lucky with the friends we've met and who've helped us, so this entry goes out to all of you!

Steph and Michelle

We started our journey meeting with two of Hanna's friends from her writing group in Kent State, Steph and Michelle. They wandered around London with us and warned us about the upcoming journey, being on the tail end of their own (and only slightly worse for wear ;)). Perhaps the most curiously delightful experience we shared was plunging into the brick wall of Platform 9¾.

Michelle and Hanna in front of the Tower Bridge

Michelle and Steph

Raymond “Ray” Rozman

I haven't any idea how Hanna met Ray, actually, but he's currently studying castles in the UK, and that should be enough for anyone to love him. We met up with him in York and he showed us around the wall and took us for our first ever Meat Pies.

At the top of the wall in York

Chilling in the Ace Hotel, home of creepy haunted rooms.

Ian and Trish

Whilst we've already toted the wonder that is Wicklow Town Hostel I'm going to tell you again how amazing this couple was. Having both lost their jobs to the economy, they opened up their house as a hostel about six weeks before we arrived. They are without a doubt the kindest strangers I ever met. In addition to making fresh bread for us every morning, talking with us in the evenings, and going well out of their way to suggest and find things for us to do in Wicklow and beyond (Horseback riding!), they left breakfast out for us at 4:00AM before our wretched Ireland train debacle. 4:00AM. That is love. 

So Ian and Trish, here's to you!

Outside the Wicklow Town Hostel

John and Jackie England

The fun thing about John and Jackie was that they are actually friends of my grandmom and grandad Weidman. They all served together in Berlin during the war and became fast friends, and Hanna and I were lucky enough to reap the benefits. Here or otherwhere I've mentioned the food they gave us: fresh strawberries with devonshire cream, double cream, meringue, and ice cream. Every night. They also toured us all over southern England, putting up with rather wretched weather in favor of seeing a wee outline of stones that had once been Tintagel Castle. I also got to hear stories about my grandparents I'd never heard before, and that's always a treat. Thank you both!

On the water taxi to Plymouth proper

Betty!!!

I really wish we had more contact info for Betty, because she deserves more thanks than we gave her. (Check out the Montserrat update)

At the base of the funicular

Rhynn

We met Rhynn in Lyon and wandered around with her, seeing demon horse fountains and trying to find entrances to the catacombs. Rhynn was the first person to ever draw my D&D character, so we were fast friends, but it's always a little odd to meet people from The Internetz. However, we had an absolutely amazing time - hell, I even tried chicken liver!

Leah

So siblings also count as friends, as Leah, Hanna tells me, is a pretty awesome sibling. We met up with Leah in Geneva, Switzerland, where she's studying for the semester. After a day spent wander about the lake, we took a trip to Lausanne, wherein we found a lovely museum, wherein we found a lovely section on the inquisition, wherein we found a lovely wooden nook room with a jail cell attached. ... So we took a picture.

No one suspects.

The Von Wuthenaus

Kirsten was an exchange student when my Aunt Rachel was still living with my Grandmom Weidman. They kept in touch through the years and now Kirsten is married to Nicholas Von Wuthenau and they've got four awesome kids, Sophie, Juliane, Constantin, and Cornelius. The first day we were in Bad Homburg with them, Juliane, who doesn't speak English, and Hanna and I, who speak pretty awful German, had a chance to play on a trampoline together, where we quickly learned that fun is a universal language.

Etwas Komisch!

Jane and Kiyash

The first day we attempted to meet Jane and Kiyash in Paris failed miserably. We both waited for each other for two hours, in two separate places, about two blocks apart. When we realized this later that night, we were a special sort of sad, but luckily we managed to track them down the next day and discuss all sorts of wonderful fun, like Gameful and near death experiences and Pierre Herme.

Fun makes the best friends

Ethan Pieeeerce

We met Ethan during the Epic Train Fail of 9/15 in the desolate town of Padburg, where we had all been stranded by the 3.5 hours late Deutsch Bahn sleeper train. An argyle wearing Harvard soph taking a year off, Ethan was one of the first travelers we'd met who didn't seem obsessed with sex, drinking, and partying. Insta-friend. We stayed in the same hostel in Copenhagen and hung out together for pretty much three straight days. He is also the madman behind the Great Candy Trial. Gosh, I missed having freshmen!

Hanna, Lee, Ethan, Me! Ethan also loved hot dogs...

Lee Santelle

A friend of Hanna's from Spring Gardens, we met Lee in Odense, Denmark, and then hung out with him again in Copenhagen. He, much like us, is a tad bit crazy, but we channeled that insanity into a bizarre day wandering an old Copenhagen carnival called Tivoli and eating ridiculous food.

In the rose gardens of the Danish Palace in Copenhagen

SO

Thank you, thank you dear friends for making this journey so wonderful :)