*Sorry this is out of order!

Tuesday, July 8 (Mallorca & Casares, Spain) – Today was a relaxing day at the pool and traveling from Mallorca to Casares, Spain, so not too much to report on.  So I thought I'd make today's post about something really unique and potentially helpful to anyone interested in traveling around multiple cities in Europe:  Busabout.

WHAT IS BUSABOUT?
Based on the geography of Europe, there are a couple of traditional 'routes' backpackers and travelers take.  Whether Paris to Prague or Venice to Valencia, there are certain stops that tend to come with the itinerary.  Finding a good accommodation and getting from place to place can take a lot of time to plan (as I am well aware).  So I'd like to introduce you to Busabout, the company that takes away these moments of stress or uncertainty, and replaces them with a safe and easy form of transportation, recommended housing, and dozens of new friends.

HOW BUSABOUT WORKS:
Busabout offers a variety of packages for different types of travelers based on where they want to go and how long they plan to travel.  You sign up for a flexible trip or one of the loops (or even one of the specialty tours like one that follows music festivals around Europe), and don't have to worry about transportation along the journey.  

When you get to a city, you can choose to stay at the recommended / partner hostel or go somewhere else, and you can stay as long as you would like, knowing that the bus to the next stop along the journey comes every other day.  You can even veer off and do another city if you'd like, and then come back to get the bus when you are ready.  It is a flexible, convenient and innovative way to travel while meeting likeminded travelers and making the most of your money!

MEET WILSON NG... a 28-year old youth worker / martial arts instructor from Sydney, Australia.  We met at The Treehouse in Grunau Im Almtal, Austria - a popular stop for Busabouters between Vienna and Salzburg.  As someone who is traveling Europe with Busabout, he was happy to chat with me about his experience, the organization, and his general travel tips.

STACYTAKESFLIGHT:  What is your travel story? (Why?  Where?  How?  How long?)
WILSON NG:  I'm 28, I've have travelled for three months through the Netherlands, Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, France, Spain, and Turkey.  This has been a dream of mine for a long time and it has been such a rewarding and eye-opening experience. Nothing but respect and love has come out of this.


What Busabout program are you using and why did you decide to travel with them?
I did the West Loop (which covers France, Italy, Switzerland, and Spain). I decided to do it because it appealed to me and I'm not into super regimented activities.

What is a typical day like in a Busabouter's life?
Wake up, get dressed and ready, have brekky, work out the day's activities, and see if anyone else is keen.  Then go out and eat, come back and hang out, and see who else is keen to party!


What kind of person should consider using Busabout?
I'd recommend B'usabout to someone who wants to a have a little bit of a plan or outline of where to go, but doesn't want much more than that.


What is the most random / cool / unexpected thing you have done so far on your travels?
The most unexpected thing for me, was going on a massive bike ride by a lake and up through mountain trail, hiking through forests and finding a waterfall up a mountain!


After traveling for three months, what are some tips or advice for newby travelers that you wish you knew when you started?

• Save your money where you can
• Always be ready to have to change your plans or try new things 
• You never know when or where that next life-changing adventure will be
• Smile and meet new awesome new people
• Don't trust cab drivers
  
• Couch Surfing is an awesome way to save cash and meet potential new best friends!

Wednesday, July 2 (Valencia, Spain) – Time for some funnies!!  This time from Austria, Switzerland and Germany!

Tuesday, June 17 (Grunau im Almtal, Austria) – I was referred to The Treehouse (as the B&B is called) by my friend Anthea who I met in Ireland and randomly ran into in Rome.  She said she thought I would like it because there are lots of active things to do, and it is halfway between Vienna and Salzburg (two stops on my way) so I figured I’d give it a shot.

When I first arrived, I borrowed one of the bikes from The Treehouse (after being a bit sore from yesterday’s bike tour of Vienna) and started peddling.  I was told there is a lake I could ride to so I left with that in mind.  I stopped off at what I think was the town’s only open café (really, we’re in the middle of nowhere!) and enjoyed some late lunch and coffee.  Then I hopped back on the bike and peddled for miles and miles, only stopping for an occasional photo of the unreal scenery. 

After what seemed like hours, I hadn’t seen a lake and wasn’t sure I was going the right way.  It was starting to get chilly so I turned around (at what ended up being just before the lake!) and started for the B&B.  Although the 30km ride got chilly as the sun went down, it was such a nice break from the nonstop city touring and breathing in the fresh air was so necessary.  There isn’t much to do here, and that normally stresses me out, but as I sit here in front of the stream, there is nothing I would rather be doing.

By dinnertime, I realized why this place is so special.  It is a mix of camp and a summer home.  There are activities to do like tennis, archery, hiking, biking, and horseback riding, and there are home-cooked meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  But, at the Treehouse there is also a bar and no curfew… so better than camp!  The staff at the Treehouse likes to say that people come for a night and end up staying for days, and they are right! I’ve met people here who are on their 6th day when they meant to stay for 2.  It is just a perfect place to relax, get some exercise, meet people and have a nice break from the nonstop touring we are all in the middle of.  But, do keep in mind it turned out to be a very young clientele, many of whom are participating in the semi-guided European tour called Busabout (which I will discuss in a future post).  The people can get rowdy and loud at night, so it is definitely not for everyone!

The next day I got back out on the bike with a group of 15 new friends while we went on a search for the famous waterfalls we had heard so much about.  Well, hours later there were no waterfalls, but we had a few good laughs, some great exercise and a whole lot of memorable photos.

I also (obviously) went horseback riding!  There is a barn just a few kilometers from the Treehouse where many guests go for a leisurely trail ride, and I was lucky to get a private two-hour ride with Simone.  We went along the river, in and out of neighborhoods and in the woods – it was excellent.  Highly recommended for anyone who visits the Treehouse!

There need to be more places like the Treehouse – or if there are more, I want to hear about them!

Monday, June 16 (Grunau im Almtal) – One month from today I will be home in New York.  I can’t believe that and I have very mixed feelings about it.  I’m having such a great time and feel so lucky to be experiencing this, and I don’t want to go back to reality.  At the same time, summer in NYC is my favorite and there are a bunch of people I miss a lot.  What am I going to do when I get back to New York?  What have I learned about life? About myself? 

These questions and more are questions I have been putting off until now.  I really wanted my first two months to be about travel and having fun and experiencing everything without reality holding me back.  But month #3 is going to be a bit different.  I plan on staying in the places I visit more than just a night or two, to unpack my suitcase and feel like I am somewhat settled.  I want to use this more relaxing, less action-packed month to really think about me and what the heck I’m going to do come July 16.  I’m not going to over-analyze or stress about it, but I’m going to let my natural thoughts come up since I haven’t made time for them in two months!

Today is the beginning of this third phase, and without even realizing the date, I had booked myself at a little B&B in the middle of nowhere for some relaxation and nature.  I am in Grunau im Almtal, which is about halfway between Vienna and Salzburg, Austria.  See more about this highly recommended town and B&B in my next post.

I’m currently sitting on a chair behind the hotel (“The Treehouse”) with a stream flowing just in front of me and a mountain with trees densely packed together just beyond the stream.  There is something comforting yet unsettling about the juxtaposition of the ever-flowing stream and the trees that are forever in the same place.  The water gets to travel and see the world, but the trees get to see how the world evolves from one place.  I could get super philosophical right now, but I’ll stop here and leave you to your own psychoanalyses.