For one of our last days in Europe we decided to explore outside the city and head to the hill side town of Montserrat! Word to the wise maybe glance at the train times the day before because by the time we got to the platform the train was drifting into the distance.... best part is they only run every hour! Don't worry we didn't miss the next one and had plenty of seats to choose from. The trip there is about an hour long mainly because it makes about ten stops along the way so pack the DRAMAMINE- the non drowsy kind- believe me I have made this mistake too many times to count. Thankfully we made it to the Montserrat Station with only slight motion sickness and took the tram up the hill to the beautiful town. Here you have many hikes to choose from and we chose a less lengthy one of about 2.5 miles, but the options were endless and even involved scaling the mountain and rock climbing... little to adventurous for us. Having said that I don't think any hike would disappoint with the incredible views and the nature you trek through! After our hike we went exploring through the town and grabbed some lunch while enjoying the beautiful scenery. After our hikes, lunch and even witnessing a wedding in the church we headed back down on the cable car and yes I may or may not of held my breath the entire way down. So after a quick siesta- they have the right idea- we mindlessly walked till we found the perfect tapas bar. And you know it's about to be good if it is all locals. The bar is called Bilbao Berria and I just adore the concept of walking up grabbing as many tapas as your heart and stomach desires and at the end you count up the sticks and pay. PURE GENIUS- America we need this. The following day- our last day in Europe we decided to check out the Picasso Museum and even caught some street performers when we were relaxing by the Marina. The highlight of my last day was the food we found- shocker me falling in love with more food. There was a street market along the marina and we indulged on the best falafel pitas and don't even get me started on the freshly made churros. He actually cut the dough and dropped it into the sizzling vat in front of us I can't even describe how delicious they were! It was definitely the perfect end to a even more perfect vacation!
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For our day of sightseeing we fueled up with a big breakfast- compliments of the hotel- thank you burst water pipe! With our map in hand we headed inland to the home of Sagrada Familia. I had no idea it was so monumental and I hadn't even seen the inside yet! Two steps through the door and it will take your breath away it is unlike anything I have ever seen in Europe! We even had tickets to go up the tower on the passion facade, which gave us an up close and personal look on the ongoing construction and a great view of Barcelona! What's even crazier is that the entire project has been funded by donations since construction started in 1883! I will definitely want to go back when it is finished around 2026! So after we finished with our tour we hopped back on the metro to Park Güell with our lunch in hand and patiently waited for our ticket time. Granted it was extremely hot which made our visit a quick one! We still managed to walk through most of the park and admired more of Guadi's amazing architecture, which is so colorful and intricate, we loved it! While we were at the park enjoying a small shady spot some Canadians befriended us and told us about the Market on Las Ramblas so of course that was the next spot we ventured too, but first we stumbled upon a small gelato store and it stopped us in our tracks. But what makes this gelato more memorable then most is while the woman was scooping our ice cream a fire explosion erupted in the yard adjacent to us.... So my instinct was instantly, I'm dying I'm dead we're being bombed. Well this wasn't the case, but still required a fire extinguisher, but the funniest thing is once it was all over we laughed for a second and everyone moved on like nothing had happened as if it was some casual occurrence. So quick cool down and it was market time- And wow.... I could of literally stayed for hours. First off, the smells were amazing, the colors make you feel like you've walked into a kaleidoscope and the people that work the stalls are some of the happiest people I've ever met. When I say I could of tried everything I am being serious... We got our self a fresh fruit cup, a seafood ceviche salad, fruit smoothie and some dried fruit. I seriously thought I had died and gone to food heaven. Let's just say the Mercat St. Joseph La Boqueria is a must do for a trip to Barcelona. After a siesta and some showers we headed out to go watch the World Cup at a local restaurant. It was a full Spanish experience complete with Sangria, Paella, Spanish beer and the Spain vs. Netherlands game. Honestly there is nothing like watching soccer with Europeans it makes the game 100 times more exciting and entertaining! Although Spain lost, everyone was still in high spirits probably effects from all the sangria and we ended the night on a good note.
One thing this vacation taught me is that yes I may be directionally challenged and still use GPS to get to Los Angeles but public transport is like 100 times easier. Like way way easier because I have no street smarts... and we still made it to our flight with ample time! So it was adios Prague and Hola Barcelona! Our trip couldn't of started off any better! Within minutes of getting to our hotel we were told a pipe burst and there was water damage in our room. Ok this sounds like a terrible way to start a trip but just wait. Turns out they upgraded us to their nicer hotel and we were staying right on the water- score! Once we checked in we grabbed some sandwiches and beer- Heinekens to be exact, because I had a new found love for them after Amsterdam. It may be more of an obsession because I ordered them every time they were on the menu! With our beers and sandwiches in tow we leisurely made our way to the beach. Here is a major difference to American beaches. 1) You can drink on the beach 2) Tops are completely optional and believe me people love to flaunt it. Probably what draws the masses of men to the beaches of Barcelona! So I joined the club and took my top off....of my beer and took a nice siesta before cleaning up for dinner. But back to the masses of men, when I say I have never seen so many in one central location I am telling the truth. I thought I had a David Beckham sighting within minutes of walking towards the beach. Not to mention they love to compliment women right and left, but hey I'm not complaining! Aside from the eye candy the food in Barcelona hands down is some of the best food in the world, probably helps I love seafood and sangria but the options are endless in this city! We decided on a cute restaurant with a band in the small square mainly because they had the yummiest looking sangria! So with our sangria and some chardonnay we ordered some tapas- A hummus sampler with fire roasted pepper, traditional and olive oil hummus, a melted manchego cheese topped with raspberry jam, and some kobe sliders with aioli sauce..... Holy heaven to my taste buds! It was a great end to a wonderful start to our time in Barcelona! One quick flight later and we were in Prague! We checked into our Hotel The Boscolo and headed out to explore! First on the agenda was the powder tower and then the astronomical clock where we stopped for lunch with a view. I even had a man cut a profile of me, but he took it back because I didn't want to pay a steep price for it? Yes very odd and awkward, especially in the beginning when I didn't know why he was staring at me... But hey the beautiful day made up for it! After lunch and seeing the exterior of the clock we went up to the top to admire some more of Europe's breathtaking views! We then leisurely wandered through Prague taking in the sights and many markets. Then for dinner we decided we would go further from the square. I advise everyone to do this because when you find locals you know your about to eat some exquisite food! Even though we had a slight ok rather extreme language barrier with our waitress we managed to order a few glasses of Czech beer and for our entrees chicken stuffed with parmesan, topped with sliced ham, oil and arugula and a second chicken pasta dish with crisp cherry tomatoes and the lightest cream sauce! I mean it when I say this, my mom and I both agreed it was one of the best meals we had eaten our entire vacation! The chicken was so juicy and and the pasta was extremely fresh. I could go on for days about this meal but the picture speaks for itself! Not to mention the beer, Czech people sure know how to make some great beer! The next morning we woke up early to beat the heat and get to the Castle before all the crowds! So we crossed Charle's bridge, croissants in hand- aka got crumbs everywhere- and shortly after arrived at the foot of the stairs. Believe me when I say this, these stairs are not for the faint of heart, but the silver lining is there is the worlds' most spectacular Starbucks I've ever laid eyes on at the top, and I'm a girl I've seen quite a few Starbucks. So after a quick cool down we headed on our castle tour which included St. Vitus Cathedral, Old Royal Palace, St. George's Basilica and Golden Lane. We even saw all the torture devices that they used... in conclusion I am very happy I didn't live in Prague in that time because if you weren't a martyr you were probably tortured.
On our walk back across Charles Bridge to our hotel we stopped to see the famous John Lennon wall! Very unique and we even saw some people spray painting on it! After all the walking we were doing we decided to relax in the underground spa at our hotel. It was just what the doctor ordered, it had a huge pool with jetted seats and even was equipped with a steam room and sauna! After our relaxing pool time we got cleaned up and went out for some Thai food- so yummy and they even had my favorite Californian delicacy, Sriracha sauce! Later that night we met up with our friend Carl who was in Prague for a two week photo shoot- talk about awesome! We got to the hotel he was staying in and it was a beautiful refurbished monastery! After a few drinks and some food we bid farewell to Carl and wandered back to our hotel and enjoyed the beautiful Prague skyline!
So two years ago when we visited Paris we intended on going to the Louvre on a Tuesday... well that didn't happen because the Louvre is most definitely closed on Tuesdays. So maybe it wasn't the best idea to ignore the fine print on our Paris Pass, but sure enough two years later we had arrived! With our audio guides in hand, which were hightech nintendo 3DS's we started the tour. Well sure enough 10 minutes in we had to use the restroom and as usual the women's line was out the door. Then not even five minutes in, the paramedics rushed over...some lady had a heat stroke in 1 of the 3 stalls- which wasn't helping the line sitch. Bathroom break out of the way we went to resume our tour...ok this was easier said then done. The DS tracks your location, but since we got off track it got all confused, then we got confused when really an 8 year old these days could of figured it out. This confusion gave us mere 30 minute delay but we were eventually back on our way through the highlights of the museum. This museum is so large, impressive and overwhelming it can be quite exhausting. Then of course came Leonardo's masterpiece, The Mona Lisa. Now to see this painting be prepared to wiggle your way through the largest crowd in the museum, like I'm not kidding these tourists give paparazzi a run for the money with the amount of picture taking going on. No joke, I was actually tired by the time I made it to the front and back out alive. What I did find fascinating, for the few seconds I was able to be near it, was her smile. This smile is a smile known around the world and is one of the reasons it is the most famous painting. Although I did love the painting and admiring it in person, I am more on the claustrophobic side so I was ready to hightail it out of the tour groups and not to mention hot room! One of my other favorite things was the The Napoleon III Apartments, and talk about no crowds! All in all the Louvre was the most impressive museum and collection of art I have ever seen to date, but it definitely can not all be seen in one visit! We finished off the day with the Musée de l'Orangerie, which is famous for Monet's Water lilies. Definitely a must see! They were so impressive and large and unlike anything I have ever seen! Then when the sky cleared up we went and walked around the Invalides property towards our hotel. For our last dinner we didn't venture to far from out Hotel! We had a scrumptious fromage plate and some crepes for dessert! We even had a nice creepy guy watch over the restaurant the entire night! But he was harmless so they let him be, but I'm telling you that guy would not lose in a staring contest. Then some drinks later it was cheers to a great night and a Au Revoir Paris! The day had finally arrived for the long awaited Palace of Versailles! I was beyond excited, partially because my entire research project was on the gardens, and I could not wait to see it for myself! Ok yes so I am sort of a nerd, but hey, my mom constantly had fun facts about Versailles at her disposal. The whole waking up early and seeing Europe without the crowds had worked thus far quite flawlessly but not so much in Paris. We got to Versailles around 9 am and it was packed! The line was like Disneyland on steroids with no fastpass option... We were in no rush so we along with the 100's of other people hopped in line. While waiting in line for an hour we witnessed all kinds of people trying to cut. The Academy Award for best cutting technique goes out to two elderly Swedish ladies- around 75 years old- who thought if they had a confused enough look on their faces and a map upside down they could cut. Granted it didn't work on us, but they still managed to cut half way through the line and it was entertaining to say the least.
We even were able to navigate our way to Marie Antoinette's Estate- p.s. prepare yourself it's much farther then the map makes it look. Although we hadn't anticipated such a long walk it was so worth it. The estate she created was straight out of a story book it almost didn't look real! As quickly as our feet would allow we left Versailles and made it back to the city center to get in line for Notre Dame. I honestly don't know how we lucked out because we were the last people allowed in line. Two years ago we were sadly too late and couldn't go to the top, so finally we had timed it right! I must admit Paris has some of the best skyline views and you can never really get tired of them. I mean who doesn't need 100 different pictures and angles of the Eiffel Tower? So after a quick photo op at the Love Lock bridge we cleaned up and made our way to the Champs-Élysées. When in France one must enjoy the local cuisine, so we thought we should go to the restaurant we had eaten at two years ago. All we had to go off was what it looked like- not even a name. Let's just say in Paris more restaurants look like each other then you may think... To our surprise we actually found it and indulged in the buttery garlic Escargot and some french onion soup! Tourists be warned, as soon as you step off of the main trafficked areas, English may not be your waitress's first language- let's just say we did a lot of pointing for this meal considering neither of us knows any French! Continuing on our food journey we walked down to Laduree and bought some macaroons and sat down for some dessert. We had a rose tart with chantililly whipped cream garnished with raspberries and a berry compote, and a coffee ice cream with almond flakes, chocolate and whipped cream. Expensive? yes. Delicious? Very! So with our sugar high we thought why not go to the top of the Arc de Triomphe- well within a minute of walking there lightning lit up the sky and winds had every girl holding their dress, so the Arc was no longer an option. I guess that angle of the Eiffel Tower would have to wait till next time. Considering we were headed to the Louvre in the morning we headed back to our B&B to catch some shut eye.
After a quick train ride we arrived in Paris! Then using our master skills we located the metro and the nearest stop to our B&B- My Open Paris. After a quick change we headed to the Sacred Heart Basilica. This is where I first noticed a major change in Paris compared to our visit two years before. It was not only packed, but the amount of street vendors was insane! Like no thank you I actually don't want to buy 4 Eiffel Tour key chains for one euro... So besides being bombarded by vendors it was a beautiful day atop the hill with a spectacular view of the city!
With our cookies in tow we thought we would try our luck at the Eiffel Tower. Well the line was huge, shocker, but we thought why not? Half way through they met capacity so we would only be allowed entrance to the first level. In my opinion the view doesn't seem to change much with the extra elevator ride! So we ventured on up and took in the breathtaking views! Then we decided to head down to witness the twinkling lights but the catch was we only had 7 minutes to get down 100's of stairs. Leave it to us to get down just with enough time to see the wonderful twinkling lights!
Next stop- Amsterdam! Yes you heard right my mom and I decided to incorporate Amsterdam in our trip! Now I know what every one thinks, Amsterdam is a place where you shop for women in windows and go to coffee shops to enjoy recreational weed. Ok yes you can do this but we discovered Amsterdam has so much more to offer then what most people think! Our first night in Amsterdam after we settled into our B&B we hopped on the tramline- hello convenient and decided to stop at a place along the way that caught our eye. This place was called Moeder's or Mother's in Dutch ( Rozengracht 251 1016 SX Amsterdam). We somehow stumbled upon a very well known restaurant and it was packed with locals! We somehow got a table just in time and had one of my favorite meals of the trip. Not only were the waitresses so helpful but they were so friendly! The best part about the unique restaurant was the tradition they had started- customers from all over the world are invited to tack a picture frame with their mother on the wall and the walls were covered! I absolutely loved it! Now for the food- We started with two different beers made in Amsterdam- one glass will actually have you buzzed it's so strong! For an appetizer we got Mama's Happas- which was a plate with various small appetizers- delicious would be an understatement. Then for dinner we got Vegetarian and Regular Hotchpotch- I recommend the Vegetarian it was cheesy and rich. We definitely went to bed with a full stomach and a great first impression of Amsterdam! The next morning we woke up and had a very European breakfast- my favorite! And headed to the Dam square to explore and meet up with our bike tour guide, Rebecca with Wheely Dutch Bike Tours. Well turns out we had chosen the new tour and it was just my mom and I- So we scored a private tour through downtown Amsterdam and the Dutch countryside! The weather couldn't of been better and we even visited a 300 year old pancake house! Because who doesn't need a food break! Rebecca was an amazing guide and knew exactly how to navigate us and was very nice! I absolutely loved seeing the countryside and overall the bike tour was the highlight of our time in Amsterdam. I have a new found respect for the Dutch because it is much more difficult then it looks! Next on our agenda was the Heineken Experience- Ok this is an absolute must when staying in Amsterdam! Not only do you get two beers, but the tour is so fun and who doesn't love learning about the best thing on earth- BEER! For example who would of known that the foam served a purpose and shouldn't be frowned upon, or how to properly drink a beer! After this tour we were off to the Anne Frank house which we had tickets booked for ahead of time- but seeing as our trip was off by one day due to our layover we didn't know if they would let us use them! Sure enough the dutch pulled through yet again with their friendly ways and let us skip the entire line and start the tour! Although the tour was quite depressing it was amazing to me how much larger the annex was then I had imagined when reading the book! After Anne Frank we were feeling ambitious and went to the Van Gogh Museum- and learned that on Friday nights they have a band accompanied by cocktails! The Museum was a very nice collection of his work, but our feet were about done for the day so we headed to go find somewhere to rest and more importantly EAT. What I love about European dinners is the pace. Yes some may say it is slow, but that just means they're an American in a hurry. On vacation the only hurry should be the flight or train your about to miss. Besides that, sit and enjoy dinner at the locals pace, go through the garden and take time to smell the flowers, and wander through that street market even if it's only to look. This is one thing that differentiates us Americans from many Europeans; we like to hurry to our next task and are always looking ahead to what is next- instead of just enjoying the moment which is in my opinion the better way to do it! Obviously I am an American at heart and have countdowns for just about everything in my life but I still manage to enjoy the little things and not rush to the point of insanity. Having said this we found a very cute Italian restaurant called Bon Apetite. Our waitress was absolutely hilarious and humored with us on how most Americans could not understand her accent and was a real pleasure! So after a glass of wine, or two, or three we ordered our main dish- deep dish lasagna and I had spaghetti bolognese. We even had quite the entertainment with a bachelor party outside at the bar and one was even in a wedding dress. Yes, a big fat man in a wedding dress- something you would not forgot, but made for a memorable dining experience! After dinner was when we decided we felt like grabbing some desert. Ok disclaimer- DO NOT I REPEAT DO NOT aimlessly wander the streets of Amsterdam late at night. Lets just say 1) We found no desert 2) We ended up doing circles through the red light district- talk about creepy! Somehow we managed to make it back mapless thanks to my new found direction skills! Ok might be a stretch I'm directionally challenged but somehow manage to navigate through Europe quite well! Skip ahead to the next morning, we're sitting at a cafe enjoying our coffee and ham and cheese croissants eager to get our day started and I realize this is the life. Not only do they have better coffee and hello it's acceptable to eat croissants and cheese for almost every meal but there is always something new too see- sounds like paradise to me! I again reflect on our last day in this country I never want to leave (think this thought crosses my mind every time we leave- guess I am easily impressed?) So after our quick breakfast we hopped on the tramline to the Rijksmuseum to be there right when it opened! I was very excited because I am an art history minor and many of the works I studied last semester were inside this huge museum! But of course we first took the obligatory Iamsterdam pictures before venturing inside. In my day I have been to a fair amount of museums- Inlcuding MoMa, Louvre, Getty, Lacma, Uffizi, etc, but this museum had the best tour system I'd yet to come across! Sometimes those audio tours get so long and boring all you want to do is put it on mute, but then your like wait I paid 15 euros for this I better keep it on just in case I miss something important. No this place had a highlights tour which was the perfect length and gave us just enough time to explore the flower district- which had the added bonus of cheese shops with free samples- before catching our train to Paris! I recently had the opportunity to travel to five different countries in a short 13 days- yes 13 days. To say the least my mom and I know how to power through Europe and make the most of every destination. The start of our journey began at LAX, where upon our arrival we were told we had a two hour delay. Problem one already had arisen because our layover in Copenhagen was two hours to catch our flight to Amsterdam. Regardless of this small speedbump we landed in Copenhagen completely clueless as to whether we had missed our flight or not. So we preceded to run back and forth in the airport trying to find the Norwegian Airlines counter. Needless to say I think I now know the layout of the Copenhagen airport like the back of my hand! Finally we found the counter and were informed we would be spending the night in Copenhagen to catch the next flight to Amsterdam the following day at 4 PM or as in Europe 16:00- lets just say the military time involved a lot of counting on my fingers- yes I'm 5 years old! So we headed to our hotel which was conveniently located across the street from the airport! It got even better when we were told we had all meals included at the all you can eat buffet which was right up my alley after only airplane food for the past 12 hours! We decided to make the best of our impromptu layover and went sightseeing the following morning after our dutch breakfast! We started by walking through the Botanical gardens and practically had it to ourselves it was so empty! Then we went to the National Gallery of Denmark to fill time until the Rosenborg Castle opened to the public. The castle was so full of history and I loved seeing all the royal artifacts and where they lived- and I learned that I get to close for comfort to the art because I was scolded on more then one occasion- whoops!
In honor of going back to Europe in two short weeks, I thought I would reminisce on my first trip! We started our trip in Paris and after we headed on an overnight train to Venice, Italy. For me this was my first train experience and it was even better then I had expected. We had one little stop in the middle of the night because a student lead group was also on the train and some boy liked some girl, and one thing led to another, and the train actually came to a halt! It was actually quite a scene. Thankfully we made it to Venice and headed to our bed and breakfast to check in. I will say Venice is one of the more difficult places to navigate especially when lugging a suitcase on ferries and through tiny streets! After we checked in we headed to Basilica di San Marco and the Campanille. Both were beautiful and the weather outside was gorgeous. What we witnessed outside of the Basilica is something I will never forget.... A man got down on one knee and proposed! Here's the kicker, she said no and made him put the ring back in the pouch! Yes it was a drawstring pouch not even a box, and by this time a crowd had formed, lets just say we made a quick escape after the whole ordeal. Later we went to the Peggy Guggenheim Museum which was such a fun garden and museum to go to and had a beautiful view! I can't wait to go back to Venice next spring for Carnevale and possibly track down the most delicious Gelato of the entire trip, it was absolutely delectable!
The following day we went to the beautiful Uffizi Gallery, Statue of David (much bigger than I had imagined) and walked along the beautiful Ponte Vecchio. For dinner we ate at a very quaint restaurant and stayed for probably three hours. We started the meal with the freshest bruschetta and a bottle of wine. Did you know often times wine is cheaper then water in Italy? I can't complain. Then for dinner I had the best pasta al dente I have ever eaten. Needless to say the plate was most definitely empty along with our bottle of wine. What made the evening even better was the people sitting next to us, the couple had just gotten married and was on their honeymoon, and it pretty much was a table for four that evening (it helped that our tables were probably 8 inches apart to begin with). As I have said I could go on for days about Florence, but I'll keep it short considering in less then a year I will be there every day! Continuing our journey through Italy we headed to the adorable seaside town of Cinque Terre. It was straight out of a postcard! Each of the 5 villages were so unique and extremely colorful! It was also nice to sit down and enjoy the beach in Monterosso considering we had been non stop walking the past 10 days! For dinner we ate in Vernazza, which was where we were staying the night. The highlight of the dinner was the Anchovy salad. Yes ew anchovies, but this wasn't your run of the mill canned anchovies. These were so fresh and actually had been caught that day! They were drizzled with lemon olive oil and garnished with cherry tomatoes and greens. By far one of my favorite meals of the entire trip! The last stop on our itinerary was Rome. My dad has boasted how great Rome was and how it was his favorite city in the entire world so I couldn't wait to explore it for myself! Right from the start it was blistering hot, which made seeing the Ruins and Coliseum a short lived trip. I even had people coming up to me asking me where I got my mini fan or if they could use it! Let's just say I coveted that fan with my life. Overall Rome was beautiful and we saw just about everything! From the Spanish steps, The Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Fountain of the Four Rivers, but the most memorable visit was the Vatican. I have done countless reports on the Vatican and St. Peter's Basilica so I couldn't wait to see it in person. It was GORGEOUS! I even snuck a picture of the Sistine chapel! Regardless of our record fast talking tour guide, pretty sure everyone put her on mute, everything was spectacular! When I go back to Rome the Vatican most definitely will be on the list of things to do!
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Megan Richter
University of Mississippi Graduate, Current Nursing student- studied abroad in Florence, Italy. I have a passion for art history, travel and most importantly food. follow my travels as I eat my way through Europe! Archives
May 2015
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