it was july 4 2008

we were in london for the fourth of july, an odd combination. 

we spent our day touring around different parts of london. our first stop was the tate modern museum which is free and a really nice museum dedicated to modern art where we spent most of our morning. i really enjoyed some gerhard richter and there was a great jackson pollock.

we continued on to the tower bridge, the famous bridge of the children's song london bridges falling down...falling down. it is actually a really beautiful bridge and we got to walk a little ways across it and then turned around because we had stumbled upon an amazing fruit, vegetable, and other treats market that we had to get back to. so we went back to it for a delicious lunch outside. 

our afternoon took us to nottinghill, the now infamous section of london made famous from a little movie named after it featuring the hugh grant and the julia roberts. there was a nice outdoor market along the streets with antiques and shops with knic-knaks. it was pleasant afternoon.

later that evening as we knew it would be our last in london, we went back to the thames at night to see everything lit up. the parliament was spectacular at night, all lit up and reflecting into the river. it was a great way to kind of wrap up our time in london, a city we were surprised to love so much.

it was july 5 2008

it was our last day in london and we went back to buckingham palace to see the changing of the guards. the crowd was several people deep making it feel like every tourist or person staying in london was there. we saw some of the guards marching into the palace grounds, but we could not really see any part of the changing. we did not stay long and got out even quicker than we expected because it started to rain.

it was july 6 2008

paris all the time, non-stop, all day pass. early in the morning michele and i left the hostel and went to the heart of paris with the plan to meet jess later on. the two of us explored around the louvre, walked the bridges that cross the seine and follow the waters edge to the next one. looking down the seine and seeing all the bridges and buildings is quite a beautiful sight. even after days in paris i was always delighted to see the bridges and banks of the seine. as we walked around in the morning, we saw our first glimpse of the eiffel tower. 

mid-day we met jess and went to the louvre, which after entering with the overflowing crowds of people, we soon realized, it was just too much. we did the traditional view of the mona lisa and other famous works, many of which i was happy to see after spending so many art history classes studying. but within less than half an hour we were out of the museum. the outside of the louvre impressed me more than the art inside, the building and its grounds are huge and elegant. the tuilleres that are the famous gardens of the impressionist painters are right behind the louvre and now offer a respite for those weary of how overwhelming the louvre can be. from the louvre we went down the banks of the seine to notre dame cathedral.

from the louvre we walked to notre dame where we spent a lot of time both around the cathedral and behind it where there are adorable small side streets all lined with cafes, shops, restaurants, and chocolatiers. sneaking our way back behind the cathedral really paid off because we discovered such a pleasant little shopping experience. 

notre dame itself is just beautiful, the front is a heavenly stark white marble while the back is completely the opposite, being dark and mysterious. there is also a nice garden area behind the cathedral with benches and trees manicured so they grow all in a line and shade picnic benches for people to stop to enjoy a quiet lunch break or afternoon rest. rest however was not something that was on our minds. we were on a mission to see all the main stops on this one day tour of paris.

our second stop on our all access pass of paris led us to the arc d'triomphe. it took us awhile to get to the arc, but it was well worth the while once we arrived. we got to go right underneath it and it is so impressive just with its size first and then all the carving and relief work just blows you away. our feet were tired let alone our whole bodies so we attempted to take a small break and sit down at the base, but were quickly told that it was not allowed so we were on our feet again and put them to good work because no amount of exhaustion was going to stop us from getting jess to the eiffel tower.

the eiffel tower... what can i say. we spent a good part of the day here and took far too many pictures. we did not walk up or ride the elevator up the tower, but instead marveled at it from all angles possible. i feel as though the eiffel tower just leaves you speechless, not because it is so beautiful, but because it is this legendary, made out to be larger than life, romaniticized, must see in your life and you enjoy it, but feel not quite as fulfilled as you imagined. 

we spent most of our time in the park just behind the eiffel tower where we laughed at people being all lovey-dovey and tried to take humorous pictures of unsuspecting people and then went and ate the all-so-french crepes for dinner. 

we wanted to see the eiffel tower at night because it was rumored to be lit up blue that month so we waited for night to fall and the lights to come on. once they did it lit up a royal blue and sparkled. it was the perfect ending to a busy and bittersweet day. we saw so much of paris and had a wonderful time, but we had to say goodbye to jess and michele and i were to continue on our adventures just the two of us.

michele and i stayed in the montmatre section of paris. our first impression of paris, getting off the train into montmatre we thought wow! this place is dirty. it was much more gritty and rough than dublin or london where the streets are impeccably clean. we were a little sketched out by the area, but we did not spend much time in montmatre as there was so much to see elsewhere. by our last day in montmatre it did not seem so bad. it was actually quite cute as we walked around one morning and found little shops. it felt very old parisien, like how we all imagine paris was in its hay day. 

i love the old buildings, apartments and shops, some with little balconies and with their corners facing the streets. the streets are so small and they curve along following the road. the buildings are a white wash with chimneys and just all in all, exactly how i imagined the city. 

it was july 7 2008

we moved ourselves from montmatre to alesia(sections of paris). we met claire, she cooked excellent food for us, we slept great, and i got new shoes...hallelujah. we stay with claire for the rest of our time in paris and it's a nice home away from home feel. alesia is a really cute part of the city and still close to everything we wanted to see.

it was july 8 2008

today we went to the palace of versailles, outside the city of paris. the palace is enormous as well as the manicured grounds all around it. we never went into the palace because it was swarming with tourists, but we did walk all around the chateau and the grounds. we went down the huge long mall with the enormous pool that felt like it went on forever and ever. it was hard to comprehend the entirety of the grounds. there were a lot of people walking the grounds, riding bicycles, and running. inside the grounds are numerous gardens and fountains, and little forest paths and little meeting circles and just a labyrinth of pathways. the palace is so huge that you can see if from just about any where. versailles was a nice getaway from the city.

it was july 9 2008

we went back to notre dame today. this time we were determined to go inside. the inside of the cathedral is beautiful with stained glass windows. we then waited outside in line for a very long time to walk about 400 or so steps to the top. once you reach the top you can view the entire city from an outer ledge. it was a wonderful view of paris. we could see all along the seine to the eiffel tower and everything in between. we also got up-close to the gargoyles and saw the famous bell tower. the experience was really worth it. it was such a beautiful day which made it all the better.

it was july 9 2008

we stumbled upon a real paris gem today. as we were walking through the city we found the gardens of luxembourg which were absolutely gorgeous. there is a large building at the entrance and then the grounds filled with lovely flowers, a large pool of emerald green water, nice pathways, statues, and people genuinely enjoying the sunshine of the day. 

this was by far one of our best days in the city and of the entire trip. i've never laughed so hard in one day. there is a laundry list of hilarious things that happened to us.

paris has to be one of the most stunning, fun and memorable places i've ever travelled to. it may seem cliche, but i really fell in love with the city of paris.

it was july 10, 11, 12,& 13 2008

we spend 4 days in amsterdam. the city is unlike any other place that i have been, in a good way. once we got off the train we immediately had an adventure getting to our hostel in the pouring rain. the map was soaked as were we and it was cold, we had huge backpacks and no clue where we were going. the city is laid out so that all the streets radiate outward in a semi-circle style, something we were not used to and to add to it, the names are crazy. 

once we found the hostel we realized it was located in the best part of the city, the jordaan district. this part of the city is beautiful. the city is built on a series of canals so that there are these adorable bridges that allow you to cross over the waterways and then there are thousands of house boats. the streets are all cobblestone and small, but the best part about amsterdam is that everyone rides a bike: guys in business suits, hipsters, moms with babies, people going to work, to dinner together, no matter what, they ride their bike.

we did a lot of sightseeing in amsterdam. first we went to the van gogh museum which was really great. it had a lot of good works and was designed really well. we then visited the large city park, vondelpark with lots of walkways and fountains and green space. our next destination was the anne frank house. where you enter a modernized version of the house and then follow a visual and literary guide through the house. it is a really moving experience. our last adventure in amsterdam was a canal ride around the city which got us an up close look at the quirky house boats.

amsterdam is very chill, relaxed, easy going, sometimes making us struggle to find things to do. however this led us to explore a lot of the city just by wandering the streets and oh yes~spending lots of quality time at one of our favorite places: bagels and beans. this was probably some of the best food we ate the entire trip and for michele the best coffee in the world!

after 4 days of amsterdam and  a bit of frustration( we were not fans of the pot-smoking crowd) amsterdam did leave me with a lasting impression, that of being simply charming.

it was july 15 2008

heidelberg, germany is a nice break from all the big cities. the old town is an adorable and quant section of heidelberg with cobblestone walkways, old buildings and small shops, a very touristy area, but worth it none the less. we walked straight to the famous castle located in the old town, schloss castle. climbing the stairs up to the castle is a feat. 

what is left of the castle is beautiful, the grounds are lush, the castle unique and lookout points allow for breathtaking views out over the entire town. large pieces of the castle have been destroyed and broken free of the body and have trees and such growing in and around windows and doorways. the grounds are huge, giving us a lot to explore. 

our hotel in heidelberg was probably our favorite of the entire trip, the location was odd, but the room was so cute, perfect for the two of us and the first time since we had left home we watched tv. germany music videos entertained us despite not understanding them at all. 

we were both extremely glad that we took my mother's advice and stopped over in heidelberg. it was funny to imagine that about 20 years earlier my mother was backpacking here too.

Schloss Castle

it was july 16 & 17 2008

we have entered a storybook, a town that is almost too gorgeous to exist in reality, but it does and it is called lucerne, switzerland. it was hard to believe in what i was seeing. the town is built right along the banks of lake lucerne who's waters are so crystal clear you can see every rock, every pebble and every fish in the blue/green water. there are covered bridges that have vibrant hanging flower baskets on the sides and that traverse the lake connecting the old and new parts of town. and if that is not enough, the town is nestled below mountain ranges that rise up in the distance complete with snow capped peaks. the town itself is an adorable mix of restaurants and shops lining cobblestone streets with frescoes painted on the buildings facades. lucerne is picture perfect...

until it rains, which is what it did the entire second day. michele desperately wanted to hike so we set off in the rain to mount pliatus. we began our hike along the road in a light mist, not following any maps, heading blindly into what became torrential downpours. as crazy and persistent as we can be, we continued to climb as i was weighed down by wet jeans and michele was suffocated by a poncho. we finally surrendered to the weather and headed back down, having not reached the top, but having had one hell of an adventure.