Letters Home

Seattle, Washington

2013-06-08T18:07:00.000+01:00

May 24th - May 27th

Seattle, Seattle, Seattle.... I was so excited to get to the capital of "Starbucks," I kind of got overwhelmed before I even arrived. My husband managed to get us two upgrades to first class.... and lets just say I did NOT act like I have been in a first class lounge before..... 7 gin and tonics later, we finally boarded our flight!

First Class-y !

So our first full day in Seattle, sadly, became a half day! However, that slightly hung over lost and wandering stupor became my favorite day of the trip. Something about wandering aimlessly with no agenda allows for you to find the best parts of a city. We walked along the waterfront in the sun, yes the only day of sunshine, we were lucky! The Olympic Sculpture Park in Belltown was amazing.... sunshine, great pieces of art, plus great views of the Sound and the Space Needle. It was very relaxing, peaceful... and the best part, no crowds!

Olympic Sculpture Park

We also stumbled upon this amazing place called Biscuit Bitch. It was delicious, plus it was our hangover cure. I had an amazing cappuccino (yes I hate to admit it, but it was better than Starbucks) and the hubby got this egg, biscuit and gravy, sausage, spicy cheese fest.... with grits! Being a vegetarian, I couldn't eat the gravy or sausage, but they had many vegetarian options and I LOVED the grits! If you go to Seattle, you must try Biscuit Bitch! It was our little safe haven away from the crowds. We got two seats in a window and sat there for an hour just people watching and enjoying our food and espresso. It was perfect.

Biscuit Bitch aka Hangover Cure!

We attempted to hit up Pike's Place Market around 3 pm that same day and it was a nightmare! We couldn't get into the market, tried to find the first Starbucks, and could barely cross the street. On top of that, what is up with all the tourists walking around with their FREAKING iPads in the air? Who seriously does that? (well obviously a lot of people do)! I encountered this in Boston, but just thought it was a rare occasion. Nope! Don't get me wrong, iPad's are great and fun to play games on, stream movies, look at previously uploaded photos.... or at least I think so because I don't own one, but I've played on my brothers before. However, lets be honest. You are lugging around a huge piece of equipment that is giving you less that spectacular photos! Plus, you are the idiot blocking us "old school' tourists view of anything relevant with your gi-normous iPad. If you can afford an iPad, you and afford a nice camera to take with you on vacation. Plus most cameras have WiFi now and will automatically upload to your iPad. Problem solved! So iPad users, do not use them on vacation because you will look like a tool! Rant done...... sorry!

Any who.... My husband and I both love food, so we made it out mission to get up early the next day to be able to enjoy Pike Place at our own pace.

Original Starbucks!

Well, when my husband and I set off to do something, we do it! However, we may have gotten there too early, but it was amazing. I recommend getting overly excited and arriving too early. We left our hotel around 7:30 am and got to Pike's Place around 8 am. It was a ghost town, but half the stuff was open and/or the vendors were starting to prepare for their day. We went to my Mecca, the Original Starbucks, and it was empty! We got to talk to the barista's, take photos, buy one of our "you were here" Starbucks Mugs to add to our collection, and most excitingly, watch the flower shop put out their flowers and the fish markets put out there fish. WITH. NO. ONE. TO PUSH US. OUT. OF. THE WAY. WITH. AN. iPAD! It was great!

empty!

Fish Market at Pike Place

After the super cool ghost town that was Pike's Place Market started to become more pumping, we decided to leave and take the monorail directly to the Space Needle. So, this experience was AMAZING. It was the Sunday morning of Memorial Day weekend and pretty quiet; as we're walking up to board the monorail it was like we instantly entered a time machine. We were heading back to 1962 when the monorail first opened in preparation for the World's Fair. I don't think there have been many upgrades to the monorail or the Space Needle since 1962, therefore making this a pretty awesome experience. Being one of the only ones in line at 9:30 in the morning, waiting for the first monorail to the Space Needle was pretty hilarious to us. Here we were, standing in the rain, and all of a sudden we see a space ship-esque train heading our way. It was fantastic, great fun, and best of all, a walk-free and wet-free trip to the Space Needle.

say "cheese!"... free photo before getting to the top!

As the true eager tourists we were, we also got to the Space Needle before it opened and got to enjoy its 1962 amazing-ness. Now, both of these sites are "must do's" in Seattle and are good fun, but with no one around we really got to see and imagine how extraordinary it must have been to see and be inside both of these in the 1960's during the Worlds Fair. As we were early, there was hardly anyone on top of the Space Needle.... we attempted to get some good photos, but as it was Seattle, it was a bit cloudy and "rainy" so we did our best!

View from the top of the Space Needle

The best views of downtown actually won't be from the Space Needle, but from a ferry. I really wanted to take a ferry to Vashon Island as I have a friend who grew up there, but we ended up boarding one to Bainbridge Island. After the Space Needle, we made our way back to the waterfront to see the Ferris Wheel, Aquarium, and to board a ferry. We went into the first station we saw, bought our ticket and hoped we would make it back in time for dinner! Thankfully, by late afternoon it had stopped raining and the views of downtown were phenomenal. We managed to get the skyline, Ferris Wheel, and Space Needle in the entire shot.

an iPad can't do this!

After about 35 minutes the ferry was getting ready to land in Bainbridge Island, which looked like there was absolutely nothing to do. We took one look at the huge line of people waiting to board the ferry back to Seattle, and decided to get off. Then, we hopped right back on the Ferry! We decided it was best to sit outside and enjoy the beautiful scenery and relaxing Ferry ride back to Seattle. By the time we docked, it was early evening and we had to make our way back to the hotel soon, but not without stopping and having some seafood on the waterfront. We went to Ivar's to enjoy some good old deep fried seafood.. We didn't go to the fancy-smancy indoor restaurant, we went to the outside quick part to share our food with the seagulls. I had deep friend clams, which were amazing. I LOVE clams and to deep fry them? Well, that obviously made them taste delicious! It was a great way to end a site-filled day in Seattle!

In Downtown Seattle

view from our hotel room

Seattle, definitely is a "sleepless" city with all the Starbucks on every corner! Not only were there a million Starbucks, there were a ton of local cafe's. It is safe to say that Seattle became my Mecca and contributed to my coffee addiction. Some places I've been too I've struggled to find my coffee fix to keep me going, but not in Seattle. We only had two full days in Seattle, so we didn't get to go into a lot of the museums I wanted to or have time to do some outdoor nature hikes. However, we managed to walk, monorail, and ferry our way through the city. It is a bustling place that manages to keep everything local. I absolutely loved it. It was a big city that had a small town feel. It is best to wake up really early to see the quiet side and feel like you have the entire city to yourself. Seattle had a ton to offer, great food, great coffee, and it was beautiful! It was a nice city break and weekend vacation for anyone who has a coffee addiction!

coffee, coffee, coffee!

Boston, Massachusetts USA; February 15 - 18, 2013

2013-03-01T05:00:00.000Z

Boston in February may sound crazy to some, but to the budget traveler, it's a perfect getaway... if you can handle the cold of course! Luckily, living in California, seeing and being in the snow seemed quite romantic; almost as if I were experiencing my own historical winter wonderland.

I landed on Friday evening with my two girlfriends and after an all day flight, we were starving!!! We flew on Southwest, AMAZING airline but no food on board!!!! After we checked into our hotel we walked straight on over to Chinatown. With so many different options to choose from, we decided on the Gourmet Dumpling House. We ordered 10 vegetarian dumplings, noodles with vegetables, an amazing sweet and spicy mango sauce with scallops and shrimp and for the non-vegetarians, Kung Pao chicken. Three girls; we ate it all. It was probably the best authentic Chinese food I have had in a long time. We walked in and the place was packed! Our waiters didn't speak much English, so we knew we were in for a treat. After a huge meal, we were ready for bed. Not an eventful first night, but definitely worth it.

Samuel Adams Brewery

Round 3 of taste testing!

When we woke up in the morning, my husband had arrived after his overnight red eye flight. What could possibly be the best way to stay awake? Drink of course! We went straight to the Samuel Adams Brewing Company to learn all about the Boston Lager. The Guinness Brewery in Dublin was much larger and I felt that I learnt more there, however the Samuel Adams Brewery is still pretty awesome. It's a lot smaller because they don't do any mass production. It's where they create the seasonal brews, taste testing them until they're just right. We tried 3 different brews, but my favorite was the Single Hop Cascade. Sadly, it's not even out yet and it may not ever come out! It was a light tasting beer, but cloudy like a Belgian beer. I hope it gets the stamp of approval and becomes the summer seasonal as it was delicious!

Massachusetts State House

After the brewery tour we started the Freedom Trail. It is an easy way to explore Boston because all you have to do is follow a red painted line on the ground. It makes sight seeing super easy, plus it's free. We started at the beautiful Boston Commons at the foot of the Massachusetts State House. It was gorgeous with the big huge golden dome! We followed the trail over to my favorite site, the Granary Burying Ground. I know that sounds morbid, walking around old tombstones, but it actually was inspiring. I saw the tombs of Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Mother Goose, & Samuel Adams. So much history! It was especially amazing seeing the tombstones of four of the signers of the Declaration of Independence: Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, Samuel Adams and Robert Treat Paine. After attempting to find the oldest of the tombstones, some dating as far back as the 1700's, we carried on following the red "brick" road to the Old State House.

Old Granary Burying Ground

Tomb of Benjamin Franklin

Old State Building and Boston Massacre Site

The Boston Massacre Site is at the bottom of the Old State House. A marker on the ground shows where the Boston Massacre happened; we couldn't even fathom how horrible that must have been. After having a quiet moment, we carried on with the Freedom Trail all the way up to the North End where the home of Paul Revere lies. There is just so much history in Boston, it blew my mind. It was like walking through my beloved history books. My friends were good sports listening to me lecture on the importance and the start of the slogan "no taxation without representation" and how the free thinkers of Boston truly were the creators of America by starting the rebellion against the crown. It also was particularly entertaining that my husband happens to be English, which led to many "red coat" jokes.

Harvard Square

On our last full day we woke up in a blizzard! It was very blusterous outside, but we decided to grin and bear it. We took the subway to Harvard to wander around and pretend we were some of the worlds most genius people. We were blown around Harvard Square, which was a feat in itself with the 25 degree weather and 5 degree wind chill! Even though it was cold, it was gorgeous. It was everything you would expect the University to be. Quotes were all over the walls of the buildings, some by my favorite Ralph Waldo Emerson. The old buildings, students trekking in the snow, and thoughtful quotes made it a truly magical experience. We managed to make our way from Harvard to the waterfront to take pictures of the city's skyline before the sun went down. We only lasted about 20 minutes at the harbor as the wind made it too cold to be outside, but it was worth it. We ended our night like the true locals we were pretending to be; a Bah-Stan lager, pizza, and the Bruins game!

On our final day we crammed in the remainder of the Freedom Trail, making our way to the Bunker Hill Memorial. The sheer height of the memorial was outstanding. We wanted to climb to the top, but it was too icy and dangerous so it was closed to the public. With that disappointing news, we decided to train it over to Fenway Park. Boston is a city extremely passionate about it's sports; so no Boston trip would have been complete without visiting Fenway Park. Before heading to the airport, we made it to Fenway. Even though it wasn't baseball season, you could just imagine how the place could come alive with the fans crowding the streets, hoping the Red Sox make it to the next world series!

Bunker Hill Monument

Fenway Park

Boston truly was an amazing city bursting with history and culture. I love history, but Boston is so diverse. If you like sports, there are the Bruins, Red Sox, Celtics, and many more with the university rivalries. The theater is popular and had many different forms of art displayed at the museums and the universities. I personally thought Boston was an adventure in the winter. Not only were flights cheap, but I felt that we had the city to ourselves. Fighting the winds, stomping in the snow, and popping into bars and restaurants to warm up was a lot of fun. Boston is such an interesting city and I felt that I could go back again and again to have a completely different experience. Maybe one day I will as three days simply were not enough to do it all. Even though my time here was short, the memories I made and the experience of being surrounded by some of America's most important parts of history, will stay with me forever.

Bye, Bye, Boston

"To Travel, is to Live"

2013-01-27T18:38:00.002Z

One month gone already in 2013 and hardly any countries visited in 2012. What has my life come to? A life simply revolved around work? What happened to my excitement and passion for living? What happened to the smile on my face by visiting different cultures and places? What happened to the woman who had inspirations, time to write, time to keep in touch? The woman, who loved to explore, travel, go on an adventure?

This letter is not only to my friends and family in America or the UK, but I think a letter to myself. How has my life been this past year? Well, lets see.... it depends what you value most in life. A great career, great paying job, expensive apartment, lots of THINGS. Well, my life in California, to some, would seem amazing. Sunny San Diego, living here, sure has its perks. Its beautiful, sunny and warm (but not too warm!) all year long.

What do I do with my time? Well, work of course. My life is spent only for the weekends, as I only get the weekends off work. Sometimes, I am too exhausted to do anything on the weekends due to my much longer than I am used to working hours, compared to the UK. When I am feeling energized, I go for a bike ride, go kayaking, walk along the bay. Trust me, I do feel lucky that I can soak up the sun.... but I think I mean, if I am lucky. I only get the opportunity to enjoy the sunshine one time a week.

Well, how am I REALLY doing? Like I said, it depends what you value in life. For me, its family, friends, my health and travel. Where have I been since I have moved to California? Nowhere.

How often do I get to see my friends and family? About one weekend every other month. Equating to about 12 out of the 365 days a year.

How many days do I get off work to attempt to go see the beautiful sights of America, South/Central America, and Canada have to offer? FIVE Days last year which I used up because I got sick and I wanted to see my family over the holidays. Yes, I had to use up my vacation time to be able to spend time with my family.

My Health is also important to me. I had to go to hospital a month ago and am now looking at a $4000 bill WITH Health Insurance. Luckily, I am healthy and able to work my butt off to pay this off. However, it still frustrates me to no end that my doctor made me go to the hospital, yet I am fronted with the bill.

Please, again, don't get me wrong, I LOVE San Diego. Its beautiful and California is beautiful... I just wish I got the time to enjoy it more. I wish I got the time to travel and continue writing about my travels. I thought that moving back to America would mean more time with my family. It's not.

I have many goals for 2013, I want to be able to see my family more, I want to be able to travel more. What do I value most? Friends, family, travel, the right to my health, the right to see my family during the holidays. So how am I? Like I said, it depends what you value in life, right? I am successful in every aspect of the "American Dream"... however, am I truly Happy? I don't know, you tell me.....

I think Hans Christian Anderson got it quite right, in the simplest of ways, "To Travel, is to LIVE".

Malta, January 26, 2012 - January 30, 2012

2012-09-25T17:57:00.000+01:00

Malta, Malta, Malta, where to begin?! Not going to even try to deny that I am slightly obsessed with Humphrey Bogart so when the opportunity arrived to go to Malta where the famous "Maltese Falcon" was from, I just had to go! Ironically enough, even though the Maltese Falcon was fictional, I still wanted to go... anything Bogart!

Valleta as the sun sets...

Well, Malta was very interesting and strange! It had a unique blend of cultures being off the coast of Sicily: Italian, English, French, Middle Eastern, and North African.

Malta is filled with a ton of history as its been invaded and conquered throughout the years, including Napoleon's attempt might I add! Malta was different, but blended the cultures into its own. One thing I did LOVE, was the food as it was heavily Italian influenced. I instantly found a cafe I loved, Cafe Jubilee, where I ate at every day, anything and everything from wine, coffee, cheese, pasta, and Maltese Cake (pretty much English Pudding without the Brandy).

Vittirosa

My favorite area of Malta was Vittirosa, it was beautiful with old churches and buildings, with cobblestone streets and vines running up and down the homes. It was a tiny peninsula surrounded by Yachts, and was very romantic as it was empty and we had the entire town to ourselves.

Valleta is the capital of Malta and is also the smallest capital in the world. At noon every day there is a traditional cannon firing which was very fun. Around sunset, the city transforms into shades of gold due tot he hue of the sun and coloring of the buildings.

Marsalokxx

We also adventured to small towns with strange names, such as Marsalokxx, which was a fishing village with colorful boats. Malta was small, cute, old, and a blend of many different cultures. It was a short, small (literally) and fun trip! If you want to visit an old European town and cant decide on where to go, go to Malta. Its an entire country with a small town feel and has influences from Franc and Italy, so where can you go wrong? Its definitely worth a visit! You can see the main attractions in just a few days, then its time to people watch, enjoy the food, and relax!

Homes in the capital of Valleta

Prague, Czech Republic: Where Fairy Tales Come True!

2012-09-25T16:40:00.000+01:00

Prague, Czech Republic... January 22, 2012 - January 25, 2012

... and they lived Happily Ever After...

View from Petrin Tower.

Mala Strana

On Charles Bridge!

Prague must be the place that inspired Disney to create their fairy tale cities and happily ever afters. Prague is beautiful with large Gothic architecture wrapped with cobblestone streets; It is like walking into my dreams when I was a young girl, dreaming of being a princess hoping to find my Prince Charming.

Our time in Prague consisted of climbing to the top of the Petrin Tower, pretending to be royalty in the Prague Castle, peeing with the Peeing Men Statue, walking back and forth across the Charles Bridge, laughing at the Astronomical Clock, testing our history in the Jewish Quarter, checking out the modern architecture in New Town, enjoying coffee and beer at night in the Grand Cafe, and simply just enjoying the city.

Getting lost in Mala Strana and Stare Maesto's Old Town was like going back into the 1400's & 1500's where old Kings and Queens ruled, and I was the princess on my own adventure. Luckily I've already found my Prince so I was able to live out my fairy tale!

Not only was Prague an elegant enchanting city, it was filled with modern surprises. Being lost near Prague's castle, we turned a corner to see the hilarious Peeing Men Statue! Stare Maesto is filled with a ton of modern art and young artists exhibitions.

What I loved about Prague is that you could be enjoying a hanging modern street exhibition, then within just a few steps, you're standing in front of the large yet fascinating Astronomical Clock. If you were lucky, you would be there on the hour where it opens and hoots with a rooster and dancing men. It was hilarious and had an "Its A Small World After All" feel to it. Yes it was humorous, but simply knowing that it did this same dance and jingle hundreds of years ago in front of Queens, Kings, Princesses, and peasants was also quite spectacular.

Prague is a city filled with wonderful things for everyone. From architecture, history and art, but the best thing about Prague is just exploring this diverse city and playing out your own real-life fairy tale.

Enjoying being lost on the cobblestone streets...

The Famous Being Men Statue... Jayda joining in on the fun!

Young Artists' Modern Art, Outdoor Exhibition

Astronomical Clock & Square

Charles Bridge & Prague Castle

Dubai, United Arab Emirates 4 November - 8 November 2011

2011-11-19T14:07:00.021Z

Dubai, there are a many different ways one can describe Dubai, from the food, the culture, the modernization and westernisation, the religion, the money…. However to me, the most amazing thing I saw was the intermixed cultures. Going to Dubai for the first time, I was very uncertain.

Uncertain on what to wear or how to behave. I knew it was a Muslim country and I have been to Muslim countries before, but I wanted to make sure I wasn’t offending anyone; the last thing I want to do in any country I visit is to be ignorant of the people's culture.

It was safe to say I was shocked, in a fantastic way. Dubai was amazing. It was a microcosm of what the world should be and could be. Christians, Hindu’s, Muslims, Atheists, American, European, Arabic, African, Indian … all intermixing and blending in together into this one society in the UAE.

The first thing I did when I arrived in Dubai was go to the beach. I was shocked. Men and women in scandalous bathing suits soaking up the sun and enjoying the gorgeous green/blue sea and at the same time women in full dresses and burqas along the same beach. To top it off, 2 camels walked by.

I knew that Sex and the City 2 was completely racist, but something inside me still felt like I needed to be careful while in the UAE; just goes to show how easily one can be brainwashed from cinema. I can easily say that Sex and the City 2 did not depict life in the UAE at all. The only thing it showed was the lavish and rich life style, other than that it was completely false and I am still angered about how Sex and the City 2 could have so easily and blatantly depicted a country so ignorantly.

I saw the new Dubai, but my friends took me to the old Dubai as well so I could see the new versus the old and the transformation of Dubai. The old part of Dubai was so interesting. Old mosques, museums, and a shipping port. The state of these tiny wooden boats still amaze me. The fact that they are used for shipping from country to country along the Arabian Sea seemed ludicrous as they were so tiny and old. In old Dubai, I did bring a scarf to cover my shoulders as there were a lot of mosques and I didn't want to be disrespectful, but ironically enough it was the Indian and Sri Lankan “pirates” from these boats that couldn’t stop staring as they haven’t seen a woman in months.

While in the old part of town, we had amazing food. From Kebabs, coconuts, falafel, curry. We ate anywhere and everywhere we could. The variety of food is endless; in the morning I had Israeli eggs and for dinner I went to an Ethiopian restaurant. I never imagined I would eat Ethiopian food, but it was delicious! My friends who live in Dubai were telling me that the reason why it is so fabulous to live in Dubai is that there are so many different cultures living in the city; because of that they get to eat and try so many different types of food that they wouldn't be able to otherwise. The great thing was that the food was amazing and cheap.

At the museums it showed the “old” houses and historic buildings of Dubai. The wonderful Sanded/Clay structures are what the people lived in before oil was discovered. What surprised me was that these historic buildings were only 30 to 50 years old. The quick transformation of Dubai is stunning. Sand/clay houses to the tallest building in the world; The Burj Khalifa, all because they discovered oil.

The most inspiring to me were the fountains outside the Dubai Mall. Firstly, the Dubai Mall was so big it could have been a city. It had an aquarium and amusement park inside. On the outside it had these amazing fountains. In Las Vegas, outside of the Bellagio, there are the Las Vegas fountains that perform to music. It is an amazing experience that somehow captivates people and can bring them to tears. Well, in Dubai everything is bigger and better...

The same guy who did the Las Vegas fountains did the ones in Dubai and they are about 3 times the size. We sat and watched the fountains for about 2 hours as it was so beautiful.

When it came time to leave Dubai, I was quite envious and jealous that my friends are living and working in Dubai. Not for the fact that their lives seemed to reflect those of the rich and famous, as they both are currently in the fashion industry which is new and booming in Dubai (okay maybe a little jealous of that!), but mostly because they were living in a city filled with culture. Dubai was absolutely amazing and 3 days there was just not enough. I cannot wait to go back.

Sri Lanka, 21 October - 4 November 2011

2011-11-19T14:07:00.020Z

Sri Lanka is a small country off the south east coast of India, but just because it's small does not mean that it's not great. It is about the equivalent size of Ireland, but its climate’s diversity is amazing. From mountainous jungles, desert like shrubbery and stunning palm tree spotted beaches.

Our 14 day Route: starting at Colombo making our way North East, then South and around back West to Colombo.

Even though Sri Lanka is truly spectacular I find it very hard to write about the country unbiased. I have a love-hate relationship about Sri Lanka due to the fact we were completely screwed over by our guide. In Sri Lanka, you can risk suicide on the buses, or take the EXTREMELY outdated and slow trains (they are fun, but they go about 1 mile an hour, no joke!). The only real option to do a backpackers trip is to hire a guide and car who spends the time with you and takes you around the Island country. We could have booked a really expensive tour, but we wanted to see Sri Lanka from a locals perspective not a luxury resort perspective.

Out side my car door on the way to our first stop, Habarana in the Cultural Triangle.

Unfortunately, Sri Lanka is now tainted for me as our guide really tried to take advantage of us, lied, and changed our itinerary from a day to day basis. Sri Lanka is a beautiful country and Sri Lankans are very proud to show off their amazing country. However, it is an extremely poor country and some are happily willing to take money and screw over foreigners as most do assume that anyone foreign is wealthy. This unfortunately is the downfall of Sri Lanka. I wasn't going to mention the bad things about Sri Lanka, but I figured I needed to be honest for future travellers.

I will try my best to write about Sri Lanka as unbiased as possible as it is truly a fantastic beautiful country. Looking back at the time I spent there I really did see a lot and did have a great time, but it was a lot more stressful than it should have been. Future travellers, just make sure that you find a great guide and make sure price is agreed on before you give them any money. Things that you "agree" on seem to change on a day to day basis. I would even recommend paying extra money to go through a guide company; we did not and now have no one to complain to, get any money back, and there is no way to prevent our guide from lying, overcharging, and ruining another experience for future travellers to Sri Lanka. I can at least say I definitely had an adventure and an experience I will never forget. Sadly, for the first time visiting a country, I was ready to go home. So, without any more further complaint about the bad, I will do my best to share the good, as there is still a lot of good. Most importantly, I do not regret my trip as I have learned something new and am enlightened from my experiences in Sri Lanka.

Golden Temple, Dambulla, Cultural Triangle

Anuradhapura, Buddhist Temple, Cultural Triangle

Polunuwara, Cultural Triangle

I spent 2 full weeks in Sri Lanka, never staying more than 2 nights in a row in a single city. We were on the move, determined to see as much of it as possible. We started off in the cultural triangle where we saw many Buddhist temples, sacred grounds, relics and 3 UNESCO World Heritage sites. To me, the most amazing World Heritage site was Sigirya, a large rock formed to look like a sleeping lion. It was a long 45 minute trek to the top, but it was worth it. Along the way we saw the painted women "frescoes", which are the most ancient paintings in Sri Lanka. Sigiriya also has been declared by UNESCO as the 8th Wonder of the World. It was used as a fort for Sri Lankan kings, then later on as a Buddhist monastery. It is incredible to think that monks had to climb to the top without modern day technology and stairs. The view from the top is incredible. Across the way you can see a towering white Buddha and the trees just seem to go on forever.

The Sigiriya Frescoes

Sigiriya Lion Paws

The history and culture of Sri Lanka is very beautiful, but so is its natural beauty. On one of our first days we got to go on a Safari, we were warned that we may not see anything. Well, we were so fortunate to have seen The Gathering, the largest gathering of Asian Elephants in the world. We must have seen about 150 elephants, some were even mating in the water hole! It was a surreal site to see and an experience I will never forget. After, I had the opportunity to meet a "domesticated" elephant and even got to ride on top of him. It was incredible to have ridden an elephant then also see wild elephants on a safari all in the same day.

We spent a lot of time in the Cultural Triangle learning about the culture and heritage of Sri Lanka, but then it was off to see the more tropical side of the country. On our way to the mountainous regions, we stopped at a herbal spice garden. The Herbal/Spice garden was very interesting. In Sri Lanka, they still very much believe in indigenous medicine. It was quite interesting to see how coffee, cinnamon, sandal wood and many other spices were grown and then used as natural medicines. That night we spent the evening in Kandy watching Sri Lankan cultural dance, but it was an early morning to make our journey to the Tea Plantation.

The drive up to the Tea Plantation was stunning, you could see the climate change before your eyes. Small trees and shrubs slowly became larger and the temperature dropped. You were suddenly at the same level as the clouds in the sky. The tea plantation was just never ending green with waterfalls everywhere. The tea plantation we went to was called Mackwoods; the tea was absolutely fabulous. From there we went to the town of Nuwara-Eliya for a night and walked around the town for ages just wondering through all the local outdoor markets.

On the way up!

The train to Ella.

The next morning we took the train to Ella. We went about 35 miles and it took 5 hours. It was a packed train filled with locals all making their way up the mountain to Ella, the most beautiful place in Sri Lanka. The train was slow and uncomfortably crowded, but the views were breath taking. We were on the edges of mountains, going over old bridges and waterfalls, to make our way to the top. The train was diesel and was probably the original from when the British brought it over to Sri Lanka when it was a Great British colony. When we finally arrived to Ella, we were taken to our guest house. The rest of that day was spent just sitting outside the hotel taking in the view. Green, green, green, dramatic waterfalls, and a massive peak dropping straight down into a valley. We were at this point, higher than the clouds. The view honestly is indescribable. The photos do not give justice to the views we saw that day. After the hectic train, it was nice to be transported to a state of tranquillity.

The view from our guest house, Ella.

We were fortunate enough to spend our last few days relaxing on the beach. It was much needed after day in and day out of waking up early and our go go go schedule. We stayed at a small guest house in Hikkaduwa called Mamma's. Even though our guide was horrible, Mamma was fabulous. Greeting us with hugs and kisses, cooking us food, and really just being so full of hospitality and kindness. I think the reason why we loved where we were staying so much was because of the hospitality of Mamma, her husband, and three sons. Mammas wasn't the nicest place to stay at, but I truly think it was the best!

View from Mamma's, Hikkaduwa

I was very happy to see the true hospitality of Sri Lankans the last few days we were in the country. I honestly was blown away by the stories Mamma told me of the Tsunami that hit Sri Lanka a few years ago. She was one of the fortunate ones. Her family lived, and her guest house wasn't completely destroyed. She told me that on that day, she made a wish and prayed to Buddha. She truly believes that is the reason why she was so fortunate. That experience has shaped her into an amazing, strong woman. You could see her kindness and see how deeply spiritual she was. While we were there we had dinner alongside Buddhist monks as Mamma opened up her place to give them food and tea.

Hearing about the horrible Tsunami that affected all of Sri Lanka and seeing Sri Lanka after the Tsunami was a bit jaw dropping. Yet, the people all had smiles on their faces. With all the kindness and generosity I witnessed, I would never have guessed that these people had just gone through some of the most horrible hard ships any human had to ever to face. I think it was a blessing in disguise that we stayed with Mamma. She made me fall in love with Sri Lanka and its people's perseverance. Her story was incredible and with what she had gone through I couldn't believe how happy she seemed; it truly makes you appreciate your own life.

Even though our guide left a bitter taste in my mouth, my trip was only bitter-sweet. I saw amazing rainforest's, jungles, wild animals on a safari, learned about the Buddhist culture, and relaxed on a beautiful beach. Most importantly, I met Mamma and heard her story which truly touched me.

Ireland: Guinness, Gaelic, Gorgeous

2011-08-13T12:09:00.004+01:00

Ireland is called the Emerald Isle for good reason. Ireland is not just green, but a stunning emerald green that genuinely takes your breath away. Living in England, I have seen green country sides, but I have never seen anything like this before. The cities in Ireland are cute and filled with history, but what really makes Ireland great is its natural beauty.

Dublin

Our first stop in Ireland was Dublin, which was great fun. There are many cute pubs, churches, parks and places to eat, but the most exciting thing to do in Dublin definitely was the Guinness Factory.

The Guinness Factory was very interesting, you learn how Guinness stout is made, you see all the steps, then have a taste test.

The inside of the Factory is shaped like a massive pint glass and you slowly work your way up and around to the 7^th and 8^thfloors. My favorite section was the advertisement section where you can put on headphones and watch all the commercials and look at all the old classic Guinness posters. Its interesting to see how long Guinness has been around and how the advertisements have changed with the ages.

Next, was the “poor your own pint” which was so fun! To poor the perfect pint you have to fill Guinness up about three quarters of the way full, let it sit for 2 minutes, then top it off. After you poor your own pint, you get to drink your pint on top of the factory looking over the entire city. That was definitely the best part. Sitting down, with your friends, chatting, comparing each others pints, and looking over the beautiful 360 degree view of the city; to top it off, it was sunny out while we enjoyed our pint!

The Guinness Factory was the most entertaining and most interesting thing to do in Dublin, unfortunately I hate Guinness! I finished my two free pints, as you have to enjoy Guinness while in Ireland, but it definitely is an acquired taste. The Guinness Factory is a great way to start off a trip to Ireland and is A MUST DO!

After our day in Dublin, it was off to see the rest of Southern Ireland. Ireland has so much to offer, from castles and ruins along the side of the road, the adorable cows and sheep’s on the farm lands, the beautiful coasts with water so blue it seemed like it was water from the Caribbean or Hawaii.

A mandatory "to do" in Ireland is to kiss the Blarney Stone on the top of Blarney Castle. However, this is not so simple. One must climb to the top of Blarney Castle, up a tiny stone spiral stair case, about 7 stories high. Once you reach the Blarney Stone, you must lie on your back, reach out about a foot or so backwards, and kiss the stone upside down! Then one will be granted with the gift of gab (not that I need it). It was a little scary, but well worth it!

A Bee Hive

We ended our first day in the little town of Killarney and went out to the pub for some Irish Folklore and storytelling from a man named Pa. Let’s just say that was an experience in itself. His story was about a man who lost his pub, it was about a 90 minute story, and Pa managed to finish off 6 pints of Guinness and 2 shots of Jameson! By the end I couldn’t understand him, but it was great fun. We ended the night with Irish music and danced the night away with the locals. The Irish definitely love their pubs, Guinness, and Irish music. I felt I had the luck of the Irish as I was sightseeing by day and drinking with the locals at night. The first day was absolutely perfect and it only got better.

After a fun night of trying to keep up with Pa, we spent most of our morning driving along the Irish Coast; which was absolutely stunning. We drove through the famous Ring of Kerry. I also got to see the oldest buildings in Ireland, which were over 4000 years old and looked like beehives, and ironically enough, were called the beehives.

Along the Ring of Kerry

Another reason to love Ireland is all the Gaelic Irish Folklore stories and beliefs. The leprechaun is one of many Irish myths. What makes these stories even more interesting, are that they are still very much a part of Irish culture today. Ireland is a country with a colourful history, as well as mystical traditions. One of my favourite stories was that if you put your feet in the sea, part of your soul will stay in Ireland. If you don’t go back within 20 years, you will never get that part of your soul back. Well, of course, now I have to go back to Ireland; what a great excuse!

The Irish coast is remarkable and jaw dropping with rolling green hills, steep cliffs, and pure blue water. On day three we headed towards the Dingle Peninsula to drive along even more of the Irish Coast. Then eventually to see The Cliffs of Moeher. These cliffs are so gorgeous and unique, they currently are in the running to be part of the 7 natural wonders of the world.

Cliffs of Moeher

Dingle Peninsula Beach where I left part of my soul

Cliffs of Moeher

After we wandered through the amazing Cliffs of Moeher, we travelled along the Dingle Peninsula up to The Burren. The Burren is an instant massive transformation from rolling green hills and cliffs, to literally barren rounded rocks. It literally looks like you are on the moon. Even though there was a lack of greenery, it still was lovely. Beautiful black rocks that reflected the Galway bay. The Burren changes everything you know and shows the diversity of Ireland's natural beauty.

The Burren

Ireland is such a great country filled with a fun loving culture, history and a beautiful landscape. I am looking forward to my visit back within the next 20 years, however, I wouldn’t be too disappointed if I left part of my soul in Ireland.

Cashel Castle

Peace, Love, Happiness... The St. Pauls Carnival of 2011

2011-07-03T18:27:00.001+01:00

One of the top things to do in England is to go to a festival. Every summer there are hundreds of different festivals through out the UK, but so far my favorite is the St. Paul's Carnival. Some festivals are about food, some are about music, but this one is about community.

The St. Paul's Carnival is an annual carnival that takes place in the St. Paul's district of Bristol every year. It is in celebration of the Caribbean-African culture that has shaped the St. Paul's community. It was started in 1967 and has ran continuously every year on the first Saturday in July. Lucky for me, I have been able to come to this carnival two times; both occasions the weather has been perfect, the food has been perfect, and there is this overwhelming sense of pride and community.

The Malcolm X Centre

When I first moved to Bristol last year, I was worried about going to this massive festival where I didn't know anyone or have a sense of the community's history or culture. I was very home sick, hadn't made any friends and didn't think I would be able to enjoy myself. Well, I was totally wrong! I absolutely LOVED it!

The carnival is a complete celebration of community and the people who live there. They are so proud of their Caribbean past, their new lives in Bristol and their sense of belonging to their new home. My first time there, I only had been in Bristol for one month and I had just moved from across the Atlantic to start my new life. My history is quite different, but I was there to celebrate the same thing; a new beginning, a new life in Bristol.

Joe with some St. Paul's Street Art

The St. Paul's Carnival of 2011 was even more fun than last year. Now that I have been here for more than one year, I finally have a sense of belonging; Bristol has now become my home. I went to the carnival with one of my best friends, Joe. I originally met him in Australia 2 years ago and we became instant best friends. I also went with my husband and my newest friend, Lina. She, ironically enough, is an American girl who has travelled recently to Bristol, because like me, she fell in love. We had so much fun together embracing this annual Bristol carnival that is now a part of our new lives. Being with close friends and celebrating love and life is what the carnival is all about. This years experiences were even better because I was with the people I care about, and who care about me in return. We were able to just simply enjoy ourselves and have fun.

LOVE

The carnival was filled through out the day from any where to 40,000 - 60,000 people, but it didn't feel crowded or claustrophobic at all. Instead it was filled with this sense of kinship. It was an exciting time of celebration with the focus on love and happiness. People were dressed up with face paintings and wacky out fits, drinking, dancing, and having fun.

HAPPINESS

Everyone who lives in the area opened up their houses and backyards to everyone at the carnival. They were selling jerk chicken from their barbecues and even letting strangers into their house to use the bathroom. It was a massive out door street party that the entire community was involved in. We went from back yard to back yard dancing to different types of reggae, and if we wanted a change of pace, we would just walk to the next house. The DJs were the home owners so there was a great variety of music.

The biggest party was at the Malcolm X Centre where everyone was dancing to drum and bass. The entire festival was an interesting mixture of smaller street parties with big out door clubs with well known DJs and stages. We ended the night in the middle of a random street with a random DJ playing dance music.

All the streets were blocked off the entire time so everyone could just enjoy the booze, the food, and the music. The celebrations started in the early afternoon and carried onto the early morning of the next day.

When you are at the festival, you can't stop feeling happy and just give into the music, the laughter, and the fun. Everyone has different experiences, but for me, what really made this carnival great, was being with great people.

Street Party

Incredible Istanbul

2011-06-26T16:24:00.001+01:00

Okay so I must tell you about Istanbul because it absolutely blew my mind and was an unexpected gem.

I was so excited to go to Istanbul because I took a history course in Turkish Islam at University. I was so curious to see it first hand.

Istanbul was such a fascinating city. I experienced this city with my husband Jayda, my good friend Joe, and his girlfriend Chloe. We had such a fantastic time.

To be honest, I was a little apprehensive at first, as Turkey is a mostly Islamic nation, and well, I am a Westerner.

The only real reason why I had a little doubt was that I heard so many BAD things from my American friends/family before I left. When I got to Istanbul, I instantly realized the ignorance. My friends/family heard Istanbul, they then thought Middle East, then after that they instantly were blinded by hate. Too many Americans still think that anyone or any thing in the Middle East is bad. My experience in Istanbul simply strengthened my belief in the importance of travel and how it is the easiest way to educate and get rid of unnecessary hatred and ignorance. I really hope my experience of Istanbul will inspire people to travel as well as have a will to become more educated before making racial ignorant comments.

As soon as Jayda and I got onto the subway into the city I noticed immediately the respect the Turkish people had for each other.

Men would move instantly to let woman and children sit down. As soon as I walked in, an elderly man gave up his seat for me. I told him no, (as best I could) but he wouldn’t accept. So I got a seat. Even though I was younger than him. After living in England for so long, I definitely am used to public transport, but what I was not used to was common courtesy. In England, no one even gets up for a pregnant woman. I instantly thought that the English could learn a lesson from the Turkish

Another tiny worry for me was how to dress as it was an Islamic country, but if you are not a Muslim, they don’t expect you to cover your hair or body. They are very understanding of other cultures and religions as well. Never once did I feel ashamed for showing my hair or skin. Which was a major relief. Even though I knew it wouldn't be like that, it was always reassuring. I do not know if the rest of Turkey would have been like that because Istanbul is broken into Asian and European influences, but from my experience I was genuinely impressed with how accepting of other cultures Istanbul was.

When we first got of the subway, the first thing we saw was the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sofia (one of the man made wonders of the world) with all 6 minaret’s and everything. After walking with our back packs on in the 90 degree weather we found our hotel (it was amazing to feel sunshine again!). The hotel man at the front desk greeted us with a big smile, was completely helpful, and even took us to our room personally.

View from our Hotel

The room was small, but very clean. Everything was a little crooked and I still don’t know if that was the design or just the quirkiness of the old building we stayed in. The first thing we did was head to our roof top terrace and relax on the terrace with a cup of tea (many different tea’s are in Istanbul. My favourite was flower, apple, and love tea). The terrace was amazing and on one side there was the Mediterranean Ocean, on the other a perfect view of the Blue Mosque.

That was when I heard my first afternoon prayers.

As it was an Islamic country with mosques everywhere, when it was prayer time you could hear it anywhere and everywhere in the city. It was honestly the most beautiful thing I have ever heard. I couldn’t understand what they were saying as it was in Turkish or Arabic, but the prayers were in song and it was beautiful. That is how Jayda and I started our days and ended our evenings. On the roof top terrace in the morning sun, or watching the sunset over the magnificent mosques listening to the morning and evening prayers.

Turkish Coffee

Also, the food was gorgeous; Mezzes (tapas like food). Breakfast was an array of savoury pastries, olives, fresh cheese and marinated vegetables. Delicious and a little bit of heaven. As Turkey is on the Mediterranean, it was Mediterranean food of course. For dinners we had fresh Kebabs every night, from lamb, chicken, to eggplant and mushrooms. SO GOOD!

Also, Turkish coffee was very tasty. It is blended in such a way where they boil it in water and sugar. Then they put it in a tiny glass (grains and all). They serve it to you in a tiny tiny cup, you let the grains settle and drink it. It was super strong but super good. My souvenir for myself was Turkish Coffee and the tiny pot to boil it in. I can’t wait to try it at home. However, I have the feeling it won't quite be the same.

That was what our days were like, wake up, enjoy some sun and food, enjoy some coffee. Go into this café here, that café there. Appreciate the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, and the city, then at night eat at a restaurant with a roof top terrace to enjoy the view and food.

Blue Mosque

In Turkey, no one drinks, but everyone smokes. So our evenings were filled with tea and Shisha (flavoured hookah). We would just relax and sit on big couches (it reminded me a bit of Aladdin) and smoked shisha and watched the locals.

One night (after a few drinks as we managed to find a bar or 2) we ended up at our local café. It was outdoors with tons of cushions and very Aladdin again! It was like 12:30 at night and we weren’t ready to head in, so we went there for some Hookah and tea. It was very relaxing, then Joe’s girlfriend, Chloe, asked our waiter if there was any music. It was too late to play any, but this group of Turkish men were across the way and over heard us.

Apparently one of them was a famous Turkish Guitar player (or they claimed) but he did have a legit looking case. He took his Guitar out and another guy took out his drum and they came to our table and played for us for like an hour! How nice was that? They sang as well (not that I understood them), but it was so much fun and so cool and soooo beautiful!

They were so happy that we loved their music and singing. We were also enjoying ourselves so much that we stayed there until 230 am! Just hanging out, smoking hookah, and enjoying the music. Our waiter didn’t charge us for a lot of tea’s either so we left him a big tip. We left to go back to our hotel feeling very welcomed into Istanbul and the culture. It was a first hand view of seeing what life in Istanbul was like.

Although, (the one thing I did notice is that no woman were out and about that night unless accompanied by their husband) just a bunch of men drinking tea and singing together. So innocent, but so interesting as well. It was nice knowing people could have fun and enjoy themselves with out alcohol.

In front of the Hagia Sophia

Sultan Palace

The next day we took a cruise down the Bosporus river which separated the European side of Istanbul and the Asian side of Istanbul. It was such a beautiful day and we saw the Sultans Palaces along the river from the Sultans of the Ottoman Empire, the Wall built by the Crusaders when they invaded, and an amazing view of the city.

We also visited the Spice Market, which was amazing and smelt delicious! Spices were every where, fresh tea, coffee’s, spices, and Turkish Candy. I bought coffee and some of the Flower/ Love tea I loved so much. Joe and his girlfriend bought Lemon Salt and a bunch of spices. It was truly one of the coolest things we did. Especially since we made friends with the Turkish man we bought stuff off of so he let us taste and smell and touch everything we bought. Plus gave us a massive discount. It was fabulous!

We spent 4 full days there, and it went by so fast. The people were so friendly and welcoming, the food was delicious, and the city was stunning. I would recommend it to anyone.

It was the perfect mixture of the Old Ottoman Empire and the new modern fast paced culture of the world. Old dirt streets and buildings, but the interior of the buildings were spotless and modern. Istanbul is split between the the Asia side and the European side and the culture reflects this brilliantly.

Still, after everything I did there, my favourite thing will still be enjoying some coffee or tea on the terrace; listening to the evening and morning prayers while admiring the mosques. Honestly, I can say that Istanbul is Incredible!!

Where the Past meets the Present, Berlin.

2011-06-26T14:34:00.000+01:00

24 February 2011 - 27 February 2011

Berlin in February was absolutely Freezing!!! It was about 2 degrees outside, but we trooped through it, or rather I trooped through it. My husband seems to be a walking, talking heater; not me! I don't know if it is because I grew up in California or what, but I just am so bad at handling the cold. However, I learned my lesson in Italy. I almost missed out on the best thing I did because I was "too cold". I will never make that mistake again!

I was so excited to get to Berlin as I studied history and government in university and had studied World War II and the Cold War. I knew Berlin would be a site to see, and it was.

Berlin is a city filled with culture. New and old buildings are just around every corner. East Berlin and West Berlin were very distinct, but yet blended perfectly.

It was absolutely horrific to visualize Berlin split into 2 cities, or rather two occupations. You could see where there was the divide as there were pieces of the Berlin Wall up around the city. You would be walking, and look down, and even if the wall was not there, it was clearly marked in memory. I walked over the marked wall so easily, it was hard to believe that just 30 years earlier, Berlin was not as open or free.

Berlin Wall Look Out Point

One of the best things to do in Berlin is to take advantage of all the free museums and monuments. The city did not shy away from its history, its goal was clearly to educate people on its colourful past. The open air Berlin Wall Museum was one of my favourites. We were able to see footage of when the wall was put up and a bit of visual history. We also go to climb to the top of the museum and look over an old Berlin Wall Lookout Point. Even with all I know about Berlin during the Cold War, I just couldn't imagine all the people who risked their lives, just trying to get to another part of the city.

Holocaust Memorial

Another touching point was the Holocaust Memorial. It was this amazing memorial set up in memory of those lost during the holocaust. It was beautifully done. It was a sort of iron maze. It was representative of the lives lost, but I found it ironic that the memorial was a maze and actually so fun to walk through. I know that sounds horrible, but I couldn’t help playing a bit of hide and go seek with my husband in the maze.

I found this to be quite ironic, but I imagine that was the point. When we first arrived at the memorial, knowing the tall blocks represented graves of those lives lost. It was horrendous, but then walking through it, we began to have a bit of fun and relax. It was scary how quickly we forgot! It just goes to show that with time, things begin to heal and things can be forgotten, but is that a good thing or a bad thing?

I knew that the symbolism of this outdoor museum was to remember the importance of not forgetting the past. After you walk through to the other side and turn around and see what you have walked through, you instantly feel guilty for having fun. You remember what has happened and why that memorial was there. The artist of the memorial got this message across beautifully. When something tragic happens, it is horrible, but life does go on. However, it is important not to forget the things that have happened. To not be ignorant, one must learn from the mistakes of the past. Embrace this knowledge, no not ignore it.

The Maze of the Memorial did just that. It teaches people how easily it is to turn a blind eye and forget, but how significant it is to remember the horrors and the lives lost from previous mistakes.

Another, way Berlin mixed the new with the old and the past with the present was the outdoor Berlin Wall art gallery. The amazing street art that covered it dealt with cold war politics, as well as new politics affecting the world today. I find it fascinating that after WWII and the Holocaust, the Berlin Wall's outdoor street gallery addresses horrible things are still happening in the world today; is truly satirical. It seems that the human race never seem to learn from their mistakes.

Berlin Wall Street Art

The art was gorgeous, and very touching. I loved that these artistic statements were on one the most well-known pieces of architecture that demoralized human nature and took away human rights. These new problems coincided so perfectly with the old. It truly amazed me how Berlin was a city that embraces its history, the good and the bad. This city, this country, is such an archetype for how a country should move on and move forward and how to deal with mistakes from the past.

They do not hide away and not teach their citizens about the bad like most countries. For example, the USA did not have a war in Vietnam, but only a "conflict". History is written by the winners, and unfortunately the American Government happens to think they are always the winners. The US schools do not teach what really happened in Vietnam or take responsibility for single handily abandoning the South East Asian countries after this war and leaving Cambodia to the Khmer Rouge. No, it never happened. Why can't America embrace its mistakes like Germany? Germans educate to make sure that their citizens are well rounded free thinkers. It truly is amazing and was one of the best things to see. I loved that a city embraced its past.

To say the least, I enjoyed my caffeine "high" very much, as it gave me the energy and warmth to carry on my exploration of Berlin. I was sad to leave the cosiness and warmth of the café (and the people watching), but it was time to head back to our hotel and get ready for our flight home.

Berlin is a city filled with history around every corner. It is a great little city break, especially for the history buff. There are a ton of things to do and a ton of things to see. Going in winter was fabulous because there were no crowds and it didn't feel TOO touristy, but I was freezing my arse off!

Palace Charlottenburg

Reichstag

Winter in Italy, True Intimacy

2011-06-26T13:19:00.001+01:00

26 December 2010 - 8 January 2011

Italy has always been a country I absolutely had to visit. I love everything about Italian food, from olive oil to wine and everything in between. Food and history, again, was the inspiration behind this trip. I back packed with my husband from Rome, to Pisa, to Florence, to Venice, to Milan. Going to Italy this time of year was cold, but had hardly any tourists. For me, that was well worth it. Experiencing Italy without any herds of people made the experience that much better. One valuable lesson I am learning with the more I travel is to go on the "off season". It costs less, has less tourists, and you get to see the "real" city/country. The only thing you need in Italy is your passport, back pack, and Lonely Planet: Italy. What an amazing book with fabulous ideas. The Lonely Planet series, to me and my husband (who is in the travel industry) is the most useful and interesting travel guide.

Rome:

I was actually very shocked by Rome. Rome is an iconic city. It was the capital of the Roman Empire which once ruled the entire known world. The Colosseum is here, as well as the Trevi Fountain. Rome is filled with old architecture and history is just around every corner. However, there was graffiti everywhere! I was shocked how the Italians didn't seem to mind all the graffiti.

I pictured Rome to be clean and well taken care of. Rome was an interestingly beautiful city, but I was very shocked by the graffiti next to the Colosseum and on the walls leading up to the Trevi Fountain. Didn't anyone realize the historical significance of these things?? To simply deface it, to me as a history major, was quite shocking to say the least.

After my initial shock, I started enjoying myself, being lost in Rome. We had an adorable tiny little hotel. Very rustic. Our breakfast there was amazing. Cold cut salamis, cheeses, and fresh espressos and cappuccinos made fresh to order. It was a great way to start our day. When in Rome, eat like a king! Jayda and I were determined to get some good Rustic Roman Pizza.

Pizza in Rome is unlike any other in Italy. It is on a hard, crusty, bread crust. It is served in a napkin and is perfect "to go" food. It is cut in half, folded together and it looks like a big square sandwich after it has been folded over; ready to eat. Jayda and I did a lot of research before we left, the hunt for the best Roman Pizza place ever.

We knew we found the Best Pizza place when we found a hole in the wall with a massive line out the door filled with Italians. This was found after much wandering around looking at a map almost blindly. It was well worth the long unknown journey! Also, waiting in that long line was worth it. The pizza in Rome was truly fantastic. Definitely different that the Napoli pizza or the New York Pizza, but an amazing, crusty, delightful experience. (another Lonely Planet recommendation!)

Roma Castel San Angelo

Another must in Rome is going to the Vatican City. However, it is best seen from Rome Castel Sant Angelo. It is 8 euros to get in, but it is an amazing little castle and museum. You can see the brick wall that used to protect old Roma. Then, when you get to the top it is a perfect view of the Vatican, as well as the rest of Rome.

Rome has so much to offer, so much history, so much food, but you cannot miss going to Rome Castel San Angelo; the best view in Town.

Vatican City

Jayda and I were sad to leave Rome. We spent 3 days there, but we were keen to get to Florence.

Jayda with the Leaning Tower of Pisa

On our way to Florence, we stopped off the train to see Pisa.

The city Pisa, in general, has nothing to offer than the leaning tower of Pisa.

The Leaning Tower was stunning. It is such an iconic piece of architecture, but it was so fun taking funny photos with it.

The tower is not just leaning, but sinking! Most buildings in Pisa actually are leaning like that due to the soil the city lays on. We stayed in Pisa for an hour or two, had a wander, then jumped back on the train to get to Florence.

Florence:

Where do I even begin? The most beautiful city in the world? I was stunned by its beauty and intimacy. Florence is a large city, but feels like home. Cobblestone streets. Old buildings. Cafe's everywhere. In Florence, it was even more of a foodie city than Rome. Rome was for the sights, Florence was for the food, gelato and espresso.

Florentine Market

Jayda and I went every morning to the same cafe and would watch the Italians take there shots of espresso, then go on to work. They literally drank espresso like they were shots of tequila! I was in shock. I couldn't bring myself to do that. I was too much in love with the espresso, that didn't even need sugar! I had to sip it slowly, and embrace all its flavour. I knew I must have looked very much like a crazy tourist, taking such a long time to drink such a small drink. The espresso was something that deserved a lot of attention and demanded to be appreciated. I was a little bit in love.

I know I always go on about the best things I have ever had in each city. Paris, best Creme Brule I have ever had. Italy, more specifically, Florence, best pasta dish I ever had. Jayda and I went to a lovely little Restaurant off a side street in the main Piaza in Florence. We almost walked right by it, that's how unseen it was. It was called L'Osteria di Giovanni.

The Duomo

We, of course, delighted our selves in a starter, main, and wine. I had a Tuscan Minestrone. Which had beans in it as well and was blended. When it came out, I wasn't too sure because it looked sort of like mud. However, the Flavour, oh the FLAVOUR! It was unlike any minestrone I ever had, and better. I wish I knew exactly what was in it and could recreate it. I hope that I get the opportunity to go back to that same restaurant again. My main, was the best pasta dish I ever had. It was a mushroom and black truffle pasta in a cream sauce. To be honest, truffle isn't the best smelling thing in the world. So when it came, it looked delicious, but the smell was something I was a bit surprised by. However, when I took that first bite, it instantly all came together. The look, the smell, the taste. It was a slightly salty pasta dish, but evenly balanced out by the sweet cream sauce. It was very simple: pasta, mushroom, truffle, cream sauce. It was the best pasta I ever had.

For dessert, I just had another glass of wine. I didn't want dessert, I wanted to contemplate the delicious pasta I just had. For most people, passing up dessert is no big deal, for me, I ALWAYS want dessert. This dish was so delicious, nothing would compare after eating it. Anything after just would not live up to the standards of that pasta dish. I honestly can say that I never have eaten anything that was so delicious, I didn't need to eat any dessert after; until I went to Florence.

Florence is a perfect place to go with your significant someone. Just being in the city is wonderful and romantic. After dinner Jayda and I wandered the dimly lit streets of Florence, then along the river back to our hotel. It was beautiful and a great way to end the night.

The most exhilarating thing we did was definitely climb the top of the Duomo. We weren't going to do it, as it was raining and I was exhausted from sight seeing all day, and it was freezing! All I wanted to do was go into another cafe and eat and drink wine or espresso. However, Jayda really wanted to go. So I gave in.

Climbing the spiral staircase to the Duomo.

How happy am I that Jayda made me do this?! The most exciting thing I did in Italy was climb this Duomo. Florence was by far my favorite city and the fact that the most thrilling thing we did was in Florence as well only added to my delight. The Duomo was soooo old an dangerous, without ANY one supervising people on their climb up. In America it was a law suit waiting to happen, but in Italy, where life means so much more than money, the laid back culture truly showed on this trek and I absolutely adored it.

It was a tiny tiny little spiral staircase without any hand rails and steep stairs. The only warning we saw was before we went up, there was a sign to say it was a hard climb and no one elderly or ill should do this climb. What an understatement! No one who has not been the gym in over 2 weeks would struggle! Jayda and I on two or three occasions stopped to catch out breath... and we thought we were in shape!

After about a 20 minute climb through the spiral stair well and hall ways, we came out onto a deck. Inside the Duomo (church). We were right under the ceiling with the beautiful mural. In every church I have ever been inside on my travels, I have wanted to get a first hand look at the mural, but was never able to get that high up.

Well, here was my opportunity. It was so stunning. A mural of life and death, heaven and hell, good and evil. It was a true battle. We spend a good 15 minutes or so just taking it all in. Also, trying to contemplate how people even painted it over 150 years ago. Looking down was a sure death fall of about 7 stories high (or more!). Jayda had a look at his watch, and it was almost sun set. So we continued our journey to the top to try to catch the sunset on the top of the Duomo.

The trecherous trek continued. It was so fun just climbing up and through the Duomo, imagining Catholic Priests wandering around lighting candles in their robes and trying to get around.

The last bit to the top was a little ladder. When I got up there, it was the most amazing view of the city. A 360 view of all of Tuscan Florence at sunset.

Instead of being able to enjoy this view, the first thing I had to deal with was my husband. He stood there smiling with his goofy grin. Then said, "I told you so"...and boy, he sure did!

I couldn't believe I wasn't going to climb the Duomo because I was cold. I honestly just couldn't believe it. It was the first time my husband was able to claim that he was "right" about something. It also was the first time I had to agree that he was right about something too; which I obviously am thankful for... I just can't let him know that!

That was our last and best day in Florence, I was so sad to go.

Venice:

Venice is truly a floating city. It was so exciting to finally be in Venice! I was sad to leave Florence, but I was so happy to be at this gorgeous city on the water. Also, we were there in winter. Which meant that we got to stroll through all the canals in the winter fog. It gave it an almost eery intimate feel to the city.

The best thing about being in Venice was being in Venice; roaming the streets and canals. Venice had a lot to live up to after being in Florence. I didn't have as strong of a bond with Venice as I did with Florence, but it still was such a cool and interesting city.

Our hotel was across the main canal, so every morning and every night we got a panaroamic sky line view of the city. As we were going to be in Venice over New Years, we decided to splurge and stay at the Molino Stucky Hilton. A fabulous hotel for a fabulous city. It was a fun place to stay at because we had to take a ferry over to the main city every day as well. I love being on the water and everywhere you were in Venice made you feel like you were floating on the Sea. Venice is quite small, so we got all the sights done in one day. Which was nice because we got to just relax and take in its beauty the next few days we were there.

Venice is beautiful and unlike anywhere else I have ever been. There are no cars in Venice, as they are not allowed. The taxi's were boats on the water, ironically enough ,called water taxis. It was unlike anything I have seen. I was envious of the people who lived here, as they got to enjoy living on water. It seemed like if one lived in Venice, you couldn't help but feel you were on a permanent holiday.

Milan:
Oh Milan.... all I have to say is.... let' s just summarize my trip instead!

Rome was an excellent way to start Italy. History, History, History! Just blows you away. Florence and Venice definitely were the stars of the show. Florence stole my heart, so its hard to compare it to the other cities now. Florence is just simply fantastic. Venice is gorgeous intrigued me as it floated on top of the sea.

Milan, is not even worth talking about. What a waste of 2 days. I wish we didn't come here. Nothing worth seeing. Fashion capital of the world? This literally has to be a joke! Such an ugly city, nothing fashionable or gorgeous about it. Florence and Rome is where I saw amazing done up Italians with amazing shopping, in a gorgeous city. Milan, such a disappointing way to end an amazing trip.

My advise, skip Milan and spend more time in either Venice, Florence, or Rome when visiting Italy.

Italy was fabulous and fantastic in Winter. It didn't have the blooming sunflowers or hot sun, but as it was the "off season" I felt like I had it all to my own. I wouldn't have done it any other way.

Paris, the city of food and romance...

2011-06-25T14:21:00.000+01:00

11 of September 2010 - 14 of September 2010

The first time I went to Paris, it was with my step mother. Two girls, lost in the city, and when I say lost, I mean lost! We had absolutely no idea where we were going. However, as long as we could see the Seine or the Eiffel Tower, we were happy campers.

My first trip to Paris will always be remembered as an amazing time for me. I hit all the sites: Moulin Rouge, Eiffel Tower, Champs Elysees, Notre Dame, Arc du Triumph. Saw the Museums: D’Orsay, the Louvre. The Louvre was fabulous, but in my opinion, the D’Orsay was phenomenal. If you love art, the impressionist artist museum is a little bit of heaven.

Kim (my step mother) and I spent every morning waking up early, site seeing all day, then enjoying the delicious French food at night. However, I knew something was missing. Paris was amazing, and as soon as I took my first step on the Cobblestone Street outside my hotel, I knew Paris would be my favorite European city; so far, it still is. Now that I am married, I know what was missing. When you go to Paris, it is fabulous and lives up to every ideal that every little girl has of this iconic city. However, you must go back to Paris with a lover!

Doing Paris is a must in one’s life time. However, it must be done twice. You must go on your own or with a friend. Hit all the sites, do what you want to do. SEE EVERYTHING. That way, when you go back the second time with your significant other, you can relax and just enjoy the city as it is meant to be experienced.

When I went back with my husband, Jayda, it was like nothing I had ever experienced when I went with my step mom. There wasn’t this sense of urgency to fit everything in.

The first thing Jayda and I did was head to the Champ Elysees to see the Arc de Triumph. My favorite thing to do in any city, is of course, EAT. The best way to discover a culture, is to eat the food.

Being in Paris with a lover is just amazing. Paris is not just a romantic city for women, but men as well. I suddenly found my husband opening doors for me and holding my hand while we crossed the street. Paris brings chivalry back into relationships. This was a pleasant surprise.

The first night Jayda and I took a boat cruise on the Seine, it was nice to see all the sights along the river lit up at night, while drinking delicious French red wine. We had a delicious 5 course meal as well. Ending in, Jayda's favorite, French cheeses.

Jayda and I wandered home to our marvellous hotel (very old, but very perfect in such an old city) full of wine and food. It was so nice to be able to enjoy Paris and our evening, without the stress of having to wake up really early the next morning to see more “sites”.

The next day, Jayda and I decided to walk along the river and eat Paris’s street food. Street food in Paris is not like street food in any other city. Street food in Paris is absolutely divine. My favorite, Jambon et Fromage Crepe. An amazing crepe filled with a ton of cheese and perfectly salted ham. Jayda always goes for the classic, nutella crepe. Still delicious, but still not my jambon et fromage crepe!

We took that day easy, wandering around. Enjoying the city. Drinking café lattes every opportunity we had. we eventually made our way back to the hotel to get ready for our dinner. We just so happened to book, in advance, dinner on top of the Eiffel Tower.

I can honestly say, that to this day I have had 2 unforgettable meals of my life. One was in Florence, and the other, was this one in Paris.

We were sat by the window, facing out over the city. We started out with red wine, my favorite. We were then bombarded with 3 different plates of food. Small portions, but absolutely divine. My favorite, was the Crème Brule for dessert. It was a tiny little pot of vanilla crème, sugar encrusted heaven. Jayda, went for the cheeses again. However, I can never pass up crème brule.

I still don't know if that dining experience was more about the food or just the fact I was on top of the Eiffel Tower enjoying my dinner with my husband celebrating our 1 year wedding anniversary. Either way, it doesn't matter. One thing is for sure, I still dream in Creme Brule and Fromage et Jambon Crepes!

Being an American in Paris:

Everyone says how rude Parisians can be, however, I have typically found this not to be true. Until my second visit to Paris. I never found anyone to be rude, just getting irritated with Americans. The first time I went to Paris, trust me, I probably was that loud obnoxious American. This time, I have lived in England for a year, and was not used to hearing the American Accent or just being around Americans in general. The first thing I noticed in Paris was just how Americans thought they had to brag about everything. Their careers, where they have been so far on their European Holiday.

First off, you are speaking to a Parisian (or any European) who has probably been everywhere you have been to already, two times or more. Secondly, no one gets tips in Europe, so getting irritated for not having top notch service makes you look like an ignorant tourist. Lastly, discussing how much things have cost you does not matter. In Paris, the average Parisian gets 40 days paid holiday a year. So working their butt off to go on a 2 week vacation is not impressive.

EXAMPLE:
The first café Jayda and I happened to go to on our trip had people from all around the world dining in it. For good reason, prime view of the Arc De Triumph on the Champ Elysees We sat next to a group of Americans, discussing and doing everything mentioned above. Which, therefore, made me a target for rude service, being American. I ordered my favorite, Croc Monsier. A delicious fancy grilled cheese (essentially). However, it is WAY more than that.

After I ordered the waiter simply asked, in quite a rude way, DO YOU WANT FRIES WITH THAT?? I was appalled, being in France, why on earth would I eat French fries? Then I looked to my left, and there were the Americans, getting upset about how little portion of French fries they had received. At that moment, I had an out of body experience. I realized the reality and stigma being of being an American abroad. At that point, I decided that it was necessary not to act like an American abroad and attempt to get rid of the reputation we get.

This is a funny scene from the movie 2 Days in Paris. I think that its a funny way in showing the "American Abroad" stereotype being confronted by another American. It is a good example of how there are many different types of American Stereotypes, ironically enough, in this scene it is one American being rude to the other. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

My advice for any American travelling abroad is to just RELAX! Travelling is not a competition of who spent the most or has seen the most places. It is the complete opposite. The experience is different for everyone and is unique to each individual; as different people enjoy different things. Try to relax, have fun, and embrace the culture you are in. Whether its Paris to Peru.

That was my first and only bad experience with negative attitudes towards Americans abroad, but I try not to let it bother me too much. That's why I love travelling. Experiencing new things and learning something new; when it happens to be about yourself, it makes the experience even better.