Category Archives: European Escapades

Since we moved to Europe, we’ve been hearing about the wonderful Christmas markets in Germany and nearby countries.  So, this year, we decided it was time to visit one!  We selected Budapest, which is rumored to have one of the best Christmas markets outside of Germany (the powerhouse of Christmas markets).  Plus, we’d heard from several people that Budapest is a great city, so off we went!

After landing and taking a shuttle to our hotel in the castle district on the Buda side of the river (Budapest is split by the Danube, with Buda on one side and Pest on the other).  Since our hotel was in the castle district, we decided to explore it first, but not before a delicious lunch at Pest Buda where we sampled a wide variety of Hungarian cuisine and wines.  The pumpkin soup was perfect for a chilly day!

Matthias Church at twilight

The painted interior of the church

The exterior of the church from the Fisherman’s Bastion after nightfall

Our hotel had an incredible view of Pest.  We took some time to enjoy it before heading down the hill and crossing the river.

Hungarian Parliament at night…spectacular!

Crossing the Chain Bridge on our way to Pest

Finally, we made it to the Christmas market!  There were two:  one in front of St. Stephen’s Basilica and one in a different town square.  Our first stop:  the one in front of Ste. Stephen’s Basilica.  We even squeezed in a tour of the church while we were there.

Enjoying the Christmas market!

The interior of St. Stephan’s Basilica

Some of the cuisine on offer

Busy Christmas Market!

It’s hard to see in the following picture, but we went to a “ruin bar” after visiting the market.  We were curious to see exactly what a “ruin bar” is.  Ruin bars are located in the old Jewish quarter in buildings that had been left to decay following World War II.  It’s underground bar scene that has become wildly popular.  The building is literally a ruin–concrete walls, metal rods everywhere, very cool atmosphere.

The ruin bar

On the way back to our hotel, I just had to stop for a sip of one of my holiday favorites:  mulled wine!

Mulled Wine–YUM!

The next morning, we were walking past the Hungarian President’s home and happened to catch the changing of the guard–an unexpected treat!

Hungarian Changing of the Guard

Good morning, Budapest!

Our next stop was the Museum of Fine Arts for a Caravaggio and Canaletto exhibit.  John recently discovered Canaletto and is a huge fan.

At the Szepmuveszeti Museum (Museum of Fine Arts)

Next stop:  a tour of parliament!

A close-up exterior view

The beautiful ornate interior of Parliament

Inside the chamber!

Next, we visited the House of Terror, a museum with exhibits relating to the fascists and communist regimes of Hungary in the 20th Century.   This was a very moving museum, with a large focus on the plight of oppressed Hungarian people.  No photos were allowed inside, but I did get one of the facade and roof.

House of Terror

Our last stop of the day (before dinner) was one of the famous baths in Budapest.  We walked in from the street wearing heavy coats, proceeded to change into our bathing suits and head back outside to get in the water.  Such a mind trip.  Sadly, I forgot my camera in the locker room while we were in the pools, but I did manage to get a shot afterwards!

The thermal pools. Such a treat in the cold weather!

On our way back to the Christmas markets for dinner, we found this castle!

Pretty excited about this castle

Our dinner–Hungarian Goulash. Really delicious and hearty!

Our final morning in Budapest, we set out fairly early, because we only had a half-day.

Parliament by day!

View of Buda Castle and our nearby hotel

Palacsinta. So glad we tried this (thanks Lincoln for the recommendation!)

Last, we visited the Dohany Street Synagogue–the largest is Europe!

Dohany Street Synagogue

We visited in the middle of Hanukkah!

The interior of the synagogue

John wearing his yarmulke

Memorial to those who were lost in the 1940’s.

Though we only spent 2 days there, we found that we really loved Budapest and really felt like we got to know the city.  The people were friendly, the food was delicious, and the vibe was cool.  Budapest, we will be back!

For our fifth wedding anniversary, we took off on a cruise to Scandinavia and Russia.

We headed out from Harwich, England–just a quick train ride away from London.

On the deck in cloudy Harwich, England.

First stop:  Copenhagen, Denmark where we toured a Design Museum, saw some churches, and enjoyed the RedBull Cliff Diving Championships.

First stop: The Design Museum. The Danish are famous for their design skills.

John checking out some of the unique designs.

We happened upon the RedBull Cliff Diving Competition. They were diving off of the Opera House into the harbour!

Picturesque street in Copenhagen.

Watching the Cliff Diving Competition from our perch on a fountain

That night, en route to Stockholm, the ship went under the Oresund Bridge, the bridge that connects Denmark and Sweden.

Beautiful bridge.

Next stop:  Stockholm, Sweden where we toured an old Cathedral, the Nobel Museum and took a lovely walk along the waterway.

St. George and the Dragon. A common theme in Stockholm.

St. George and the Dragon in Stockholm Cathedral (made of antlers)

The Nobel Museum: home of the Nobel Prize!

Picturesque Stockholm

After leaving Stockholm, we sailed through the Swedish Archipelago to get back to open ocean. It took us HOURS to get through it and it was absolutely gorgeous!

On the front of the ship enjoying the view

Simply beautiful

Next stop:  Helsinki, Finland!  While here, we toured several churches, visited a very cool modern art museum and shopped at a local street market.

Temppeliaukio Church (built into a rock)

The Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma

Trying out the artwork

Snack in the market!

Uspenski Orthodox Church

When we got back to the boat, we got to enjoy some Wimbledon from the hot tub!  This became a regular occurrence 🙂

Wimbledon 2013:  Best seats in the house!

Next stop:  St. Petersburg, Russia!  We did something we don’t normally do in Russia:  we went on a guided tour.  Typically, as Americans, we would need a tourist visa to enter Russia, but on a ship guided tour, this wasn’t the case.  That being said, we are SO glad we did the tour.  Our guide was knowledgeable and we got to see so much more than we would have otherwise!

Catherine Palace at Pushkin. I decided to match 🙂

Very ornate

Be sure to check out our awesome shoes!

Exterior

When in Russia…enjoying some vodka shots with our lunch. They were included 🙂

Saint Isaac’s Cathedral. Look at all that gold!

Peter and Paul Cathedral

Tombs inside Peter and Paul Cathedral, where the emperors and empresses of Russia are buried (Nicholas II, the last Russian czar is buried here).

Church on Spilt Blood. Unique and beautiful!

Our favourite sight of the day.

At the “White Night Party”. At this point it’s almost midnight!

The fountains and Gulf of Finland at Peterhof Palace

The fountains are all gravity powered. This was in the morning just before they were all turned on

This palace was as beautiful as Versailles

The fountains were unreal!

Matryoshka dolls. We like to call them Babushkas, but apparently that is an incorrect usage of that name.

Next, we toured the Hermitage museum, which used to be the Winter Palace of the Czars.  As a result, the building was gorgeous as was the art work.  This museum definitely exceeded our expectations!

A beautiful palace AND artwork? Yes please!

Inside the Hermitage Museum. Checking out some paintings that were discovered in an attic somewhere a few years ago.

John discovered the veduta style of painting at the Hermitage. It’s now one of his favourites!

If we had to choose one museum in the world as our favourite, this is the one. So, we had to stop for a photo.

Next stop:  Tallin, Estonia!

Tallin was a charming city that had a medieval feel to it.  We enjoyed the storybook streets and delicious food and drink!

First, we opted to climb a tall church tower to get the lay of the land.

Tallin, Estonia

Former KGB Headquarters. Notice the bricked-in basement windows.

The “most romantic street in town”

The Old Square

Snack time! John is fishing a pickle out of a barrel.

Trying the elk stew the traditional way: no spoons. Drink straight from the bowl!

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

Trying the local dessert wine made from apples at the cosy wine bar Gloria Veinikelder.

That night on the ship, we went to our first “Silent Party.”  Everyone is given headphones and the music is played through those.  If you aren’t wearing headphones, it’s hilarious, because everyone is dancing to what looks like no music!

On the dance floor: our first silent party!

Our final stop:  Gothenburg, Sweden.  After touring so many towns, we decided to take a break on this day and stay near the port.  Fortunately for us, this is where the Volvo Museum is located!  I drove a Volvo in high school and college, so it was fun to come to where the company started.  The museum was interesting and focused on more than just cars.  John’s favourite part was the Volvo Ocean Race!

I’m a Volvo girl!

Cool exhibit on the Ocean Race

Enjoying the classic cars!

One final shot in front of our ship!

We loved our time in Scandinavia and found cruising a great way to see this part of the world.  It was also great that we left a short train ride from our home in London.  What a fantastic anniversary holiday!!

CB here again–determined to get this blog up to date!

One of my best friends from my time in Singapore, Kerry, is originally from a town in the North of England called Wigan.  Shortly after the cruise, she was in town visiting her family and invited me up for a vist.  So, I hopped a train and headed to Wigan for a couple of nights.  I had such a wonderful time–she has such a sweet family and I truly enjoyed getting to know them.  I love visiting different parts of the UK.  People in different areas have different personalities and cultures, much like in the USA.  The people of the north are much friendlier and more outgoing than people tend to be in London.

During my time in the north,  not only did I get to visit Wigan, but Kerry and I ventured to Blackpool and Liverpool.  We certainly packed a lot into two days!

Our day in Blackpool was very windy–but that didn’t stop us from playing mini golf and riding a few rides!

Kerry playing miniature golf

While walking down the boardwalk, we happened upon this tidal organ.  The tidal changes push water through the pipes creating different notes.  You can actually hear the organ play as you walk by.  It’s quite a muddled tune, but still pretty cool!

Blackpool Tidal Organ

Chippy for lunch!! Delicious!

Taking a ride on the very old very rickety ferris wheel!  Notice the wind!

Next, onto the theme park for some more rides and fun!

Taking a ride on the train!

The last show we caught at the park was crazy!  It was a high dive team from Mexico doing all kinds of stunts, such as setting themselves on fire and diving into a tiny pool of water.  The scariest of these was one diver who dove from a 25m (82 ft) platform into a pool of water that was only 3m (10 ft) deep.  He also set himself on fire–remember it was a windy day.  I just kept thinking to myself that this is one of those crazy news stories you read about–when something goes wrong.  I’m happy to say–he successfully made the dive.

High dive!!!  Can you spot him up there?

The following day, we hopped a train to Liverpool to go exploring!

At the Cavern–where the Beatles got their start!!

After wandering the streets of Liverpool and checking out the Cavern (it really feels like a cavern as it’s pitch black and underground) we headed to the docks for lunch.  I had no idea–until we got to the docks–that this is where the White Star Line (the company of the Titanic) was based.  We perused an exhibit on the Titanic and then grabbed one of our famous two and a half hour meals (mostly talking, not eating, I assure you).  Then, we took one final shot before heading back to Wigan so I could catch my train to London.

At the docks in Liverpool

I had such a fantastic time in the north.  A big thanks to the Staynings for being such incredible hosts–it was so nice to meet you all!  Kerry–I miss you!!!  🙂

For our anniversary this year, we took a cruise in the Mediterranean.  It’s been a dream of mine (CB) to go to Venice.  So much of a dream, in fact, that when John proposed to me in Las Vegas, he did so at the Venetian.  Before he asked me to marry him, he handed me a map and asked me to stand up to read it.  I stood, opened it– it was a map of Venice.  Written in Sharpie on the map was “I wanted to go to Venice this weekend, but we’ll have to save this for the honeymoon.”  When I put down the map, he was on one knee and proposed.  When it came time for our honeymoon, we were a mere six weeks away from a move to Asia, so John (he planned a surprise honeymoon) decided–correctly–that Costa Rica at a few hours away was a better choice than flying across the Atlantic.

Now, we live closer to Italy which makes a trip to Venice a possibility.  So, for our anniversary this year, John planned a Mediterranean cruise that spent two days in Venice.  We had a really amazing time.  We left London from London City Airport, which is off of the Docklands Light Railway and not far from where we live.  We arrived in Barcelona and headed straight to the ship.

Adios Barcelona!

Our first stop was Cannes in the south of France, home of the film festival.  It was definitely a playground for the rich and famous.

Tons of boats!

At the hilltop monastery

Next, onto Italy!  We docked at a port not far from Pisa, so we hopped a train to see the leaning tower.  We were amazed when we got to Pisa, the leaning tower is just one part of the beautiful architecture there.  We explored a gorgeous cathedral, baptistry, and a couple of related museums.  The leaning tower, however, is definitely the jewel of Pisa.  I was amazed by how much it actually leans–it is incredible that it has leaned for so long and still stands (albeit, with some recent restoration work).

It really leans!

The beautiful cathedral

Back on the boat 🙂

The next day, we had a relaxing day on the boat!

I love the towel animals 🙂

Next stop, Naples!  Originally, we were going to dock in Sorrento, but the night before we were to arrive, authorities found an unexploded shell in the water from the Second World War!  Needless to say, the closed to the port to all traffic, and we ended up a few kilometres north in Naples.  Upon arriving in Naples, we took a ferry to the gorgeous island of Capri.

On a boat tour around the island!

Lovers’ arch. You’re supposed to kiss as you go underneath 😉

Gorgeous emerald grotto. The photo doesn’t do it justice.

After our boat tour, we grabbed some gelato and headed up the hill to take in the gorgeous views.  So so beautiful!

Amazing view with an amazing guy!

Back in Naples, we knew we had to get some pizza since it is the birthplace of pizza.  It was a great success!

Delicious pizza in Naples!

The best pizza EVER. Marinara pizza. So good!

Mount Vesuvius in the distance…

Back on the boat, we’re enroute to VENICE!!!!!  To get to the port in Venice, the cruise ship actually had to go through one of the canals.   What an amazing introduction to the city!

Cruising into Venice!!!!!!!

On the ferry into the city–Piazza San Marco in the background! Yay!!!!

We spent our first night in Venice wandering the canals and getting lost.  It was, truly, amazing.  Venice is one of those rare cities that is as beautiful in person as it is in photographs.  Like a storybook.  Definitely worth the wait.

My sweet romantic husband in Venice. 🙂 Side story: be wary of street vendors–you would think we would have learned that by now!

Fantastic canal side dinner!

We weren’t “lost.” We could see where we needed to be. Problem was: no bridge!

The next day we spent doing “touristy” things like exploring the Palazzo Ducale (Doge’s Palace) complete with the Bridge of Sighs, the Ponte di Rialto (Rialto Bridge), and some assorted cathedrals.

View from the Bridge of Sighs

Ponte di Rialto!

So lucky we didn’t fall in!

Ciao Venice!!!!

Our next stop was Koper, Slovenia.  The people of Slovenia were amazingly kind.  They don’t get a lot of ships in Koper, so they were very welcoming to us.  We explored the old town and had glasses of wine for 1 Euro each!  They also had fabulous olive oil.

Charming storybook city centre in Koper

Loved Koper!!!

Our final port was Split, Croatia.  Split is a unique town as it’s built in the ancient ruins of the palace of the Roman Emperor Diocletian.  Modern storefronts peak out of ancient palace walls.  Even the roads are worn and original.  It was an incredible city, built on the coast below gorgeous limestone mountains.  While there, we explored the ruins, grabbed a drink, and enjoyed on of our final days of warm summer weather.

John wandering through the ancient narrow streets of Split.

The top of the tower in Split.

Goodbye, Split! It’s been awesome!

Final view of Split as we’re sailing away…

After two more days at sea, we returned to Barcelona where we caught a flight back home to London.  What an amazing adventure this was!  I’m so grateful for my sweet husband who planned the whole adventure–I’m such a lucky girl!!! 🙂

Shortly after Lucy’s graduation, John’s cousin Kaitlyn graduated from high school in Stuttgart, Germany.  We made the trip over for the ceremony and were able to spend an extra day there with family.  I had a great time and I know John enjoyed the break from studying 😉

Kaitlyn graduated from an American high school on the base there.  She heading to the US Air Force Academy this fall (actually, this summer for training).  We are proud of you, Kaitlyn!

John and me enjoying a very German aspect of the graduation.

Graduated!

With the graduate!

Everyone!

The next day, we were up bright and early and off on our next adventure:  a Rhein River cruise.  Well, I say we were up early.  Most of us got up and into the van and went back to sleep while Aunt Linda drove us to the port.  We got on the first boat out and cruised up the river to Boppard.

So pretty!!!

Aunt Linda, Jake, and Kaitlyn enjoying the ride!

Leaving Boppard–such a cute town!

Then we stopped in St. Goar to check out some cool castle ruins and hit a few shops, including a shop with the world’s large cuckoo clock and beer stein!

Exploring the castle!

Aunt Linda with the world’s biggest cuckoo clock!

After visiting St. Goar, we hopped back onto the boat for a final time to head back to the port where the van was waiting.

One final glance down the river…

It’s hard to believe we spent less than 48 hours in Germany this trip–we saw and did so much!!  We had such a great time, Sanborns.  Thanks again for having us!!!!

Our latest adventure was a trip to Krakow, Poland.  It seems random, but we found a great deal online and had a bit of time, so off we went!

The gate at Auschwitz which means "Work Results in Freedom"

Our first day there, we signed up to take a tour of Auschwitz and Birkenau–concentration camps just an hour’s drive from Krakow.  In fact, most of Krakow’s Jewish population ended up there.  The bus ride to the camps included a documentary on the liberation of the camps, so it really helped set the scene for what we were about to see.

Guard House

We stepped off the bus and there it was:  Auschwitz.  I read Night by Eli Weisel a couple of times when I was in school.  It was humbling to be visiting the same place where he suffered so much.  The craziest part was knowing that literally a million other Jews suffered in a very similar way, but didn’t live to tell their stories.

Auschwitz is now a museum dedicated to telling the stories of the victims.  We saw suitcases marked with names, eye glasses, shoes, human hair that was shaved from the victims.  We even saw a piece of cloth made from the hair.

Suitcases...

After chemical tests were run on the cloth, they found traces of the gases used to kill the women.  What was most striking was how much the Jews believed they were being relocated for jobs–not to a death camp.  This was evident in what they brought:  shoe polish, combs, suits, etc.  The people marched into the gas chambers believing they would come out.  We saw the death wall, where more than 10,000 people were shot execution style.  There was also a small jail within the camp, which included standing cells (up to 10 people would be kept in a tiny room, with no way to sit down) and a cell with no ventilation where people would suffocate to death.

Gas Chamber

The most eerie part of our tour of Auschwitz was actually walking through a gas chamber.  Knowing we were standing in a place where tens of thousands of people died was very powerful.  Looking up, I saw the openings in the ceiling where the gas was administered.   On the way out of the “crematorium,” we passed by the ovens where the bodies would have been burned.  Our tour guide told us that her grandparents lived about 30 km away from Auschwitz during the war and on windy days, they could smell the flesh burning in the fires at the camps.  Horrible.

Tracks leading into Birkenau

Our second stop on this tour was Birkenau a much larger camp.  Birkenau had 4 crematoriums (gas chambers) all of which were destroyed around the time of the liberation.  The train tracks still run through the camp, complete with an original cattle car that was used to transport the victims to the camp.  We took a quick lap around this large camp, saw a memorial, and then headed back to the bus.  It was quite a sobering day, so we grabbed a late lunch, and wandered about the city square, which has been around since the 13th century and houses a beautiful market full of all kinds of local crafts.

Main Square

The next day, we were off to explore the city of Krakow.  In the morning, we took a free city tour (highly recommend if you go to Krakow) where the tour guides make their living off of tips.  The city tour lasted 2.5 hours and included everything from the main market square, to the medieval city walls, and even the Wawel Castle where the Wawel dragon once lived.  The tour was a lovely overview of the history of Poland and of Krakow.

In the Jewish Quarter, in an area used to film Schindler's List

We grabbed a local lunch (delicious) then headed back to the meeting point for another free tour:  their Jewish tour.  This tour took us to the Jewish quarter of town, which was full of synagogues, cemeteries, and traditional Jewish restaurants.  Then, we made the walk over the bridge (just like the Jews did in the 1940’s) to the Jewish ghetto.  It’s worth mentioning at this point that Schindler’s factory from the famous movie Schindler’s list was located in Krakow.  As a result, most of the movie was filmed in the city.  We walked over the bridge the Jews walked over when they were made to move to the ghetto and saw where many of the horrific scenes were shot.  Some of the wall around the ghetto still remain.  Although Schindler’s factory is no longer standing, we went to the sight where there is now a museum.

At "Singer"

After that tour, we had a drink at a bar where all of the tables are Singer sewing machines, then had some local “Jewish fare” at one of the local restaurants then went to listen to some jazz.

The next morning, we were off to Wawel Castle!  This is where the elected Polish king reigned and it is home to one of the most outstanding collection of tapestries in the world!  We toured the State rooms, the royal private apartments, and even had a peak in the chapel.

John with St. Mary's in the background

Then, we were off to St. Mary’s–the flagship church of the main square.  You can also see the inside of the church in Schindler’s List.  It was beautiful–and it imagine it was built in the 1200’s–amazing!!

After some Polish tapas including some amazing pierogi, we were on the way to the airport to head back to London.

Thanks for reading everyone!!

Less than a week after Steve and Lindsey left for the US, we had another visitor:  John’s younger sister, Lucy!!!  Lucy turned 18 a few days before arriving in London, so we had to celebrate in style!  We went to the Lion King in the West End (London’s version of Broadway) and then to an Italian dinner, since Lucy claims she is very much Italian.  The show was amazing–if you haven’t seen it, go see it for the costumes alone.  Brilliant!

John getting into the art at the Louvre

The next morning, we were up and off again this time on the Eurostar (via the Chunnel) to Paris!  Lucy and I had never been to Paris, but we knew it was going to be amazing.  We even got to meet up with Aunt Linda and Kaitlyn once we got there.  The five of us were about to embark on Extreme Paris, 2012!

When we got to the Louvre, we each got a Paris Museum Pass.  If you ever go to Paris and are planning to see a lot of sights you MUST get one!  It’s good at over 60 museums and attractions (including Versailles) and costs 54 Euro for 4 days.  We would have easily spent twice that if we had paid an entry fee at every site we saw.  It was brilliant!

Lucy at the Louvre!

So, we spent our first few hours at the Louvre.  This museum is massive!  There are so many beautiful paintings, sculptures, and you even get to take a peek at Napoleon’s apartments.  We also managed to fight through the crowd to see the Mona Lisa.  After the Louvre, we took a stroll down the Seine to the Eiffel Tower where we enjoyed some Crepes, cheese, and crackers in the park (no wine allowed, unfortunately).  We did buy a bottle and had a restaurant uncork it only to find out we couldn’t drink it in the park.

The whole crew on top of the Arc de Triomphe

After our picnic in the park, we took a lovely night cruise down the river and ended our evening with a beautiful evening view of Paris and the Eiffel Tower from the Arc de Triomphe.  After the long walk back to our hotel, we passed out.  Great first day!

Gorgeous Sainte Chapelle

The next morning, we woke up bright and early, had some croissants, and went to La Sainte Chapelle, a beautiful 13th century church with breathtaking stain glass windows.  They are in the process of cleaning the windows now, but they truly are brilliant.  The windows tell stories from the Bible.  It was nice to sit in a chair and just stare at them, watching the stories unfold.

Beautiful ladies on top of the Notre Dame

After Sainte Chapelle, we headed to the Notre Dame.  The inside of the Notre Dame is beautiful, albeit a bit touristy.  The amazing part of the Notre Dame is the rooftop, where you can get up close and personal with the gargoyles and enjoy amazing views of the city.

Notre Dame

We also had a chance to visit the bell tower, where Quasimodo is said to have lived.  It would have been very lonely and extremely loud up there.   After the Notre Dame, we headed underground to view the first known ruins of Paris!  The first part of the settlement was on the island where the Notre Dame is today.  It was pretty cool to see the original remains of a now world renowned city!

Gorgeous walk along the Seine

After a delicious lunch of Croque Monsieur, we did some shopping along the Seine.  There were beautiful paintings, posters, old books, and lots of Paris souvenirs.   John and I found a lady doing water color paintings on the spot!  We snapped one up to add to our collection.  Eventually, we made our way to the Musee D’Orsay, another large art museum full of Monets, Reniors, and Van Goghs.  No photos were allowed inside, but I can assure you it was amazing.  I’d seen a lot of these paintings at various points in my education, but seeing them in person was awesome!

Beautiful Basilica

After the Musee D’Orsay, we took the metro up to Montmarte, a hilltop over looking the city to watch the sunset.  Unexpectedly, we were entertained by a delightful singer and a few guys twirling and breathing fire.  We even had a chance to tour the church, The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris, at the top of the hill.

The next morning, we were up early again and off to Versailles!  (Being from Kentucky, it takes every inch of my brain to pronounce it with a “sigh” at the end instead of a “sails”.  If you’re not from KY, there is a town there called Versailles, but pronounced Ver-sails.  Don’t make fun–it’s the way it is.)

Sibling buddies at Versailles!

The Palace of Versailles was something else.  The opulence alone was breathtaking and to think of all that occurred there was extremely fascinating.  We stood at the gate where the peasants revolted against Louis XI and Marie Antoinette.  The inside of the palace was immaculate, no detail left to chance.  My favorite part was the Hall of Mirrors (mirrors being a sign of wealth).  Simply stunning.

Playing around in the gardens

We also had a chance to roam around the gardens, which were still very nice, although not in bloom, and see two other “palaces” on the property, the Grand Trianon and the Petite Trianon.  These were like summer homes when they tired of Versailles.  Amazingly, they were walking distance from the palace.  The Petite Trianon was Marie Antionette’s favorite where she had a village recreated close by so she could be among the people.  I remember something about her having the sheep died to match her hair color (i.e. pink).  Of course, this was all a very expensive fabrication.

Eiffel Tower: on stair 4 of 668.

After a quick lunch, we grabbed a train back to the Eiffel Tower.  We still needed to go to the top!  We decided to be adventurous and take the stairs– 700 stairs to the second tier.  It was quite the journey, but we were able to pull it off.  🙂  The view from the top is gorgeous.  There are no other buildings in the city that even come close in height, which allows you to really take in all of Paris, well, except for the Eiffel Tower, since you are in it!

Under the Eiffel Tower

After some time at the top, we headed back down and caught the Metro to Aunt Linda’s favorite sight in all of Paris:  The Pompidou!

The Pompidou is a neat building with the outside of the building resembling what the inside should look like (pipes, etc.) and the inside resembling the outside (brickwork).  The Pompidou also houses a modern art museum.  John and I enjoy these museums (not because all of the art is beautiful, but a lot of the statements made by the artists are interesting).  The rest of our crew didn’t find this museum as interesting as we did…enough said.  🙂

John enjoying some modern art!

After our quick trip through the museum, we had a delicious French dinner.  I had beef with shallots on top and ratatouille and some red wine–DELICIOUS!!!  After our nightly crepe, we headed back to our hotel.

The final morning in Paris, we had a couple more things to knock out.  First we went to the Musee de l’Orangerie to view the large Monets.  By large, I mean four paintings take up an entire massive room.  They are simply marvelous–his masterpiece.

The ladies at the Opera!

Then we went to the Opera Garnier–the opera house made famous by the Phantom of the Opera.  This opera house was grand–some parts even beating out Versailles in opulence, I have to admit.  We did not see the Phantom, though, which was a bit of a disappointment.

Next, we grabbed our bags and headed to the Eurostar to come back home to London.  Lucy stayed a couple of more days and we hit the Tower of London, the British Museum, Camden Market, etc.  It was a very busy week.  It was so great having Lucy here!!!  🙂  Come back anytime–we’ll have another adventure!

Thanks for reading, everyone!  More to come soon.

So glad you came, Lucy!!!

We’ve had a whirlwind of visitors lately, the first being John’s brother Steve and his girlfriend Lindsey who joined us in London for their spring break!  They were able to do a ton of sightseeing around London and we even managed to squeeze in a three day trip to Barcelona!

In the square, ready to explore!

Of course we took the 7am flight out of London to maximize our time in Spain, so when we arrived, we were feeling pretty sleepy.  Fortunately, we were staying on La Rambla, a busy pedestrian street in the middle of Barcelona, so we were walking distance from most places!  Our first day, we had a nice Spanish breakfast, headed to a delicious food market that we would frequent several more times during our holiday, and went to see the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia, a beautiful 14th century Cathedral in the gothic quarter.

I found the chocolate in the market!!!

This cathedral included a rooftop walk where we could take in beautiful views of the city–from the Mediterranean up to the hillside.  By this point we were ready for our siesta (when in Spain…).  We then enjoyed a delicious Spanish dinner, including squid cooked in it’s own ink, some interesting jazz and headed back to bed.

The next morning began with delicious parma ham sandwiches and fresh fruit juice from the market.  After an hour of wandering around trying to figure out Spanish Ticket Machines (grrr…) we started our day of sightseeing with the Picasso Museum (a huge museum dedicated to Pablo Picasso’s work).  I had no idea how diverse his work was.

Picture taken through the glass on the staircase. Looking through the glass makes you feel like you're underwater!

The museum was set up chronologically, and you can truly see his growth and maturation as an artist.  After this museum, we headed to the Casa Batllo, an apartment building designed by Antoni Gaudi.  Gaudi certainly had a unique vision, this building taking the form of something you would find under the sea.  The lines were all curved, tons of blues adorned the walls, and you could find seashells almost everywhere you looked.  After this, Steve and Lindsey went to another Gaudi sight while John and I had a snack.  We then wandered down La Rambla, found some great artwork, had some paella and sangria.  Then we met Arenaldi who so kindly directed us to an Irish pub where we spent the remainder of the evening.  You can’t make this stuff up.  🙂

After some yummy paella and lovely sangria!

Up and at ’em early the next morning.  I ran to the market to grab us some breakfast and then we piled into a taxi to view Gaudi’s incredible unfinished masterpiece:  Sagrada Familia.  Gaudi began work on this in 1883 and it was a quarter of the way finished when he died in 1926.  The expected date of completion is 2026–the centennial of Gaudi’s death.

Sagrada Familia

The cathedral is simply breathtaking…we spent more than two hours there, admiring the facades (every side of the building is the completely different, each telling part of Christ’s narrative), taking in the interior (it looks like something out of Willy Wonka), and marveling at the sheer creativity required to create something this grand and this unique–especially almost a century ago.  To top it off, Gaudi is buried beneath this cathedral, in a small but grand chapel.

At Gaudi's Park

To complete our Gaudi tour of Barcelona, we ventured to the Park Guell, a whimsical park designed by Antoni Gaudi that offers brilliant design as well as amazing views of Barcelona and the Mediterranean.  Each area of the park seemed to have a different theme and the mosaic work was extremely impressive.  The highlight of our trip to the park, however, was a band called The Mananers.  They are a reggae band, who put on an amazing show in the park.  John and Steve were so impressed, they bought the CD.  🙂

After our adventure in the park, we had a bit of time before our flight to do some exploring.  First we went to another cathedral in the Gothic Quarter, the one that inspired Gaudi’s work in the Sagrada Familia.  It was neat to see the inspiration that led to the masterpiece.

Beautiful Barcelona!

Then, John and I hit the Museum of Contemporary Art, while Steve and Lindsey strolled down Las Ramblas and did a bit of shopping.  After that it was off to the airport to catch our flight!  What a whirlwind of a trip, but we saw a ton!

Steve and Lindsey spent a few more days in London with us after our Spanish adventure!  We got to tour the Houses of Parliament (amazing!) and even fit in some time at a Speakeasy.  That was definitely a great week.  Come back and see us soon, you two!  🙂