Duchess of Cambridge & Scotland

For those of you who have yet to notice the description of my blog, I will share it with you. It says, "the life of a Kate Middleton wanna-be." Yes, I in fact are in love with her, idolize her, want her life, etc. I'm obsessed and my favorite compliment is to be compared to her (thank you Grandma & Fefawn!). My whole goal of coming to London was to get a chance to see her. I have one month left and time was running out. Well, don't you worry. This story has a happy ending. In fact, an AMAZING ending because I SAW KATE. In case you read that wrong I'll repeat it.. I SAW KATEEEEEEE. I freaked out. She's even more gorgeous and perfect in person. I can now say I saw the future king or queen as well!

Here's the story: My friend Emma saw on Twitter that Kate was going to a reception at the National Portrait Gallery Wednesday evening. It didn't specify a time so Emma and I planned to get there around 5ish. We were one of the first ones there and were actually at the front of the barricades. 2 hours later Kate arrived. The rest is a history. :) And a story I'll live to tell my grandchildren about one day.

I have a picture with Kate!!

This weekend I went to Scotland with ISA! We boarded our 4 1/2 hour train ride Friday morning and headed off to the land of kilts, Nessie, and coos. (Scottish speak for cows.) We toured Edinburgh castle, had tea at Elephant House - the place where JK Rowling wrote some of the Harry Potter books!! - and then went on a walking tour of Edinburgh that ended in the old haunted underground caves.

Saturday was a long day spent on a bus. We drove all around Scotland. While the landscapes were breathtaking, I was beginning to get incredibly nauceous. Thank goodness for dramamine. We drove all the way up to Loch Ness to search for Nessie! We went on a boat tour on the lake and sadly we didn't see her but I am now convinced she exists! Loch Ness is so large that all of the water in the UK combined still wouldn't be enough to fill it. You can go about 20 meters down and still see some sort of light at the top if you look up, but you really won't be able to see your hand in front of you. People know more about the surface of them moon than they do about Loch Ness. Nessie's down there somewhere!

Sunday we shopped a little and then began our 4 1/2 hour train ride back to London town. Good thing I had 3 great friends to entertain me!

Stay tuned for more adventure to come. Next stop: Barcelona, Spain :)

Italian Adventure

Italy, Italy, Italy. My feet may hate you but my stomach loved you. Our week was packed full of gelato, architecture, art, beautiful sites, more gelato, and amazing memories.

Our first stop was Rome. I have to say my proudest moment was after being in the city a total of 15 minutes, luggage in tow, and still at the airport, Allyse, Emma, and I had our first gelato. It was the perfect start to our trip. We took a bus from the airport to our adorable bed & breakfast. We were smarter this time and booked a 3 bed private room. It actually felt like we had the whole b&b to ourselves. It was wonderful! While the city was packed full of tourists and annoying men trying to sell you sunglasses, hats, and cheesy souvenirs, the city itself was beautiful. It was once again all of the sights I had seen in thousands of pictures and movies. (I was mainly replaying the Lizzie McGuire movie in my head the whole time.) and yet they all look different once you see them in person. Smaller, but more intricate and stunning than a picture could ever do justice. We toured the Colosseum, threw coins in the Trevi Fountain, sat on the Spanish steps with gelato in hand, toured the Vatican, and saw the Sistine Chapel. I loved the Italian sun shining down on me, and was actually beginning to sweat! Such a strange feeling.

Florence was the next destination on the trip. Our train arrived around 8ish in the morning and we were beyond exhausted. We walked to our hostel and sadly found out we couldn't check in until 3. We were already counting down until our nap! We decided to make the best of it and just wander around the city. We walked into a leather market, found the Duomo, and of course had some pizza and gelato. After finally getting our nap in we walked over to see that statue of David. Little did I know the statue is 17 feet tall. Incredibly impressive. The next day we met up with Allyse's friend who is studying in Florence. She was incredibly sweet and showed us all of her favorite local spots. The best gelato, an incredible sunset view from the top of the Piazza Michelangelo (although I thought I was going to die walking up those stairs), the best pizza ever from Gusta, and the secret bakery croissant. For those of you who don't know what a secret bakery is I shall explain. All of the shops in Florence get their baked goods from these bakeries. They start baking around midnight and then deliver their goods early in the morning. There's only about 5 of them in Florence and their doors are unmarked so you literally have to smell your way to them. Once you're close though if you have any sort of chocolate sense your nose will lead you right to it. It didn't take my friends and I long. Our final day we did some souvenir shopping, walked through a delicious food market, a precious antique market, and the coolest leather school. These students were amazing and made some of the most beautiful purses!

During our trip to Florence we took a day trip to Pisa. Of course we saw the iconic Leaning Tower of Pisa. We took the cheesy pictures, ate lunch, and then laid on the grass watching all of the other tourists taking pictures. It was a great day!

The last stop was Venice. I can definitely say we saved the most beautiful city for last. This was the Italy I had dreamed about. It was perfect. I urge anyone to see this place before it's gone. (Yes, sadly the city is sinking!) While we only had a day there we packed everything we could into it. Venice is made up of several islands, Burano & Murano, being some of the lesser known. Burano is known for its hand made lace and Murano is known for its glass blowing. Burano was adorable. It had all of these colorful houses and cute little shops! We then made our way back to the main island to see the famous Rialto Bridge and San Marco. The only downside to Venice was having to take a water taxi everywhere, while it can be a great way to see the city, those things are so slow!

The food. Pizza, pasta, gelato, it was like I was a bear going into hibernation and I needed to stock up on as much food as possible. It's safe to say I don't need to eat for a while now. I will however, dedicate my last few pictures to my favorite Italian meals. Feel free to drool all over your screen.

Ciao bella! 

Paris is Always a Good Idea

Well my friends, we've hit the final destination on my week long Euro-trip, and I have to say we saved one of the best for last. J'adore Paris. For as long as I can remember I've dreamed about seeing the Eiffel Tower. I've seen it in countless movies and thousands of pictures but nothing prepared me for setting my eyes on it for the first time. It was magical.

Allyse and I arrived to Paris Wednesday afternoon and as soon as the plane landed a huge smile spread across both of our faces. We had arrived. We made our way through the Paris metro to our airbnb apartment. There was a slight moment of panic when the concierge didn't have our reservation down and also didn't speak a word of English. Luckily Allyse was there and knew some French and we were able to get everything sorted out. The apartment was the perfect size for two and it's only flaw was no door to the bathroom. Strange. Once we had made ourselves at home our mission had become to find the Eiffel Tower. Little did we know that would be incredibly easy. We walked to the end of street and looked to the left and there was the magnificent beauty. We both had a moment and a loud scream might have escaped from my lips. We grabbed a baguette from a food stand and sat and ate them on a bench just staring at the Eiffel Tower. It was like a daydream. We then walked down to the Arc de Triomphe and down the Champs Elyseese just looking at all of the beautiful stores and architecture. The greatest moment was walking into Sephora and all of a sudden the workers formed two lines at the entrance and began dancing to Beyonce's Crazy in Love. Of course Allyse and I sang along. It became another one of those moments where I had to ask myself was this real life? Am I really in Sephora, on the Champs Elysese, in Paris, dancing to Beyonce? It was amazing. That night we left our apartment at 9:58 to go watch the Eiffel Tower sparkle at 10. It was incredible and beyond beautiful.

Thursday we woke up to the bright shining sun and explored the beautiful Jardin des Tileries. It had some beautiful blooming flowers. We then ventured to Notre Dame and rounded the corner to find the bridge with all of the love locks. Later we finally met up with Emma and her sweet parents to go on a boat and bus tour of Paris. The tour also included tickets to the top of the Eiffel Tower. While I'm terrified of heights and the elevator ride to the top made me want to curl into a ball on the ground, we were greeted with the most spectacular views of Paris. The sun was just setting and the sky was a mixture of pinks, yellows, and purples. I am so thankful to Emma's parents for treating us to this wonderful experience. The night came to a perfect ending with nutella crepes in front of the Eiffel Tower.

Friday we met Emma and her parents to venture to a cute little market that had the most delicious strawberries ever. I will dream about these for years to come. We then went our separate ways and Allyse and I went to explore the Louvre. We saw the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, Winged Victory, and so many more. I could spend hours in that museum. We finished our day with a little shopping and then all met up back for a delicious Italian dinner. Allyse, Emma, and I then took countless pictures with the Eiffel Tower. As we're standing there the most perfect rainbow appeared. It could not have gotten any better. The night again ended with crepes, I decided to switch it up and threw bananas in with my nutella. Party. Animal.

Saturday we took the train out to Versailles and walked through the beautiful gardens and former home of Napoleon and Marie Antoinette. While the sun had decided to go into hiding, my feet began to stage WWIII on my body, and we got pushed around by Asian tour groups, we made the best of it! I'm glad we went but I was definitely beginning to miss my London home. It was a strange feeling flying back and realizing in such a short amount of time how much I considered London my home. I had fallen in love with this city and I know it's going to be one of the hardest things to say goodbye. I am beyond thankful and blessed to be living the life I have right now. I am constantly in awe and having to remind myself that this isn't a dream.

I'd like to finish this blog by sending up a huge prayer for my family in Boston. I'm so glad you all are okay! It's moments like these that I'm reminded of the cruelty in this world and I'm praying for all of the people affected by this tragedy. I'm so grateful for the brave men and women responding to the injured and again am praying for their safety. We have to remember to appreciate each and every moment and try to live each day to the fullest. Each day is a blessing!

Prague

Prague. I’m not even sure where to begin. I guess the truth is I really didn’t know what to expect traveling there. I had heard nothing but good things about the city and I was really looking forward to going but I had no idea how much I would come to love it. It is absolutely beautiful. The architecture, the views, our hostel, throw out one cranky waitress and the trip was perfect.

Allyse and I arrived in Prague Sunday night and headed straight for our hostel. When we walked into our room I think both of our mouths dropped to the floor. Keep in mind we were both a little nervous because we had booked an 18 person mixed dorm, (don’t worry we questioned our judgment on that one as well), but we had an entire room to ourselves. Three guys were on the other half but were probably the nicest and funniest people we’ve met thus far, so we didn’t mind.  The room was clean, the beds were very comfortable, the showers.. one word: HUGE. It was perfect.

Monday morning we woke up bright and early to take in all of the sights. We headed to the river and walked across the famous Charles Bridge. It was built during the 1300s but today features various artists, bands, and cute little vendor shops. It offers up some of the most picturesque views of the city. We ate lunch at a bagel shop our hostel recommended and our stomachs left very pleased. After lunch we walked up to the top of the Prague Castle. If I thought the views from the Charles Bridge were pretty I had no idea what was in store for me there. We could see all of Prague. The cute red roofs, the river, the bridges, it was beyond breathtaking. We explored the city some more, ate Mexican food for dinner, and headed back to the bridge. I have to say the atmosphere of Prague changes at night and if it’s possible the city becomes even prettier.

Tuesday Allyse and I did one of our favorite activities, shopping. We walked around Old Town Square and into all the cheesy souvenir stores. While I’d like to claim I came up with my punny Facebook album title, Czech This Out, I actually saw it on a shirt there. (I also may have bought the shirt..) We also watched the huge astronomical clock in the middle of the square go off on the hour. While the clock is beautiful and slightly strange I really didn’t understand the fascination with it. It was very entertaining walking into the square though and seeing all of the people stopping and staring at it. One of my favorite parts of the day was sitting at a restaurant in the square just eating ice cream and talking with Allyse. We were there for a good three hours and then walked home in the pouring rain. While slightly miserable it was also hilarious. What a great travel buddy!

Prague, you were great to us. I know I will be returning one day to explore this beautiful city even more. 

Danke Germany

Germany, a trip that consisted of 2 non-German speakers, bratwurst, doners, no WiFi, crazy hostels, and tons of laughs.  

Our trip began on a rough start. It wasn't as if anything went wrong though. Our flight Friday morning left at 7:10. Getting there two hours before means we had to be there at 5 and good ol' London tubes aren't open yet. We had to leave our dorm at 3 in the morning to take 1 bus and 2 cabs to another bus that would drive us to the airport. Needless to say neither one of us really slept the night before. (I didn't sleep at all.) Once we finally landed in Germany I don't think either of us really knew what we had gotten ourselves into. "Lost in translation" has never fit so perfectly. We got extremely lucky, I'm talking God was on our side, and guessed the right train that led us into the heart of Cologne. We finally got to our hostel and although it wasn't exactly what we expected we were determined to make the best of it. We didn't want to let our exhaustion, our unfortunate hostel, and our lack of understanding German bring us down.

The rest of Friday we spent exploring the city. My favorite part of the day had to be the chocolate museum. If there's one thing that can turn my day around it's chocolate. We were in heaven. We watched how Lindt chocolate was made, all the way from the growing of the cocoa bean to the packaging of the finished product. It was probably the best museum I've ever been to. We even got a free sample!! We decided to turn in early that night, grabbed McDonald's for dinner (don't judge), and passed out.

Saturday morning we started bright and early for a day full of adventure. Apparently we were feeling adventurous, or stupid, and decided to climb the 533 steps to the top of the Cologne Cathedral. I’d be okay with never seeing a spiral staircase again in my life. Between my burning thighs, shaking legs, and heaving breathing I thought I was going to collapse on the stairs and Allyse would have to come back for me later. Clearly I’m out of shape. Dramatic Nicole aside, the view from the top was completely worth it. We were able to see the city for miles and were also able to get a better look at the intricate details of the Cathedral. It took 600 years to complete this thing and they're constantly working on it. It was beautiful. From there we grabbed lunch, which included our first local German meal, a doner. (Pronounced due-ner.) I have to say the Germans know what they’re doing. Allyse and I know when a meal is good when the talking between us stops. Minus the drink, which tasted like salt water, the meal was perfect. After lunch the true nerd in me came out. We were in Germany so of course we had to go to a war museum. (I blame you Dad for my fascination with WWII history.) The museum was actually housed inside the old Gestapo headquarters, known as the El De House. The basement was an old prison that had the tiniest cells. The Gestapo would put over 20 people in these things. There was writing all inside the cells. It included poems, writings to loved ones, calendars marking their days inside the cell, and inscriptions wishing the Americans would arrive soon. That was very cool to see. The top floors of the museum featured a timeline of Hitler rising to power all the way to the final days of the war. I’m already planning my next trip to Germany that’ll basically be a WWII tour. Ready Dad? Allyse and I were exhausted and hungry afterwards so we went and ate Italian for dinner, (I know I know), and crashed in bed.

Sunday, we did a little souvenir shopping and tried to kill time before our flight left. We ate a bratwurst for lunch, which again was delicious, and wandered around the shops a little. The greatest thing about traveling with Allyse is the fact that even though we were both exhausted and didn’t really feel like walking anymore, we were able to have the greatest time. We walked around the Cathedral taking pictures and laughing at our dumb selves. It was great.

When it was finally time to say goodbye to Germany we gladly left our hostel and hopped on a train to the airport. At the end of each trip I began asking Allyse to rank it on a scale of 1-10. While I would give Germany a 6ish, I wasn’t crazy about the overall city, I would give the trip a 9. I had an amazing time getting lost in the German culture and will definitely go back. (I’ll just pick a new city.)

Our hostel room..

Auf Wiedersehen!

Easter Weekend

Friday my friends and I finally ventured to Abbey Road and I might be biased but we nailed our crosswalk picture. Normally the street is packed with cars and people but we timed it just right, ran out and got the best picture. We were pretty proud. Later that day we went and saw the Passion Play in Trafalgar Square. It was so incredible gathering around with thousands of other people and watching the story of our Savior unfold. It was the perfect start to my Easter weekend.

The rest of the weekend was packed full of time well spent with my London family. I've loved spending time with them and the fact that we're becoming so much closer. It's great that we have so much in common! Our love for food, chocolate, movies, and pretty much anything is too perfect. Saturday I went to Sidcup and spent the afternoon at their Easter Festival. We painted eggs, made buttons, and even had our faces painted. That evening I went to mass at their local church and stood under the stars praising God. It was such a beautiful night! On Sunday we went and had a big family dinner at a Chinese restaurant on the river. 4 courses later and I have never been so full in my life. (Actually the next night when I had a kebab probably topped it.) 

Monday, Sian, Ciaran, and I went to the London Zoo. To say we were excited was an understatement. I had been dying to go for the longest time but was waiting for a sunny day. Well, waiting for sun in London is close to impossible and I'm running out of time here. Luckily we were blessed with a pretty nice day. The sun actually made an appearance for most of the afternoon!

Finally! It was also our excuse to get ice cream.

We saw lions, tigers, monkeys, giraffes, zebras, my list could go on and on. While Sian's favorite part was probably the butterfly exhibit, mine was by far the tigers. The zoo has a new tiger territory and it was great. Ciaran and I spent a good 10 minutes trying to get a perfect picture of the tiger. Most were rubbish but we did manage a few good ones.

The rest of my week I spent writing paper after paper. I'm trying to get all of my work done before I leave for my EuroTrip. In fact, in just a few short hours I'll be off to my first country, Germany! I cannot believe the time has finally come. I am literally speechless at the opportunities I have been granted and feel so blessed to be able to see my dream of traveling the world come true. Please pray for safe travels for my friends and I on our adventures! I apologize for the short post but I'm just saving you all time since the next few are bound to be packed full! Cheers!