London, Paris, Nice, and Amsterdam. They look like random words on a paper. They were, at one point, on a list of places I hoped to see some day. But by some stroke of luck or providence, I was able to spend two weeks traveling to Europe with my beloved, Ben, and Connie, my cherished friend. Before I get into what is probably going to be a photo heavy post, I feel it important to note how wonderful it is to be able to get on a train in London and be in Paris in no later than 2 hours! Anyway, our trip began in London. As the saying goes, so much to do, so little time. The next time I head to this lovely city, I will be sure to give it its due.

There were a lot of firsts on this trip. First time on a subway for one. Rather than hailing a taxi to our rented apartment, we got on the underground with our luggage. Somewhat of a tight squeeze but I felt relieved to see a lot of other people holding onto their luggage. First impression of the British? They are extremely well-dressed and leather jackets seemed to be a closet staple. It didn't take long before we got used to riding the underground. In fact, we helped a woman figure out which direction to go during one of our excursions. We're pros now! Having to tackle the city on foot was a unique experience. Lots of shops to see, gorgeous architecture, and many gardens to sneak through in the heart of the city. The food, especially, was a treat. We ate fish & chips, Indian food, delicious meat pies, sausage, and mash. Even though I knew we were going to France in a couple of days, couldn't resist purchasing macarons from Ladurée while we were there. My favorite flavors were: Marie Antoinette, Orange Blossom, and Pistachio. We spent 2 days here because we had an extra day at the end of our trip to explore more of London. Still, in that short amount of time, we saw Big Ben, Trafalgar Square, the Tate Modern, Harrods, and Borough Market. Purchasing seafood paella fresh and on-the-go was a dream come true!

LONDON.





Like I mentioned before, traveling from London to Paris on a 2 hour train ride seems incredible. I wish I could just get on a train from Houston to Dallas in the same time! As for Paris, the city of my dreams, the city most of my friends know as my #1 place to visit, the city I was finally stepping foot onto—it was everything and more! I'm sure there are many beautiful cities in the world which I have yet to see, but walking around Paris was a surreal experience. I used to look at photos in my French textbooks and on my computer; and now here I am, walking through the same streets I could only read about. I did get to exercise my French a bit in the city (always to inform the waiters on how we would pay for our bills) and felt ridiculously happy when ordering at the boulangeries and pâtisseries. I was sure if I could just spend more than three days, I would be mastering the language.

Out of all the cities we visited, I would have to say the food in France was impeccable. Like I said about firsts earlier, I ate prime steak for the first time at Le Louis. Also had my first taste of foie gras. It was on recommendation from the manager of Sacre Fleur. I tried making reservations at that restaurant but they were fully booked for the weekend. I was highly impressed that the manager suggested an alternative that had similar cuisine. We were not disappointed! The food at Le Louis was a feast for the eyes and the palate in that restaurant. The wine, of course, was equally delicious. I had been warned before that the wine and beer would be cheaper than the water (which was mostly true unless you got tap) but I don't regret the seemingly endless glasses of wine consumed in those two weeks. It was glorious.

In Paris, we visited Ladurée, Pierre Hermé, Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris, Jardin des Tuileries, Shakespeare and Company, Galeries Lafayette, and La Tour Eiffel! And if you noticed, two macaron shops. I certainly ate my weight in macarons but no regrets! Also enjoyed the ice cream from Berthillon. We enjoyed our scoops while sitting along the Seine. Just typing that sentence still makes me happy.

PARIS.





We took another train to Nice at the end of our third day in Paris. It was the latest train so we had to take a taxi to Vieux Nice, or Old Nice. It's a pedestrian-only area which was a nice change from dodging cars in the streets. Our hosts left a complimentary bottle of Rosé at the place too. Fantastic start! Our apartment faced the beach, literally a five minute walk straight forward before we could touch the water with our fingers.

It was chilly for our first day in Nice; there was even a light sprinkle around midday. It didn't dampen our trek through the old city which was truly a sight to see. I enjoyed a delicious pot of mussels on the first day and walked it off at a leisurely pace through the narrow streets. I found my favorite gelato there as well; it's Amaretto and I haven't found a flavor to push it from it's #1 spot yet. The shops in Old Nice had great items; leather bags, canvas bags, etc. I picked up a beret for my aunt there in a chapellerie; it was situated along a long open market with a lot of odds and ends. I ended up purchasing a small canister of Niçoise olive oil from A l'Olivier. They also sold these amazing hand cremes that I added to the bag as well.

Nice was a nice change from the fast-pace atmosphere of London and Paris. I think the old city definitely warrants a second visit.

NICE.





We're nearing the last leg of our Europe trip. Rather than take several trains, we took a short flight up to the Netherlands. The city yielded a lot of wonderful surprises. There was fresh gouda from a mini cheese museum and fresh stroopwafel from a mini stroopwafel museum. Also tried the Dutch pancakes—scrumptious! We came across an escape room and were able to do one without any reservations. And yes, we did beat it (in 48 minutes to be exact). There were a lot of sights to see but we ended up at the Anne Frank House. While it was a long line, it wasn't as long as I expected. Interestingly enough, the line we were in stood next to Rembrandt's burial place, Westerkerk, a church along the canal. We were warned that it could be an emotional experience and it was. I remember reading the Diary of Anne Frank in school and I remember trying to imagine what the rooms looked like. The house is incredible. We had to climb several sets of steep stairs to get through the whole walk. It's larger than I thought but the rooms themselves were small; made even smaller when compared to the photos on the wall showing the room decorated with furniture.

There are short videos placed along the journey through the house. It was these videos, these short interviews with people who knew Anne or other family members, that caused me to pause and blink back tears. Hearing her father's voice and trying to imagine coming back from something so terrible to look for a family that isn't returning...I don't know a word to describe what that would feel like, not adequately anyway. There is an opportunity to sign a guestbook at the end of the walk-through where you can write a few words about what you felt. I didn't write much but it felt cathartic to pen a few words.

Afterwards, we ended up walking a block along the canals to a small office offering boat tours along the canal. It was a nice way to see the city without walking everywhere. I really enjoyed seeing all the houses and was amazed to hear the prices the places could go for. You would have to at least be a millionaire to be staying in one of those places. We continued to stroll through the city and I picked a lovely box of socks made with bamboo. The packaging is darling (pictured below); each pair of sock neatly placed for each day of the week!

Before we left, we had a chance to try Indonesian food. It was an impressive spread and very flavorful. Plenty of meat, spices, and coconut milk. There was a side dish of mango which definitely took the edge off the heat.

AMSTERDAM.





We made the choice to take the Eurolines to head from Brussels to London. I've been on many greyhound buses before and the Eurolines was somewhat similar, even if the driver was not the nicest man. I tried to sleep for the drive but we had to keep waking up every three hours because of bathroom breaks and border patrol. Would not recommend this particular transportation service again! Fortunately, we arrived in London without any problems. We booked a hotel for our final stay and decided to do some last-minute sight-seeing. We caught the tail-end of the London marathon which seemed like a good sign for our last day in London.

It gave us a rare chance to take to the streets and enjoy a fairly deserted Buckingham Palace. A few photos on a random London road before we made our way to some shops, a quick visit to Ladurée, and a brief stop at Jo Malone before making our way to Hyde Park. We walked straight through the park and ended at the Kensington Palace and Gardens. A pretty garden indeed! Our last dinner was at The Blue Post and the food was delicious! The cider that came with my meal was especially sweet; perhaps sweeter due to the memories I've gained in the past two weeks.

LONDON.





In a fortnight, I'll be in Chicago and gearing up for a career in health care. I am lucky, so lucky, to have been able to visit these countries. I am happy that I could see new things, walk through streets rich with history, and feast on exquisite food.

Onto the next big adventure then.