Llueve, Orsay Museum, and Final Day in Paris

I have always dreamed of going to Paris and I finally got to go. I would definitely say I was able to see everything I wanted to for a weekend trip. I really loved the look of the city and how truly romantic everything was. I can't wait to share that experience with Andy one day. I feel so blessed and so glad that I was able to go. Paris definitely didn't let me down for all of my years of expectations.

Today we went to the Llueve and saw the Mona Lisa. It is definitely still in really good condition and I had to fight my way to the front of it to be able to take a picture. The Llueve is actually a palace that has been converted into a museum and it's absolutely beautiful and each room really goes with the theme of the exhibit. For example in the Ancient Rome room with Borghese sculptures there were extremely elaborate ceilings with gold and 3-D sculptures popping out there were very over dramatic and similar to the architectural style I saw while in Rome.

I really enjoyed seeing Napoleon's apartment which was so much more magnificent than I was expecting. There were chandeliers everywhere and just extravagant and beautiful room after another. It was definitely worth seeing in the Llueve.

I left the Llueve early to see the Orsay Museum and to their insane Impressionist collection. I have never seen so many paintings that I recognize in one room in my entire life. It was definitely the highest point of my entire life as far as art cultural experiences go. They had Monet, Degas, Whistler, Pisarro Sicily, Renoir, Van Gogh and so many others. I was so glad that I was able to go in and have an hour to see the paintings because it was truly amazing to be in the same with them.

Paris treated me extremely well and I cannot wait to go back. The people were not the kindest but the city was absolutely everything I could've hoped for.

I am ready to begin my final week and prepare for heading home to my wonderful husband in Charlotte.

Notre Dame, Arc De Triomphe, Eiffel Tower....

Today was a perfect day spent in Paris. I absolutely couldn't imagine spending it any other way under these circumstances (2 1/2 days on a school trip). First, I slept in and then visited the Notre Dame Cathedral. It was very beautiful on the outside and the best part about the inside was definitely the stained glass windows. I also snuck in a few pictures of the gargoyles on the roof. After we left the cathedral I had the most wonderful banana and chocolate crepe for lunch just right around the corner from the exit. I mean it was honestly one of the best things I've ever eaten.

After that we went to Lafayette Galleria which is like a Nordstrom or Saks on crack. It was the most beautiful department store I have ever seen and it felt like it was never ending. You could literally spend an entire day in just that store if you wanted. I bought some Marc Jacobs perfume because I really wanted to have a new fragrance that I bought in Paris. Dailey and I walked around for a long time because they had a lot of really amazing stuff and it was so pretty on this inside with every designer on the planet with skinny TV screens of models walking down the runway (as if I'm not intimidated enough to go in their section, seeing models wearing the clothes doesn't exactly help your self esteem).

Once Dailey and I were able to escape from our need to walk around beautiful clothes we headed back to the hotel and grabbed some dinner on our way to the Arc de Triomphe which has the most amazing view of the city at dusk. I was able to get some amazing pictures of the Eiffel Tower and the rest of the city with the sunset in the background.

After that we ran to the metro to go over to the Eiffel Tower and went up to the second floor. I was kind of bummed because we weren't able to go all the way to the top but I'm glad because it will be something special I can do with Andy. We went at 11p.m. so the city was all lit up and it was everything I wanted it to be.

It was the perfect day in Paris.

Arrival in Paris

Today I have finally arrived in Paris, my dream destination. The Eurostar train was a really cool experience because I've never ridden a train before. It was much more comfortable than a plane although it did make my ears pop when we went through the underground tunnels. The train was cool because you could actually see the countryside as you were traveling.

When we first arrived in Paris we took a private bus tour of the city to see all of the major sights. I was able to get some decent pictures from the bus including Moulin Rouge and some other infamous areas such as Arc de Triumph and the Notre Dame Cathedral. Our tour guide stopped at a beautiful park that actually had a miniature Statue of Liberty (the original cast model for ours in the U.S.). I found this to be very ironic because I've never seen the one in my own country in NYC. It was funny because there were other college students near us and I heard someone commenting on the exact same thing I was thinking. Apparently, it happens more than you'd think? Before our tour concluded we stopped at the Eiffel Tower. I had built up that moment in my head for so long that I was definitely in shock. I wasn't able to fully appreciate seeing the Eiffel Tower until later tonight when it was all lit up and sparkling. It was then that I got really giddy and excited.

I have my own room at our four star hotel and it's a ten to fifteen minute walk to the Eiffel Tower so I get to see it the whole time we're here and I'm very excited about that. After the bus tour we went to our rooms to get ready for our first Parisian meal. The entire group went out as a family to a restaurant not far from our hotel that was really nice. However, it was interesting to see the differences between the way the French treated us and the way Italians treated me the previous weekend in Rome. A man actually shushed our large party of nineteen during our meal. However, the people that worked there made a big joke about it and tried to make us feel as comfortable as possible. My food wasn't fabulous but the time spent in unity was.

My Parisian creme brulee: in retrospect maybe I should've taken this before I demolished half of it.

After dinner we took a boat ride to see the City of Lights come to life. It was absolutely stunning and of course my camera would not cooperate with me so I could not fully capture it's beauty . I did get one picture and a sideways video so please enjoy but they really don't do it justice. So far I am very pleased with the city and can't wait for tomorrow.

Sorry I can't figure out how to flip this video, if anyone knows how please let me know.

Kew Gardens and Westfield Mall

Today our group went to Kew Gardens which I personally loved because I love taking pictures of nature. I love being away from all of the big skyscrapers and seeing all of the pretty flowers and landscape. I did think that the gardens I saw at the Biltmore last summer were comparable to Kew Gardens. In fact there was one place today that I'm pretty sure I could've taken a picture and you would've thought it was the same garden. I really liked the trip and was pleased with the opportunity to look around and take pictures.

After Kew Gardens Jen, Dailey, and I went to Westfield Mall which opened just before Christmas and is considered very controversial. London has mostly local shops and specialty stores and this is their first ever mall and it is hurting a lot of local business owners. It had really high end stores but also had more affordable stores too. Westfield was very modern and enormous. I have honestly never been in a mall that nice and that big before in my whole life so it will be interesting to see how locals continue to respond to it. I know for us as Americans it's ridiculous to think that they didn't have malls before that but honestly it's nice going into individual unique stores in London and the surrounding areas.

I can't believe that I'm actually going to be in Paris tomorrow. I have been waiting my whole life to see Paris and I can't believe that moment has almost arrived. I honestly can't believe it's here. I pray that it will not let me down and that it will live up to my high expectations. Lord keep me safe and keep it fun in Paris!!

Tata.

Stonehenge

Stonehenge was definitely as impressive as I've always imagined it to be. However, it was absolutely miserable weather while we were there but I was still able to keep my good spirits despite the weather conditions. The countryside surrounding the stones were also beautiful. I've always been obsessed with beautiful landscapes and seeing these magnificent stones was absolutely unbelievable for me.

I found the day to be incredibly relaxing because after we went to Stonehenge we went to Bath to see the Roman Baths. However, since I had just gotten back from Rome it was hard to be impressed by these Roman ruins. I did find the town of Bath to be quite charming because it was much quieter than the exciting and fast paced London. The architecture was very lovely and the surrounding area had mostly small local shops, restaurants, and hotels. Bath is considered to be a suburb of London although it would be one hell of a commute (2 hours) to the city by train.

I spent a good portion of my day on the bus so I was able to get caught up on a much needed nap! It was my first one since my European vacation began.

Tata for now.

V&A Museum, Harrods, and Shakespeare's Globe Theatre

I  have definitely gotten more adjusted to living in London and riding the tube everywhere. The intense culture shock I was experiencing last week has died down and I am starting to get used to the routine of everything. I am really going to try and enjoy these last two weeks without being so homesick. I suppose I will have to wait and see but right now I feel good about my remaining time. 

This may seem silly but on Friday a guy in our group showed us how to get to our student center and that has given me so much comfort just to know how to get to our safe haven in the middle of central London. Last week my roommates and I were always going different ways so I was getting really confused and I told him so he showed us and I remembered it and now it and now I'm so proud of myself. Remember it's about the small victories when you are in such a large city and you finally start to know your way around.

Today our frequent tour guide Bob Craig gave us a fantastic brief history of London (11-12:30). He told us how it started and struggled and then brought us up to present times. I can't wait to hear his lecture on WWII and the Blitz.

The Victoria and Albert Museum is a design museum and a had lot of interesting/beautiful objects in it. I got to see a Bernini statue and took a picture of it. It was filled with passion and movement and very intriguing to look at. They also had beautiful blue and white Chinese porcelain that I know my Granny would love.

After leaving the museum Dailey, Jenn, and I headed straight for Harrods. When I first walked in I thought I had died and gone to heaven. The store is beautiful with each room being a speciality and is definitely unlike any store that I have ever seen in America. We managed to spend two hours on just the first floor. I bought my big souvenir, a Burberry scarf, a wristlet, some tea in Harrods collectible tins, and a classic green Harrods bag/tote. I absolutely loved it and if we have time to go back see the other floors I would definitely love to.

We left Harrods in a hurry to head to the Globe Theatre to see the Comedy of Errors. I actually really enjoyed the play even though I had never read it. The play was very easy to follow and extremely funny. If anyone has the chance to see it in the States they definitely should because it is very entertaining. The Globe Theatre is not still standing, it is a recreation that was built after Shakespeare's original model. It was really cool but I thankful not to be a groundling and that we had seats at the top of the theatre.

Today was about two small victories: finding my way to the student center alone and getting home by myself even though our bus stop had been changed. I'm starting to feel like an official Brit with small victories.

Tata for now.  

Colosseum and Roman Forum

I am still not able to grasp the fact that I am seeing all of these amazingly famous places with my own eyes. I wish that I was able to share these experiences with Andy because I know it would just blow his mind and we could enjoy the city together.

The Colosseum was really cool. I got to take a lot of pictures there. Again, it was so surreal to think I was actually there. Maybe it will all hit me once I get home. 

We also went to the Roman Forum which I loved. There were so many neat ruins and good angles for pictures that I was so glad we go to see that too. It was incredibly hot today so that made it a little draining but very fun.

We also saw the Festival of Champions, a pre-celebration for the football (soccer) finals in Rome on Wednesday. I got a jersey for Andy, a team picture of all the players of Manchester United with their signatures on the back which they were handing out, and a picture of the big trophy.

We decided to take a taxi home from the airport which I was really happy about even though it was a bit expensive. I was really concerned about us taking buses since we weren't really sure how long it would take and our exact route to get home. 

I feel so good that the trip I planned went so smoothly. I was so nervous and anxious before we left because I really wasn't sure what to expect  but I absolutely loved Rome and would love to take a longer tour of Italy one day. 

Pantheon and Trevi Fountain

I have absolutely loved the time I have spent here in Rome. I really like the feel of this city and the people. Everyone has been very friendly and asked where we were from. At one point I was actually mistaken for being British so I guess London is wearing off on me after all. ;)

The people on the subway here actually seem more human and less robotic because they people watch, talk to each other, and are much more physically romantic with one another. I saw several couples sneaking in kisses on the subway whereas in London I have only seen a couple kiss once. The Italians also seemed to invade your space a lot more than they do in London. Ella experienced a creeper trying to hit on her in the subway by getting into her space on her side of the seat. Also, one the last day we were there a band was playing local music in the middle of the train. The tube in London is very business oriented and the one in Rome seemed much more lively and free spirited. People made eye contact, smiled, sat closer, looked around, and generally seemed to care more about the people around them then in London.

The weather is so much warmer here and it just feels more inviting. I love the over the top architecture and the marble everywhere and all of the beautiful small details everywhere that just make it perfect. Another plus is that Rome is GREAT about putting signs up for main tourist attractions that continually guide you on every turn which I feel like London could do a better job of because it is incredible overwhelming to navigate around.

We went to see the Pantheon today which was really cool. It had amazing columns in the front and looked really aged from the outside. On the inside it still looked to be in good condition and was very pretty although definitely not comparable to St. Peter's.

The Trevi Fountain was so much better than I was expecting it to be. You turn the corner of the street and there is this mammoth sized fountain with beautiful sculpting. It was absolutely incredible. My only regret is that we didn't get to see the city at night when everything is all lit up.

The National Museum of Rome was pretty cool because they had the discus thrower and some incredibly old coins from the early days of ancient Rome. 

Dailey and I had dinner at a pizzeria and sat at the outside seating for about an hour and a half talking about life, religion, politics, guys, and how much we liked this city. We both felt this city was less overwhelming than London.

Today is my first wedding anniversary with Andy and I am so sad to be spending it a continent away from him. I absolutely can't wait to be with him again in two weeks. 

Tata for now.

Vatican City and the Spanish Steps

Today has been so amazing. I would definitely say one of the best days I've had since I've been in Europe if not the best. The metro was really easy to find from our B&B and really really user friendly.

The Vatican Museum (the Sistine Chapel is inside the Vatican Museum) as absolutely incredible. To know that I was actually there was completely crazy and surreal. The building was so impressive and went on and on for miles and it was room after room of awesome statues and fabulous ceilings and so many details that you would never see if you didn't look up.

Once we finally got to the Sistine Chapel (they make you weave in and out of numerous other rooms before that one) I was completely mesmerized by its beauty and all the details. I swear if they would let you and you wouldn't kill your neck you could just stand there and look at it for hours. It was definitely worth the trip to Rome to come and see this museum. Everything about it was just grand and magnificent.

We also went to see St. Peter's Basilica which literally made me catch my breath when I first walked in. It was unlike anything I have ever seen in my entire life. Even if you aren't a religious person I think you would find it moving. There was so much marble, gold, sculptures, and painting that I can't even fathom the cost of building that church. I was able to go and pray in a special prayer room which was also really cool. I obviously didn't kneel on their benches since I'm not catholic but I thought it would be really cool to say that I have prayed in St. Peter's.

The Spanish Steps area was really cool. It had all of the high end fashion and other fun shops. We also saw one of the nicest McDonald's in the world. It had marble floors and walls and served gelato ice cream along with everything else. 

Altogether it was a fabulous day! :-D

Tower of London and Rome

Today we went to see the Tower of London which was built for defense purposes and later used as an important person prison ground and place of beheadings. We had an incredible tour guide that told amazing stories and had served in the British army for over 25 years. It is considered a high honor to be asked to work there and certainly comes with perks. One, he gets to live there and two all of of his children are allowed to get married at the royal chapel on the grounds. If his children do this and their children get christened there and this continues on for generations to come his family will always have access to this special royal chapel. 

Anne Boleyn and several other notable figures were beheaded on the property and were later given suitable burials in the chapel. There are thirteen inside towers and seven outer. The buildings were almost a thousand years old and just the concept of seeing them still standing completely blew my mind. We also got to see the royal coronation jewels which was really cool that the queen had it opened up to the public. 

After that we left to go gather up our luggage from the AIFS center to head to the airport. At the airport and before our flight, Dailey and I met a young woman that was from Rome (now lives in London) and had studied in the U.S. when she was in high school and loved it. She even said that she almost didn't come home and had a really hard time adjusting to life back in Europe. She reassured us that it would be very easy for us to find our way around and was so nice to us that it really put me at ease before we arrived.

We have now arrived at the B&B and it is so much nicer than I was expecting. I really hope we are able to find our way around tomorrow without a problem. It is a little overwhelming that they don't speak very good English but hopefully it will all work out. Luckily the girl running our B&B speaks good English so that worked out really well. She supplied us with maps to help us find the metro from where we were staying in the morning and gave us a map of the city.

This morning I felt so blessed to have Dailey and Jenn. They have been so kind to me this whole time and I'm so glad to have them. I don't know what I would've done without them. I told them today that I was really thankful for their kindness and teared up because I have been so emotional. They met me at my bus stop (an extra half hour from their home stay) so I wouldn't have to travel alone to the student center. I thought this was above and beyond the call of friendship and just can't describe the feeling I felt when I saw them walking up the hill to meet me. 

Museum Day

Today we went to four different museums and I was absolutely exhausted by the end of it. I definitely wish they had been a little bit more spread out because I think I would have enjoyed them more if they had been.

I really enjoyed the National Portrait Gallery which had pictures of kings and queens, writers, scientists, and even present day Harry Potter stars. I liked looking around and seeing how the styles changed over the centuries.

The National Gallery was amazing because it had artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Claude Monet, Picasso, and many more. I have to admit that Monet is definitely my favorite and that I really liked his paintings: one of snowy streets, a pebbled beach with moutains, and the Thames River below Westminster Abby.

The British Museum had the Rosetta Stone and some insanely old mummies. I didn't enjoy this tour as much because the tour guide was rather boring and I would have preferred to have been able to look at rooms on my own.

The British Library had the Guttenberg Bible, the Magna Carta, some of Shakespeare's original printings, and some stuff from the Beatles. They had a special exhibit room when you first walked it showcasing all of these items but you weren't allowed to take pictures.

Today has been very emotionally difficult. I'm exhausted and feeling extremely home sick and out of comfort zone. I have panic attacks at the thought of getting lost but we've been lost here at least five times a day and I can barely stand it. I hope the longer I am here the easier it will be to adjust but I really miss Andy and the family. I know it will be a growing experience but it has been really challenging/scary at the same time.

Goodnight for now.

Bus Tour

Today was our first real day in the center city of London. We had orientation this morning which took a while for us to find the AIFS Student Center again but never fail we made it even if we were ten minutes late.

After orientation we ate lunch in the student center which is actually the University of London Union. It has a store, pub, gym, pool, classroom, and cafe for lunch. After lunch we went on a bus tour for three hours driving around the city and pointing out important landmarks.

We got off the bus to see Buckingham Palace, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, and then walk across the Millenium Bridge to tour St. Paul's Cathedral. St. Paul's was absolutely breathtaking, it was the moment that brought tears to my eyes and made me realize I was really here in Europe getting to see the places I've always wanted to see.

The cathedral had an incredible dome ceiling with mosaics that were so stunning I swear I could have stood there and looked up at it for hours to catch all of the details. I also really liked that it was Anglo-Saxon so they had Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John represented in the mosaics. We weren't allowed to take any pictures inside so I got a few postcards in the giftshop to remember it by.

After that we went to check out the Soho area to see what it had to offer. In general it is known as the gay-friendly side of town so that was really interesting to see. When we walked by the Soho park we saw a full on passionate make out session between two young females. There were also numerous young people stretched out across the park with their friends. They were just lying there as if they weren't in the middle of an enormous crowded city. It looked like how they how portray the fronts of high schools in movies with kids sitting around talking on the lawn but here in London they actually do that. We had dinner at a wonderful Chinese restaraunt where we were able to eat outside and visit shops in Soho.

My favorite part of the day was definitely St. Paul's and the tour bus because we were able to see so many things and get some great pictures.

Observations:

1. It appears everyone drinks at pubs after work on the streets.

2. Everyone minds their own business on the tube and don't even look at each other or people watch. They read, listen to ipods, or just stare at the floor or ceiling.

Tata for now.

First Impressions of London

Yesterday I left for an overnight flight for London. I have arrived in the grand city of London, had tea, gotten lost, ridden the tube, gone on a walk with my home-stay mother and roommates to see a fabulous view of the city, and took pictures in front of Buckingham Palace all in one day. 

Earlier today I  was overwhelmed with culture sh0ck. The hustle and bustle of the busy city  made me wonder if I would be able to survive for three weeks.  But since we got lost for about an hour I was cured of that fear since it had already happened.

The clothes, faces, and people seem so different to me and they way they interact seems very different also. There were a few couples on the way to the Tube that I found particularly charming and few that were very hard to read whether they were even a couple. It is very difficult to read their body language and what it means in their personal relationships.

There are people everywhere and it is a lot more to take in then I realized. Today started out nerve wracking  and ending up being really fun once I got my bearings. Tata for now...

 

My final final

Today started the same as any other normal day during my college career but ended very differently. I woke up early to study my note cards, had a tall non-fat raspberry mocha from Starbucks, looked over my study guide, had the nervous butterflies in the bottom of my stomach, and probably said I was going to fail at least ten times, you know the normal stuff.

However, today after I finished my final exam it meant I was finished with college. My husband informed me of this as soon as I came home to relax and unwind from the stressful past couple of weeks. He said, "So Cass, what's next?". Honestly, after my trip to Europe I have no idea.

I am definitely still searching for a full time position in public relations in Charlotte but I have no clue how long that will take. In order not to hyperventilate, I tell myself to just take it one step at a time and enjoy the time off to breath because I have the rest of my life to work.

Meanwhile, I am super psyched because two weeks from today I will be on a plane to LONDON!!

Tata for now.

New to blogging...

Today I am a new blogger...well if you don't count the 140 characters on Twitter. I thought it would be a good time to record my thoughts and emotions since I will be graduating college in about six days.

It is definitely a bitter sweet time for me because while I am excited to be finished with stressing over classes, finals, and papers I know that the real world awaits me. Because I went to college in the town that I grew up in I am anxious to get out there and experience something new. I will be moving with my hubby to Charlotte in June and we couldn't be more excited.

I am so blessed because my amazing husband has supported my decision to study abroad in London for three weeks. The majority of my thoughts the last few weeks have been so distracted by the excitement to finally get on the plane to cross the big pond. During my trip I will be staying in London for the majority of my time and visiting Rome and Paris on my free weekends.

Please check out my blog on a regular basis to stay updated on my European adventures! Tata for now.