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Getting back to normal, I guess...

I've been home for a week and a half now, and, sadly, I feel like I was in Europe weeks ago. Happily, I feel like I'm finally getting over jet lag, which stuck with me way longer than I've ever experienced (more than a week). I'm sure it didn't help that Megan and I didn't have any decent amount of sleep for more than 26 hours the day we came back to the states. (That's what you get for being stubborn about seeing Harry Potter, I guess.) I will forever be grateful for my roommate who moved my car and drove us to the movie though. I am sure I would have fallen asleep at the wheel. So, a huge THANK YOU goes out to Bill. You rock!

Part of what made my return extra strange is that I wasn't coming home from England -- I was coming back from France, where I was accustomed to saying "merci" every five seconds while not understanding any other words. I must say that it took a couple of days to get that out of my system. At least it wasn't a rude habit or anything. I was also bummed to not have the most amazing bread and crepes at my disposal.

It was also strange to get used to having clean feet at times. This may seem strange, but we walked everywhere, and I was always wearing flip-flops. Even though I do tend to walk quite a bit in Madison, I don't walk nearly as much. So, hooray for clean feet, I guess!

I do think I went through a little withdrawal after coming back. Each day we were surrounded by so many good friends, and after a much-needed day of solitude to decompress after the trip, I was lonely without all of my new buddies. It has been fun to be able to leave messages on Facebook, but it's obviously not the same.

I had an amazing time in Europe, and I can't help but try to think of more excuses to go back. I even have a new life goal of spending at least one consecutive year of my life in the U.K. (It can happen, right?) I just love how travel opens people up to new ideas and ways of life. It's helped me to rearrange priorities, regardless of what may be stressed in our own culture. Traveling in a group has not only introduced me to so many great people, but it has forced me to look at ways in which other people see me. And whether I like it or not, I have been able to learn from those experiences.

To anyone who has ever wanted to go travel but has held back for some reason, I encourage you to go. It may be expensive, but you will not regret it.

I'll post more fun stuff later!

Last full day in Paris

Obviously, I totally enjoyed my last day of awesome breakfast at the hotel. (U.K.=Pounds fly off; France=Let's hope those jeans still fit.) Seriously loved the food in France (pastries, crepes, cheese, wine, good beer).

But we went to Notre Dame today. It was beautiful, but I totally have an aversion to large crowds at this point, so I just appreciated it from the outside. But it was really fun to just look around and check out the small shops. I also tried a new crepe: caramel. Who knew? Very good.

Later, we got to jump on a boat and take a cruise on the Seine. I like riding boats, but this was better because it was riding a boat and checking out the architecture in Paris. We got to see the Eiffel Tower and Louvre and so much more. Loved it. And later, we all went to our final dinner as a group in Paris. There were these musicians playing some fun, cheesy music.

After that, Megan, Beth, Kat, and I went out to the Champs Elysee to go see Harry Potter. Yeah... Mission failed. Sold out. I don't think the French are half as into Harry Potter as they could be, but at least I finally got to see the Arch de Triumph. Beautiful, but we just came back to the hotel, which was totally fine because we got to hang out with some friends on the last night. I've learned that I do love Paris, but in a much different way than London. London? I would love to live there. Paris? Gorgeous, different, and I would love to visit it again someday.

I'm so glad I had this experience and got to meet so many great people. I am so grateful I was able to come on this trip. I'm going to miss you, Europe. I have to go pack and go to sleep, so I can catch my flight back to the states tomorrow. FYI: It's a good thing I don't have a layover in London because I don't think I could leave it. Thank you all for reading!

Au revoir!

The majority of the group at the farewell dinner.

My favorite part of the meal was the (gasp!) French onion soup.

The Eiffel Tower as seen from the Seine.

This boat was similar to the one we took.

Notre Dame.

And what does one do on Bastille Day?

Well, I can't say I've ever understood Bastille Day, but being so close to the Bastille monument, we did make the most of it. The night before, crowds had gathered to enjoy music and food. We made it out there later, and they had two stages set up around the Bastille monument. (My favorite was the French rapper who happened to be wearing a pope costume. Interesting. Couldn't understand it. But strangely irresistible.)

On Bastille Day, the group headed to Pere Lachaise, which has many famous people buried there, including Jim Morrison and Oscar Wilde. I was wandering around taking photos, and I didn't really give myself enough time to go search for them. The graveyard did not really look at all like the ones next to me in the states. They all were very close together, and they created a sort of labyrinth. Strangely peaceful. Really would have liked to have seen the Oscar Wilde one, though. Later we went to Montmartre, which is a beautiful area of Paris that has a church and ton of steps with a great view of Paris. I took the tram, but apparently the stairs were much faster - AND they didn't involve being packed into a car with a ton of other people. It was worth it at the top for the beautiful views.

Last night made the perfect end of Bastille Day for me. Megan, Alexis, Heather, Dillon and I decided to attempt to watch fireworks off the Eiffel Tower from the Louvre. We didn't want to face the crowds that were sure to be by the tower, but we knew there was a good view from the Louvre. It ended up being awesome. It wasn't too crowded, but a ton of other people had the same idea and enjoyed the more relaxed atmosphere. We started joking that this would ruin fireworks for us forever. ("Oh, they're not like Bastille Day fireworks.") Then to avoid the crowds on the metro, we ended up killing some time at a carnival. Odd. Strangely beautiful. A lot of fun. Just extremely bummed that I did not find a midnight showing of Harry Potter. Oh, well. Au revoir!


Loved the vibrant colors at the carnival.


The ferris wheel right next to a very old statue.


Is it bad that I am in love with this picture? Instead of hitting the metro right after the fireworks, we stopped at the carnival, and as you can see, visitors must pay to use the facilities.



See how in focus this is? My apologies for not having any Eiffel Tower fireworks shots, but they did not come out well. Sorry, guys. Oh, this is the Louvre at night - where we watched the fireworks from.


One of the better views of Paris from Montmartre.


A different view of Paris from Montmartre.


We made this stop on the metro just so we could each take this picture.


This cemetery had so many windy paths, I was afraid I would get lost, so I didn't stray too far from the front.

The markers were so close together, but they were also very beautiful.

The group up the road from our hotel toward the cemetery.

Getting out of Paris

Today was a great day. We hopped on a train (first class!) to Epernay. It was really kind of nice to get out of the city. The countryside was beautiful, and there were so many beautiful villages and vineyards along the way. When we got to Epernay, we walked around the city a little bit and ate dinner. Most people got pizza, but I got spaghetti Bolognese. It was pretty good, but the sauce seemed to resemble tomato soup more than the spaghetti sauce I'm used to, but it was good. The best part of the meal for me was the bread, and they had olive oil that had red peppers soaking in it - the perfect amount of kick to go with the meal.

We later went to check out Moet & Chandon, which is in the champagne region. We got to walk through the cellars and see all the bottles and hear about the history. After the tour we got to try out a couple of glasses of champagne. It made us all giddy, but not enough for me to splurge at the gift shop. The prices spooked me, plus, we had a train to catch. So... yeah. On the way back, I totally fell asleep on the train and LOVED it. I highly recommend taking the train. It's awesome and smooth, and you can just sit and talk to everyone. Very nice.

Tonight? Dinner and drinks with friends. Possibly might watch a couple of American TV shows in French. (Wish I were better at lip reading.) The news seems to be the only thing we can find in English, and well, that's just depressing.

Tomorrow? It's Bastille Day. It should be crazy. Maybe some fireworks by the Eiffel Tower. Maybe not. If I were in the states, I'd totally check out a midnight showing of Harry Potter, but
this should be cool. Hopefully by Wednesday for sure. Hope everyone is well!

Au revoir!



Testing out the product at Moet & Chandon.



Champagne perfects its flavor in the cellars.


Before the tour, we eat. The pizza is much prettier than the shot of my spaghetti Bolognese. Believe me.



A beautiful church in Epernay.

Views of the French countryside from the train. Sooo pretty.

Fatigue, Food, and Fun in France

On fatigue: Since I've been in France, I've taken a nap daily, and I haven't felt awake. (Quit being a baby, right? I'm in France. Should I just drink more coffee and get over it? Probably.) After waiting in the long lines and walking around Versailles, the train ride home can put you to sleep. Megan and I got back and just crashed. No guilt, though. It was much needed.

On food: Continental breakfast was awesome. Nothing new there. For lunch Megan and I hit up McDonald's near Versailles, not because we were craving it, but because we didn't see anything else nearby that was open. (We later learned there was a tex-mex place right next door. Whoops. ANYWAY, the lines were atrocious, and Megan had to pay in exact change. Not a huge deal, but strangely offputting.) I ordered a Royal with bacon. The U.S. still has the best burgers if you ask me.

Tonight, Megan, Heather, Jen, and I went off to wander around our neighborhood. (We're just a couple of blocks from the Bastille, and Bastille Day is just around the corner! Loco!) We ended up stopping at a pizza place, and I confirmed that no, I do not like goat cheese. And I had my first piece of pizza that had egg on it. Interesting. Not revolting, but not quite necessary either. Once again, I got a beer because it was cheaper than soda. I swear, I would never drink pop around here because it's just crazy expensive.

On fun: Dinner and walking around was fun. Sleeping was also really neat. And tomorrow we're off to the winery. That should be very fun. (Oh, and I also caught MI-5 on TV in French. For those of you who don't know, it is pretty the British version of 24. Was very excited. Harry and the team were speaking in French!) Au revoir!

Heather and Jen hanging out. This was probably one of the many times I was borrowing Jen's computer in Paris. Thanks, Jen!

Megan hanging out in the hall of mirrors at Versailles. I'm pretty sure this is where the Treaty of Versailles was signed.

Check out those fun lines to get into the palace. The place was definitely over-the-top, though.

Flea markets and dirty flip-flops

Hey, everyone! After my awesome continental breakfast (croissants, crepes, and coffee), Alexis, Heather, and I went over to this awesome flea market on the other side of town. They had tons of shops filled with, well, pretty much everything. It was awesome. Antiques, jewelry, maps, shoes, old electronics, old photos and postcards. Alexis was very excited about buying her sea urchin encased in plastic. We had an awesome time there, and then we took the metro back to our hotel. The French and British subway systems are very different. The French have been very quiet, and you also have to open the door manually to get out of the car. It's also much hotter, but there's still a lot of character there.

I then took a much needed nap, and a bunch of us went out in search of pizza. Unfortunately, we're not too familiar with the times food businesses are open around us, so we ended up walking around a long time before settling on some cute restaurant where we got to eat outside. I had some tomatoes and mozzarella (my fave), pasta, and a glass of wine (seriously, it was cheaper than the water). But yeah. It was cool. Tomorrow we're off to Versailles! Au revoir!

I could live off of this appetizer: tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and olive oil infused with oregano, parsely and basil. Seriously sooooo good.

One of the many, many shops at the flea market.

More goodies from the flea market.

Is this lamp not awesome?

Two blogs in one: Welcome to Paris

Hey everyone - Bonjour! I'm in Paris. Indeed. Unfortunately, photos from France will likely be delayed for a few days because of a much slower Internet connection than I expected. I apologize. The Eiffel Tower will make it up here, though ... eventually.

As most of you already know, I was very sad to have to leave London. But I feel that Megan and I had a proper lunch before we left on the Eurostar. We had crepes that were called the Londoner. They had eggs, cheese, and ham. Sooo good. Then we hopped on the Eurostar and went through the Chunnel. My ears popped a lot, but the ride was so smooth - and perfect for sleeping.

Now that I'm in France, I have made the switch to Euros (I once again have to stare stupidly at my change). Also, my pay-as-you-go phone died, so my family will not be hearing from me any more before I go home. (Hi, and I love you!) But yeah ... because I was really tired, I wasn't too eager to check out the city yet (I was still mourning for London). But it's great that we went to the Eiffel Tower because it revived that eagerness to check out a new city. It was a little chilly up there, but the tower was much bigger than I thought, and the views of the city were gorgeous. It was a great intro to Paris!

Paris: Day 2

I'm in love with our hotel's continental breakfast. The food here is amazing. Seriously. Bread, baguettes, croissants, crepes, fruit, juice. (Mom, you seriously would have loved this cherry sauce for the crepes.) Everything is awesome. AND, I can't tell you how many Euros I'll save because they have a machine, and I can get lattes, hot chocolate, coffee, hot water for tea. I was especially pumped because Megan and I thought we had slept through the breakfast time. But basically, breakfast was awesome, and I plan to load up again tomorrow.

The big thing we did today was hit up the Louvre. It was huge, and I saw so much great stuff, including the Mona Lisa. I kept putting my camera in my purse because I was sick of carrying it, but everything was so cool, so I had to keep pulling it out. Boring story, I know, but true.

After that, we went out to a restaurant that steamed your food. I had a chicken curry dish, and it was very tasty. On our way home, most in the group I was with got crepes from a vendor on the street. There were so many kinds: nutella, lemon (awesome), cinammon, banana. Just a bunch, but seriously, good luck resisting the crepe. They smell so good.

Tonight, I've just been struggling with Internet woes. I watched Megan move to various parts of our room to try to maintain an Internet connection before we finally gave up and now I'm using Jen's computer. Thanks, Jen! Very frustrating, but pictures are still a problem. I'm sorry. I'll work through the pain, though, and hopefully tell you some better stories. Hope all is well!

Enjoy the pics even though they are out of order!

The steamed chicken curry dish with some yummy, crusty bread. Mmmm...

Photos from the Louvre. I normally feel like this when I haven't had my coffee.

Egyptian goodness.

I couldn't tell you who painted this one, but I thought it was beautiful.

Outside of the Louvre. FYI, you go in through the glass pyramid. Awesome.

The City of Lights as viewed from the Eiffel Tower.

The tower during the day.

I believe this is St. Pancras Station before we took off on the Eurostar.

My goodbye-London-hello-Paris meal called the Londoner, which had eggs, cheese, and bacon. The other was a dessert crepe with strawberries and whipped cream. And I had a nice Orangina to wash it all down. Delicious.

Hyde Park - The Playground of My Dreams

The first day I was in London, I heard the Killers play here. A couple of days later, I heard Bruce Springsteen. I even had the opportunity to hear Blur play here, but I didn't find out until the next day. This morning, I got to play in the Princess Diana Memorial Playground, catch a glimpse of Kensington Palace, have a cup of tea, and enjoy the beautiful views offered along the various paths. People of all types come out of the woodwork to go for a walk or look at the lake. What can I say, it makes me happy.

Later, some of us went to the Hard Rock Cafe, which was OK. I will say that I prefer American hamburgers because I think the British put bread in them. If that's going to be the case, I believe they should be labeled meatloaf sandwiches. Just give me the beef! But it was a tasty burger - expensive, but tasty. We all headed off to Harrod's next, but Megan and I didn't really feel like shopping, so our tour of the place only lasted about 10 minutes. Maybe if I had a ton of money I'd be all about it, but I was tired, and it's my last night in London. I'm going to make the most of it. I'm going to miss this town a TON, and I'm going to try not to bawl tomorrow. I want to live here.

I'll tell you more when I'm in Paris!

These things bounced, so I totally had a blast on them. Megan couldn't believe my good mood this morning. That never happens!


Waking up after a rough night on the make-believe prairie in Princess Diana's Memorial Playground.


These were just two of a ton of addorable kids wearing the same outfits. Precious!


Fountains at Hyde Park.


Bridge at Hyde Park.


Heather enjoying a scone with clotted cream and jelly at one of the eateries in Hyde Park. I had the tea, and I highly recommend it.


The same venue had the (obviously British version) Harry Potter series and Scrabble for those down-and-out days.


Harrod's is the brown building.


One of the dining rooms at Harrod's. Too pricey for me, but I'm sure it's lovely.

Me taking the Tube back to the study centre.

Royalty, magic, and peanut butter gone wrong

I would have to say that I saw some pretty amazing things today. We started out by going over to Hampton Court, one of Henry VIII's palaces. We were given headsets, and we could pretty much pick whichever audio tours we wanted. Autonomy at Hampton Court? Who knew? It was beautiful (duh), and it also reminded me just how crazy relationships could be in the royal family.

Hampton Court.

These peeps had some seriously nice views.

Don't be fooled. The real Henry VIII died ages ago.

My favorite flower shot from the garden at Hampton Court, one of the few moments it was not raining.

After we came back, my friend Megan and I decided to see if the Harry Potter premiere was going on in Leicester Square. We were pretty tired and doubtful that we would be able to see anything, but we totally stumbled right outside of it at the right time and were able to see most of the stars of the movie, including the actors and actresses portraying Harry, Ron, Hermione, the Weasley twins, Snape, Draco, McGonagall, and we even got to see J.K. Rowling herself!!! (I know my fellow Gryffindorks will stand behind my enthusiasm!) In the process we got rained on and hailed on, but that also helped us creep closer to the front. Unfortunately, thanks to some rain on my camera lens, a lot of my pictures didn't turn out. But here are some if you are interested.

Fans gearing up to see the stars.

This kid was adorable -- HP glasses, robe, and wand in tow.

Megan and I laughing at how ridiculously hard the rain was.

Emma Watson signs a few autographs.

Fred or George? You tell me. But this was by far my best shot from the event.

It's her back, but I'll take it. THE J.K. Rowling!

Lastly, for class we had to do a photo story, so this is mine about my roommate being unlucky in the kitchen. Better luck next time, Alexis.


Yeah, that's a bummer.

Hope everyone is doing well, and I'll talk to you all later.