Spring Break: Cinque Terre

I fell in love with the Cinque Terre when we first visited in 2007. Sam and I had the most amazing time relaxing on the beach and playing volleyball. After I had been so many places, I wasn't sure whether or not my love for the Cinque Terre would waver because I had been so many other places in the mean time. 

But now I'm sure. Cinque Terre is still my favorite place in the entire world.

Cinque Terre is made up of five small towns along the Italian Riviera. For my past two visits, we stayed in Monterosso al Mare, the largest and most touristy. But with the longest stretch of gorgeous rocky sand, there's no question why Monterosso isn't the ideal spot to vacation and relax.

Shannon and I left Madrid around noon and finally made it to Monterosso just in time to meet Lexi for dinner. We had an early start the next day to explore the other towns. You can travel between the towns by boat, train and walking, all of which I recommend trying. On the way to Vernazza by boat, we were spoiled with the breath taking views the entire way. No picture could do this coast line justice. At Vernazza, we fell in love with laying out on the rocks and listening to the waves hit the coast. The experience was breath taking and all three of us couldn't have possibly been happier.

After a few hours we headed to Riomaggoire, the second largest town. From Riomaggoire you can walk to Manarola on the Villa dell' Amore or "walk of love," which should actually be renamed the "walk of beautiful." Like I said, a picture really can't do it justice because the 25 minute walk is absolutely magical. And if you go with that special someone, don't forget to bring a lock and "lock" in your love. Maybe one day...but this wasn't the trip for me.

After dinner in Manarola, we took the train back to Monterosso for some dessert at the cantina nearby. Since Monterosso is so small, it's easy to make friends with the various restaurants if you find one you like. And this one became our favorite because of it's chic interior.
We enjoyed our time on the rocks of Vernazza so much that we went back. After a few relaxing hours we took the challenge of the trek to the fifth town, Corniglia. Corniglia is the only town that can't be reached by boat because it is situated on the cliff overlooking the blue ocean. We found the perfect place for some finger food and house wine. Hidden in the hill, we watched the sun begin to set over the water and vineyards. Then made our way back to Monterosso for another night at the cantina.
Cinque Terre Tips:

• Hiking to each of the cities is subject to fees because it's a national park.
  
• Don't travel by car - there's limited parking and you want to experience the towns.
• The towns are very simple. Don't go there expecting a crazy time
  

Spring Break: Madrid

When I first arrived in London, Madrid was high on my list of places that I was absolutely dying to go to. I wasn't quite sure why...maybe it appealed to me because I had never been there. But I can tell you why you should go if you haven't been...

Shannon and I ventured off from the others and headed to Madrid after our relaxing stay in Tenerife.We started fresh on Monday after arriving exhausted pretty late the night before. We stayed at Hostel Miralva and if I were your friend, I'd tell you to find somewhere else to stay. It was basic, kinda gross and the beds weren't comfortable at all. However, the central location was absolutely perfect.

For our first full day in Madrid, Shannon and I attempted to go to the Prado Museum, but unfortunately it's closed on Mondays. Instead, we headed to Parque del Retiro. Parque del Retiro is a 350 acre outdoor oasis. I'd almost compare it to London's Hyde Park, the perfect place to go on a warm sunny day. While walking through the park, we found the monument to Alfonso XII and it's surrounding lake. For just under 5 euros, you can rent a boat for 45 minutes. Shannon and I felt like we were on the perfect date...but that wasn't quite the ambiance we felt like maintaining. On our way to the palace, we spotted a spa. No questions asked we walked in and looked for affordable relaxation treatments. For 39 euros, I received a 15 minute steam bath and 45 minute full-body massage! I've never had a spa day before but now I will definitely be investing some money into it when I get home this summer.

After the relaxing afternoon, Shannon and I had a fantastic tapas meal just off of Plaza Puerta del Sol, the heart of Madrid's historic center. My friend studying abroad in Madrid told us that there were great bars out around the plaza so we set off in search of a relaxed place to hang out. Instead, we followed a group of police in riot gear to a bar FULL of English men. Obviously, we had to go in...and we quickly found out that half of London was in Madrid for the Tottenham vs Real Madrid football game!

Tottenham fans took over the city the next day. We returned to Plaza Puerta del Sol on our way to Plaza Mayor and the palace and the entire plaza was filled with the English singing Tottenham songs. After a quick trip to Mercado de San Miguel and a picture outside the royal palace we were ready to join them! After spending the afternoon with them, Shannon and I can proudly call ourselves Spurs fans.

Overall, Madrid is a beautiful city with gorgeous architecture and friendly people. The men late at night weren't the most pleasant to be around but no city can be perfect. Unlike Barcelona, I never felt unsafe with my belongings or with my safety. Since Spain is a vast mixture of cultures, no region or city is the same. And as much as I loved Barcelona, Madrid's classy atmosphere may place it higher on my ranks.

Spring Break: Canary Islands

Unlike the American school system, classes end prior to spring break in the UK. With two finals and one project left, we had a lot of time on our hands with so many places in Europe to see! My first destination during this 5 week break (yes, 5 weeks!) was Tenerife!

We stayed in a villa on a fruit farm a few kilometers directly above Los Gigantes beach. Since the villa was on a farm, Jorge (the owner) and his wife picked us fresh bananas, lemons, oranges AND avocados. With the never ending supply of fresh fruit, we made juice and guacamole throughout the entire week. The villa comfortably fit all 8 of us and there was still room for about two more. And not to mention the stunning view! We were so high on the cliff (I would call it a hill but it was superrrr steep) that we woke up to the sun on the blue ocean every morning.

The second all of the girls woke up Monday morning we were out in the sun! Living in London has made all of us pale beyond recognition so the first chance we got we were dying for color. After a few hours of relaxation we headed to the black sand beach on the island, Los Gigantes. It's relatively small but absolutely stunning. It looks like something out of a post card. But don't go there if you want to play volleyball or beach ball because playing with balls on the beach is strictly prohibited.

By the time we got home later that night, we were so crispy we knew laying out on the beach the next day would be a pipe dream. Instead, we relaxed at the house and caught up on some fun reading. I think each of us needed a break from all of the work we had done in the last few weeks. That night, Jorge and his wife cooked us homemade paella! Paella is a traditional Spanish dish with white rice, green vegetables and meat. In our case, we had seafood and chicken.

Brooke and I on the hike

The next day we climbed the volcano on the island. The ride to and from the volcano took well over an hour but it was spectacular. The landscape changed at each level up the mountain. To our surprise we found snow even though we were wearing shorts and tank tops! We found a trail that we thought would take us straight up to the summit but we got a later start than we would have wanted so we wouldn't make the hike to the top. But I highly doubt that would have happened anyways because the girls (except Shannon!) got bored on the way up haha. For dinner, we stopped at a restaurant down the mountain. At first, the hostess/waitress seemed really cold and unfriendly. But in the end we had one of the best meals of the week and a traditional Canary Island meal.

The next two days were spent on la Playa de Los Cristianos. Anddd we found the touristy part that we hadn't exactly been missing. But laying out on the beach and reading a book was absolute perfection. Not to mention the beach volleyball! Clearly I haven't played in a while because I walked out with sore/bruised arms...well, we all did! We were so badly hurt that we couldn't play for the rest of the trip.

Our last full day in Tenerife was spent on a boat. We hired a boat for a few hours for only 40 euros. It came equip with sangria, wine and sandwiches. Our tour took us to see some dolphins and whales. It also included snorkeling but unfortunately the waves were too rough so it wasn't safe for us to dive on in. Instead, we chilled on the boat docked on the harbor. I've never been on a sail boat before this and I can easily see why so many people have fallen in love with it. Who knows...a sail boat miiight be in the mix later in life.


Tenerife tips:

• Learn how to drive a stick shift...rental companies don't carry very many automatics
• Definitely rent a villa if you have enough people...it saves you time and money because you can cook for yourself
• Don't try banana liquor...bleh!
• Flying in and out of the islands can be expensive...the cheapest places are anywhere in Spain, London and Paris.

With that in mind...our next stop was MADRID!

Dublin for St. Patrick's Day!

I remember back in second grade when I was pinched for not wearing green. Ever since then, I knew I had to do St. Patrick's Day right. But that was never accomplished until last week...

We arrived in Dublin bright and early at 8 a.m. After a night of no sleep and stressing over flying on Ryan Air, we wanted nothing more than to sleep. But that wasn't going to happen.We dropped our luggage off at our hotel and went straight to the Guinness Storehouse.

There are two iconic alcohol tours to see in Dublin: Guinness and Jameson. I've never made it to Jameson so I can't really suggest to see that tour. But I can guarantee that Guinness is a great time! The tour is self-guided and very interactive. Until I went last year, I never liked beer or had an appreciation for it. But Guinness really is perfecting the art of brewing beer. You start your tour by learning the ingredients of Guinness and end your tour by drinking your very own pint. My favorite part of the exhibit was looking at all of the advertisements. If you don't like the beer, the advertisements are the best part of Guinness. At the end of the tour, we choose to have our free beer in the Gravity Bar, which shows a 360 degree view of Dublin. Luckily for us, the woman at the bar didn't take our ticket...so we went back downstairs to learn how to pour our perfect pint. Just be careful, each pint of Guinness has 400 calories!

Apart from beer, I'm not sure if people realize what the Guinness family has contributed to the world...like the Guinness Book of World Records? That's right. It was started by the same family. Story has it that a managing director of the Guinness factory went on a shooting party and got in an argument over what the fastest game in Europe was. Since it was impossible to confirm, the managing director thought that other people might have similar questions because there wasn't a book that contained these facts. And there you have it. The Guinness Book of Records was created.

We had an awesome birthday dinner for Brooke at our hotel. We stayed in Ballsbridge (hahaha), which is a little outside of Dublin. Had all of us not been staying there, I don't think it would have worked out as nice as it did. After dinner, we all went out for Brooke's birthday! Every pub was full to the brim! We made it into one just before the clock stroke midnight. And the rest of the night is history!

The next morning we woke up at 10 to eat breakfast and get ready for the St. Paddy's Day Parade! Unfortunately, we never made it out of the hotel in order to get a great spot to watch the parade. Instead, we spent the majority of the day in a pub. Somehow, just about everyone from USC who was in Dublin that day ended up at the pub in one way or another. It was so nice to be reunited with everyone who was on spring break! I couldn't have been happier to see girls in ADPi! After spending a few hours at this pub, a few of us separated from the group and went to the Temple Bar! This place was HUGE! Not a bar that too many locals frequent, but you definitely have to go once. It's at least worth the visit.

We ended up having better weather in Dublin than in London! Friday ended up being a gorgeous day so my friends and I took full advantage of the warmth and sunlight. We went to both of the churches in Dublin: Christ Church Cathedral and St. Patrick's Cathedral. The Guinness family restored St. Patrick's Cathedral from 1860 - 1900. But don't think you'll just stroll right into either. Each church costs money to visit, which it's nice to support them, but not great when you're a poor student. Instead, we sat outside and took in the sunlight. Luckily we didn't get sun burnt.

Dublin is a fairly small city and the main part of town is within walking distance. But in order to get to the touristy attractions (like Guinness, Jameson and Phoenix Park), you either take a taxi or a bus. So at the airport, we got a 3-day freedom pass which allowed us to take the hop-on, hop-off tourist bus as well as the city buses to get from our hotel to the city center. For 26 euro, it ended up being a great deal! However, I'd strongly recommend finding a hotel either off of O'Connell Street or near Temple Bar since you'll be close to everything.

So glad my second trip to Dublin was just as much of a success as the first one!! In early June last year, Joe met up with my mom and I and we explored Dublin! It was super helpful knowing my way around a little bit and the next time we go (May this year) I'll be a pro!

Next stop: Canary Islands for spring break!!

Czeching out Prague

When I initially started figuring out all of the cities and countries I wanted to visit this semester, Prague was at the top of my list. I wasn't exactly sure why I wanted to go to Prague, I just knew that everyone had said this city was their favorite.

It's now one of mine.

View from the clock tower in Old Town Square

Prague is one of the most beautiful cities I've ever been to. Most of the buildings are different shades of light pinks, greens and yellows with unique patterns and red roof tops. Honestly, none of my pictures can do this city justice. Walking down the cobble stone streets, you definitely get a different feeling than any of the other cities we have been before. It's not the really warm, welcoming feeling you get in Ireland or Italy. You get the sense that this place is different.

We arrived at midnight on Thursday. We literally czech-ed into (yes, those puns were used every two seconds) our hostel called Czech Inn. Granted I've only stayed in one other hostel, it was the nicest hostel I've ever been to. Seriously put the gross hostel reputation to shame.

After throwing our stuff in our room and putting some make up on, we went out to meet about 10 other USC students who were also in Prague that weekend! Not going to lie, being around so many USC people couldn't have made me happier. Oh wait I forgot...there was something that made me a little bit happier...the drink prices! $5 for a mojito and beer is cheaper than water!! I knew this would be a beautiful beginning to a great weekend.

The next morning the rest of our friends arrived and we set out for Old Town Square. After getting lost in the windy streets, we found the square. It was filled with tourists snapping pictures at the beautiful buildings (and yes, we were some of those tourists). On the side of the bell tower of Old Town Hall, you find the medieval astronomical clock. It has three components: the astronomical dial which represents the sun and the moon, "The Walk of the Apostles," which has figures that move hourly, and a calendar with medallions representing the months.  We were lucky enough to stumble upon the astronomical clock at 1 in the afternoon and got to see the show! I couldn't believe that it was from medieval times! And then after the show, a man in costume plays the trumpet along all four sides of the clock tower. Old Town Square is also home to St. Nicolas Church and various shops and restaurants.

We had a late start the next day. We took the tram to Prague Castle, which is situated on a hill overlooking the city. According to the Guiness Book of World Records, it is the largest castle grounds in the world with an area of 7000 meters squared. Now, this castle doesn't look like Buckingham or Windsor. It has so many different architectural styles because it has been built and rebuilt so many times. There's a beautiful gothic church in the middle of the grounds, but it was actually the coldest church I've ever been in! We could barely stay inside for 5 minutes before getting so cold we had to leave. Unfortunately we didn't go into the castle but the trip was all worth it when we saw the breath taking view.

On our way back to the castle we came across the Lennon Wall. Since the 1980s, the Lennon Wall has been filled with John Lennon-inspired graffiti and Beatles lyrics. In the communist regime, it was a source of grievances for students. That wall must contain so many personal stories and secrets throughout its various layers of paint. We spent quite a long time reading the messages and taking it all in. I couldn't imagine what the people who originally started writing on the wall went through under communist oppression. We slowly made our way across the Charles Bridge soaking in the view of the castle and the river. Again, pictures really couldn't do the view justice. We just had to see it again the next day!


We had heard that the boat tours were amazing and one company made us an offer we couldn't refuse. Free beer or mulled wine and a snack. How could we pass it up?? Our captain of the small boat told us the history of the buildings and bridges. Since we weren't entirely sure of everything we were looking at anyways, it was nice to hear a little bit of background information.

Even through all of it's beauty, Prague is still a city marred by communism. Compared to the other cities we've been to, Prague didn't have a very welcoming feeling. Not to say that it was extremely nice, it was just the people weren't as nice and welcoming to us as we had been used to. We didn't find the nicest service in the restaurants. We would ask if they had something on the menu and the restaurant would say no. I mean, it's on the menu.

All in all it was a great trip. I'm in love with Prague and would definitely go back in the summer when the beer gardens are blooming. If you visit Prague, you definitely should check out Bohemia Bagel! It was one of my favorite places to eat!

Next stop: Dublin for St. Patty's Day!

Manchester Visit!

Yes, it's been a while since I've updated my blog. However that hasn't been because I've been ignoring my obligation to update you on my life...I've actually been doing schoolwork. Although you may think I'm not doing any homework, I had been working on another blog until last week. Check it out if you get a chance: ec1exmouthmarket.com 

Anyways, two weekends ago I visited Joe in Manchester. We spent Friday night celebrating his great test results and Saturday night celebrating a friend's birthday. But Sunday was the real treat for me. I finally got my Christmas present: a taster ski lesson at the Chill Factore!

Since I have always wanted to try skiing, Joe got me a free taster lesson that we had never been able to arrange until that weekend. And you will never guess who was actually good at skiing...me!! I only wiped out once while jumping down the baby slope but still pretty damn impressive for me and my coordination.

Now I'm ready for the Swiss Alps.

Bonjour to Paris!

I know, I know. 

So stereotypical. Going to Paris for Valentine's Day.

Top of the Eiffel Tower

But don't get excited...there isn't any big news to announce.

Although I've been to Paris three previous times, I always find that it's nice to return to cities because you get a better feel for the people and the culture. This trip was no exception. We wandered the streets a lot to get to where we wanted to go or to explore (not to mention saving money on the metro). So here's what we did...

In a short two hours on the Eurostar, we arrived in central Paris with the entire day ahead of us. We walked the Champ Elysees, which is always a fantastic walk. You honestly never know what you're going to find or what you're going to see. On my last visit, my mom and I saw riot police and the entire street was closed to traffic. This time wasn't quite as exciting...but we did stop at Laduree to pick up some delicious macaroons! Seriously France's gift to the world! Even though you can find less expensive treats elsewhere (because pretty much every patisserie sells them), these are some of the best! Laduree is known for their macaroons and pastries. Just as we finished our macaroons we reached the Arc de Triomphe. The Arc de Triompe honors those who fought and died in the French Revolution and Napoleonic wars and also serves as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. You can climb to the top to get a great view of the street for 4 euro.

We booked tickets to go up the Eiffel Tower at sunset, which is honestly the best time to go. While you still get to see the city in the sunlight, you watch Paris come to life with lights. And I definitely recommend booking your tickets online if you know what time you want to go. You just print out the ticket and skip the line! In the 30 minute time span we were up on the top, we saw two proposals...can you imagine how many times that happened on Valentine's Day?? Or even on a regular basis...

For breakfast, we couldn't resist the temptation to eat chocolate croissants. Chocolate croissants anywhere else in the world just doesn't compare. After breakfast, we headed to the Sacre Coeur. The Sacre Coeur is seated on the highest point of the city, the top of the Montmartre. Even though it isn't as high as the Eiffel Tower, you still get an amazing view with details of the buildings. If the view isn't enough, the church itself is gorgeous and filled with mosaics. But just down the hill you get a very different side of Paris...the red light district. I had never been to the Moulin Rouge and it was a little anticlimactic. If you're not seeing a show, the only thing to do there is to take a picture in front of it and call it a day...exciting!

Valentine's gift #2 for Joe (the first was a steak dinner cooked by me!!) was a night river cruise! It's always fun to see the city from a different angle. My original plan was to do a dinner cruise, but after reading the reviews I quickly changed my mind. Some reviews said the food is terrible and you can't see everything if you're half concentrated on eating. Pretty valid points if I do say so myself. Seeing Paris by boat is amazing and I wouldn't want to be distracted! The best part about it is you can actually see the detail of the bridges and understand where everything is along the river. Something I definitely recommend doing.

The next day we met up with one of my friends from high school who is currently living in Paris. She's a tour guide and when we told her we wanted to go to the Catacombs she was really excited because it's filled with history. The Catacombs were created at the end of the 18th century to serve as an ossuary. In the 1780, Paris's main cemetery, the Cimetiére des Saints-Innocents, was closed because it got too full. Karlie said people were buried less than three meters below ground and the people who lived around the cemetery began complaining (for obvious reasons..). On November 9, 1785, the Council of State issued a decree requiring all of the bodies to be moved. This task fell into the hands of the quarries department who protected and reinforced Paris's quarries. And so the transportation of the bodies began and the catacombs were open to the public at the beginning of the 19th century. The Catacombs of Paris holds around 6 million people! And yes, you do get up close and personal with their bones. Definitely don't go if you are claustrophobic or are uncomfortable with bones. I fall in the second category and can say for certain that it really isn't that bad.

10 minutes in without a wallet

Our next stop was the Notre Dame. After spending the past two days being extremely cautious of pick pockets, I let my guard down for two seconds and bam! Bye bye wallet :( There went my cards, driver's license (thank God it's expired) oh and 50 euro. Epic fail. But we still enjoyed walking around the Notre Dame.

We couldn't leave without trying escargot. I've tried it before on cruise ships, but never in France. It's a little chewy and the flavor really depends on what it's been marinated in but it's not that bad. Definitely not something I would order on a daily basis though.