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[bobadeux]

Well, I have reached the conclusion of my trip. Did you figure out the answer to my question? Which city did I enjoy the most? Guess...

Drum roll please..... It was London. Let me know your reaction in the comment section. Yes, Paris was my dream ever since I was a young girl. I finally got to see it and I did like it. Would I live in France? No, but that does not mean I will never go back. I would live in London if I could.

This was a study abroad trip with my school for my American literature class. I thought the image was only fitting. How does Europe tie into American literature? Well many famous authors got their inspiration from these famous cities. This Shakespeare and Company bookstore used to host many writers. You can read more about that using the link below:

One destination I did not write about was Oxford mainly because we did not get to do much. The history was still interesting. Authors like Tolkien and Lewis Carroll both were inspired by buildings in Oxford you can visit today. Furthermore, part of Harry Potter like the dining hall scenes was filmed at Christ Church. Pretty cool if you ask me.

I am so thankful I had the opportunity to go on this trip. If I could redo this trip, I would stay one more day in Paris to see the actual Palace of Versailles and if possible the catacombs. Second, I would skip Madrid. There is not much there and I would rather spend another day at the beach. Third, I would skip Oxford as well and spend another day in London. I would like go to inside Tower Bridge and Buckingham palace. My final side note, Buckingham Palace is OPEN JULY THROUGH AUGUST.

Thankyou for reading. Hopefully, this inspires you to take your own journey Across the Continent. Until, we meet again au revoir, adios, and goodbye.

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Our journey came to a close at our final location, London. By the time we reached our very famous hotel, the Shakespeare Hotel, I was ready to go home. England was not my type of vacation. According to what I knew, the skies were cloudy; it rained all the time; and British food sucked. We stayed in Paddington, famous for… you bet, Paddington the bear. The weather was not cold or gloomy, but surprisingly humid. We got our room, 442. Four flights of stairs with a 40-pound suitcase should not be that bad, right? Very wrong. Alas, it was not four flights but seven! Seven small, narrow stairs that curved! If there was anything I was going to get out of this study abroad trip, it would be muscles. I collapsed on my small bunk bed and felt…nothing. Being an American, my culture shock was not the people or the food, but the lack of air conditioning. And England takes first place prize. It is not really a side note but, EUROPEANS DO NOT BELIEVE IN AIR CONDITIONING. France and Spain at least had some type of unit; but no, we got one singular tabletop fan. I had been in London for maybe half an hour and I hated it. 

After my group got some fuel in our stomachs, we walked the streets of Piccadilly Circus, the heart of London. One street had all sorts of shopping and outdoor cafes like in Paris. Another street had plays and musicals lining each corner. Oliver- Mamma Mia- Hades Town- Les Misérables- Phantom of the Opera- you name it. I called it the Broadway street. A bit farther down Big Ben stood tall. We walked all the way down maybe five blocks or so. The bell rang out loud and the tower sparkled a bit like the Eiffel Tower. It was beautiful. I do not know if it was the amazing Italian food we had (Bella Italia- absolutely delicious by the way) or if I was sleep deprived, but I felt renewed. We walked the boardwalk by the river and on the other side stood the London Eye lit up. Its reflection hit the water where music played from a steamship. I didn't feel unsafe, but something I can simply describe as a moment of serendipity. 

If I thought that was my favorite highlight, I was sorely mistaken. Ladies and gentlemen, the story only gets better from here. I am going to discuss four main activities I did: the Natural History Museum, Romeo and Juliet, Phantom of the Opera, and the London Eye. 

First off, the British Museum was educational, but the Natural History Museum was incredible. I originally wanted to go because Night at the Museum 3 was filmed there however I am very glad I went. If you like animals, definitely check it out. Moving on to my second activity was at the Globe Theater, Romeo and Juliet. The globe is famous because it is Shakespeare's theater.  This rendition of Romeo and Juliet was interesting because it was a Western.  The characters were well portrayed and many parts included audience member participation. The globe is an excellent choice because it is affordable and any seat offers a good view. Thirdly, I chose to see The Phantom of the Opera. It was a last minute decision and an expensive one but there are no regrets. It was hands down the best live performance I have ever seen. The orchestra and live singing was better than the studio version. My attention was captivated the entire time and I even cried twice. If I had the chance, I would definitely go see it again. I will never forget the beginning scene when the tarp is ripped off the chandelier and the actor says, “Illumination.” Sparks fly off the stage, the organ plays, and the chandelier rises up over the audience in all its glory. I wonder if it's called His Majesty's Theater because it was a performance only fit for royalty. Finally, our very last activity was the London Eye. I'm petrified of heights, however this did not scare me. You could see all of London from the top. From the weird shaped skyscrapers to St. Paul’s to Westminster Abbey to Tower Bridge- it was beautiful. Perhaps, I didn’t hate London. Perhaps, I like it. Perhaps, I could see myself studying abroad here long term. 

https://lwtheatres.co.uk/theatres/his-majestys/

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Perhaps, you know Madrid for its soccer team, but when I think of Madrid I see color. That was the first thing I noticed when our group arrived off the train. I can picture myself walking down the street in between shops decorated in florals covering the pastel walls. Not just their streets are beautiful, but the people too. My dressed-up look was nothing compared to their fashion. We spent our free day, “thrifting.” Madrid's definition of thrifting is equivalent to our well-off consignment stores. I remember one store even had a Louis Vuitton duffle bag. 

Speaking of color, the locals are very colorful if you understand what I mean. It is very dominant in Spain and Madrid is the hotspot. No wonder, they dress so well. 

The place we stayed was a hostel. In the words of google, a hostel is a type of budget accommodation, typically for short-term stays, where travelers can rent a bed in a shared dormitory room, often with bunk beds. In summary, it is a cheap dorm room you share with strangers unless you book with a group. Luckily, we were not with strangers but had a private room to ourselves. The first night upon our stay, we went out to view the sunset at a park. You could see the sun descending slowly behind distant mountain peaks. It was beautiful. The breeze was so gentle and the light soft. It felt like a scene out of a rom-com. 

However beautiful the landscape was, the original reason for this post was to discuss the food. We ate at a lovely restaurant called Madrid Madriz. I highly recommend it. I was indecisive on what to get so I ended up splitting a few dishes with a fellow student. I ate my gut out that night. We had carbonara, fried squid, croquettes, garlic shrimp, and dogfish (which if you don’t know is shark). A little background information, up until that night the only seafood I had had was crab. Side note, if you are in a foreign country JUST TRY IT. It is a once in a lifetime experience and how will you ever know if you like it? Also, Europe doesn’t really do ice cream. Everything is gelato and Spain has a ton of it. I recommend fruit flavors like Mango, but Stracciatella (chocolate chip) is really good. If you like zesty flavors, Madrid is definitely the place for you.

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Our next destination took us beyond palace walls to the countryside of Spain. We covered several countries this trip so stick with me. We stayed alongside the beach in a city called Calella. If you want to visit Barcelona, but do not want to stay in the city, this is the place for you. There are plenty of places to shop and dine within walking distance. The currency exchange rate is fairly close to USD. Prices are fairly reasonable, but you can always barter. The air is warm, but the sea offers a relieving breeze. The water is cold year round. The sand is coarse, gray, and contains many small rocks and seashells. It is different from the sandy beaches in Florida. Despite the rockiness, I did enjoy my Sunday morning out on the shore. I found small pieces of sea glass amidst smooth rocks. It is not much of a tourist location so the beach was not crowded. It was peaceful. 

I wish I could say the same about Barcelona. Talk about a tourist trap, mimes stood outside the Cathedral of Barcelona awaiting the next careless tourist. If you were not paying attention, they would place a balloon over your head and try to grab a photo. People stood in the main streets with little trinkets you could buy. Everything was crowded, flooded with people trying to get their picture or buy souvenirs. 

The cathedrals we went into were magnificent. The dark, gothic exterior was contrasted by an open, airy interior. The walls were covered in life size statues of Mary and the great saints. There were huge ceilings that could only be reached by an elevator or a 300 step staircase. You can go up to the roof top to see a spectacular view of the whole city. Spanish Catholics are very conservative and protective of their cathedrals. Side note, if you plan to go inside, YOU MUST COVER YOUR SHOULDERS AND KNEES. I was lucky enough to bring a dress with me. I wore that dress so many times, I am sick of just seeing it in my closet. 

My favorite thing about Spain was the food. Do not expect any tex mex type of food. You will be sorely disappointed because Spain is known for its seafood. My first night at the campground, we ate at a restaurant on the property. I had seafood paella with clams and crayfish. I also tried octopus for the first time. I was not as bad as people often think. I will discuss more about food at the next location we stayed in Spain. 

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I felt I had to make a separate post to really appreciate my favorite destination in France, the Palace of Versailles. I said France because it is not actually in Paris. It is about an hour and half train ride from the city. This palace was built under the reign of Louis XIV. His intentions were to turn his father’s hunting lodge into a grand summer home. During the French Revolution however, it was attacked and taken over by rebels who then killed the aristocrats, Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI. If you are interested, you can read up more on the history of the palace using the link below. You can also purchased tickets through this official website.

I did not actually get to go inside the palace because of two things. One, Versailles is massive, even bigger than the Louvre and takes several hours to walk through. Second, tickets are timed entry based and must be pre purchased online. They do sell single tickets on the grounds, but it is still a timed entry, meaning you might have to wait around a few hours before you can go in. There is more information on tickets from the official website linked below. So, side note number one, BUY TICKETS IN ADVANCE WEEKS OUT AT LEAST and number 2, PREPARE FOR A FULL DAY ACTIVITY.

Although I did not go inside, I did get to see the gardens. Tickets for the gardens are separate from the palace, but do not have to be pre purchased and have no timed entry.  It took our groups over 3 hours to complete it. The sculpture work is beautiful. Each fountain is inscripted with the smallest details. Each tree, flower, bush- is well structured and orderly. The garden's grass was cut like a maze, all sorts of  zigzag patterns. I do wish we had gone later in the summer season in order to see the garden in full bloom. We ate outside in a cute cafe. You could view people canoeing in the pond that was really more of a lake. It was beautiful, the man made Garden of Eden. 

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Paris, the City of Love, or as I like to call it, the City of Busy Bodies. My group stayed on the outskirts of Paris about an hour from the main city. When we first arrived it was sketchy. The building was covered in graffiti and all the street shops were closed. Our building had various apartments that shared an interior comador. My roommates and I were on the third floor, so up we went dragging our heavy suitcases on steep, spiral stairs. The room was brightly colored with large windows that displayed not much of a street view. Our first mission was simple, shower. After 2 days of flights, taxis, trains, and walking, I had never been so glad to step foot in an actual room. European showers are interesting. They are very tempermental. Side note, if you ever visit Europe, DO NOT DRINK THE WATER. Some places have signs that will say, non potable water. 

Paris is not for the weak. You must walk everywhere. Sure there are metros (trains as us Americans call them) and buses, but the routes are confusing especially if you do not have reception. Side note number 2, GET AN INTERNATIONAL PHONE PLAN. It is a must. Our first stop was food. I experienced quite a culture shock that not everyone can speak English. We tried to order pastries at a cafe and were rudely discarded. The French are not very welcoming to foreigners. The streets were fairly clean. Trash cans are at every corner. You know what is not at every corner? Water fountains. Public restrooms. I saw one water fountain in the metro station and only one restroom the entire trip. If you happen to find a building with a restroom, you have to buy something to use it! 

Even though our stay in France was short, we were able to see all of the following: Seine River Tour, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Louvre, Palace of Versailles, Sainte-Chapelle, Arch de Triumph, and the Basilica of Sacre Coeur de Montmartre. Our tour of the Seine River showed us amazing views of all the famous sites across Paris. The Louvre was so extensive that it covered 3 whole blocks. Talk about an art gallery! Its size only makes sense since it used to be the royal palace. The art was beautiful, but I found the architecture mesmerizing. The highlight of the trip had to be the Eiffel Tower lit up at night. The show started at ten, but the sun was just beginning to set. The lights only last 10 minutes and go off once every hour. Side note number 3, BE ON TIME TO THE EIFFEL TOWER OR YOU WILL HAVE TO WAIT ANOTHER HOUR. Some members of our group were late, so we decided to stay an hour later to see it again. Was it worth it? Absolutely! 100%. It felt magical like the castle at Disney World. It felt romantic. Perhaps, Paris is the City of Love after all.

[bobadeux]

Hello and Welcome to my very own blog, Across the Continent. My name is Bethany. Come with me as I venture across Europe on my study abroad trip for my literature class. Over the next couple weeks, I will be visiting Paris, Barcelona, Madrid, London, and Oxford. This picture was taken on my last day in England on the London Eye, but we will come back to that in another post. Initially, I was the most excited for Paris, mainly because of the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, and the Palace of Versailles. You will have to continue reading to see if my opinion changes throughout the trip.