Dramamine Please

For one of our last days in Europe we decided to explore outside the city and head to the hill side town of Montserrat! Word to the wise maybe glance at the train times the day before because by the time we got to the platform the train was drifting into the distance.... best part is they only run every hour! Don't worry we didn't miss the next one and had plenty of seats to choose from. The trip there is about an hour long mainly because it makes over ten stops along the way so pack the DRAMAMINE- the non drowsy kind- believe me I have made this mistake too many times to count. Thankfully we made it to the Montserrat Station with only slight motion sickness and took the tram up the hill to the beautiful town. Here you have many hikes to choose from and we chose a less lengthy one of about 2.5 miles, but the options were endless and even involved scaling the mountain and rock climbing... little to adventurous for us. Having said that I don't think any hike would disappoint with the incredible views and the nature you trek through!

 After our hike we went exploring through the town and grabbed some lunch while enjoying the beautiful scenery. After our hikes, lunch and even witnessing a wedding in the church we headed back down on the cable car  and yes I may or may not of held my breath the entire way down.










So after a quick siesta- they have the right idea- we mindlessly walked till we found the perfect tapas bar. And you know it's about to be good if it is all locals. The bar is called Bilbao Berria and I just adore the concept of walking up grabbing as many tapas as your heart and stomach desires and at the end you count up the sticks and pay. PURE GENIUS- America we need this.

The following day- our last day in Europe we decided to check out the Picasso Museum and even caught some street performers when we were relaxing by the Marina. The highlight of my last day was the food we found- shocker me falling in love with more food. There was a street market along the marina and we indulged on the best falafel pitas and don't even get me started on the freshly made churros. He actually cut the dough and dropped it into the sizzling vat in front of us I can't even describe how delicious they were! It was definitely the perfect end to a even more perfect vacation!

Bilbao Berria

All Hail Gaudí

For our day of sightseeing we fueled up with a big breakfast- compliments of the hotel- thank you burst water pipe! With our map in hand we headed inland to the home of Sagrada Familia. I had no idea it was so monumental and I hadn't even seen the inside yet!

Two steps through the door and it will take your breath away it is unlike anything I have ever seen in Europe! We even had tickets to go up the tower on the passion facade, which gave us an up close and personal look on the ongoing construction and a great view of Barcelona! What's even crazier is that the entire project has been funded by donations since construction started in 1883! I will definitely want to go back when it is finished around 2026!

So after we finished with our tour we hopped back on the metro to Park Güell with our lunch in hand and patiently waited for our ticket time. Granted it was extremely hot which made our visit a quick one! We still managed to walk through most of the park and admired more of Guadi's amazing architecture,  which is so colorful and intricate, we loved it! 

While we were at the park enjoying a small shady spot some Canadians befriended us and told us about the Market on Las Ramblas so of course that was the next spot we ventured too, but first we stumbled upon a small gelato store and it stopped us in our tracks. But what makes this gelato more memorable then most is while the woman was scooping our ice cream a fire explosion erupted in the yard adjacent to us.... So my instinct was instantly, I'm dying I'm dead we're being bombed. Well this
wasn't the case, but still required a fire extinguisher, but the funniest thing is once it was all over we laughed for a second and everyone moved on like nothing had happened as if it was some casual occurrence. So quick cool down and it was market time- And wow.... I could of literally stayed for hours. First off, the smells were amazing, the colors make you feel like you've walked into a kaleidoscope and the people that work the stalls are some of the happiest people I've ever met. When I say I could of tried everything I am being serious... We got our self a fresh fruit cup, a seafood ceviche salad, fruit smoothie and some dried fruit. I seriously thought I had died and gone to food heaven. Let's just say the Mercat St. Joseph La Boqueria is a must do for a trip to Barcelona.

After a siesta and some showers we headed out to go watch the World Cup at a local restaurant. It was a full Spanish experience complete with Sangria, Paella, Spanish beer and the Spain vs. Netherlands game. Honestly there is nothing like watching soccer with Europeans it makes the game 100 times more exciting and entertaining! Although Spain lost, everyone was still in high spirits probably effects from all the sangria and we ended the night on a good note.

¡Hola Barcelona!

One thing this vacation taught me is that yes I may be directionally challenged and still use GPS to get to Los Angeles but public transport is like 100 times easier. Like way way easier because believe me I have no street smarts... and we still made it to our flight with ample time! So it was adios Prague and Hola Barcelona!

Our trip couldn't of started off any better! Within minutes of getting to our hotel we were told a pipe burst and there was water damage in our room. Ok this sounds like a terrible way to start a trip but just wait. Turns out they upgraded us to their nicer hotel and we were staying right on the water- score! Once we checked in we grabbed some sandwiches and beer- Heinekens to be exact, because I had a new found love for them after Amsterdam. It may be more of an obsession because I ordered them every time they were on the menu! With our beers and sandwiches in tow we leisurely made our way to the beach. Here is a major difference to American beaches. 1) You can drink on the beach 2) Tops are completely optional and believe me people love to flaunt it. Probably what draws the masses of men to the beaches of Barcelona!  So I joined the club and took my top off....of my beer and took a nice siesta before cleaning up for dinner. But back to the masses of men, when I say I have never seen so many in one central location I am telling the truth. I thought I had a David Beckham sighting within minutes of walking towards the beach. Not to mention they love to compliment women right and left, but hey I'm not complaining!

Aside from the eye candy the food in Barcelona hands down is some of the best food in the world, probably helps I love seafood and sangria but the options are endless in this city! We decided on a cute restaurant with a band in the small square mainly because they had the yummiest looking sangria! So with our sangria and some chardonnay we ordered some tapas- A hummus sampler with fire roasted pepper, traditional and olive oil hummus, a melted manchego cheese topped with raspberry jam, and some kobe sliders with aioli sauce..... Holy heaven to my taste buds! It was a great end to a wonderful start to our time in Barcelona!

AHA We're in PRAHA

One quick flight later and we were in Prague! We checked into our Hotel The Boscolo and headed out to explore! First on the agenda was the powder tower and then the astronomical clock where we stopped for lunch with a view. I even had a man cut a profile of me, but he took it back because I didn't want to pay a steep price for it? Yes very odd and awkward, especially in the beginning when I didn't know why he was staring at me... But hey the beautiful day made up for it!

After lunch and seeing the exterior of the clock we went up to the top to admire some more of Europe's breathtaking views!

We then leisurely wandered through Prague taking in the sights and many markets. Then for dinner we decided we would go further from the square. I advise everyone to do this because when you find locals you know your about to eat some exquisite food! Even though we had a slight ok rather extreme language barrier with our waitress we managed to order a few glasses of Czech beer and for our entrees chicken stuffed with parmesan, topped with sliced ham, oil and arugula and a second chicken pasta dish with crisp cherry tomatoes and the lightest cream sauce! I mean it when I say this, my mom and I both agreed it was one of the best meals we had eaten our entire vacation! The chicken was so juicy and and the pasta was extremely fresh. I could go on for days about this meal but the picture speaks for itself! Not to mention the beer, Czech people sure know how to make some great beer!

The next morning we woke up early to beat the heat and get to the Castle before all the crowds! So we crossed Charle's bridge, croissants in hand- aka got crumbs everywhere- and shortly after arrived at the foot of the stairs. Believe me when I say this, these stairs are not for the faint of heart, but the silver lining is there is the worlds' most spectacular Starbucks I've ever laid eyes on at the top, and believe me I'm a girl I've seen quite a few Starbucks. So after a quick cool down we headed on our castle tour which included St. Vitus Cathedral, Old Royal Palace, St. George's Basilica and Golden Lane. We even saw all the torture devices that they used... in conclusion I am very happy I didn't live in Prague in that time because if you weren't a martyr you were probably tortured.

After the castle and exploring the Golden Lane we tracked down a small crepe shop with delicious infused lemonades! We ordered the raspberry mint and limeade mint because we were in major need of refreshing drinks because it was a cool 93 degrees out... Yes 93 so we were just a little warm.


On our walk back across Charles Bridge to our hotel we stopped to see the famous John Lennon wall! Very unique and we even saw some people spray painting on it! After all the walking we were doing we decided to relax in the underground spa at our hotel. It was just what the doctor ordered, it had a  huge pool with jetted seats and even was equipped with a steam room and sauna! After our relaxing pool time we got cleaned up and went out for some Thai food- so yummy and they even had my favorite Californian delicacy, Sriracha sauce!








Later that night we met up with our friend Carl who was in Prague for a two week photo shoot- talk about awesome! We got to the hotel he was staying in and it was a beautiful refurbished monastery! After a few drinks and some food we bid farewell to Carl and wandered back to our hotel and enjoyed the beautiful Prague skyline!

Is she smiling?

So two years ago when we visited Paris we intended on going to the Louvre on a Tuesday... well that didn't happen because the Louvre is most definitely closed on Tuesdays. So maybe it wasn't the best idea to ignore the fine print on our Paris Pass, but sure enough two years later we had arrived!

With our audio guides in hand, which were hightech nintendo 3DS's we started the tour. Well sure enough 10 minutes in we had to use the restroom and as usual the women's line was out the door. Then not even five minutes in, the paramedics rushed over...some lady had a heat stroke in 1 of the 3 stalls- which wasn't helping the line sitch. Bathroom break out of the way we went to resume our tour...ok this was easier said then done. The DS tracks your location, but since we got off track it got all confused, then we got confused when really an 8 year old these days could of figured it out.
 This confusion gave us mere 30 minute delay but we were eventually back on our way through the highlights of the museum. This museum is so large, impressive and overwhelming it can be quite exhausting. Then of course came Leonardo's masterpiece, The Mona Lisa.

 Now to see this painting be prepared to wiggle your way through the largest crowd in the museum, like I'm not kidding these tourists give paparazzi a run for the money with the amount of picture taking going on. No joke, I was actually tired by the time I made it to the front and back out alive. What I did find fascinating, for the few seconds I was able to be near it, was her smile. This smile is a smile known around the world and is one of the reasons it is the most famous painting. Although I did love the painting and admiring it in person, I am more on the claustrophobic side so I was ready to hightail it out of the tour groups and not to mention hot room! One of my other favorite things was the The Napoleon III Apartments, and talk about no crowds! All in all the Louvre was the most impressive museum and collection of art I have ever seen to date, but it definitely can not all be seen in one visit! 

To calm our art overload we took a stroll through the Tuileries Gardens, directly across from the Louvre, and found a nice cafe to stop and have lunch at.

For lunch we ordered a caesar salad, and flatbread crostinis  with melted cheese layered with salmon and topped with arugula. I seriously could of eaten two of them it was so delicious! 

                      We finished off the day with the Musée de l'Orangerie, which is famous for Monet's Water lilies.
Definitely a must see! They were so impressive and large and unlike anything I have ever seen! Then when the sky cleared up we went and walked around the Invalides property towards our hotel. For our last dinner we didn't venture to far from out Hotel! We had a scrumptious fromage plate and some crepes for dessert! We even had a nice creepy guy watch over the restaurant the entire night! But he was harmless so they let him be, but I'm telling you that guy would not lose in a staring contest. Then some drinks later it was cheers to a great night and a Au Revoir Paris!

Let Them Eat Cake & Maybe a few Macaroons

The day had finally arrived for the long awaited Palace of Versailles! I was beyond excited, partially because my entire research project was on the gardens, and I could not wait to see it for myself! Ok yes so I am sort of a nerd, but hey, my mom constantly had fun facts about Versailles at her disposal. 

The whole waking up early and seeing Europe without the crowds had worked thus far quite flawlessly but not so much in Paris. We got to Versailles around 9 am and it was packed! The line was like  Disneyland on steroids with no fastpass option... We were in no rush so we along with the 100's of other people hopped in line. While waiting in line for an hour we witnessed all kinds of people trying to cut. The Academy Award for best cutting technique goes out to two elderly Swedish ladies- around 75 years old- who thought if they had a confused enough look on their faces and a map upside down they could cut. Granted it didn't work on us, but they still managed to cut half way through the line and it was entertaining to say the least.

Cutting aside we made our way through the line and up the stairs to the main Palace. I had seen countless pictures but everything was so grand in person I was in complete awe. The tour was absolutely amazing even if you were confined in tight spaces with sometimes, actually a lot of times, stinky people. Quick side note, I find that Europeans are very classy, well put together people and often times much more presentable then Americans when doing their simple every day tasks. So it baffles me that some completely disregard their body odor... Like hello I did not sign up to be bombarded by BO. Believe me when I say this I am not exaggerating. But don't take my word, see for yourself and let your nose do the talking.  So after a quick sandwich we continued out into the gardens. For those that have been to Paris it is usually cloudy, but the sun was out in full force and the gardens were absolutely breathtaking!

We even were able to navigate our way to Marie Antoinette's Estate- p.s. prepare yourself it's much farther then the map makes it look. Although we hadn't anticipated such a long walk it was so worth it. The estate she created was straight out of a story book it almost didn't look real!





As quickly as our feet would allow we left Versailles and made it back to the city center to get in line for Notre Dame. I honestly don't know how we lucked out because we were the last people allowed in line. Two years ago we were sadly too late and couldn't go to the top, so finally we had timed it right! I must admit Paris has some of the best skyline views and you can never really get tired of them. I mean who doesn't need 100 different pictures and angles of the Eiffel Tower?
So after a quick photo op at the Love Lock bridge we cleaned up and made our way to the Champs-Élysées.  When in France one must enjoy the local cuisine, so we thought we should go to the restaurant we had eaten at two years
ago. All we had to go off was what it looked like- not even a name. Let's just say in Paris more restaurants look like each other then you may think... To our surprise we actually found it and indulged in the buttery garlic Escargot and some french onion soup! Tourists be warned, as soon as you step off of the main trafficked areas, English may not be your waitress's first language- let's just say we did a lot of pointing for this meal considering neither of us knows any French!

Continuing on our food journey we walked down to Laduree and bought some macaroons and sat down for some dessert. We had a rose tart with chantililly whipped cream garnished with raspberries and a berry compote, and a coffee ice cream with almond flakes, chocolate and whipped cream. Expensive? yes. Delicious? Very! So with our sugar high we thought why not go to the top of the Arc de Triomphe- well within a minute of walking there lightning lit up the sky and winds had every girl holding their dress, so the Arc was no longer an option. I guess that angle of the Eiffel Tower would have to wait till next time. Considering we were headed to the Louvre in the morning we headed back to our B&B to catch some shut eye.

From Paris with Love

After a quick train ride we arrived in Paris! Then using our master skills we located the metro and the nearest stop to our B&B- My Open Paris. After a quick change we headed to the Sacred Heart Basilica. This is where I first noticed a major change in Paris compared to our visit two years before. It was not only packed, but the amount of street  vendors was insane! Like no thank you I actually don't want to buy 4 Eiffel Tour key chains for one euro... So besides being bombarded by vendors it was a beautiful day atop the hill with a spectacular view of the city!

 After enjoying the Basilica, we wanted to track down La Cure Gormande. We had no idea where it was except for the faint memory of going to it two years ago...aka not so promising. After going down what felt like every street in that district I spotted a woman carrying a bag from the store- Score! So I went up to her and quickly realized she was not American, for some odd reason I panicked and started speaking in broken Italian- yes Italian. For those that don't know me I took Latin in High School and I am currently in Spanish- So where did the sudden spurt of Italian come from? You can thank Rick Steve's Italian Pocket Book for that one. It went something like this " Scusi, dov'e La Cure Gourmande?" I even managed a Grazie at the end. All I can say is my Spanish teacher will be thrilled when I start incorporating Italian into my homework... So with my new found confidence in my Italian speaking capabilities I enjoyed the variety of cookies we purchased!

With our cookies in tow we thought we would try our luck at the Eiffel Tower. Well the line was huge, shocker, but we thought why not? Half way through they met capacity so we would only be allowed entrance to the first level. In my opinion the view doesn't seem to change much with the extra elevator ride! So we ventured on up and took in the breathtaking views! Then we decided to head down to witness the twinkling lights but the catch was we only had 7 minutes to get down 100's of stairs. Leave it to us to get down just with enough time to see the wonderful twinkling lights!








By now it was 11 pm- Dinner time! Yes you heard right we had dinner at 11 PM and it was actually hard to get a table! I swear the later you eat dinner the better everything tastes, or maybe that's just the result of being so distracted you forget your starving. And I think I can vouch for most tourists that trek through Europe, that more times then none beer seems to go down like water when your non stop sightseeing. So we enjoyed our beer and pizza and ended a perfect first day in Paris!

My Open Paris- B&B
La Cure Gourmande