My (visiting Europe) Dreams come true

London, England

Arriving in London was another memorable adventure in our trip. From the airport, we were supposed to take the train into the city and that was where Pat and Emma were going to meet us. So by the time our plane got in and we got our bags, we didn’t have much time to get our train tickets and get on the train. We got our tickets and the lady tells us it’s on platform whatever and that it is leaving 10 minutes. So we rush over there and as soon as a train arrives, Tammy and I hop on and get settled. After about an hour on the train, I notice one of the stops and I don’t see our stop listed. I turn to Tammy and ask her, “What do you think the odds are that we got on the wrong train?” She looks at me kind of like what? And I get up to look at a map and we all know how much I hate maps. I ask this elderly lady if this train was heading into London and with the most sympathetic expressions was like :
“No, this train is heading away from London”
CRAP.
She tells us to get off the train and get back onto the next train heading in the opposite direction. We grab our stuff as we approach the next stop and hurry off the train and try to figure out how to get on the other side. We ask someone and he tells us to go up the stairs and to cross over. He tells us to hurry because that would be the last train. So we go and are about midway when we see the train coming. Tammy and I start to run. I make it onto the train and Tammy steps up but as she steps up her bag breaks.
INSERT: Florence Bags.
Im not sure if I have already mentioned the designer bags we got in Florence but they were an ongoing joke throughout our entire trip after we got them at the markets. After having to layer on our clothing and carry stuff through the airports to reach luggage restrictions we decided to buy bigger carry ons. So we bought these “real” designer handbags at a market. The man tried to convince us that they were real gucchi and fendi. Of course we knew they weren’t, but we humored him. By the time we got to Dublin, the straps had broken off my bag and I had to carry it around like a sack of potatoes. Thank god I got a new cute (which I still have in perfect shape) from Pennies in Dublin! But I guess now…it was Tammy’s turn.

So her long strap breaks off her bag and as she is stepping up the step her bag falls back down and then man behind her reaches down to grab her bag, to help her and as he grabs the short handle, that breaks off too. I start dying of laughter as the man hands her the handle and then picks up her bag and gives it to her. We didn’t make it far into the train because we couldn’t stop laughing. We were both in tears from laughing so hard as we finally headed on the right train INTO London.





The next day Emma had to work so Pat took Tammy and I around and we saw Westminister Abbey, House of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, the London Eye, St. James Park, Millenium Bridge and St. Pauls Cathedral. It was a full day of sightseeing but we definitely took the time to have a break and have a pitcher of pimms right across from the London eye 
That night when Emma got off work, we met up with Sukh and went out in the Cameden area.
The day before my birthday, Tammy and I went to the British Museum, by this time, I was interested in Museums again so it was nice to see it. I also made Tammy ride in a taxi cab because I thought they were adorable  After the Museum we met at Emma’s work because it was the day that Nick Rose was arriving in London.
August 15th- a birthday I wont ever forget.
I haven’t mentioned it yet but London was a part of my trip that I was looking forward to a lot. Much like seeing Michele, I was going to be reunited with some of the people that made my first year in college so memorable. These are friends that I made in SB that I know I will be friends with for a long time. And even though it had been two years since I had seen them, I knew that it was going to be perfect. And it was.
We woke up that morning and got bagels in Brick Lane, smoked hooka at this one café and then went back to Pat and Emma’s to set up for the night. This birthday wasn’t about getting crazy, it was more about spending time with the people who traveled all over England to be with me. Words couldn’t and still can’t express the gratitude I felt for Pat and Emma hosting the party and Nick, Chris, Sarah and Sukh for traveling to be with me on my birthday. It was great. One of the most memorable birthdays I’ve ever had.
The next day Tammy, Chris, Sukh and I went to Hyde park. We walked around and saw the Princess Diana memorial. It was nice to spend some quality time with Chris and Sukh. After that Chris left so Sukh took us to have dinner in Notting hill. I chose Notting hill because I loved that movie when I was younger. LAME..i know 
On the 17th day of August, Mr. James Finburg decided to grace me with his presence and on this day, everything felt complete. We went and saw Tower bridge AKA London Bridge, had lunch in Brick Lane, smoked more Hooka and then checked out Victoria Park. We sat there awhile, Nick met up with us and we drank Pimms, it was so nice. Another moment where I wished America was like this, full of beautiful parks where you could sit and enjoy a beverage with some friends.
The next day was the day we planned to meet up with Aj and Claire. Word on the street was that there was a freebirds in London, so that was our mission. Aj, Claire, Tammy, Jamesy, Pat and Emma and I went to Picadilly circus and went to “Freebirds.” It was really a burrito stand. Same kind of European Mexican food, nothing really to write home about, but it was a funny coincidence.
After getting freebirds we went to the train station because we were going to Brighton for the day. Brighton is the city where many of the foreigners live/go to school. We first went to James’ place so he could change and waited for Chris to meet us there. He came with a few of his friends, a couple I remember and had met before when they came to visit him at UCSB. We check out this huge palace, the brighton pier, and then met back up with Emma, Pat and James at the beach. We sat there for a bit, drank more pimms and then walked around. I saw the areas that they call North and South Lane. Pat and Emma left early and Tammy and I stayed. We went to a pub with James and a friend of his and met up with Ellie. Then we had to get going. I didn’t really want to leave. This feeling was getting repetitive and it happened everytime I had to say goodbye. Chris walked us to the train station and then Tammy and I headed back to London.
Our flight the next morning wasn’t until 8pm so that morning we headed to kings cross to check out platform 9 ¾ . We had a fun photoshoot and then left to the Canner Wharf to say bye to Sukh. This area was very futuristic and modern. We hung out for awhile and then headed back home to pack up. We spent every last pound on the taxi ride to the airport. I had been telling people that I was ready to go home and that I was tired of traveling but right when we started landing onto US soil, I INSTANTLY, wanted to be back.

It was one of those things where I was to caught up in what I was doing to realize how great I had it. Because of my cheapass and Tammys patience we stayed in the night at JFK. We arrived back to California around 11am…exhausted and a bit sad to be back.
Back to reality. Back to where I didn’t know when I’d see some of the best people I know again, I was a college grad, broke, unemployed, with no idea what to do next. It’s no surprise I was a bit depressed but without a doubt, a part of me was happy(for a lack of better terms) because summer of 2009 was the best summer of my life.

A cheeky time with the Irish

DUBLIN, IRELAND
We arrived in Dublin pretty late that night and spent the rest of the night catching up with Emma, Claire and Aj. Mini 08/09 Reunion!
The reunion was complete the next morning when Brendan joined us for a bit of sight seeing. We checked out St. Stephens park, Grafton St, Temple bar and then spent the rest of the afternoon at the Guinness Factory. The factory was pretty cool! You learn all about how Guinness is made and at the end, you get a free pint. I was never really partial to Guinness before, but having it fresh or maybe its just the spirit of Ireland, I loved it. After the factory we went home and got ready for the evening. We went to this club called Palace and met a bunch of Claire and Brendan’s friends and it was great. Since then, anytime I hear “Tonights going to be a good night” by Black Eyed Peas, I immediately think of Ireland. I always think about dancing with Claire, tammy, Aj and Emma. DRINK! Maseltov!
The next morning we went to check out the pier in Dublin, Claire showed us around UCD then picked up some dinner and had a movie night at Brendans. We watched “The Unborn” Weirdest movie ever, but sure enough was great to quote.  That night for dinner, we had our first experience at a Chipper. Chipper = heavy heavy food. Burgers and fries. You cant help but eat it and feel like dying afterwards. But even that feeling of death doesn’t stop you from going back. It was also our last night with Brendan, he was heading to Cork the next day to have some family time. It was weird saying bye to him because the first time I did it, I knew I’d been seeing him in a month or so, this time, I wasn’t sure when I’d be seeing him again.
The next few days were spent traveling out of Dublin. First we went to Glendeloche. Driving there made me realize how underrated Ireland is for beauty. I heard all these stories of the irish wanting to get away for holiday and although its small, it is a BEAUTIFUL place. Full of hills, (killer) Sheep, and it is so so green. Im not surprised about the greenness though, the weather is so bipolar. We could make walk a mile and go through three different types of weather changes. We ended that night with another movie, this one was called El Orfanato and it was the most suspenseful, creepiest and unsettling movie I had ever seen.
The next day was Emma’s last day. We spent it trying to get to Powers Court. The garden that they used while filming Pride and Prejudice. We didn’t actually get to see the garden because by the time we got there, they were about to close and wouldn’t let us in. We got Pub Grub for dinner that night. Pub grub is essentially bar food but a popular dinner choice. We had been hearing about it all week, but specifically bangers and mash (mashed potato and sausage). Claire dropped Emma off at the airport and after dinner we went back to her house. After a quick wine run, we relaxed at Claire’s house and spent some good quality time, talking, catching up and watching Mad Men.
We had a day which I would call it a simple Dublin day. We spent it on Grafton st, checked out Christ church and just hung out in the city. We went to a pub where they allow you to pull your own pint. We learned the special way to pull Guinness. Basically, we sat a table, with our own keg and pulled our own pints. After pints, we got dinner at Eddie Rockets- similar to Johnny rockets- then went to a pub where there was live music and Irish dancing. It was really cool and exposed us to the crazy Irish culture. I think the culture can be described as fun, loud, and crazy. I can dig it 
Our last day in Dublin was spent doing a lot of last minute things. Last minute souvenir shopping, checking out Phoenix Park (home of their president) and having an amazing breakfast at this place called Lemons. Saying bye to Aj and Claire wasn’t bad because we planned on meeting later that week in London. LONDON!!!!!

Laying in parks, baguettes, cheese & Money.

PARIS, FRANCE


My first impression on Paris was expensive. We made the trek to our hostel and it was the most we had paid yet and was probably the worst. When we got into our room we were pretty happy about it being empty but also unhappy because it was so small. It was a definitely downgrade from our Berlin Hostel, but that’s to be expected…not every hostel offers spacious rooms and down comforters. We, or mainly me, take a nap and then we go for our first exploration to the Sacre Coeur which was down the street from our hostel. After climbing the stairs which are equivalent to Mt. Everest we walked around the outside and then sat down to watch the street performers. When that was over, we walked around the little area to the left of the Sacre Coeur and I saw my first mime EVER. ..Pretty amazing. We walked down to this point where you could see the Eiffel tower in the distance and waited until midnight to ring in Tammy’s Birthday. After midnight and the light show, we headed back to our hostel because the next day we were going to spend it in Versailles.

VERSAILLES.
About 40 minutes away from Paris, is the lovely city of Versailles. We spent the day touring Chateaus. If it weren’t for Tammy, this place would not have been a point of interest for me but I’m glad it was. The rooms were gorgeous. We spent the day there and then headed back to Paris for her Birthday dinner. 

PARIS.
The next morning Tammy and I bought food to have a picnic at the Eiffel tower. It was quite a relaxing afternoon. We ate our baguette and cheese and then just hung out a few feet away from the Eiffel tower. ( Im just re-reading my last sentence and am jealous of how that simple activity is so special and was such an amazing opportunity. )
After the Eiffel tower we went to the Petite Palis and caught the Louvre on a free day. Unfortunately by the time we got there we didn’t have much time before it closed. I was still able to see the Mona Lisa though. Seeing the Mona Lisa was probably the most anti climatic part of the trip. The Mona Lisa is about as big as a fly on a wall. What probably makes it seem that way is that the wall itself was really big and just there for that one small picture. Don’t get me wrong, it was really cool to see something that I’ve learned about many times and seen in textbooks, but it just wasn’t as amazing as I thought it was going to be…definitely was no colesseo.
After the Loruve we went back to the Hotel because I was starting to feel a little weird. I wanted to get some sleep because we were planning on going to Euro Disney the next day.
August 3, 2009. The day that did not exist.
- I went to sleep that night before at 11pm, which is pretty early considering the times we had been going to bed. I woke up that morning at 8 and showered first since Tammy usually sleeps in a little bit longer than I do. After my shower I laid back down and ended up falling asleep till 4pm. I woke up shocked because sleeping in is not something I am used to, let alone sleeping all day. Tammy asked me if I was okay and I swear I felt like I was in a coma. I ate something and then fell back asleep until 8pm. I had dinner and then I fell back asleep until the next morning. Therefore, August 3rd is the day that did not happen.
Back on track.
I think I had slept so much because I wasn’t used to traveling or the constant going and going that I had been doing. It all just caught up with me, but the next day, I felt amazing. We started the next day at Shakesphere and Co. A really neat bookstore that Hemingway, Joyce and a few other famous authors hung out at. If you buy a book there they stamp it which makes for a cool keepsake. I bought Jack Kerouac’s “On the road” I felt like it was appropriate…and incredibly cliché. Haha After spending some time there, we went to the Notre Dame. I took a picture standing outside of it because my mom told me did the same thing when she was younger .
After Notre Dame, we walked around the Hotel De Ville, then went back to the Eiffel tower to see it at night.
INSERT: Hostel Roomates.
I cant believe I haven’t mentioned them yet, Our Roomates showed up the same day we did, just a few hours later and we found out they would be in our room 5 of the 6 days that we were going to be there. So to make matters worse, not only was our room the size of a shoebox but our roommates were GIANTS. No joke, they both had to be above 6’4. There were two of them, brother and sisters from some oakey midwest town that was in Paris ONLY to visit Museums. No other sightseeing. It was pretty funny to see them sleep because even though I’m almost 6ft. my feet only hung off the edge of the bed, a little bit. I would say a fourth of their legs were always dangling off. The only enjoyable experience with them was one night Tammy and I were still awake and they had already gone to sleep. So we were whispering to each other and I asked Tammy a question and the girl, (in her sleep) responded. We looked at her and saw that she was still asleep. We fell into a fit of giggles for like twenty minutes. It was great.
Anyways..back to our trip.
The next day we went to La Pure Café. I wanted to go there because it is the café that was in “Before Sunset.” After getting coffee we spent the rest of the day wandering around Jardin de Luxemburg. The most beautiful garden/park that I have ever been to. After that Tammy and I decided that we couldn’t wait to see harry potter. We grabbed dinner and caught a 7pm showing. We walked into this huge theater and immediately started laughing- the screen was probably as big as my dads flat screen. They really should have provided binoculars or something. Anyway, the movie was great, I was shocked about the ending though. After that we headed back home, it was the perfect last night in Paris. The next morning we went to Champs Elysee (which ended up being a favorite area of mine), Tammy got a pastry at Lurdee and I saw the biggest sephora EVER, the arc de triumph, had coffee and sat at my last Parisian café.
Other Memorable moments in Paris:
- When asking a security guard for directions this is conversation we had.
“How do we get to___?”
“Where are you from?”
“America?”
“Will you marry me?”
Haha.
- I had one of the most amazing crepes in my life outside of the Notre Dame.
-Pomme Frites: MUST try.
Although Paris drained my bank account and I didn’t love it as much as I thought I was going to, I loved everything I did there. Shakesphere and co, picnics at the Eiffel tower, Jardin de Luxemburg… thinking back, im quite fond of all my memories of Paris. <3 br="">