All posts filed under: Europe

Lovely London – Day 3

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“All good things must come to an end.” What a terrible quote, but it’s fitting since this is my final post on my European adventure. Thanks to everyone who followed along! Kate and I made the most out of my third and last full day in London. First on the itinerary – grab a bite to eat at Borough Market, London’s popular outdoor food market. What a beautiful and vibrant place. The sights and smells were just as colorful. We had fun checking out all of the yummy goods. Not pictured but available in abundance were different types of cheese, baked goods, tea, fresh-squeezed juice, fruits and vegetables. Needless to say, I had a pretty big lunch. Honey-roasted almonds and pecans, an egg custard pastry, fresh juice and a duck confit sandwich. Someone ship me back! I love this storefront. Above, at right, is a picture of my duck confit sandwich in the making. Can you see me drooling? After the market, we strolled along the River Thames. Above, at right, is a view of …

Lovely London – Day 2

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On to my second day in London! My trusty tour guide and London host, Kate, started our day by taking us on a walk through several of London’s beautiful parks. And boy did we walk. I must’ve missed London’s peak fall by a week or so judging by how many leaves had fallen, but it was still lovely. Kensington Palace Gardens Kensington Palace, which happens to be the home of Will & Kate. Unfortunately there were no sightings. My brush with fame will have to wait. Tell me this isn’t your worst nightmare. Just kidding, sort of. Aggressive giant birds aren’t scary at all, right? Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain I believe we walked into Hyde Park at some point to head toward Buckingham Palace. Buckingham Palace I want to say the above photos were taken in Green Park, but I couldn’t keep track of where we walked. All I know is that squirrels will climb on you if you feed them. This might be more terrifying to me than the birds. Notting Hill …

Lovely London – Day 1

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I flew into London’s Gatwick airport on a Tuesday. It was intimidating to travel alone in Europe, especially since I lost my travel friend the day before (she left for London on Monday), and I was leaving my husband behind in Rome. (He had to work – boo!) Regardless of the many travel challenges, such as Rome’s chaotic Fiumicino airport, no cell phone, no contact with my host in London, and traveling with only a backpack, I made it. After touching down in Gatwick, I took a 30-minute train into London, rode the Underground a couple of stops and walked several blocks to my destination, which I accomplished, with (gasp) no phone. It’s nice to know I can still survive without modern technology. So after finally arriving at the beautiful flat that I stayed in for three days, I dropped my bag and went right back out the door. There was some major sightseeing that needed to be done! A silhouette of the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. St. Paul’s Cathedral sits on one …

Random bits of Rome

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This marks my last post on Rome (sniffles) for now. Key phrase: for now. I’d love to go back and visit the places we didn’t get a chance to see (Venice, Florence, etc.). One day. :) But for now, I’m going to wrap this up by sharing some photos of “everyday” Rome. Despite the not-so-warm people of Rome and dealing with the constant fear of getting ripped off by local vendors/services, Rome really is a beautiful city. I hope you enjoyed looking through the photos from our trip and got a taste of how lovely it was. A view of a bridge over the Tiber River. The walk along the river is lined with trees. Above, at left, an inviting bookstore in Trastevere. Food! One of our favorite places to eat was Pizzeria da Baffetto. They had the tastiest, crispiest pizzas (pictured above in bottom left photo) and the best antipasto caprese dish (top left). Even though the customer service was never great (impatient servers), the food never disappointed. Yummy gelato!! We had gelato twice …

St. Peter’s Basilica

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We were told by many guidebooks and experienced Rome travelers that we must climb to the cupola of St. Peter’s Basilica for amazing views. It pays to listen. We were running late (of course) and were forced to pay the €7 to take the elevator to the rooftop of the church. (The alternative was to climb all 550 steps for €5.) From the rooftop were beautiful views of Michelangelo’s dome and the church below. Factoid: the dome is 448 feet from the floor of the cathedral to the top of the lantern. Beneath the dome, under the main altar and 23 feet underground lies St. Peter’s tomb. From the church rooftop, we climbed 323 steps to the very top of the dome. And we came out to see this. Talk about a view. A view of St. Peter’s Square designed by Bernini. There are a total of 284 columns and 140 of Bernini’s favorite Saints, each 10-feet tall, in the square. You can make out the Vittoriano in the distance (the big white monument in upper right …