It really is strange to title this post “London”, as I spent all of early February traveling throughout Europe. While I did attend my classes on Tuesdays and internship on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, I spent all my spare time traveling to Scotland, France, Belgium, and The Netherlands.
The last weekend in January, my roommate and I travelled to Edinburgh, Scotland- our first big trip away from London! We took a four hour train to Edinburgh and explored sights such as Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Mile, Holyrood Palace, Calton Hill, and Arthur’s Seat. While the city was very cold and windy while we were there, it was an absolutely breathtaking place to visit. I hope that I get to return to Scotland some day to explore more of the Highlands and other cities.
The first weekend in February, all of my flatmates and I went on a big group trip (with other students in our program) to Paris, France! Paris has always been a dream of mine, and I was elated to have the opportunity to visit. On this trip we visited nearly every major site. On the first day, we went to the Hotel de Ville, Notre Dame, St. Louis Island, St. Michel Fountain, a Seine River Cruise, and the Louvre. My favorite things that day were probably seeing the Eiffel Tower shimmer, and the Mona Lisa! The next day, we did a bike tour around the city where we saw the George Pompidou Centre and the Jardin du Palais Royal. I also had the most amazing crepes at a small crepe stand run by an eccentric Frenchman- when in Paris! We then visited the Arc de Triumph and Le Avenue de Champs-Elysees where we stopped at Laduree- home to the best macarons and pastries in the world! Finally, the next day we visited Versailles and explored the palace from the Hall of Mirrors to the extensive gardens. Later on, we visited what turned out to be my favorite part of the city: Montmartre. This little neighborhood of Paris is situated at the top of a hill near the Sacre Coeur Basilica. It’s the picture perfect image of Paris: accordions and guitars being played in the streets, artists painting the local scenery, and TONS of quaint cafes and shops. I was sad to have to leave after that!
My second weekend in February took me first to The Netherlands, then to Belgium. On our first night in Amsterdam, we visited the Red Light District- how bizarre that was! There are over 900 prostitutes working every night there and it’s completely legal. The next day, we visited two small villages: Edam and Volendam. It was nice to see a little bit of rural Netherlands- certainly a highlight of the trip. But my favorite part had to be visiting the Anne Frank house that afternoon. I’ve always been fascinated by her story, and as poignant as it was, I’m very glad I was able to experience it. The following day, we stopped in Bruges, Belgium on our way back to London. While a small town, it’s known as the setting of the Collin Farrell movie “In Bruges” and is very picturesque! We only had a few hours, so we got Belgian waffles and took the opportunity to explore the streets of the city and do a bit of souvenir shopping.
As you can see, February was quite the busy month for me. I only spent one weekend in London before heading off to mainland Europe again- this time, for spring break!