European Vacation- Prague

Next stop... Prague.  I absolutely fell in love with Prague!  I had been dying to go there, and it was even better than I anticipated.  Prague was beautiful, busy, and FUN!  So much to see during the day and tons of great nightlife, not to mention amazing food.  Old town Prague is the place to go- you are guaranteed to have a good time.  While in Prague, we saw another great outdoor market, the Charles Bridge, another "Love Locks" bridge, the Lennon Wall, the Prague Castle, and the Franz Kafka museum.  The view from the Charles Bridge is amazing, as is the view from the Castle (if you can handle the hundreds of stairs it takes to get to the top).  The Lennon wall was by far my favorite.  It is colorful and filled with great inspirational quotes!  We also were in Prague for the beginning of the Euro Cup soccer tournament and quickly realized how popular soccer is in Europe.  If you haven't been to Prague, it is a must see.  I will definitely be heading back sometime in the near future...

Don't miss out on this fabulous city!

European Vacation- Berlin

So the third stop on our European adventure was Berlin.  When we arrived it was freezing and raining and we were not the biggest fans.  However, despite the weather and the fact that we were only there for a quick stop, we still managed to see some great sites.  In Berlin we saw the Brandenburger Gate, the Holocaust Memorial, the Berlin Wall, and Checkpoint Charlie.  So much History in so little time!  

European Vacation- Amsterdam

The second stop on my vacation was in Amsterdam.  I had been to Amsterdam before and absolutely loved it!  Recreational activities aside, I love the size, the architecture, and the overall feel of Amsterdam.  It is a walkable city where all the locals ride bikes, the people are friendly, and the town is so charming.  On this trip, we went to the Van Gogh Museum, the Heineken Experience, and the Ann Frank house.  I could walk around Amsterdam for hours and never get bored.  We also went to a fabulous outdoor market where there were amazing flowers, gifts, and souvenirs.  Here are some pictures that recap some of my favorites sites in Amsterdam...

European Vacation- Paris

My trip to Europe began in Paris, France.  Paris was amazing and we were able to see so many beautiful sights.  Some of my favorite were the "Love Locks" on the Pont Des Arts Bridge, the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs Elysees,  The Louvre (although we didn't wait in the never-ending line to go inside), the Flamme de la Liberte Princess Diana Memorial, and The Eiffel Tower.  The one thing I missed that I really wanted to see was the Musée d'Orsay.  Unfortunately, the Sunday we were there was "free museum Sunday" so the lines were hours and hours long and we decided against spending our whole day waiting in line.  Nonetheless, my time spent in Paris was fabulous and I got some great pictures!  Here are some of my favorite Paris pics... 

What are your favorite things to see in Paris?

HOME... and Tired

I am home from an absolutely amazing trip to Europe!  I love traveling, but am always so glad to be home.  I definitely missed my bed, my shower, my DVR, and my family, of course.  I feel extremely lucky to have had the opportunity to go to Europe for three weeks, and I lucked out and got a great group of girls to chaperone.  I plan to do many posts on my adventures and the things I saw, but for now, I must sleep.  Stay tuned for a recap of each city I visited and some of my favorite things from the trip...

Source: homemadecosmetics.blogspot.ca via Ali on Pinterest

Source: longfeatherearringsx.com via Ali on Pinterest

Until later...

Off to Europe!

Today, I am off to Europe for about three weeks.  I can't contain my excitement!  I am extremely lucky to have been asked to take a group of high school girl graduates on a European adventure.  I think I'm lucky, some might think I'm crazy for agreeing!  For the girls it's an amazing post-graduation trip, and for me, a free trip plus payment.  It guarantees to be a good time, and I am sure I will have lots to tell you about our travels when I return.  On that note, I will not be blogging from Europe but will be back before you know it!  Here is where I'll be going:
Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, Munich, Interlaken, Milan, Avignon, and Barcelona.

For more on these places, check out a previous post I did on my trip:
http://itallappealstome.blogspot.com/2012/05/european-vacation.html

And if you have any recommendations in any of these cities, please comment and share them with me!!!!

Source: lib.utexas.edu via Ali on Pinterest

My backpack is packed and I am ready... Bring on Europe!!!!