Country #42 - United Kingdom Day 2

The Palace

I slept for a few hours on the flight from Saudi Arabia to London, UK and then had a pretty long immigration line to wait in at Heathrow. From there I made my way to the Tube which I took to London Victoria station. I then stored my bags for the day at the Victoria Coach station which ended up being super convenient. By this point, I was so tired but I also really didn’t want to waste a day in London. Who knew how perfect my day would end up being!

After leaving my bags I decided to just walk around the area and head towards Buckingham Palace and then perhaps just walk around the parks. However, as I was walking that way I realized the one major thing in London that I had never done was, in fact, to visit Buckingham Palace! The Palace is only open to tourists pretty much in the summer months and as a result, I was unable to visit during my study abroad in the spring months.

I decided to walk by the ticket office and it just so happened that I was in luck! There were tickets available for that exact time - it was meant to be. I bought my ticket without hesitation and headed inside. You have to go through security of course and once inside you have to turn off your camera and put away your phone. So I don’t have any pictures from inside, but it was as spectacular as you might imagine.

It was really cool to see such important and historic rooms and to learn so much about them. Audio guides can be pretty hit or miss but this was definitely a good one! It was also actually nice that cameras weren’t allowed because you could just take time, enjoy things, and not have to worry about taking pictures or having people taking pictures all around you. I spent a few hours inside and learned so much. It’ll also be cool next time I watch The Crown to be like oh yeah, I’ve seen that room!

After finishing the palace you exit to the Buckingham Palace Gardens in the back. I was able to take pictures here and then stopped for some Buckingham Palace Ice Cream as well! I then walked back towards Victoria Coach station with a few stops along the way. The first was at Marks & Spencer to stock up on my favorite London candy, Percy Pigs Phizzy Pig Tails. I don’t know why but I love them. I then grabbed Shake Shack to go and made my way to get my bag at the coach station before catching my Gatwick Express train to Gatwick Airport from London Victoria station.

It was a really great day in London and I am so glad that in the limited time that I had it worked out so perfect for me to be able to see the one thing left at the top of my touristy things in London list! I was exhausted by this point but had a great trip and am looking forward to heading home for about two weeks before I head out again, next time to Eastern Europe!

49 countries down, 147 to go.

Read about my first day in the United Kingdom here.

Country #42 - United Kingdom Day 1

The Favorite City

Today I flew from Huntsville to DC, DC to Raleigh, and Raleigh to London, United Kingdom! I had to fly to DC to pick up my second passport from the Afghanistan Embassy as I needed other visas in that passport for this trip. Yes, I have two passports! It is not hard to have two, honestly, as long as you explain your reasoning when applying. It is really helpful for me to have two passports because it means that I can be sending one off for visas while traveling with the other, or I can use one visa for countries that sometimes other countries don’t like for you to have in your passport (i.e. Israel).

I was fine with having to pick mine up, though, because it meant I was able to grab lunch with my good friend Martha! We met at GCDC, an awesome grilled cheese spot, and then walked across the street to see the White House. It was so nice to be able to see her! After a great, though short, visit I took the Metro back to Regan airport and headed to Raleigh. I love DC for a lot of reasons but the Metro is definitely one of them.

Once I got to Raleigh it wasn’t too long of a wait before boarding for London. I actually ended up lucking out and getting business class because I flew on an American Airlines family pass. It is always the luck of the draw (you might have read about me having to spend the night in the Rome airport) but sometimes, like today, it is amazing! I had a great meal with an ice cream sundae and even slept on the flight.

One of the best perks of the flight came afterward, though, because I was able to use fast track security and then take advantage of the American Airlines arrivals lounge in Heathrow which was so nice! I’ve never used an arrivals lounge before but it was pretty cool. You could take a shower if you wanted (I decided not to but kind of wish I had) and can have a great breakfast! I had made to order pancakes and fruit. The best part of the lounge was having a comfortable place to sit for a few hours because the flight landed at almost 6:00am meaning very little was open yet in London. After a relaxing morning, I headed to the Tube for the trip into London. I have taken this specific ride into London so many times now it would be impossible to count, but it makes Heathrow my favorite airport simply by having great Tube access.

All I have to say is it is so great to be back in my favorite city! There is so much about London that I absolutely love and I tried to do as many of my favorite things as possible in my one short day in town. When I arrived in the heart city I headed straight to one of my favorite places and my favorite museum in London - Tate Modern! Though the National Gallery in London is a very close second Tate Modern can’t be beat. I loved it when I studied abroad in London and was so excited for today to see the new expansion building that had opened since my last visit. It definitely exceeded my expectations, especially the new rooftop lookout spot.

All of my favorite installations were as good as ever (my favorite is the tower of radios and my least favorite is the room of hair) and I really enjoyed the new exhibits as well. What was really helpful was being able to check in my small suitcase at the coat check at Tate as it saved me a ton of time! After gathering my bag and walking along the Bankside I made my way across the Harry Potter bridge (real name Millennium Bridge - it’s the one the Death Eaters destroy in the opening credits) to St. Paul’s. I wasn’t stopping for a visit (though I highly recommend it, it’s an amazing church) but actually taking the metro from there to my hotel. As this trip to London was very last minute I was unable to find a sponsor but I lucked out and found a cute little place to stay near Hyde Park (and actually near where I had lived in London) called 72QT. It was small but just what I needed. I was exhausted and accidentally fell asleep for an hour or two.

I wasn’t stopping for a visit (though I highly recommend it, it’s an amazing church) but actually taking the metro from there to my hotel. As this trip to London was very last minute I was unable to find a sponsor but I lucked out and found a cute little place to stay near Hyde Park (and actually near where I had lived in London) called 72QT. It was small but just what I needed. I was exhausted and accidentally fell asleep for an hour or two.

After a much-needed rest, I made my way to my favorite food spot in London, Mac Factory! Mac Factory is/was a food stall at Camden Lock Market (which you should definitely check out - it goes on forever and ever but the food stalls section is to die for). However, since my time in London they have actually opened a new restaurant literally across the street from where I went to school, University College London (UCL). It’s probably a good thing it wasn’t here or I would have eaten it every day! It is the best macaroni in the world and I don’t feel like that’s an exaggeration. I have had so much macaroni and Mac Factory’s is the best. It’s so cheesy and the breadcrumbs on top just make the meal.

After dinner, I just started walking as I knew exactly where I was and where I wanted to go. That’s one of my favorite things about London now is how well I know my way around the city. I headed from UCL to Covent Garden. It’s a really enjoyable walk along London’s streets, even at night, as it takes you through some of the most idyllic parts of the city. I called my brother on the walk and before I knew it I was in Covent Garden. I know it’s a touristy area, and frankly, I just don’t care. I think it is a really cool spot and no matter the tourists I will always go back and I definitely recommend a visit if you have never been before. It is such an interesting mix of high street shops, cool architecture in the structure itself, and markets during the week. One of my favorite things, which wasn’t happening tonight, is when there is a violin or opera performance going on in the evening to enjoy whether eating or walking through.

After walking through for a bit I then made my way to Trafalgar Square. I love how easy it is to get around London - walking is often the easiest option but the Tube and excellent bus system are there when you need them. I walked through the infamous Trafalgar Square where I passed the (unfortunately closed) National Gallery and could see Big Ben all lit up at the end of the street. From Trafalgar Square I made my way to Picadilly Circus less because I wanted to see Picadilly Circus (it’s fine - kinda like a mini London version of Times Square but the screens were actually under construction when I was there) and more because I wanted to take a bus up Regent and Oxford streets back to my hotel.

This route was one of my favorites when I lived here because you can see the incredible buildings on these high streets and it goes exactly where I needed to go. Riding a real Transport for London (TfL) double-decker bus is something everyone should experience in London. I actually use them for transportation around the city and find them super easy and sometimes more convenient than the Tube. Also, always make sure you ride up top for the full experience! Truly it is amazing that they don’t crash into things because it always feels like you’re about to.

After returning back to my hotel I took a very refreshing shower and fell asleep instantly after such a long day. It was so great to be back in the city that exploded my love for travel and where I spent an amazing five months. I love London and the UK so much (if you can’t tell) and can’t wait to be back soon (hopefully for longer than one day)!

42 countries down, 154 to go.

Read about my second day in the United Kingdom here.

Country #41 - France

The Art

After a good night’s sleep after a long travel day through Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Monaco I was really looking forward to a nice day in Paris, France. I have been to Paris before but it has been over four years since my first visit. I started the day with a great breakfast at Hotel Malte by Astotel before setting off for my first stop, Palais Opera. Luckily, the Opera was very near to Hotel Malte.

I bought a ticket from the automated machine inside and spent the next hour or so walking through the stunning building. It’s really hard to describe how magnificent the building is, but it is elaborate as you would imagine nineteenth-century Paris to be. One of the most interesting parts was the Marc Chagall frescoes. Similar to the Chagall stained glass I had seen in Switzerland it was so unique and really stood in contrast to the rest of the building. There was also a great exhibition on Mozart’s history that I really enjoyed.

From the Opera, I then walked through the Tuileries Garden on my way to Musée de l'Orangerie. Musée de l'Orangerie is known for its collection of eight of Monet’s larger Water Lilies paintings. Monet himself actually donated the paintings, known as the Nymphéas series, and wanted Musée de l'Orangerie to be a respite from the outside world. It really feels like that as you feel isolated from the busy Paris streets and it is such a unique environment to experience the Nymphéas. Monet is my favorite artist so I definitely took my time before heading downstairs to see the other works in Musée de l'Orangerie which were also impressionist works.

After finishing up at Musée de l'Orangerie I made my way across the Seine to one of my favorite museums in the world, Musée d'Orsay. I love d’Orsay for many reasons but especially for its large collection of impressionist paintings and because the building itself is so grand and unique as it was formerly a train station. I did the whole museum in an hour and a half and then took the metro to Notre Dame Cathedral. One of the most famous churches in the world, when you visit it, is not hard to see why. I was a little concerned with how lax security was to enter the church, especially compared to how stringent it had been throughout the rest of my day in Paris. Mass was going on inside and it truly is just a stunning church to see.

It was a short stop before I made my way to the Pantheon. Fun fact I attempted to visit the Pantheon on my last visit to Paris but it was unexpectedly closed, which made the realization that it was unexpectedly closed again almost comical. After not seeing the Pantheon for a second time it started to rain on my walk to Luxembourg Gardens. It was a heavy rain though luckily I had my rain jacket. The rain also emptied out Luxembourg Gardens which was a unique experience to have the whole place to myself!

I walked to Le Relais De L'Entrecôte which was a recommendation by my friend Noemi! It was amazing. The only menu option is endless steak and fries with a special sauce and wow it was so good. It was an expensive meal but definitely worth it! After dinner, I took the metro back to Hotel Malte to change into warmer clothes. After the rain, it cooled off tremendously and I wanted to walk for a few more hours without freezing.

I left Hotel Malte and headed to the Champs-Élysées. I had to stop in H&M to buy a cheap sweatshirt because it literally dropped like thirty degrees. Also even though it was now freexing I of course had to stop for ice cream. Most stores were closed but I still enjoyed walking up to the Arc de Triomphe. I didn’t walk all the way up to it because I have done that before and it was getting late but it will always be great to see. From there I made my way to the Eiffel Tower while talking on the phone with my brother during the walk. He’s never been to Paris so I definitely made him a bit jealous during the walk.

I have never seen the Eiffel Tower light up at night but all I have to say is it is 110% worth seeing. It happens every hour on the hour so I had to wait for a few minutes (during which time I took pictures) but it was so worth the wait. It was just mesmerizing! I wish it lasted longer than five minutes because it was so cool. It started to rain again after the lights so I quickly made my way back to the metro to head back to Hotel Malte.

It was a long but amazing day in Paris and I was so excited to get a good night’s sleep before I head home tomorrow afternoon.

The Pastries

Today I wanted to visit Monet’s garden outside of Paris but I realized that the timing would just not work. Next time I visit France, I guess! Instead, I spent my morning just walking around the city. I did not visit the Louvre this trip but I walked around outside of it and was sure to take a picture. My favorite part of my day was happening upon two street performers who were playing the violin and the cello in the Louvre buildings. I was listening for a bit but became really intrigued when they started to play songs from Beauty and the Beast. It was so cool and made for a perfect morning - I included a video below!

Afterwards, I walked to Gosselin to buy some pastries to take home with me. Thanks again to my friend Noemi for the awesome recommendation! It was a really cute place and of course delicious. I then walked around for a bit longer, walked past a cool shopping center, and then headed back to Hotel Malte to grab my things. I really appreciated the sweet guy who worked there stopping me on my way out to tell me that he and his girlfriend had read all about what I was doing on my website - it was so cool!

I took the train to the airport and amazingly enough didn’t have too complicated of an experience at Charles de Gaulle. I flew Norwegian Airlines to Fort Lauderdale and I had the whole middle section all to myself! I stocked up on food before the flight and that lasted me all the way home. I had plenty of time to transfer in Fort Lauderdale and am really looking forward to being home for a few days after a great time in Europe!

41 countries down, 155 to go.

To learn more about Hotel Malte click here.

Country #40 - Monaco

The Quick Country

After the beautiful train ride back to Zurich, Switzerland I changed trains at the central station to go to Zurich Airport. It was a quick ride and I arrived in plenty of time to make my flight to Nice, France. The airport was fine but I found the smoking lounges inside to be so strange. That is one thing that I will never understand about Europe no matter how many times that I visit is their obsession with smoking. There were a few designated lounges clouded with smoke throughout the airport and it was just disgusting to see.

After the relatively quick flight, I arrived in Nice! Nice is an amazing place that I would highly recommend and I was sad not to be able to stop into the city. The water on the south coast of France is as blue as can be and the views out from Nice are incredible. For the rest of the day, I’m on a very tight time schedule like I was this morning! From the airport, I walked to the airport train station which is a bit hard to find, especially with construction going on, but thankfully there were signs showing the way. I took the train from there to Monaco, and once arriving in Monaco it was a sprint to quickly see the country.

This was definitely my fastest stay in a country so far at only thirty-five minutes, and by the time I arrived back at the train station I was dripping sweat. Monaco is a very downhill sloping country, so the walk down to the visitors center was a breeze. When I got there the staff were so helpful in providing my passport stamp and in being my witnesses. From there I walked down the street to the main casino and heart of Monte-Carlo. I was able to take a few more pictures and have mine made before speed-walking uphill for fifteen minutes in the hundred degrees heat back to the train station. It was such a hike, suitcase in tow, but I made it in time to catch the train back to Nice.

Luckily I have spent a day in Monaco before which was enough to actually see the entire tiny country, so I will post a few pictures from that trip as well to give you a better idea of Monte-Carlo. It is a really cool country to spend a day in and is not difficult to get to from France or Italy, and is easy to fly to if you fly into Nice. I definitely recommend you see the fancy cars, casino, yachts, and beautiful coastline views if you ever have the chance. I was sad not to be able to stay, but similar to Nice very thankful that I had had the opportunity to visit before.

Once I took the train and arrived back in Nice I just had a few minutes to transfer onto my train to Paris where I will be spending the next day and a half. The train ride was beautiful for the first hour or so riding along the coast. Afterwards, it was dark and I attempted to sleep and watched Netflix. I arrived in Paris really late and the protest occurring on our train tracks and delaying our train by over thirty minutes didn’t help. I never actually saw this but supposedly it was a thing. I took the metro from Paris Gare de Lyon to the Opera Station where my hotel, Hotel Malte, was just a short walk away.

I was greeted warmly and given a beautiful room with a kind welcome note, yummy French treats, and some amazing chocolate. It was such a nice welcome after an incredibly long four country day, and I cannot thank Hotel Malte and the Astotel group enough for sponsoring this night of my trip! I fell asleep very easily and am looking forward to exploring Paris tomorrow!

40 countries down, 156 to go.

To learn more about Hotel Malte click here.

Country #39 - Liechtenstein

The Quaint Country

I had a very early morning this morning as my train left Zurich, Switzerland at 6:30am. Special thanks to Hotel Kindli for making my morning much better than it might have been - they allowed me to have an early breakfast in the lovely dining room! I was also able to secure two witnesses and spend time talking with them. The breakfast was a super helpful start to my day and I really appreciate them having it ready so early, along with providing incredible accommodations throughout my stay!

The walk to the train station took about ten minutes and I found my train with a few minutes to spare. The train ride itself was breathtaking - the train rode along Lake Zurich for almost an hour. I arrived in Sargans where I then had to transfer and take a bus to Liechtenstein. It was a quick transfer (about five minutes) but luckily the busses sat just beside the train platforms.

The bus ride took about twenty minutes and was through gorgeous Swiss countryside. I arrived in the heart of tiny Liechtenstein at 8am. I had an hour to kill before the tourist center would open and I could get a passport stamp from them. I walked through literally the entire town. I took pictures in front of the Liechtenstein National Archives building, walked to the beautiful Vaduz Cathedral, appreciated the art installations in the town, marveled at the Castle Vaduz that sits above the city (and is currently occupied by the Prince of Liechtenstein), and just enjoyed the stunning countryside that surrounds Liechtenstein. Afterwards, I still had about twenty minutes to kill so I just sat and waited outside of the tourism center.

Once they opened I met Moris, who was so cool and I really enjoyed talking with. He has traveled a lot and is moving to Brooklyn soon! I purchased a few small souvenirs and got my passport stamp and still had thirty minutes to kill. I talked some more with Moris, sitting in the comfy chair on the porch of the cute tourism center. After a bit longer I headed back to the bus stop to go back to the train station. I barely missed the first train back to Zurich (by like ten seconds) but luckily the next one left only three minutes later.

Liechtenstein was so tiny but I had a nice two hours in the city. It would be okay for a day trip but definitely not more. Everyone that I met was very kind and it was definitely a unique place to see. It was very beautiful as it was surrounded by the mountainous Swiss landscape. It was definitely a unique stop on my trip for sure. My next stop is another tiny one - I’m headed to Monaco!

39 countries down, 157 to go.