Our trip began in Frankfurt, Germany. Frankfurt is known as the business center of Germany and it appeared to be. There were a lot of guys in suits and carrying brief cases. While in Frankfurt we went to the Frankfurt Zoo and the Natural History Museum. Both were fun and interesting, but not German enough for me ;) We also explored its main center and walked around for a bit. I bought some German gummies, and some German streusel. All in all Frankfurt was okay, I just wish there was more to see!
Our next adventure was London and there was plenty to see! I am officially in love with London! We arrived around 7 in the morning, hopped on the Tube, and began our adventure. London has so much to offer, so much history to see! We stopped at Baker Street and visited 221B Baker Street...also known as Sherlock Holmes house :) It was pretty cool. We took a free walking tour, and our tour guide was excellent, he was able to show us all the amazing well known sites, and also provide some cool stories too. I was fortunate enough to see Buckingham Palace, Green Park, Clarence House, St. James Place, Trafalgar Square, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, House of Parliament, and an old bomb shelter from WWII. The tour was excellent! Our guide even took us too a pub, where they served some delicious fish and chips. It was the perfect birthday!
Our next day we went and saw the London and Tower Bridge. So cool! From a distance we saw the tower of London as well. Since we were on a bridge, we saw the Thames river flowing. We were in a popular area which was near the Rose and Globe Theater, famous because of Shakespeare! We also saw the Millennium Bridge which was featured in Harry Potter 7 pt. 1 :) We then took the tube to King's Cross Station where I found the portal to Hogwarts, platform 9 and 3/4. It was sealed though, because it wasn't September ;) Our journey ended by taking a train to Holyhead, England to catch our ferry to Dublin. The train was amazing, I was able to see the English countryside, it is my dream to live in a cottage some day in England!
We hopped on our ferry and arrived in Dublin bright and early! What I liked most about Dublin was the atmosphere. Everyone was friendly, and enthusiastic! Our first night there we joined a pub crawl, drank a Guinness(not my drink) and met some new people. We were able to listen to some amazing, live music and have a good time. We then took a tour the next day and I learned some interesting things about Dublin and took some nice pictures of it's history. I wish we were able to see the countryside of Ireland, but unfortunately we didn't have the time, but I will be back.
We then moved on to Amsterdam. Amsterdam was very different. As most people know it is famous for legalized marijuana, and the Red Light District. But it also offers some amazing architecture and canals. Once I got away from the Red Light area and saw more of traditional Amsterdam I really liked it. We ate some Dutch pancakes while we were there, and they were yummy. We also took a night canal ride, which was a lot of fun! I was lucky enough to go to see the Anne Frank House, which was very sad. One thing you will notice in Amsterdam is the locals bike everywhere. It was very cool to see, and I wish America was set up for better transportation besides cars! Something to think about, I guess :)
Lastly, our long but amazing journey ended in Paris! Yes, Paris, my very close second favorite to London! The very first landmark I was able to see around 7 in the morning was the Eiffel Tower. It was surreal. I could not believe I was looking at something so expansive, beautiful, and timeless. My whole time in Paris I couldn't let it sink in I was actually there :) For breakfast I ate a chocolate croissant which was heaven! We then went and the saw the Basilica of Sacred Heart, we had to climb about three hundred steps, but the view of Paris was worth it :) We also saw the Moulin Rogue, Arc du Triomphe Notre Dame, Shakespeare and Co. Bookstore, the Seine River, the Lover's bridge, and we watched the sunset near the Louvre. It was an amazing day and a wonderful end to our adventure! Our last goodbye was to the Eiffel Tower which we saw lit up a night, it was perfect! I can't wait to go back :)
