Spain and Italy with Kim

When Kim was planning her trip to Europe, she really didn’t have a huge interest in England, so we decided it was better for us to meet her in Barcelona, Spain, and begin our trip with her there. Brian and I took an obnoxiously early Saturday morning flight to meet Kim after her overnight trans-Atlantic flight from the U.S. to Spain. Barcelona is another one of my and Brian’s favorite destinations because of the architecture, the people, and of course tapas and Sangria!

Kim and I enjoying Sangria and tapas in Barcelona

Brian with two of his favorite tapas - Pimientos de Padrón and Patatas Bravas!

We did a great walking tour of the city on Sunday and then went to Sagrada Familia and actually were able to go inside, something Brian and I hadn’t done before. Sagrada Familia has been in the works for more than 100 years and isn’t expected to be complete until 2030. Luckily though, the Pope was just in Barcelona to consecrate the site the previous weekend, so the inside was construction-free.

On the walking tour through Barcelona

Outside Sagrada Familia

Beautiful staircase inside Sagrada Familia

The sunlight made the stained glass windows so vibrant

Brian went back to England on Sunday night. Kim and I stayed the night and then flew to Venice on Monday morning. Venice is so beautiful and special, no matter the season or the weather. Kim and I had an amazing time exploring the canal-lined streets and shopping for Venetian glass and purses! We also of course had Bellinis (known in this area) along the Grand Canal. =)

Kim and I on the Rialto Bridge in Venice

Enjoying Bellinis (a very Venetian drink) along the Grand Canal

After a couple nights in Venice, we made our way to Milan by train. Unfortunately Milan was a bit of a tough segment of our trip. The weather was miserable – it rained constantly almost the entire time we were there. Also, we learned a very important fact about Milan – unless if you’re filthy rich, you really can’t do much shopping! Luckily we did have some amazing dinners and vino. The highlight of the trip too was a visit to the Duomo, the third largest church in the world. Mass was actually being held while we were there, so it was an extra special time to see it.

Duomo in Milan

On Friday, we boarded another train and began our 7-hour adventure to Nice, France, where Brian once again joined us.

On the train to Nice

Exploring Prague

As we started getting closer to our move back to the States next year, Brian and I began making a list of destinations we absolutely still had to get to. Prague was one of my top ones because I have heard so many amazing things about it. Brian, Cassandra and I went there for a 3-day weekend this month. The first day, we took a walking tour through the city to get our bearings and learn more about its history. The tour ended by the St. Charles Bridge which overlooks Prague Castle. That night, we ventured into a traditional Czech restaurant to eat and drink like the locals. The traditional Czech meal includes pork, dumplings, and sauerkraut - of course it is washed down with a local beer!

Cassandra and I in Old Town

Overlooking the Charles Bridge at dusk

Old school vs. new school when trying to find a restaurant  =)

Enjoying a traditional Czech dinner

The next day, Cassandra left and Brian and I continued exploring by going inside the Prague Castle to see St. Vitus's Cathedral. The area around the castle was beautiful. Unfortunately though, we have seen so many castles and churches at this point that it didn’t blow me away as much as I thought it would. It probably didn’t help that we didn’t have the best weather though! That night we had dinner and then went back to our room to watch the Gator game on our Slingbox. =)

Beautiful stained glass windows inside St. Vitus's Cathedral

Outside St. Vitus's Cathedral in Prague Castle

On our last day in Prague, we ventured into the Jewish Quarter to see the historic synagogues and Jewish museums in the area. It was very moving and insightful to learn about the rich Jewish history in the city. That afternoon, we found ourselves in a Christmas market of sorts with lots of local food, including this pastry-type item that was wound around rods and then cooked over charcoal.

Yummy treat at the Christmas-type market in Prague

Overlooking the city from Prague Castle

Sunday night, we took our usual night flight home. Brian returned to work on Monday while I got ready for our next visitor. Our friend Kim was coming in less than a week! =) Our trip with her included Barcelona, Venice, Milan, Nice, and Monaco. More on that trip soon!

Return to London & Bath

Brian and I feel so lucky that so many of our friends and family have been able to come and visit, especially this Fall! We continued our string of visitors when my friend Cassandra came over. She flew into London where I joined her for a girl’s weekend. She and I are both fans of the Tudors TV series, so it was fun to go to the Tower of London with her where two of Henry VIII’s wives were beheaded. We also did some serious shopping, which worried Brian a bit, especially when we went to the famous Harrod’s. =)

Touring the Westminster and Parliament area

While in London, we did something I had never done before – went to watch the Gator game with the London Gator Club! We joined the club at this great sports bar in Piccadilly Circus to watch the Florida-Georgia Game (which we won in overtime!). It was so much fun to scream and shout for the Gators like when we are home in the States. Fellow Gators would also be extremely proud – we did “We Are The Boys” after the 3rd quarter per tradition. Instead of doing it in the Swamp though, we were doing it in a crowded London bar in front of Brits who probably thought we were crazy! =) Check out this video to see the bar’s atmosphere.

After London, Cassandra and I headed over to Bath, still one of my top destinations in all of Europe. On the way, we made a quick stop at my favorite palace, Hampton Court, because of its Henry VIII association. I really wanted Cassandra to see it, and I wanted to see the new wine fountain they had created for the courtyard to show what it would have looked like back in the 1500s. Unfortunately the fountain doesn’t flow wine anymore, but it was still fun to see. =) We also stopped by Stonehenge – it was closed by the time we got there, but luckily you can still get a pretty good view of it from the road.

Cassandra and I at Hampton Court Palace

Wine fountain at Hampton Court Palace

Stonehenge at Sunset

Bath was amazing as always. We of course did the Roman Baths, which after three visits, still amaze me. This was my first visit though where I actually tasted the “Spa Water.” You get it as part of your admission from the adjoining restaurant – it supposedly comes directly from the Spring and is full of vitamins and minerals. It was warm and not very tasty, but I am glad that I finally got up the courage to try it (thanks to Cassandra)! We also climbed to the top of Bath Abbey and visited the Bath Fashion Museum to see a collection of Princess Diana’s dresses as part of a special exhibition. And of course a trip to Bath wouldn’t be complete without visiting the modern Roman Baths, the Thermae Bath Spa, for a spa session through the pools and steam rooms.

On our way back to Bury, we made one more stop at Windsor Castle, the oldest inhabited castle in all of Europe. The Queen is here very often, although not on this particular occasion. We toured St. George’s Chapel where Henry VIII is buried, and where Prince William and his fiancée reportedly may get married (for those of you who didn’t see it, Prince William, second in line to the British throne, became engaged last week and is expected to be married in Spring or Summer 2011).

After a quick stop in Bury, we flew over to Prague for Cassandra’s second weekend in town. More on that trip tomorrow. =)

Back to Bavaria - Munich & Mittenwald with Chris

Chris is a huge winter sports fan, so we definitely wanted to take him over to Germany while he was here.  We flew into our favorite part of Germany, the Bavarian region, to show Chris Munich and then travel to Mittenwald.  We toured Munich, the capital of Bavaria, the first day and then of course had dinner at the famous Hofbrauhaus with two of Chris' friends from high school who had just moved to Munich.  In true German style, we sat at a communal table where we met some very nice locals who gave us a tour of the restaurant and gave us history about Munich.  Of course we enjoyed the German beer, pretzels, and schnitzel as well!

Our new friends at Hofbrauhaus

The next morning, we visited BMW World to take the factory tour and see how BMWs are made in their home country.  I at first didn't want to go because I didn't think it would interest me much, but I was so wrong.  It was fascinating to see the automation and robots creating all of the cars.  We also learned that if you order a BMW in the States, you can fly over to Munich to pick it up and drive it around Germany for a few days before they ship it over to you.  Yes, I definitely think Brian and I need to do that...  =)

Chris and Brian at BMW World in Munich, Germany

Afterwards, we took a short train ride to Mittenwald, with a populaton of approximatley 7,500 residents.  We always love going to these smaller places rather than the large cities so we can truly experience a country's culture.  Mittenwald was amazing, and while there, we had the opportunity to take a cable car up the Karwendel Mountain to play in the snow and go hiking (well, the boys did the hiking while I stayed comfortable and warm in the alpine restaurant reading a book).  =)  We did some other hikes closer to ground through the beautiful forests as well.

Go Gators!  On top of the Karwendel Mountain

I finally got the boys to stop throwing the snowballs AT each other!

Chris hiking on Karwendel Mountain, overlooking Mittenwald

Brian hiking through the snow on Karwendel Mountain

Brian and I on a hike through the forest

Mittenwald was yet another German town that was so darn cute, you didn't think it was real!  Bavaria holds a special place in my heart because of my mom, and I'm so glad we were able to take one of our best friends there to experience it as well.


Brian and I in the ridiculously cute Mittenwald  =)



Our B&B in Mittenwald - can't get much better than this.  =)

Wales with Chris

When our friend Chris was coming out to visit, we knew we wanted to explore some other countries besides England.  However, we only had a couple days during the first weekend he was here so we had to get creative.  That's when we thought of driving over to Wales for the weekend.  Make no mistake; Wales is a completely DIFFERENT country than England.  To avoid confusion, let me offer a brief geography lesson.  =)  A lot of people ask me if I live in England, Great Britain, or the UK, and the answer is all of them.  Here's how it breaks down:

England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales are all separate countries, each with its own culture and language.  Great Britain includes all of these countries except Northern Ireland.  The UK includes all of these countries.  Confused yet?  ;) 

Anyways, we did a road trip with Chris to Cardiff, Wales, leaving on Friday afternoon to make the 4-hour drive to the capital city.  It was our first time there, and it was amazing to see the individual characteristics of Wales.  For example, as soon as you cross the border into Wales (which is just a sign saying "Welcome to Wales"), all of the signs are in Welsh and English.  You hear Welsh as you tour the country, and you'd better not say Wales is England! 

Enjoying beautiful Wales

The highlight of Cardiff was when we toured the National History Museum to truly understand the culture.  It was a mini village of sorts where we were able to see how Welsh homes have changed over the centuries and how Welsh farmers lived. 

Museum of Welsh Life

Brian, Chris, and I exploring the Museum of Welsh Life on a beautiful day

Beautiful archway in Wales

As we started driving back home, we made a stop near Cardiff at the fairytale castle of Castell Coch.  It's completely different than other castles in England, and we really enjoyed touring it and taking a quick hike through the beautiful woods around it to admire the Fall leaves.

Chris and I in front of Castell Coch

Brian at Castell Coch

Hiking in Wales

Our final stop on the way home was to Warwick Castle, which was actually a bit of a disappointment.  The castle was built in 1068 by William the Conqueror, but it has been so "Disney-fied" that it's hard to appreciate the beauty and history of this amazing site.  I'm still glad we saw it though so we can check it off our list.  =)

Chris taking a shortcut through Warwick Castle - I thought he was going to get stuck!

Conquering Guy's Tower at Warwick Castle  =)

The following weekend, we took a flight with Chris to one of our favorite countries, Germany.  More on that adventure soon.  =)