British Invasion

We escaped the chilling cold of Paris to enter the (less) chilling cold of London. Plus side though, no more language barrier (other than the occasional run-in with Cockney speaking native). Due to the slightly better weather, we were able to spend more time in this land of royalty and tea and do quite a bit more of shopping as well! Tip for all of you who plan on going to London and plan on doing quite a bit of shopping: The week after Christmas is the BEST! They have sales ready to rival Black Friday. If you are willing to brave the crowds and fight for that gorgeous dress that you MUST HAVE NOW, then it is all well worth it. Stay until New Years. The fireworks displays, about 20 minutes, makes the ball dropping seem a little lackluster, and the city always puts on a New Year's Day Parade, and a parade is always great fun!

So here are a few shots of my time in London, my family and I also ventured outside of the city walls and traveled to Windsor, Stonehenge, and Bath. The English countryside is beautiful! No wonder the likes of Jane Austin and Oscar Wilde wrote the picturesque scenes into their beloved stories.

Our street

Hyde Park

Tower of London and the Tower Bridge

Guard

Tower Bridge

I thought that I would take over.

The building behind us houses the Crown Jewels

Westminster Abbey

As with any new city, seeing the sites is a must. With England's rich and lengthy history, the city has accumulated quite a bit of them.

Princess Diana Memorial at Harrod's

A misty morning in the English countryside

Windsor Castle

Stonehenge

Bath

The Roman Baths

Shakespeare's Globe Theatre

Louboutins in Harrod's

Our attempt on Abbey Rd.

Peak-a-Boo at the Kensington Palace

Now all I'm missing is the tiara.

Europe: The land where culture, history, and pop culture intermingle seamlessly.

Ahh, I miss it all. It was a long flight back. While I was ready to be home in my own bed and seeing all that I left behind so many months ago, I could not help but feel that I had ingrained a part of myself in my new adopted home. Traveling between the different countries and cities of Europe seemed like a natural thing, adapting to the different cultures and people that make up the European states. I know that after my time in France and the other places that I had the blessing and extreme pleasure to travel to, I will return to my life in Europe. For me, it is not a matter of if but when, and I hope that when comes very very soon.

It is back to the real world for me everyone as school starts up again soon, but I hope that you enjoyed sneaking a peak at my life in Europe, and I wish Kate the very best of luck in her remaining months. As I know all too well, time is fleeting, and you will be boarding that all too real plane back home sooner than you think. 

Bisous pour tout!

Krystyne

Joyeux Noël à Paris!

Christmas and Paris. What better things to put together?

While the weather threatened to put a damper on the holiday festivities, my family and I took Paris by storm paying a visit to its endless list of attractions and sights. As the old adage goes, a picture is worth a thousand words, so here a little visual recap of my Christmas in Paris.

Christmas really adds a whimsical touch to such an already ethereal city.

From Napoleon's tomb to the Moulin Rouge, there are certain sites in the the city that can never be missed.

Shopping and Art. Two things the Paris most certainly does not lack.

After our jaunt in Paris, we were ready to say au revoir to cheeses and wines and say 'ello to fish and chips.

Bisous,

Krystyne

Oui, Oui, Je Vais À Paris!

Mes amies!

Dèsolè for my absence for the past month. I have been focusing on the school part of this study abroad part of this whole amazing experience. In between having my head in a book and my body in a classroom, I did manage to go to the one place that you can't leave France without visiting: PARIS!

Thanks to Armistice Day, I had a nice little 4 day weekend, and I decided to spend that time in the City of Love: the mecca of all things that make a Francophile swoon. I tried to make the most of my time there since four days is not nearly enough to envelope yourself all that Paris has to offer. This was also my first time taking the train in Europe, and my experience has quelled any doubts as to why it is the preferred method of transportation among the chic.

We wasted no time and braved the wind and rain to visit as many famous landmarks as possible, indulging the inner cheesy tourist in all of us.

The Lourve was magnificent. The sheer size overwhelms the biggest of art buffs, but nonetheless, it is a necessary stop on any trip to Paris, be it the first or the 100th. Since it is so incredibly large, here are only a few of my favorite things up for display.

Oh what a fun weekend with some of the people that have made my time here so memorable and what better city to celebrate the European lifestyle than in the cosmopolitan hub of old, historic, fun, lively city of lights.

À tout a l'heure!

Krystyne

10 days, 7 people, 3 places, INFINITE Memories

Hello Everyone!

I just got back from a 10 day excursion around Europe. I visited Athens, Rome, and Barcelona during my fall break from school, and I have rested up enough to finally tell you all about it!

The first stop on our whirlwind European tour was Athens. The land of greek god and gyros! Going through the sites in Athens really made me wish that I had brought Hercules with me to Europe. The Acropolis, Zeus's Temple, and the Olympic Stadium were breathtaking. It's hard to fathom the age of these ruins and the how they have seen the world shift and change throughout the centuries. We also watched the changing of the guards. The greek way of doing things definitely has more flair and pizzaz than the stuff British version. The food was amazing too. Moussaka and gyros are a greek staple for a reason!

Zeus's Temple

Ancient Theatre

Parthenon

Parliament

1st modern Olympic Stadium

Gustavo and I doing an Aladdin picture over Athens

The Guards

Les Garçons

Les Filles

After our Grecian adventures, we sped through time to the Roman Empire. The Eternal City has not lost any of its charm since the centuries of its founding. While some of the most important and influential buildings during the height of the Roman Empire are now but remnants of their pervious glory, you cannot help but stand in awe over the rich history coating every crevice of the city. The Pantheon, the Colosseum, the Forum, and the list goes on and on. Rome was not built in a day and it certainly cannot be done in a day. Vatican City itself can take up an entire days events. The mammoth Vatican Museum has corridor after corridor of art, history, and religious relics. We were lucky enough to go on a day that the pope was giving mass, so thousands of people made the pilgrimage to San Pietro (Saint Peter's) Square. Rome is soaked in history, but it has not lost its relevance in the modern world. Examples of a bustling city are everywhere (especially during peak rush hour in one of the cities roundabouts). There is one thing that the Romans seems to preserve even more than their famous landmarks: the FOOD! When in Rome, there is not a single way to go wrong with your meals. Italians food is amazing back home, but it is simply divine in Roma!

Castel Saint Angelo

St. Peter's at Dawn

The Vatican

The Trevi

The Colosseum

Trevi at Night

Spanish Steps

Cannoli

Pantheon

Santi's Tomb

The Pope

After Rome, we traveled to 20th century Europe and made our way to Barcelona, Spain! Barcelona is a vibrant city with tons of backpackers and traveler passing though its gates each day. While our time there was cut short (due to protests in France nonetheless), we managed to do a bit of sightseeing and appreciating the artistic genius that is Gaudi. Las Ramblas was the place to see and be seen. This street has an array of store and markets ready to appease the pickiest of shoppers. The Sagrada Familia really is as interesting as you think. The "melting" rock captures your attention until you look closer to see the story embedded into its folds. Barcelona is really a visual city, so I'm going to let the pictures do all of the talking.

Sagrada Familia

Casa Batilo

Plaçe de Catalunya

Spanish HOT CHOCOLATE!!!!

Las Ramblas

Christopher Columbus

Well now off to the real world and all of its responsibilities.

Á plus mes amis!

Krystyne