Girls' Getaway: Tips for Universal Studios

In April, my best friend and I took a girls’ getaway weekend to the sunshine state with the intent of visiting Universal Studios for the FIRST time. Growing up with family in Florida, my parents and I were frequent visitors when I was a kid, but after devoting our time to Walt’s enchanted kingdom, Universal never had quite the same allure. With the recent addition of a second Harry Potter world, though, I was more inclined to visit. Not that I’m a big Harry Potter nerd (I’ve never read a single book in the series), but there is a certain appeal to stepping into a world of magic you’ve seen played out on the silver screen. I suppose that’s what draws people to Universal Studios in general.

A and I did a fair amount of research in preparation for our vacation, and we didn’t limit our day to just the Wizarding Worlds of Harry Potter. With our “cannot miss” list of rides and food, we had an amazing time together, even as adults! In a bit of an homage to Mr. Harry James Potter himself, I’m going to share the 9 ¾ recommendations that A and I have to make the most of your next [or first] visit to Universal Studios Orlando as incredible as ours was!

1. Buy tickets online [with a park-to-park pass] & Arrive Early

The first suggestion(s) are done in preparation for your day at Universal, and they should be at the top of your “Universal Studios To-Do List.” Buying tickets online won’t just save you money (they’re about 20% less than gates prices), it will also save you time. There is nothing worse than watching everyone walk past you to the gates while you spend your valuable vacation time standing in line to buy tickets …At least I would imagine. We bought our tickets in advance. It is also imperative that you buy the park-to-park pass if you have any intention of going to see both Harry Potter worlds; Diagon Alley is located in the Universal Studios side (with the more laid back attractions), while Hogsmeade is in Islands of Adventure (with the more intense thrill rides). Even if you’re not at universal for Harry Potter, there are great rides and attractions spread out between both parks and you’ll likely want to split your time between them both.

Part 2 of this recommendation is arriving early. Specifically 30-45 minutes if you want the true insider tip. Any one staying at a Universal hotel gets early admission into the park, and you can bet they are going to be there taking advantage of it. To beat everyone ELSE, it’s best to start your day promptly, especially since they tend to open the gates for general admission 10-15 minutes before the official listed park opening time.

2. Start with Diagon Alley in Universal Studios

I’m not entirely certain why this is true, but almost every blog and “secret insider” list that we read recommended you start your day at Universal, not Islands of Adventure. Even if you do choose Islands of Adventure first, you should still start your day in the Wizarding World at Hogsmeade; The Wizarding Worlds tend to be less crowded at the beginning of the day and the last 3 hours before the park closes (aka 9AM or after 4PM).
En route to Diagon Alley, be sure to find Kreacher in the second floor window on Grimmauld Place, and check out the night bus parked at the London Waterfront. If you have a moment outside of King’s Cross Station, you should also place a call to the Ministry of Magic from the iconic British phone booth (simply dial “MAGIC” for a special message). Once inside Diagon Alley, be sure to step inside the shops. It is incredible how much detail went into each one! There’s Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes, the Magical Menagerie, Madam Malkin’s Robes for all Occasions, Wiseracre’s Wizarding Equipment, and Quality Quidditch Supplies. You can even take a quick walk through Borgin & Burke’s in Knockturn Alley if you are feeling a little dark magic in your veins.

3. Gringotts Bank

You’re first stop in Diagon Alley should be Gringotts Bank. With its fire breathing dragon, grandiose chandeliers, and hard-working goblins, the building itself is a “can’t miss experience,” but the real gem is the Gringotts ride. Escape from Gingotts is a combination of indoor rollercoaster and 3D experience, and was easily our FAVORITE ride of the day, and that’s saying something since A is a rollercoaster fanatic and I am a total scaredy cat. It’s arguably the best Harry Potter ride overall. Plus, every 15 minutes the dragon perched on top of the roof will breathe fire (he makes quite a bit of noise to warn you, so get those cameras phones out), so be sure to take a moment and watch him after you ride Escape from Gringotts! I stress that you should check out the dragon AFTER the ride, only because the ride is so amazing! Really, it’s no wonder the line is always long, so be sure to make it your first stop. You won’t be disappointed!


4. Do the Men in Black Ride

After all the detail and modern marvels of Diagon Alley, the rest of Universal seems a little dated. The Men in Black ride is a prime example of this. Given the fact that the movie was released in1997, it really is no surprise. Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed this ride. I don’t think A was as big of a fan as I was, but it is essentially laser tag on a moving track and I love laser tag. As an MIB trainee, your training session is interrupted by an alien invasion and you get to fly around turns, shoot aliens, and compete for points with the other people in your car. I had a blast, and even the one moment of spinning was mild enough for me to handle. This one really stood out for me; it is interactive and just plain fun for all ages.

5. Enjoy [and Share] the food

Not only did A and I research what to do and when, we also made sure to know what food we HAD to try as we made our way through the park. There was so much we wanted to sample, that the only way it was possible was to split everything we had: a Big Pink Donut from The Simpson’s Lard Lad Donuts, Toad in a Hole from The Leaky Cauldron, Butterbeer (frozen – and ONLY available in Orlando), Butterbeer (cold), the Mythos Lamb Burger, Fishy Green Ale (our least favorite item we tried), and Florean’s Ice cream. A quick side note about Florean’s, you can get TWO flavors in one cup! The top recommended ice cream flavors are Apple crumble, Salted Caramel Blondie, and Sticky Toffee Pudding. The number one soft serve flavor is, what else, Butterbeer. We each ordered the Salted Caramel Blondie and then tried the other person’s second flavor – my personal favorite was the Sticky Toffee Pudding, especially in combination with the Salted Caramel.
In reality, we had hoped to try more food during our day, but we were SO full! No surprise given the list above. Next time, I hope to try the Chicken & Waffle Sandwich and Korean Beef Tacos or Carne Asada Tacos from The Simpson’s Spingfield, Butterbeer ice cream from Florean’s, and the Pumpkin fizz & Pumpkin juice from Hogs Head Pub (tip, it has shorter lines than three broomsticks). Maybe you can try it all for me and let me know what you think?

6. Ride Hogwarts Express BOTH ways

This next tip REQUIRES the park-to-park pass… When you’ve had your fill of one park, the easiest way to travel to the other is via the Hogwarts express. The slow moving train will take you from King’s Cross Station (via platform 9 ¾, of course) to Hogsmeade and back. The train is like a ride in-of-itself, and the experience is different based on the direction you travel. Not a bad way to get off your feet for a moment. I recommend taking the Hogwarts express from King’s Cross Station to Hogsmeade first; there is something wonderful about emerging from the train station to snow-capped buildings that you can’t get simply by walking into Hogsmeade from Islands of Adventure. We rode the train about mid-day after exploring Universal Studios and then back at the end of the evening when we had finished with Islands of Adventure, and it made the journey much more exciting than if we had simply walked.
7. Escape the Heat with a Water ride

Depending on the time of year, Universal in the Florida sun can get a bit warm. We were lucky that the weather was really nice during our trip, but by the afternoon we were ready for a cool down. There are 3 water rides at Islands of Adventure, but we only did 2: Jurassic park (you leave the least wet) and Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges. Reviews said you leave Popeye’s wet, but I’d argue we were soaked. That being said, we did NOT do Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls, which is supposed to leave you actually soaked. So, I guess we have no true comparison for what “soaked” really means by Universal standards. Either way, the water ride(s) that fit your intensity level will be a nice escape from the heat and humidity.



8. Ride Revenge of the Mummy

Islands of Adventure is the more “grown up” side of Universal, and the rides are more intense. During my research, Revenge of the Mummy was one that I was constantly on the fence about, but I managed to let A convince me to do it (given the fact she convinced me to climb out a first floor window when we were toddlers, it’s really no surprise). Revenge of the Mummy is an indoor roller coaster, mostly in the dark. It goes very fast and occasionally backwards, but it’s a relatively short ride, so it didn’t trigger my vertigo. It was by far the SCARIEST ride that I did, and pretty much the most I could handle. Nonetheless, it was one of best rides of the day! That being said, now that I know what to expect, I maybe could be convinced bribed to do it again. Maybe.

9. Be prepared for ANY weather

During the morning of our trip, the weather was mostly sunny and humid, but not too hot. As the day went on, the temperature climbed a bit, but was still within a bearable range that didn’t leave you drenched in sweat. Even though it was manageable, we were ready with sunscreen and refillable water bottles (yes, you can bring your own into the park!) to keep ourselves hydrated and protected from UVs. At the end of the day, though, we were surprised by a heavy torrential rain accompanied by thunder and lightning. We took shelter in Florean’s Ice Cream parlor during the worst of it, but luckily we had a travel umbrella to squeeze under as we ran through puddles to the park exit. Moral of the story, check the weather forecast the day of your trip, but be prepared for anything! It is Florida, after all.

9 ¾. Get a Souvenir

There’s nothing better to remember your trip than by bringing a piece of it home with you. I’m partial to souvenirs that can be consumed (and therefore shared), so I purchased a Chocolate Frog from Honeydukes. It's a bit on the pricey side, but the frog is 5 oz of solid chocolate and comes in a cool box and with a Famous Witch or Wizard Card (I got Salazar Slytherin, to which Kevin responded “of course you did” when I opened it – take that as you will). 

No matter what you prefer, though, be sure you get something to relive the memories when you get home.

The Land of Gold & Coffee

Following my brother’s recent [first] trip to Colombia, K and I decided that we would make the journey to visit my extended family in September. In a somewhat serendipitous moment, though, we pushed our trip forward in order to join K’s parents and sister for a week-long stay in Cartagena & Bogota.
A quick aside… What started with entries about “a day in the life” of a dental student dentist, has apparently morphed into a travel blog. Not without a brief detour into cooking & baking, though; but alas, here it is – my fourth consecutive travel entry:

16,473 Steps
6.52 Miles

One of the things I was most excited about for our trip, was bringing my new Fitbit HR along for the ride; after all the walking we did in Europe last year, I was curious to see just how much traveling we’d be doing by foot during our South American retreat. Excited but tired (that 3:15AM alarm and a layover in Atlanta were taking their toll), we arrived in Cartagena to a warm, breezy welcome. After a bit of confusion about the address for the condo we had rented for the next few days, we met the house keeper and unloaded our luggage before setting out to explore the Old Town of Cartagena.

Surrounded by a 16th century stone wall to protect it from long dead enemies, the historical El Centro is a charming example of colonial architecture; bursting with churches, plazas, and mansions with their overhanging balconies, it's like stepping back in time. To the sound of drums, we ate arepas con queso under the shade of Plaza de Bolivar before returning to the condo to rest our [already] tired feet. That night, we emerged one more time in search of dinner, and stumbled upon a hidden gem after the first two restaurants we tried were packed full of people. With bellies full of chicken, rice, and fried plantains, there was not much left to do our first night in Cartagena than take a “hot” shower and get some sleep.

18,792 Steps
7.45 Miles
Climbing out of bed around 8AM, I was still the last one awake. Late the previous evening, K's parents and sister had made it to Cartagena while I was sleeping, and I found them perched on our roof top patio sipping coffee and snacking on pan de bono with K. Once dressed, the five of us ventured out into Old Town for some exploring. Upon our return, a friend of my uncle was waiting for us – our resident tour guide ready to show us around the city beyond the fortified wall. Past the Torre del Reloj, we hopped into taxis to Castillo San Felipe and then further to Boca Grande. From there, we walked FOREVER to lunch (unknown to us at the time, being burned to a lovely shade of lobster red), where we feasted on traditional Colombian food like ajiaco and bandeja paisa. In quite the food coma, we returned to the condo, said “adios” to Felipe, and napped. Still full from lunch, we emerged after the sun had set for popsicles paletas for dinner, a nice reprieve from the humidity in the night air.

6,456 Steps
2.56 Miles
Eager to not miss the opportunity for a day trip to the Islas del Rosario, we awoke Monday morning bright and early and headed to the docks. The first people in line, we were also the first to board our canopied speed boat. With the incredibly strong ocean wind, it took us an hour to get to Isla Rosario where K, his dad, and I wandered the outdoor aquarium and K's mom and sister snorkeled. By the time we had all boarded our boat (along with the other 50 people being chauffeured on the Elizabeth) we were starving. Another 45 min later, we finally arrived on the white sands of Isla Baru where we feasted on chicken (or an entire fish for K's parents), salad, patacones, and coconut milk rice. With happy bellies, we enjoyed the ocean breeze on the beach before embarking on the bumpy, windy, and wet journey back to Cartagena. Upon our return to the condo we all took much needed showers and naps before ending then night with dinner and gelato.

17,276 Steps
6.85 Miles
We finally slept in some the fourth day of our trip before the long trek out of El Centro to the Getsemani (another Cartagena neighborhood) for breakfast before heading to Las Bovedas for some shopping. On our journey through the Northwestern part of the city, we stopped by Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s house (the famous Nobel laureate); wandering around Cartagena for the past 96 hours, you could see where his inspiration for Love in the Time of Cholera truly came from.
Once back in the central part of Old Town, we found ourselves at The Palace of the Inquisition. The museum had little in English, but was certainly something to do inside with much needed air conditioning. Exhausted from another day of walking in the sun, we returned to the condo for our daily nap before wetting our palates with some pre-dinner cocktails in Plaza Santo Domingo. With our appetites in tow, we headed to dinner for some arepa sandwiches before ending the night with post-dinner drinks on top of the old city wall.

10,589 Steps
4.19 Miles

While we had thoroughly enjoyed our time in Cartagena, we were certainly ready for a change in climate, and the cooler, mountainous Bogota was sounding very appealing half way through our vacation. After a brief hour and a half flight, we found ourselves greeted by the Andes Mountains before being picked up by my family and journeying to another uncle's parish, where we would be staying for the remainder of our time in Colombia. We filled our bellies with some sopa over conversation in broken Spanish/English and quick photos between bites. Once full, we ventured out into Bogota to the botanical garden, where we wandered through native plants and roses. That night, the entire extended family met us for dinner, where we ate crepes and gelato at the Vera Family’s favorite restaurant – Crepes & Waffles, before turning in for the night.

15,282 Steps
6.05 Miles
We met my uncle in his parish apartment for breakfast before leaving for Downtown Bogota. There, we spent the morning wandering Plaza de Bolivar (and then what seemed like all of downtown looking for a restaurant to have lunch) before exploring the collections at Museo del Oro and Museo Botero. We finished our Downtown exploration with a tram ride to the top of Monserrate, where the sun rays pierced the clouds, illuminating all of Bogota through the fog and haze of the city below.

13,388 Steps
5.31 Miles

Following daily breakfast with my uncle, we journeyed to Zipaquira to visit the Catedral de Sal, once proposed for one of the seven wonders of the modern world. Located within the tunnels of a salt mine, we walked past the Stations of the Cross before being greeted by a grandiose cathedral 200 meters below the surface of the Earth. We stopped for lunch on our way back to Bogota where we sampled chicharron, sausage, chicken, beef, morcilla (Colombia’s infamous blood sausage), criolla potatoes, fried yucca, and arepas.

That night we met the entire family for dinner at Andres Carne de Res – a MUST for anyone visiting Bogota. We drank and ate until we could barely move… and then we did move. A lot. Dancing the night away to the sounds of salsa, merengue, and cumbia rhythms.

7,753 Steps
3.07 Miles
Our final day in Colombia would be spent in Sopo at an uncle’s country home. Prior to the drive out, we stopped to see the Basilica de Nuestra Senora de Lourdes, a church built in 1875 and recently renovated under the supervision of my uncle while he was serving the congregation as their priest. Known for its German stained glass windows, the Gothic church is a testament to the beauty of architecture and ornate design.

In Sopo, we admired the Colombian country side while eating, chatting, and passing time with family. We sampled native Colombian fruits like curuba, maracuya, granadilla, pitaya, and tomato de arbol. We laughed our way through the day until the sun had set on our last night in my father’s home country.

Eurotrip 2015: Part 2

Not only did the four of us get to celebrate our respective anniversaries in Europe, but the sixth day of our trip was also J’s birthday! Waking up a year older in Paris isn’t too bad of a deal, if you ask me. Out the door by 8:30AM (only thirty minutes behind schedule) we headed out for a quick stop at a gluten free bakery to grab a bite for our commute to Versailles. With a six-inch chocolate cake in hand — apparently K’s idea of breakfast — we were off. To get to Versailles from Paris, we had to change train lines three times; 20 minutes into the final leg, we realized we were heading the wrong direction. There was a slight delay while we waited at the next stop to change directions, and K was disappointed he’d made an error in our navigation, but we arrived in Versailles only an hour later than intended.

Exploring the gardens of Versailles.

As we approached the Chateau we were SHOCKED at the length of the line at the palace entrance. In hopes that the wait time would die down later in the day, we headed to the gardens, where you could forget just how many people were there as you go lost among the hedges. The gardens were lovely and vast, although it would have been much nicer with the fountains on. We weren’t sure if France was in a drought during our stay, but none of the fountains were ever running as we did our sight-seeing throughout the country. Maybe the French are just more environmentally conscience than Americans are? When we emerged from the gardens, we were pleased to see that the line for the chateau was much smaller. Despite the shorter wait time, we completed our tour in as little time as possible; since hadn’t been able to tour the Louvre yesterday, we were hoping to get back to Paris in time to spend a couple hours wandering the museum. At the completion of our fast-paced tour, we stopped at Angelina’s before heading back to the train station for a highly recommended hot chocolate & macaron snack. The hot chocolate was rich and thick; it was as if you had melted a block of milk chocolate and mixed it with heavy cream. It was very good, but a little went a long way. It’s a good thing K & I shared one!

Upon our return to the city, we emerged from the metro stop below the Louvre with plenty of time for an afternoon of art appreciation. We walked to the entrance gate and were disheartened to read the sign “Closed on Tuesdays.” Face. Palm. Somehow, we’d managed to mess this up again. So, we snapped some photos below the Louvre before walking to Les Marquis de Laduree for some more macarons. When we returned to the apartment we started a load of laundry and cooked ourselves a dinner of pasta, salad, & wine (I know, apparently, we didn’t get enough Italian food while we were in Cinque Terre).

Another morning in Paris, and we were determined to finally enter the Louvre — third time's the charm, right? Since we had to squeeze it in on a different day than originally intended, we’d agreed to see five great masterpieces rather than wander the museum all day. We saw the Venus. We saw the Mona Lisa. We saw the Wrath of Medusa and, next to it, Liberty Leading the People. We strolled through the ancient Egyptian art and even saw a mummy on our way out. After viewing the small collection of art from Monet and Matisse at the L’Orangerie Museum at the other end of the Tuileries Gardens, we headed to lunch at NoGlu, an entirely gluten free restaurant and arguably the best meal of our vacation! Following lunch we headed to O Chateau for a wine tasting and introduction to French wines course. As the class started in the brick cellar below the wine bar, I took out a pen and totally nerded it up by taking meticulous notes.

The Venus & The Mona Lisa.

From O Chateau we ventured to Paris’s Montmartre neighborhood, in the 18th arrondissement. Starting at the Moulin Rouge, we hopped on the Petit Train de Montmartre and headed up to Sacre Coure. It was a gorgeous church and it had an exquisite view of Paris from its hilltop vantage point. We walked to the bottom of the hill and hopped on the metro towards the Luxembourg Gardens. Along the way we took a slight detour at 2 different metro stops to see St. Germain de Pres and St Sulpice. At St Sulpice, there was a poetry vendor fair set up, so we wandered briefly before heading to the Luxembourg Gardens and then back to the apartment for our last night in Paris.

The Moulin Rouge. On the Petit Train de Montmartre. Sacre Coeur Basilica.

After doing so much walking in Paris the last few days, we were happy to sleep in our last morning in the city. Finally feeling well rested, we casually packed our bags and headed to brunch at a café down the street. At the train station, we went through customs before boarding our train to London. Another stamp in the passport! On board the train we used our remaining Euros on snacks, and I slept to pass the time. 

Welcome To London

We made it to London and then to our adorable AirBnB apartment with no setbacks; navigating to our apartment, we were all glad that we were ending our trip in an English speaking country. After unpacking and relaxing a bit, we headed to Kensington Park and Kensington Palace near-by. We then had dinner at Geale’s Seafood and ate dinner on the patio; by the end of our meal we were ready to get back to the apartment and sleep!

Our first dull day in London, we intended to hit all the major attractions. We had a casual breakfast at home (this was the first apartment fully stocked with food and drink) before getting an eager start to our day. Our first stop was Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery. On our way to lunch we stopped outside the Benjamin Franklin House to take a quick picture or two; despite being in London, it is the last standing residence of the famous American revolutionist, scientist, and politician. After stuffing ourselves with pub food and hard cider, we ventured out to Westminster Abbey. From Westminster, we walked down towards the Tames and admired Big Ben and Parliament. To take in the sights in a new way, we hopped on a river boat where we saw Shakespeare’s Globe Theater, London Bridge, Cleopatra’s Obelisk, and several other sites on our voyage to the Tower of London.

Kensington Palace. The Globe Theater. Parliament & Big Ben.

At the Tower of London we viewed the crown jewels and, in quite the juxtaposition, some medieval torture devices. And although not British cuisine, we stopped for dinner at Nando’s for Afro-Portugese chicken — apparently a favorite for London locals. With full bellies, we could see why it is so popular! We headed home early, for us at least, and arrived at the apartment by 8PM. Windows open, we spent the rest of the night relaxing to the sound and smell of our FIRST London rain.

The last day of our vacation, we woke up moderately early; it was a lot easier since we were running on Paris time, which is an hour ahead of London. We put on our best clothes and went straight to the underground… only to discover that the line that serves our current neighborhood was down for repairs for the weekend. K snagged a bus route map and navigated us to Buckingham Palace of the Trooping of the Colour/Queen’s Birthday Celebration Parade. That’s right, we were off to see the Queen! When we arrived we were surprised how cold it was — definitely colder than it was when we left our apartment. We followed the crowds of people and situated ourselves just inside the gates of the mall, luckily, behind a family that was sitting in lawn chairs. The parade started with the sound of a marching band in the distance, slowly making its way closer and closer. There were several bands followed by soldiers. Then mounted horse guards. THEN, we saw Kate Middleton and Camilla in an open carriage! AND THE QUEEN!!! Once the birthday girl went by, we left. Even though there was still more to be seen, it was our last day in London and we couldn’t spend the entire day ogling at the Royals.

Overcast and cold, with the occasional drizzling of rain (so stereo-typically London), we wandered around Borough Market. We sampled cheeses, salami, had some warm ginger apple juice, fudge, and tomato jam. I had a chicken meat pie and K had a sausage and egg breakfast. It was all very good. Just down the road, we toured the museum exhibit at Shakespeare’s Globe Theater before walking the glass floored pedestrian walkway over London Bridge. It was a quick day of site seeing, all with the intent of making it to Tea Time at The Kingsway Hall Hotel.

Borough Market & Tower Bridge.

For the record, high tea was AMAZING. We each had our own pot with the tea of our choosing —bottomless and you could change flavors at each refill! We had 4 different types of finger sandwiches, bottomless scones, and an assortment of bottomless pastries: lemon cake, macarons, fruit tart, mini éclair, and chocolate cheese cake. Arguably the best part of high tea at The Kingsway was that they also offered a gluten free pastry selection, and it did not disappoint; K was pleasantly surprised, if not shocked, that his scones were also bottomless! We all stuffed ourselves until we were uncomfortably full before heading home. High tea is a reasonable dinner, right?

A funny quirk to our high class, afternoon tea, was the rather large horde of naked bicyclists riding down the street about an hour into our meal. They were at such an angle and we were seated far enough away from the windows that we only caught glimpses of side boob and some butt, but it was pretty comical nonetheless (I later learned that this was apparently an international event and people in various cities across the globe were participating in nude cycling that day). Very full and in good spirits we headed back to our AirBnB apartment, the sun finally out! We packed and planned the best route to the airport; the underground closures made it a significantly more difficult journey to Heathrow. Sad that our vacation was coming to an end, we went to bed to prepare for an early morning.


At 5:30AM, our alarm went off. We got to the bus stop in front of our apartment just in time to see the bus we wanted drive away. Confused, we weren’t sure if it was extra late or extra early. Either way, we waited. And waited. We were all getting a little nervous when we finally saw a bus peeking out between the trees down the street. Thank goodness — today was NOT the day for the buses in the area to be down too! Only part way through our journey to the airport, we got out at a large bus transfer station and waited some more. The N9 is the only bus that goes to Heathrow from the station, but the first one that showed up didn’t go to Heathrow; apparently a third of N9 buses have an abbreviated route. So, we waited some more. Feeling a bit more anxious than we’d like, K looked up an alternative way to get to the airport, but it involved 2 more bus changes; A and I were discussing calling a cab when finally an N9 going to Heathrow showed up. Off we went!

We arrived at Heathrow without any more issues and checked-in for our flight without any problems. Unfortunately, when we went through security, A’s purse was pulled for a security violation. It seemed she and every other person who went through our particular security line had to have their bags searched and it was not a short process; our xray scanner-checker guy was very cautious. With everything worked out, we grabbed a little bit of breakfast and headed to the gate. We boarded our Virgin Airlines flight to a full bar lit up with LED lights and some very trendy flight attendants. Over the course of our very modern eight hour flight, K and I watched 3 movies and we did a lot of eating. We had curry chicken for lunch. Tea time snack. Chips. Chocolates. It was almost never ending! We landed in Detroit and breezed through customs, only to have our flight to Dallas delayed for several hours due to weather. Not exactly the welcome we had hoped for once state side, we were still happy to be home, even if it meant our Eurotrip had ended and we would all have to get back to the real world.





To read more about our trip to Europe, check out Eurotrip 2015: Part 1

Eurotrip 2015: Part 1

In the United States, the traditional first anniversary gift is paper. Rooted in the belief that certain items would bring couples good luck, K and I kept with the custom and gifted each other plane tickets to Europe; just four days after our first anniversary (and six days after The Hall's fourth) we were 32,000 feet in the air, ready for a ten day adventure to Italy, France, and England. I guess our trip to New Orleans went well enough that J & A were willing to not only travel further with us, but also longer!

The first leg of our vacation was a two day stint in Cinque Terre, Italy; getting there, though, is no easy feat. Our trans-Atlantic flight would take us from Dallas to Amsterdam where we would change planes for a flight into Pisa, and then take a two hour train ride to the small, coastal villages nestles in Italy’s rugged Riviera coastline. On board our KLM flight, I immediately took 2 motion sickness pills and half of an Ambien; I was asleep before we reached our cruising altitude.

Benvenuti a Italia

Following our layover in Amsterdam — which must be the most modern, clean airport in the world — we landed at Pisa’s Galileo Galilei Airport. Since we had not pre-purchased our train tickets to Cinque Terre (for fear our flights may be delayed and we’d miss the train), we decided to do a little sight-seeing before we headed North. Feeling pretty jet-lagged, we made our way to Piazza dei Miracoli, a square enclosed by medieval stone walls with a large grass lawn leading to the Pisa Cathedral, Baptistry, Comosanto Monument, and (of course) the Leaning Tower.

Ready to continue our journey to Cinque Terre, we had to fight our way off the bus at Pisa Centrale Train Station through a large tour group, luggage in tow. J & A disembarked. K stepped down. And then, the bus doors closed. My travel companions turned around, checking to make sure that everything and everyone has made it, only to see that I was currently still standing on the bus behind the closed door. And, off we went, the bus and I, down the street. “Dove a Stazione Pisa Centrale,” I ask more people than were necessary as I tried to navigate the city streets back to the train station. When I returned, I wandered around the train station, inside and out, before it occurred to me that K, J, & A had probably chased after the bus in a panic. As I started to power up my phone, ready to bite the bullet and make an international call to one (or all) of them, I saw them walking down the street with their rolling luggage. As I waved them down, a clear sigh of relief seemed to flow through all three. Tired and hungry, we are more than ready when the train started to pull away from the station.

We emerged from our train in Riomaggiore to a cliff side, ocean view. A short walk, and a lot of stairs later, we found ourselves on the fifth floor balcony of our AirBnB apartment, watching the sun start to set over the water. By the time the moon light was pouring onto the balcony, we had full bellies and empty wine glasses.

The view of Riomaggiore from our apartment balcony.

As soon as the sun came up the following day, the sound of squawking seagulls floated through the open bedroom windows. Not long after, a jackhammer on the street below solidified that fact that we were done sleeping. We made our way to the patio of a café on the main drag and then headed off to explore the other villages of Cinque Terre. The original plan for our stay on the Italian coast was to explore the five villages with alternating train rides and hiking paths; unfortunately, only the foot trail from Monterosso to Vernazza (known to be the most grueling hike between them all) was open. But, we didn’t let that stop us! We took the train from Riomaggiore to Monterosso, where we were greeted by colorful beach umbrellas and a long, white sand beach with crystal blue water. We walked to “The Gigante” before finding a spot to settle on the VERY HOT sand. The water was cold, but refreshing; the magical clear water was a nice change from the humidity and unforgiving Italian sun.

Once we had our fill of the sand and the surf, we walked down the main road, stopping for our FIRST gelato of the trip before heading to the hiking trail at the South end of the town. The hike was very scenic; curving in and out, lending alternating views of the ocean and the green cliff sides covered in vineyards and lemon trees. We quickly learned why this is considered the most arduous hike between the Cinque Terre: So. Many. Stairs. Felt like ten trillion! By the time we could see Vernazza peeking out from behind the second mountain below us, our bodies were salty and exhausted. J and I could not resist wading into the marina to cool down; K and A weren’t having it, though. As hungry as we were, we were really pretty disappointed to learn that the restaurants in Vernazza would not open for dinner for another 3 hours; so, on to the next village! Well, almost. Once we were reminded that Corniglia sits at the top of a 400 step staircase, we decide to skip it; we‘d had our fill of stairs. Can you believe we were sad only one section of hiking trail was open when the day started? Once to Manarola, we sat our sweaty bodies on the patio and feasted on chicken, pesto gnocchi, and seafood stew at Il Poricciolo. With happy bellies, we walked to the water front where J went for another swim, while the rest of us dipped our toes in the chilly water. As the sun set, we rode the train back to Riomaggiore where we each took a much needed shower before sipping wine on the patio until midnight, chatting and laughing.

View of the Ligurian Sea from the blue hiking trail. Sign to Vernazza. Vernazza Marina.

The next morning we awoke to the first alarm of our vacation with the intent of getting breakfast before our 10AM checkout. La Grotta had become our local favorite breakfast place; aside from the good food and friendly service, they also had free WiFi. After checking our baggage at the train station, we made our way up to Pie al Ama for some coffee and shade before exploring Riomaggiore — our current home away from home. With tired feet from yesterday’s hike, we were slow moving, but we still managed to explore the marina, the Castello, and the Church of San Giovanni Battista before heading to Milan for our overnight train to Paris.

We arrived in Milan after taking a much needed nap on the train. With three hours to kill before our departure, we headed out to see the gothic architecture of the Duomo. We stepped into the piazza as the sun was setting, illuminating the Duomo in vibrant orange and yellow hues. In order to make the most of our “layover,” we wandered the streets of Milan, taking in the sites on our way back to the station. When we finally boarded our overnight train we were dismayed at how hot it was; apparently the AC has been broken since the train departed Venice and it was a million-billion degrees. Before we left the station, we heard the faint but familiar hum of the AC unit turn on. Unfortunately, it barely helped and we had to leave the window open during our commute. Hot, loud (and occasionally wet as the sporadic rain came in through our open window), the overnight train was miserable for everyone except K. The bunk beds were hard, the blankets short — even for me, and we were jolted from our sleep quite abruptly at the border crossing by French police knocking on our door to check our passports and search our compartment with flashlights. Back to sleep, although not a very restful one.

Bienvenue a France

We groggily regained consciousness in the morning with the return of our passports by the train staff and news that we would be arriving in Paris in about an hour. We got dressed, brushed our teeth, and tore down our beds only to have a 45 min delay; so, we napped. The Gare de Lyon train station was SO BUSY, and the French signs/arrows to guide the crowds to where they want to go were really confusing (we still did not have the system figured out when we left five days later). Still two hours before we could check in to our AirBnB apartment, we decided to check our bags at the station and do a little exploring near by. With K as our navigator, we headed down the banks of the Seine River towards Notre Dame. It turns out Paris is HUGE and the distances on the map we had were misleading; what we thought would be a short walk, turned into tired feet. By the time we made it to Notre Dame, we were feeling pretty hungry and it was finally time to try the little bit of French we had learned on the train. With coffee and croissants in hand, we sat ourselves on a bench overlooking Notre Dame and the Seine. We spent the remainder of our down time visiting the Archeological Crypts, St. Chappel, and Pont Neuf before heading to our apartment to check in. After we each took a much needed shower, we headed to dinner at Le Petit Louis around the corner. Unfortunately, it was 5PM and they don’t serve dinner until 7PM. So, back to the apartment for another 2 hours! When we returned, we were so grateful to the waitress who took the time to translate the menu for us, and we gorged ourselves on amazing French food & wine before heading home. Exhausted from the overnight train and miles of walking we were all ready for a good night’s rest.

The Arc du Triomph & the Eiffel Tower.

Still tired from the day before, we didn’t walk out the door until 11AM. Our first full day in Paris was off to a slow start. Nonetheless, we were eager for the walking tour A and I had planned over the last few months — first stop, the Arc du Triomph! The arc itself is incredibly ornate, and below it is the eternal flame which has burned since the end of WWI. Inside, we took the dizzying spiral staircase up to the top for a breathtaking, 360 degree view of the city. Next, we headed towards the iconic Eiffel Tower and then to the Muse del’ Armee. Enroute, we stopped for pictures at Paris’s oldest military school (where Napoleon himself graduated) and at a grocery store for lunch supplies. Outside the Muse, we snagged a bench shaded by trees to feast before heading to view Napoleon’s tomb, the Churchill/de Gualle WWII exhibit, and the hall of French weaponry. Continuing on our journey, we crossed the stunning and lavish Pont Alexander III to the North side of the Seine River where we passed the Grande and Pettis Palais on our way to Champs Elysses.

Our final destination of the day was the Louvre. To get there, we crossed Paris's most dangerous pedestrian intersection and snapped photos at La Concorde, a large circle with an obelisk and mirror image fountains that mark the spot of the infamous guillotine. By the time we walked through the Jardin Tullerie, it was 5:30PM and 15 minute until the museum closed; it seemed our late start finally caught up with us. We snapped photos outside of the Louvre before returning home for a night in to prepare for our excursion to Versailles in the morning, officially half way through our vacation!





To read more about our trip to Europe, check out Eurotrip 2015: Part 2