Explore With Me: Euro-Trip Highlights
It's about time I finally finished this article. I know I said I was working on this months back and am so happy it's now live! I literally can't believe this trip was a year ago and now I'm in the process of planning my next adventure to Europe. Country to be announced soon :)
For those who know me well, they know that one of my favorite things to do is travel. For me, traveling is living. Feeling the strength of the sun from a different part of the world, swimming in oceans 50 shades of blue, tasting a new kind of freshness in food, being surrounded by new languages, architecture and style...that is gold. I'm always on the go seeking and planning a new adventure. I never want to go through life stuck in my own bubble not seeing the world, because there are so many things out there waiting to be explored... & I'm only getting started.
For the month of June I left my bubble in NYC and wandered around the beautiful countries of France, Italy, The Czech Republic, Sicily and the UK visiting major cities like Paris, Prague, London, Palermo, Sorrento, Capri and Positano. I'll have these memories forever and I came home with nothing but an urge to see more. So continue reading if you want to explore the highlights of this epic trip along with stunning views, historical monuments, sea caves & magical places to eat.
London, United Kingdom
Big Ben
I obviously couldn't come to London and not see Big Ben. It's such an incredible feeling to physically be in front of something you've only seen in photos your entire life. Want to know a behind the scenes fact? This photo was taken almost immediately after my flight landed from New York. I literally couldn't function let alone take a decent picture so what did I do? Turn my back to the camera of course and be "candidly" admiring the sight infront of me. I wanted to spare you the sight of my smudged makeup and sleepy eyes. Ha! But at least I got a photo right?
Peggy Porchen Cakes Bakery
This may sound a little crazy, but my favorite spot that I visited in London was Peggy Porschen Cakes. This bakery is every girls dream from the beautiful flower display greeting you at the entrance, to the endless pink walls and beautifully decorated desserts. It makes the perfect backdrop for a magical photo that will have everyone talking. Even though the day I came here it was the hottest day London had in years, I still made it a point to have a hot cappuccino and strawberry champagne cupcake while sitting outside at their gorgeous tables..yea that's right. A strawberry champagne flavored cupcake!!!
Paris, France
From London, we hopped on a quick flight to Paris. I was surprised how our flight was literally only filled with business men and women who probably flying home from a work trip in London. Paris felt unreal, like I can't believe I actually went to freakin Paris. Would you believe me if you told me I explored most of the city in one day? Well I did! It was exhausting to say the least. But to sum it up I of course spent some time at the Eiffel Tower, (I mean how could I not.) took a boat ride along the Seine River, had a cappuccino and croissant on the famous tables overseeing the streets, and... can I just be real for a second. I literally never eat McDonald's but the McDonald's in Paris tastes like a gourmet meal compared to here in the U.S...totally mind blowing! My favorite spot in Paris was definitely along the river. I don't even remember the name but it was somewhat like an outdoor beach bar overlooking the Scene River and the bridge. It was my favorite time of day (around 5:30 PM) Lounge chairs overlooking the water, great music, outdoor bar, and amazing cocktails. It was the perfect ending to a long day.
Sorrento, Italy
Oh Sorrento, where do I begin. If you're into rolling mountain tops, endless views of turquoise water and beaches beside cliffsides, Sorrento is the place to be. From Sicily, we hopped on a flight to Naples and took a ferry which left us at the pier in Sorrento. As soon as we got off the boat the incredible landscapes took my breath away. It just felt like Italy. It was everything I had hoped for and more. I can go on and on about this amazing town but what I found to be the most convenient was that it was incredibly easy to travel to other towns in the area. It's just a short boat ride away from the incredible island of Capri and other popular towns like Positano. We booked our hotel here and were able to travel to other cities for the day with various tours and excursions. We explored the city of Amalfi, Positano, Scalla and Rovello all in one day!
Sorrento is nothing short of magical. If you're a huge beach lover like myself, you would really enjoy the uniqueness of the beaches here. They aren't your average beaches with white sand, palm trees and gentle waves. Instead the beaches in Sorrento are alongside enormous cliffs and hardly even have sand! We even took an elevator inside the mountain that brought us from the city above to the beach below. It'd definitely different but a really cool beach experience.
Positano, Italy
Since we were based in Sorrento, Positano was extremely easy to get to. The town of Positano is pretty small and can easily be explored in one day which is what we did. It's literally the cutest town with shops and bakeries left and right. Positano is the place where I experienced true heaven for the first time when it comes to dessert. As soon as we got there I was drawn to this little bake shop where I saw freshly made donuts in the widow. Of course I immediately entered. Here at this bakery is where I ate the most amazing Nutella filled donut that my tastebuds ever tasted. There were no words to describe the freshness and fluffiness of the dough and smooth texture of the Nutella. Pure heaven.
Palermo, Sicily
Lo Zingaro
If you want to experience pure bliss...Lo Zingaro in Sicily is it. It is a small, rocky beach nestled between mountains and caves. It is about a mile walk from the parking area but this was the first time I experienced beach heaven. Water clearer than you ca imagine.
Prague, Czech Republic
Out of all the cities that I visited, Prague will forever have a special place in my heart. There is something magical about this city that I can't quite describe. The only way I can explain it is that it felt like I was in some sort of fairytale world. It's as if time stood still here. This was where I felt the true feeling of being in Europe, maybe because it really is the heart of Europe! Since Prague was one of the few cities that wasn't destroyed in WW2, most of the buildings, streets, bridges and architecture are the same as they were 100 years ago. If you're big on history, this city will keep you amazed with all of it's secret alley ways, dungeons and cobble stone streets. Not to mention, this is where I experienced true comfort food. A meal here will satisfy you like you've never been before. I still dream about their potato dumplings and cinnamon dough filled with custard. I will definitely be back to Prague soon because I need to feel it's magic again in my heart, mind and tummy.
Mondello, Sicily
Mondollo is where the action is. Plenty of seafood restaurants, great beaches, sidewalk cafes, and the prettiest seaport to take photos like this! Where the mountains meet the ocean. It's always dreamy view.