The grass is greener...

In IRELAND!!! No joke. The grass is greener, the people are extremely friendly, and the Guinness is great. What more could you ask for? We got a one week break from classes so we ran with it. Lauren, Sheamanti, and I started off in Dublin, Ireland. I have always dreamt about going to Ireland and seeing the rolling hills and this trip certainly didn't disappoint.

We left Paris early Saturday morning and landed in Dublin just in time for lunch. We couldn't check into our hostel until 2, and being starving students in Paris, could not wait to dig into some hearty Irish cuisine. We grabbed lunch at the Old Storehouse before heading over to our hostel. I ordered the vegetable soup (it's really hard to find soup in Paris actually) that came with a side of the most delicious brown bread I have ever eaten - melted in your mouth. 

This was my first hostel experience so I want to share a little about that:

I had this vision in my mind of what a hostel would be like; a dirty room with a few beds and some sketchy characters around. I'd heard from friends that it was not scary at all and was just like a dorm. I was still skeptical and very nervous, but I had no need to be! In Dublin we stayed in a 6-bed female dorm at Abigails Hostel, which was pretty highly rated on Hostelworld and other booking websites (I check everything). We had an ensuite bathroom, and there were no lockers in this particular room. When you check in they hand you your sheets and give you a key card to get upstairs. The room was clean and I felt secure even without a locker. The girls' in our room were great; particularly this Australian girl named Alice. Overall I had a great experience at my first hostel. The location was the best part though. Right by Temple Bar district and walking distance from everything - and at around 20 euros a night you really can't beat it!

After dropping our stuff off we decided to head over to the Jameson distillery.

This is probably the most fun I have had at any type of alcohol brewing facility. There is a bar and a gift shop in the front and you pay for a guided tour with a drink at the end. They don't brew Jameson here anymore but it was the original distillery and was really interesting to learn about how the whiskey is made. At the end they hand out a few tubes for a taste testing - which I quickly volunteered for - between a Scottish Whiskey, Jack Daniels, and Jameson. Jameson wins hands down. If you do the testing you get a prize, so I totally recommend volunteering if you ever go here. 

After Jameson we headed to Bad Bob's for dinner and some live music. It really was nice to hear a lot of english- and be able to sing along to familiar songs. 

Our second day we decided to go on a tour to see more of Ireland. We booked through daytours.ie, which I could not recommend more highly! It was a great experience. First stop: Rock of Cashel

It's this old ruin of a chapel and is so beautiful. This was a lot different than the decorated, restored chateaux of France. Plus, it had great views...

Then off to Blarney Castle!

We kissed the stone - I'm still waiting for the gift of gab - but it was worth it just to meet the guy who holds you while you kiss the stone, and cracks jokes the whole time. 

It was so nice to see some real fall foliage - and a lot of it!

You could swim in those leaves!! 

We headed over to Cork City for lunch (where we ate at Deep South and I had the best bacon of my life!) and then back to Dublin. Since it was our last night in Ireland, we wanted some real hearty beef stew and got a recommendation for M.J. O'Neills. I ordered the Guinness beef stew with a Guinness. Did not disappoint! The guy serving me asked "Are you going to eat all of that?" So what if I do?? (and I did eat most of it..whoops)

Our last day there we checked off those last sights that needed seeing. Dublin is a pretty small city so it was easy to get around to all the major places - Guinness was the furthest from city center and it was only a 15 minute walk.

We started off at Trinity College, which has a gorgeous campus. Then wandered over to St. Patricks Cathedral

We grabbed a bite to eat at this little cafe called "Bite of Life" and it was a breath of fresh air. It was like eating in your own kitchen and we felt so welcome and refreshed afterwards.

Then our last stop: Guinness Storehouse!!

I had never tried Guinness before Ireland because I tend to stay away from dark beers but I actually really enjoyed it! I have heard it's better here than in the states but I guess I'll have to get back to you on that :). The storehouse was cool - it had been recommended to me by a lot of people and the museum itself is set up to look like a giant pint of beer.

Cheers to that!! Next stop: Scotland!

Paris

So I have done quite a bit of traveling but what about the city I am in 90% of the time? Ya know... this one?

Paris has been wonderful and horrible at the same time. There are days where I just can't wait to get out, and others where I never want to leave. 

A normal day for me is like this (I know you're dying to know):

8AM - wake up, drink instant coffee, get dressed, etc.

9:15 AM- to the Metro - hopefully it's not packed - did you bring your hand sanitizer?

9:45 AM - get off the metro -  stop by the grocery store and get some fruit - is it a croissant day? most likely, yes.

10 AM- class - these three hours will go by fast, right?

1 PM - get out of class, grab lunch, then my favorite part: EXPLORE PARIS

7 PM - get home and wait around for dinner at 8, then bed

Here's more of the exploring Paris part...

Everyday after class I try to do something different. There are so many things to see here and three months is not enough time to see them all so I have to make the most of my days. I also love trying new restaurants and am always seeking them out here - especially ones that aren't going to break the bank!

^When my aunt and uncle were in town we went to this famous taxidermy store called Deyrolle. I'm not one for dead animals but I thought those butterflies were gorgeous! // Cosi is one of my FAVORITE places to grab lunch here. All the sandwiches are delicious and it's a great deal for the price. It's like Paris Panera Bread. (I know, so American). 

The Christmas decorations at Printemps (left) and Galleries Lafayette (right). Galleries Lafayette's theme this year is the Noel Monster and they have these really odd window displays that kind of remind me of Sesame Street or the Muppets - not sure what it has to do with Christmas though. 

The Rodin Museum - one of the hidden treasures in Paris. Everyone knows about the Louvre and the d'Orsay, and there are reasons for that, but this is one of my absolute favorites here so far. // 

"I'm thinking...I'm thinking...."- Night at the Museum. That's "The Thinker" on the right or Le Penseur in French. 

My grandparents told me about this store called Thanksgiving. Yes, they do sell (almost) everything you could want for Thanksgiving - and if you are craving Funfetti Cake or Nerds they have that too! 

The infamous "Love Lock" bridge aka the Pont des Arts - which is really depressing now. The locks are weighing down the bridge so they are trying to find a way to replace the sides so you can't put them up anymore - the city covers the sides with wood, which is then covered in graffiti. Not as pretty now as it used to be. 

Stained glass windows at Sainte Chapelle // Le Bon Marche is the best way to spend a rainy day on the left bank.

Canal Saint-Martin - a really cool area of Paris that is not very well known. There are tons of cute little restaurants and parks around. Would be great on a summer day! // Holybelly. Another one of my favorite cafe's here that reminds me of home. I love the quote on their board that states "Holybelly - Where the customer is always loved. But ain't always right". The staff here is great and so is the food.

That's all for now!

xo

Normandy & Mont St Michel

I also had the opportunity to visit Normandy with my program and couldn't say no! It's full of history and loads of good food (what part of France isn't?). We left Paris early in the morning and headed to the Mémorial de Caen - which is a museum that goes through the history of WWII and also has detailed information about what happened on the d-day beaches on June 6, 1944.

Afterwards we headed to the American Cemetery and Omaha Beach. Visiting the cemetery and the beach was a solemn experience, but both are so beautiful. It made me reflect on my own family, especially my grandfather who was a POW during WWII. 

After visiting the cemetery we walked along Omaha beach, which is one of the many d-day beaches along the coast in Normandy, France.

Then we headed to this cute little walled town named Saint Malo for the night and had this wonderful view from our hotel room.

We ventured outside the walls to this little "island" (becomes an island at high tide) and watched the sunset. France never ceases to amaze me with how beautiful it is.

The next day we headed over to the abbey Mont St Michel

The abbey is built on this island that can be an island or not be an island depending on the tide - confusing enough?

There are still some monks who live here and it is huge! There is a town below with lots of little shops and restaurants. 

Deux Châteaux

After spending the night in Tours, we headed to the next château, Château de Chambord.

This place is so massive! It's the biggest château in the Loire Valley and (only) has 365 fireplaces - one for each day of the year. My favorite part was this staircase in the middle. The guy who built it was basically a ladies man, so he built this staircase that is a double-helix design so that two people could be walking on it, could see each other through the center, but would never meet. How clever! 

We were told that this is also the Château that inspired the castle in Beauty and the Beast. 

 So many staircases!

 The back of the château with the dreaded scaffolding...

My friends and I always joke about the scaffolding. You see these pictures of these beautiful places and you go there and they are always being restored. 

My friends and I walking through the gardens at the castle. Thanks to Marissa for snapping this photo! (I actually have FRIENDS....haha). My housemom asked me one day if I had any friends, which was kind of embarrassing and funny, especially since I am no means a home-body in Paris. But here is the picture to prove it ;).

Un Château

Bonjour! Hello! It's been a while and I've been quite a few places so let's catch up!

First off: Château de Chenonceau in the Loire Valley

I took a trip to the Loire Valley a few weekends ago with my program. I didn't know much about it except that it's known for wine and chateaux. Sounds like a perfect weekend to me and it was!

This is one of the most beautiful châteaux I have ever seen in my life and it's now one of my favorites. If you ever have the chance to go see it - GO! It spans over a river (the River Cher to be exact) and the gardens surrounding it are stunning. Also, it's privately owned and decorated with fresh flowers, which gives it that extra touch of ambiance, and also makes it feel more "homey" than most of the other places. 

The kitchen was my favorite part - decorated for fall and an impressive copper pot collection. 

 The vegetable gardens were gorgeous! Even in October. 

When we were walking back towards the bus we went on this path and saw these flowers popping up from the grass - it was so beautiful I had never seen anything like it. It all looks like a painting. 

Here's a cheesy picture of me - I am horrible about having photos of myself taken, I actually hate it, but I'm trying to get better to document my adventures.

After touring the chateau we headed over to a local winery for a tasting. They showed us around the wine caves - the stones that were taken out of this cave were used to build some of the chateaus in the Loire - and then we got to 'taste' (aka drink) the wine.

Another great weekend in France!

à Bientôt!