I’m back with another Europe post, I actually have a few more left that I want to write.  I needed a little mini break, but now I’m ready to share Windsor Castle with you!  You might say we we’re fans of Harry and Meghan, we all got up at 5 am to watch the wedding and had a breakfast party!  So yeah… when we were in England we just had to go visit.

The town of Windsor is an easy train ride from London and makes for a perfect day trip.  We spent the entire day on foot, it’s really easy to navigate.  The first thing we did was stop for lunch at Thames View Restaurant and Bar inside the Sir Christopher Wren Hotel.  It had a gorgeous river view and we enjoyed watching the boats and swans as we ate.  After lunch we took a short walk up the hill to the castle.

One thing I didn’t get unfortunately is any interior photos of the castle.  It’s not allowed, and they really watch for that too.  The Queen says no to interior photos and that is that.  That also includes St. George Chapel and certain areas outside on top of the Round Tower.  However we were allowed to take plenty of exterior photos, and also took many in the beautiful town of Windsor.

Walking inside St. George Chapel was certainly an amazing experience!  The architecture is just so stunning that I can’t get over it.

Tickets to the top of the Round Tower were extra but worth it.  It’s a lot of stairs to the top but the views are amazing.  I was excited when our guide told us on the way up that he was the man in the red coat checking the invitations at Harry and Meghan’s wedding.  I found this very exciting, because honestly I found him familiar looking but had no idea why.  He said there were a few celebrity meltdowns and diva moments because a few guests forgot their invitations… he refused to say who though.  Hmm…

So, unseen is the left side of the tower.  It overlooks the Queen’s rooms so photos are simply not allowed, she did have some pretty curtains though.  Straight off the tower was the long road that Harry and Meghan took a carriage ride after the ceremony and the rest had really nice city views, you could even see planes descending into Heathrow.

Of course being summer in Europe and after the Royal Wedding it was crowded, that was the only negative.  There are little shops inside the castle grounds and places to stop and get a snack or some ice cream.  Sadly the Queen was not in the castle that day, if she is they fly a special flag.  Not that we would have gotten to see her, it just would of been a cool feeling to know she was there, I think she was in Scotland during the time.  Then when we went to Scotland she had just gone back to England, haha… how’s that for luck?

After touring the castle we walked around the quaint little town of Windsor, it’s just oozing with charm.  Here are some of our photos.

After some shopping and a bit more exploring we ended up having dinner at the Mango Lounge.  The food was wonderful, if I was the Queen I would be ordering take-out from there every week!  It was a long day trip and we were really tired at the end of the day but it was certainly worth it.

I loved Windsor even more than I thought I would.  Next time we visit England Brian and I want to stay several days in Windsor, there are lots of hotels and it’s simply gorgeous.  Until next time.

I’ve had lots of people ask me what our favorite part of our 6 week Europe vacation was.  It’s a hard question, all the countries were amazing in their own way, but I would say Bruges in Belgium won my heart.  It’s a close call with Italy though… it was amazing there too, but out of the countries and cities we visited Bruges left such a lasting impression on me.

I already knew when it came time to blog about our Bruges experience it would need to be split up into 2 blog posts because of the amazing experience.  I first wrote What To Eat And Drink In Bruges, so if you haven’t read that be sure too.  We ate so many amazing things!

The entire country of Belgium has 3 official languages, Dutch, French and German.  The language spoken most in Bruges is Flemish, which is very close to Dutch. Which brings me to the spelling and pronunciation of Bruges.  You will see the city spelled a few different ways too.  Bruges is the French spelling, but it’s spelled Brugges in Dutch.

It’s pretty funny how it’s pronounced so many different ways. There are so many different ways of pronunciation that I had a local explain it to me, but it’s still confusing.  The French way of pronouncing it is BROO-ZH, as in rhymes with rouge.

It seems the Flemish and Dutch pronunciation is the most difficult for me to grasp, the accents vary more, some being pronounced with a hard or soft G.  So I go with the French pronunciation – it makes the most sense to my brain.  Everyone seemed to know where I was talking about with the French pronunciation.

How would I describe Bruges?  Absolutely perfect, it’s like stepping into a charming fairytale world.   From the cobblestone streets to the delightful bridges and canals it was perfect.  Bruges is referred to the Venice of the north and it’s easy to see why walking along the romantic canals and bridges, it’s almost intoxicating.

Except for an afternoon city bus tour and a short boat ride we spent all of our time walking on foot, Bruges is a very easy town to walk.   We stayed at the ever so charming Hotel Lucca, which you can see below.  The owners were incredibly helpful and kind, and every morning we were greeted to the perfect complimentary breakfast.  I can’t recommend this place enough and it was a short walk to the Belfry tower.

Bruges is also known as the city of bells.   You can hear the sounds of the bells playing all around you, which makes this medieval town even more enchanting.  We slept with our windows open and I remember waking up to the sound of the bells playing Ava Maria, it was one of those moments you hope to remember forever.

One thing Bruges does not have a shortage of is beer, beer enthusiasts will love doing to the Bruges Beer Experience.  If you think you know everything about beer think again.  Here you can learn about beer with fun interactive exhibits and bonus, at the end of the tour you’ll find yourself in the tasting room – with stunning views of the city.

I had to take this photo, it was just too funny, a man lovingly cradling his pregnant beer belly.  Reminds me of the Demi Moore ’91 Vanity Fair cover.

Taking a boat ride on the canal is a must, here our captain told us so much interesting information about the city, and you get gorgeous views that can only be seen by boat.  Maybe you’ll get lucky and see some swans swimming beside you too.  The boat rides only go in certain popular parts of the canal.  I like this because you can still walk other areas along the canal and it’s peaceful and quiet.

I love how the city has a lot of outdoor modern art, it adds a fun quirkiness, and the blue whale was certainly the craziest!  I love the contrast of old and modern though, it’s fun.

Another thing we had a blast doing was shopping the flea markets along the river.  You could easily spend hours browsing everything, wondering where they came from, and their story.  I found old family black and white photos, war memorabilia, china, and lots of gorgeous brass.  If I would have had an empty suitcase I could of packed it full of cool stuff.

Holland is known for its windmills, but you can find a few right here in Bruges just walking distance from the city center.  The City Tour Bus went right by this one, I highly recommend the bus tour by the way.  It’s about a 50 minute tour and you can see the highlights of the city.

Do you know what to shop for when your in Bruges?  Lace of course!  Belgium is known for a variety of things, beer, waffles, and chocolate – but don’t forget to check out some lace shops.  You want to look for handmade lace, which is pricier than other lace, but it has gorgeous detail.  Maybe you’ll even see a live demonstration of lace being made like we did.  Those looking for a great Christmas shop check out the Kathe Wohlfahrt shop.

Bruges was so dreamy I desperately want to visit again, and I’d love to explore more little towns in Belgium.  If you ever get the chance to visit Bruges do it.  You won’t regret it!

Visiting Inveraray Castle was like stepping into a fairy tale.  It was probably one of our favorite things while in Scotland and I’m so excited to share it with you today.  You might have remembered how I mentioned in a few older blog posts how Brian is related to the Campbell Clan in Scotland through his Grandmother and it was one of the reasons we decided to visit beautiful Scotland.  That and the fact that the Christmas episode of Downton Abbey was filmed at Inveraray Castle made us even more excited.  Anyone else obsessed with Downtown Abbey as much as us?  I think it’s time to restart Season One again!

We were only able to visit the pretty little town of Inveraray for the day.  While staying in Edinburgh we were able to get there by taking the train and then the bus.  The bus stop is actually not that far from the castle, probably a 10 minute walk.  Wow, was the weather ever crazy that day!  You can tell by the photos below, we had beautiful sunny skies, clouds, rain, warm weather, and hot weather.   It really is true what they say about weather in Scotland, it can change in a split second.

I must say Inveraray Castle is one of the prettiest castles I’ve ever seen in real life!

The inside of the castle is absolutely gorgeous with so much attention to detail.  I especially loved the dining room that was created in 1770 as times changed and fashion and entertaining became more popular.  The gold ships on the dining room table are such a unique touch!

Below you see the Campbell family blue tartan pattern on the canopy bed,  I can’t get over the gorgeous carvings on the bed, especially the barley twist, I’m obsessed with barley twist!  Brian also bought a kilt in the family pattern.  I’m excited for him to wear it, he says man skirts are really comfortable and breezy… too bad he can’t wear it during Texas summers.

Their entire castle is not open to the public, people still live there, but there were still plenty of rooms to explore and it’s absolutely still worth a visit!

At the ground level there are a few more areas to explore, such as the original kitchen, a gift shop and my favorite, the restaurant, where you can eat indoors or outdoors in the garden.

After exploring the inside of the castle we had a bit of lunch and then went out to explore the garden.  There were big windy trees and grassy trails with flowers and vines.  In the background of the castle you can see the mountains and hills of Scotland.

After spending several hours at the castle we went to explore the town of Inveraray.  The Inveraray Inn has a great spot to grab a drink or a bite, and there were many more charming places around the town.  Everything is easily within walking distance, and we especially enjoyed taking in the water views of the lake.

One thing we realized while on our European trip is how much we love exploring smaller towns.  Don’t get me wrong, big bustling European cities are pretty awesome, but we really do get the most satisfaction from visiting smaller, quieter towns.  We’ve decided the next time we stay in Scotland we’re going to just stay in Inveraray or around the Scottish Highlands, the beauty of this area is just unreal!

Bonjour!

I am back with another travel post today, with one of my favorite places in the world, PARIS!  It’s just such a magical place, and even though we recently visited during the heat wave in the peak of travel season it was still amazing.  I’m incredibly grateful that our schedules allowed us to visit Paris again while vacationing in London, but having visited this gorgeous city now 4 times I’ve come up with some opinions and tips I think would be helpful for anyone planning a trip and I’m not holding back.  So here I go… tips to make your stay more enjoyable and stress free in Paris.

THE TOP OF THE EIFFEL TOWER IS OVERRATED

Let me start with the most shocking.  Somebody somewhere will read this and hate me, I apologize, but I also don’t care, I can’t be the only person who feels this way.  I love the Eiffel Tower more than anything, it’s magical, I could stay there all day –  that is from the ground.  Please keep me off that freaking thing, there are 3 levels to the Eiffel tower and I hate them all.  Chances are once at the top you’ll be crowded, uncomfortable, & miserable.

If you still have your heart set on going up be prepared for a 3 hour wait to the top.  Then once you get up there it will be miserably cold (I was freezing once in June) and not to mention it’s incredibly windy.  The odds of getting a glamorous photo at the top are zero.

Plus, once your on the Eiffel Tower you can’t see the Eiffel Tower and it really is one of the top things to see in Paris.  Instead, I recommend you enjoy the beautiful glory of the Eiffel Tower from the ground.  My opinion is the view from the Arc de Troimph is better, although lower but still a great height for a perfect view of Paris, including the Eiffel Tower.

Also let’s not forget the Sacre Coure which has a distant but beautiful view of the tower, if you’re willing to venture out a little farther.  The photo above shows the great view from the top.

SHOP AWAY FROM THE CHAMPS ELYSEES

Yeah, there are a lot of flagship stores there, and people might argue it’s one of the best shopping streets in Paris – there is some cool stuff, but I’m not convinced.  First timers absolutely have a walk down the Champs, it’s lovely and everyone should do it, but it’s incredibly chaotic, crowded, and you’ll need to watch out for scammers.

My advice is to look elsewhere, there are tons of other shopping options in Paris from luxury to affordable.  Some of my favorite places to shop, or just admire the goods, are the Place Vendome, along the Boulevard Saint Germain,  Rue De Rivoli, and the Galleries Lafayette, where you can shop under the stunning glass dome and sip champagne, as seen above.

Another fun affordable place to shop is the Monoprix stores all over Paris, I found this little gem with my Mom one year in Paris and I come back every time I’m in town.  It’s the equivalent of the Target stores in America, you can find everything, and it’s where we got all our supplies for our recent picnic.

DON’T JUST EAT MACARONS AT LAUDREE

Laudree has amazing macarons, but they have locations literally everywhere from London to New York.  I understand the appeal, I really do, I’ve visited many of the locations, especially on vacation in NYC.  They have gorgeous window displays and usually big crowds too.  Why not visit some of the smaller macaron shops?  The macarons will taste just as good if not better and give you more of a local Parisian feel.  Chances are you can just walk the streets and find some lovely places, but some of my favorites have been Aux Fontaine de Chocolates near Notre Dame and Christophe Roussel in Martparnise.

Also, FYI when referring to French macarons they are spelled with one “O” not two.  Macaroons refers to the American coconut blob cookie, it’s misspelled a lot so no harm if you’ve done it, although it drives me crazy.  I think I only get worked up because it’s my favorite dessert – like ever.  Spell it wrong if you must, just please enjoy every delicious bite.

DON’T BE A SLAVE TO LONG LINES

Nothing is worse than a long queue taking up all your free time.  Do your research on the busiest times, go right at opening when possible and when there are no other options buy skip the line tickets.  Skip the line tickets can be misleading, the only line your skipping is the ticket line, which can get very long at peak times.

There are many places you can do this at, the Louve is an example.  We bought our tickets online and breezed right by the long ticket line. Viator has many skip the line ticket options that vary, some are guided and some are not. You’ll still have another security line to go through, arriving early in the day will help with that.

About the Eiffel Tower again, there are many horror stories of those waiting hours to go up the Eiffel Tower, and they’re all true.  If I didn’t convince you and you still want to go to the top, there are a few tricks.   You can shorten the long wait by taking the stairs or going with a skip the line tour group – both of which still could have somewhat of a wait, it’s risky, and my favorite trick is having a reservation at 58 Tour Eiffel, the restaurant is on the first level and when you arrive at your reservation time you will go right up.  Although that will only get you up to the first level of the tower.  Let me stress you need a reservation here at Book a Table, or go through Viator.

TRY NOT TO CRAM IN TOO MANY ACTIVITIES

Have you ever tried to get the most out of a vacation and crammed in so many activities that you are left exhausted and miserable?  I’m raising my hand and totally guilty of this.  This can be hard, especially when you’re in an amazing place like Paris, it’s easy to get overwhelmed.  Although sometimes you can quickly breeze through activities, most of the time they take longer and you really need down time on a vacation.

Resist the urge to over schedule yourself, I have the best time on vacation, especially in Paris, when I just wander without a plan.  We just relax and sometimes find the best random things.  Set time aside to share a bottle of wine in the park and people watch, sit along the Seine and watch the sunset, watch the pigeons fight over a french fry.  This is what vacation is really about and you’ll feel like a local.

DON’T EAT ALL YOUR MEALS IN RESTAURANTS

Like the unplanned down time I mentioned above I think eating every meal in restaurants is also a no-no.  I love amazing restaurants as much as every other tourist, but sometimes you need to get out and eat like a local.  When the weather is nice there are so many places to picnic outdoors, and it’s something I’ve always craved to experience more.

Paris can be a little protective of their grass, so you can’t just picnic and sit anywhere, but their grass is beautiful, thick and green so I respect that.  There are still plenty of designated grassy areas to dine at, as well as park benches and chairs.  Some great spots to choose from are the grassy hills of the Sacre Coure, Champs de Mar, and many spots along the bank of the Seine.  Our most recent spot was the designated grassy area in the Jardin du Luxembourg, bistro chairs are also available under the shady trees.

RESEARCH ALL THE SCAMS

I hate to add this, it’s so negative, but please do yourself a favor and research every scam known to mankind before visiting Paris.  Don’t let this scare you or keep you at all from visiting though!  Once away from the heavy tourist areas I can almost guarantee you’ll be left alone, but near the attractions please watch out.

We’ve been approached by countless scammers and con artists.  From fake angry monks threatening to put a curse on you if you don’t donate, to the gold ring scam we recently got outside the Louvre.  And whatever you do please don’t let anyone weave a bracelet around your arm and don’t sign anything on paper – you’ll regret it!

Keeping your hands in your pockets if you have them is a wise idea near heavy touristy spots, I often get my hands and arms grabbed.  I’m all for charity and human kindness but please be aware, these scams and stories are very real and we’ve had many recently.  I’m painting the most negative picture here, it’s possible you could be entirely left alone, just keep walking and say a firm no.

RESEARCH TIMES, CLOSURE DATES, & EVENTS

I witnessed a group of heartbroken girls nearly in tears when they realized the Arc de Triomphe was completely closed due to the Tour de France. I felt really sad for them.  I’ve never seen the Arc so empty without cars or people, it was a crazy site to see.

Most museums are closed on Tuesdays, some are closed both Mondays and Tuesdays.  There’s nothing worse than having to replay your day last minute, so check everything!  Plan, plan, plan!

BE PREPARED FOR THE GREAT TOILET HUNT

Uh…  I’m just going to say it, Parisians are weird about people using their toilets.  Their free clean ones are guarded like the Queen of England.  I’ve never witnessed any other country or city being as secretive or weird about going potty..  I’m not sure if they’re germaphobes or if tourists have just abused their potty power but it takes real work to find a toilet in Paris.

Yeah, you can find creepy coin operated public street toilets every now and then, but it’s not always that easy.  Many restaurants in popular tourist spots have them not only hidden underground but you must go through several levels of screening from the hostess to several waiters giving you the stink eye.

Your best bet is to give in and order a drink or a meal to go potty, and you’ll still probably need to go again 5 minutes after leaving.  You have a better chance of winning the lottery than sneaking in to use the toilet.  You have a few options like the one hour line at the McDonalds – places like Starbucks usually have a key coded lock, or plan on keeping change on you at all times to go potty.  Prices vary with the priciest toilet I’ve sen being 3 Euro, along the Champs Elyees.  Dehydrating yourself maybe the easiest option.

I hope these tips help you on planning a trip to Paris.  During this trip we stayed at the Renaissance Paris Vendome and it was incredible!  We really took it easy on this trip, those looking to explore more of Paris and are a little unsure check out some of the great Viator tours available, I have great things to say about every one we’ve done in Paris, from Moulin Rougue, to a dinner cruise along the Seine, all wonderful!  If you visit Versailles I recommend you spend a full day there, not just a half, be sure to eat at La Petite Venise.

The graphic tee I’m wearing is from H&M but sold out… I know… major bummer.  They do have a couple other cute graphic tees right now though.

Have any tips of your own to pass along?  Leave them in the comments!  Also check out our travel favorites below!

I’m back up and running now – although a bit slowly – so let’s talk about Brighton!  I have a ton of vacation posts to write but I felt the urge to start with Brighton, I guess because it makes me think of the beachy summer and I feel summer slipping away quickly!  I would describe Brighton as a cheery, vibrant beach town, it’s weathered, it’s quirky, and most of all it’s fun!

My human functioning level is slowly getting back to normal, I think I’m at 70% now, but considering I came home from vacation at 4% I think I’m doing pretty good.  I did manage to get out of my bathrobe and put workout clothes on yesterday,  I’m not sure if workout clothes count as putting on real clothes though… hmmm.

Our trip to Brighton was spontaneous.  We were looking for some day trips to mix up our time in London and I kept wanting to experience a beach in England.  It was an easy train ride from London, about an hour I’d say, with trains leaving often.  Once we stepped out of the train station we spent the entire day walking the area by foot.  We first stopped at the Royal Pavilion.  The Royal Pavilion was built in 1787 for George, Prince of Wales.  The architecture inside and out really is stunning, my favorite was the dragon chandelier.  No indoor photographs are allowed but I did find some interior photos here and you can read a little more about the history too.

After spending time at the pavilion we walked over to Veeno for a glass of wine and then stopped at The Coal Shed for lunch.  Reservations are recommended for this place, the food is truly awesome!

After lunch we took a short walk towards to the beach.  I must say pebble beaches are really starting to grow on me.  It feels awesome leaving a beach without sand stuck all over you, I hate sand.

We walked down to the beach and the sun and salty breeze felt so good that we ended up taking a little nap.  It was awesome and peaceful listening to the seagulls and the waves crash.  We pretty much looked like that couple below all spread out on the pebbles, surprisingly it was not that uncomfortable chillin on a bunch of tiny rocks.

After our nap we walked along the beach towards the pier, here you’ll find lots of fun stuff like ice cream, a carousel, and the Brighton Afloat Sculpture.

The Afloat sculpture is basically a giant graffiti covered donut along the sea, hey… remember I mentioned Brighton as being weathered and quirky??  It’s definitely a fun sculpture to take photos of, even though the sun and the other tourists didn’t cooperate with us.  Lots of people like to fish in this area too.

Brighton Palace Pier is a really fun place to hang out and soak up some salty sea air.  A lot of Brighton Beach reminded me of Galveston.  On the Pier you’ll find a few places to eat, games, rides, and chairs to relax and take in the view.

We ended up at Victoria’s Bar, in the Palm Court, on the pier with gorgeous views of the ocean.  We relaxed here quite a while and ordered dessert.  This was one of the yummiest desserts I’ve ever eaten.  How could I say no to a gluten-ree brownie sundae with caramel popcorn?  It was awesome!  I refused to share, Brian had to order his own.

After stopping at some beach souvineer shops across from the beach we walked back to the train station.  We were here mid-week so it wasn’t that crowded.  Brighton is an easy train ride from London and makes a great day trip for those who live in the area or those just on vacation in the area.

Those new to my blog be sure and check out some of my other travel posts, especially my Amazon Travel Favorites, without our favorite items I’m not sure we could survive!

Home sweet home.  I had such an amazing trip with Brian, I saw the most beautiful things.  I had fun, I had adventure, I laughed and I cried, having said that I’m now so happy it’s over!  We arrived home late Thursday night, it was such a long day, we flew home from Scotland, switching planes in London, and when you count the flight times, layovers at the airport, and with the time change we were awake nearly 24 hours.  The truth is I’ve been exhausted for weeks, I used to laugh when I would read about celebrities checking into hospitals for exhaustion.  No.. I totally get it now.   For the last few weeks I’ve been not sleeping well, and I’ve been on and off sick.  I’d get a little better, than a worse again, and I just went back and forth with that the last several weeks.

It’s weird being back after 6 weeks.  Things feel really different… I mean I went 6 weeks without driving a car or cooking a meal for my family… that’s kinda weird.  Several people commented 6 weeks is a long time… yeah I know.  I mean planning I thought it wasn’t a big deal but yeah I agree with everyone who said 6 weeks was too long!  Living out of a suitcase with the same clothes, going and going everyday was intense.  All complaining aside we did have and incredible time and I’m very grateful for the experience.

I wanted to update the blog sooner but I have been so tired.  The main reason of today’s blog post is just to let everyone know that the trip has wrapped up and I’m home safe.  I have so many amazing travel stories and photos I want to share soon, that is when I feel recovered and have my energy back.  I also want to get back into the swing of other blog topics.   All of these photos are from Scotland by the way, it was gorgeous!

I did have a moment in Scotland where I decided to delete my social media – I just snapped.  Rather than just enjoying my vacation I was obsessing on getting a damn Instagram photo and I decided enough was enough.  It was starting to ruin my trip.  It’s been engrained into my head that to have a successful blog you must have a rocking Instagram, but honestly I can’t deal with that pressure right now.  I felt so much relief that I deleted Facebook and Twitter too, I plan on writing more on this topic soon.  I still have my Pinterest, I love Pinterest!

We’re trying to unpack and get ready for school starting next week, the house looks crazy!  The weekend before school starts we always finish up our shopping and have a back to school party and watch Ferris Bueller and Billy Madison, so I’m excited for that.  I’m also excited for Fall, even though I’m tired I feel my “Fall” self kicking in.  For me it’s an intense urge to cook, bake, and start home projects.  I love the transition of our home from Summer to Fall.

I’ll be back next week as soon as I feel better and share more posts on our trip… I’m going to try and space them out farther apart though so hopefully you won’t get bored.