My Top 4 Europe Experiences!
Okay here we go, first of the travel posts.
I know that I said that I wasn't going to post like in detail about my trip - and I'm sticking by that.
But I do really want to share with you guys some of the most magical and amazing things/places that I experienced so that maybe one day if any of you go to Europe, you can look into these amazing things.
Okay so a quick overview of my trip:
I spend 13 days on a Contiki tour called Mediteranean Highlights.
This tour started in Madrid and ended in Rome.
It went through:
Madrid
Barcelona
Avignon
Nice
Pisa
Florence
Rome
Then after that, and as I'm writing this, I'm in London for 5 days just by myself, staying at a hostel and exploring for a bit before I go home.
Okay so of everything thats happened in this trip so far, these are my top 4 moments and top 4 things that I totally recommend that anyone going to Europe has to do! HAS TO!
1. Explore Florence at night.
So one of the nights of my tour, we spent a night at a karaoke bar in Florence.
Obviously, karaoke means alcohol and loads of singing - which was super amazing, but it was what happened after I left that made that night one of the most memorable of my life.
So at about 12:30, the person that I was by far the closest too on my contiki and I, we decided to go for a little walk around the city before going back to our hotel.
We didn't end up getting far (we were both pretty drunk), but what we ended up doing was going to the Arno Riverside and just standing there, staring out at the view of the city.
I'm not trying to be cliche, but it was just breathtaking. Florence is by far one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and that was only emphasised at night, with all of the lights, and the magic of Italy.
I would also really recommend following what I did and going there with someone really important to you, makes it all the more magical!
Unfortunately I didn't get a photo of the view from here at night - but here's a view of Florence (and my hot friends and I) regardless so you guys can sort of see what I'm talking about!
2. Take some time out to sit and have a coffee in Pisa
This is literally a moment that I will never forget.
So walking around Pisa - for those of you who don't know, because there were a few people on my tour who didn't, the leaning tower is not just sitting there
by itself.
There is a little area where the leaning tower is which also has some beautiful chapels - all in the same basic architectural style of the tower, and also a few museums showing the work of the men who designed and built these buildings.
Anyway, it's absolutely breathtaking and super beautiful. But you can totally get overwhelmed by all of the people and all of the stuff going on.
What I ended up doing, with the same guy as I walked around Florence at night with, we ended up just finding this really adorable coffee shop just off to the left of the tower, got one of the best cappuccinos I've ever had in my entire life, sat down and just basked in the view and the beauty and romance of it all.
This is a big part of travelling that I think a lot of people forget, especially when you're doing something like a Contiki or tour, you rush around trying to see everything so quickly that you really just forget to sit back, and take in the view and the experience.
To appreciate the magic of silence, to just take it all in.
3. Visit Camp Nou Stadium, Barcelona
So this was a very very big deal for me, being as much of a mad football fan as I am.
I know this definitely isn't for everyone and many people wouldn't really appreciate this in the way I did.
But - this is MY top 4 Europe experiences and I know that many football fans that are out there would be just as amazed by this as I was.
Camp Nou totally overtook my expectations and was much more amazing than I thought it would be.
It really did take my breath away - from the museum experience where you can see all of Futbol Club Barcelona's trophies (and there is a lot, like more than you can even imagine) then to the dressing rooms and 'backstage' areas, and of course, the stadium itself.
Absolutely beautiful!
4. Visit the Valley of the Fallen
For those of you who don't know, because I didn't before I got there.
The Valley of the Fallen, or Valle de los Caidos, is a Catholic Basilica and a memorial for those who died in the Spanish Civil War. Some of these people in which are actually buried behind the walls of this basilica.
So the basilica is built at the bottom of this massive cross - the largest cross in Spain.
However, something that I really loved and hadn't really seen anywhere else before was that this basilica, a lot of it was a memorial for the mothers who had lost sons - not just the sons.
At the top of the basilica outside there is a statue of the Virgin Mary holding Jesus after he'd been crucified, to pay homage to all of the mothers.
The inside of the basilica was just something else, I'm not religious but it just blew my mind. It was so powerful, the energy in there. You really have to go there to experience it.
There is also a really beautiful view of Madrid from here so I would say, if anyone is going to Madrid - this is a must see!
Let me know what you guys think - if you've ever been to any of these places, or if you have any questions at all.
If you don't wanna leave a comment, feel free to email me as well - address is down below.
Thanks for reading,
love you all
xxxxxxx T
Links
Instagram: instagram.com/taylorbekkers
Twitter: twitter.com/TaylorBekkers
Email: taylorbekkers2@gmail.com
Google+: https://plus.google.com/107161687567523030394
I know that I said that I wasn't going to post like in detail about my trip - and I'm sticking by that.
But I do really want to share with you guys some of the most magical and amazing things/places that I experienced so that maybe one day if any of you go to Europe, you can look into these amazing things.
Okay so a quick overview of my trip:
I spend 13 days on a Contiki tour called Mediteranean Highlights.
This tour started in Madrid and ended in Rome.
It went through:
Madrid
Barcelona
Avignon
Nice
Pisa
Florence
Rome
Then after that, and as I'm writing this, I'm in London for 5 days just by myself, staying at a hostel and exploring for a bit before I go home.
Okay so of everything thats happened in this trip so far, these are my top 4 moments and top 4 things that I totally recommend that anyone going to Europe has to do! HAS TO!
1. Explore Florence at night.
So one of the nights of my tour, we spent a night at a karaoke bar in Florence.
Obviously, karaoke means alcohol and loads of singing - which was super amazing, but it was what happened after I left that made that night one of the most memorable of my life.
So at about 12:30, the person that I was by far the closest too on my contiki and I, we decided to go for a little walk around the city before going back to our hotel.
We didn't end up getting far (we were both pretty drunk), but what we ended up doing was going to the Arno Riverside and just standing there, staring out at the view of the city.
I'm not trying to be cliche, but it was just breathtaking. Florence is by far one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and that was only emphasised at night, with all of the lights, and the magic of Italy.
I would also really recommend following what I did and going there with someone really important to you, makes it all the more magical!
Unfortunately I didn't get a photo of the view from here at night - but here's a view of Florence (and my hot friends and I) regardless so you guys can sort of see what I'm talking about!
2. Take some time out to sit and have a coffee in Pisa
This is literally a moment that I will never forget.
So walking around Pisa - for those of you who don't know, because there were a few people on my tour who didn't, the leaning tower is not just sitting there
There is a little area where the leaning tower is which also has some beautiful chapels - all in the same basic architectural style of the tower, and also a few museums showing the work of the men who designed and built these buildings.
Anyway, it's absolutely breathtaking and super beautiful. But you can totally get overwhelmed by all of the people and all of the stuff going on.
What I ended up doing, with the same guy as I walked around Florence at night with, we ended up just finding this really adorable coffee shop just off to the left of the tower, got one of the best cappuccinos I've ever had in my entire life, sat down and just basked in the view and the beauty and romance of it all.
This is a big part of travelling that I think a lot of people forget, especially when you're doing something like a Contiki or tour, you rush around trying to see everything so quickly that you really just forget to sit back, and take in the view and the experience.
To appreciate the magic of silence, to just take it all in.
3. Visit Camp Nou Stadium, Barcelona
So this was a very very big deal for me, being as much of a mad football fan as I am.
I know this definitely isn't for everyone and many people wouldn't really appreciate this in the way I did.
But - this is MY top 4 Europe experiences and I know that many football fans that are out there would be just as amazed by this as I was.
Camp Nou totally overtook my expectations and was much more amazing than I thought it would be.
It really did take my breath away - from the museum experience where you can see all of Futbol Club Barcelona's trophies (and there is a lot, like more than you can even imagine) then to the dressing rooms and 'backstage' areas, and of course, the stadium itself.
Absolutely beautiful!
4. Visit the Valley of the Fallen
For those of you who don't know, because I didn't before I got there.
The Valley of the Fallen, or Valle de los Caidos, is a Catholic Basilica and a memorial for those who died in the Spanish Civil War. Some of these people in which are actually buried behind the walls of this basilica.So the basilica is built at the bottom of this massive cross - the largest cross in Spain.
However, something that I really loved and hadn't really seen anywhere else before was that this basilica, a lot of it was a memorial for the mothers who had lost sons - not just the sons.
At the top of the basilica outside there is a statue of the Virgin Mary holding Jesus after he'd been crucified, to pay homage to all of the mothers.
The inside of the basilica was just something else, I'm not religious but it just blew my mind. It was so powerful, the energy in there. You really have to go there to experience it.
There is also a really beautiful view of Madrid from here so I would say, if anyone is going to Madrid - this is a must see!
Let me know what you guys think - if you've ever been to any of these places, or if you have any questions at all.
If you don't wanna leave a comment, feel free to email me as well - address is down below.
Thanks for reading,
love you all
xxxxxxx T
Links
Instagram: instagram.com/taylorbekkers
Twitter: twitter.com/TaylorBekkers
Email: taylorbekkers2@gmail.com
Google+: https://plus.google.com/107161687567523030394
Comments
-Sophie xx
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