My journey: begin with a Winter Wonderland, pass though a Festival, and continue until you reach the City of LOVE

J'aime l'amour

...I love LOVE...

Sorry it's been so long since I posted, needless to say after a trip to Interlaken, carnival 2 nights after and that following weekend Paris, life's been busy....in the best way possible! So this is going to be a doozie, but bear with me!

To begin, Interlaken. Easily the closest thing to a winter wonderland I think exists on earth. A cute town settles between two lakes and surrounded by mountains, essentially untouched by the outside world and maintaining all of its perfect Swiss culture and flair. The first day there I made my way down to the lake with friends and after seeing that water and scene I can actually die happy now! Glacier water if you have ever seen it is TEAL. Not a blue/green but teal which is crystal clear and when the sunlight hits it, it sparkles all over.

After our adventure and hour sittin on the lake taking it in (which still wasn't enough time) I left to go PARAGLIDE!!!! This experience was not only an adrenaline rush once you realize your about 5000 feet up with only a plastic bag over your head...but it also was the best way possible to see the entire city for all of its beauty without climbing one of the 15k mountains! The view was nothing I could ever explain and the ability to fly over snow capped mountains onto a meadow below was the most serene and out of body experience I have ever had. I am pretty sure heaven on earth was coined for this city.

The next day my friend Julia and I decided to hike a mountain! We rented some boots and ventured off on a random path up a mountain....3 hours and a wrong turn up a pig farm, bear crawl up a gigantic hill, and a hike through Narnia, we were at the top enjoying beers and seeing the beauty below us. That night we celebrated out victorious hike with some delicious Thai food which was a wonderful break from the cheese, bread and wine diet I am currently on.

Sadly I eventually had to leave this paradise but it wasn't too terrible to say goodbye knowing I would be in Paris with MI AMORE the next weekend!!!

But first...came CARNIVAL! This celebration is the real Mardi Gras and is celebrated in honor of the beginning of lent. The biggest nights of the flamboyant parade are Sunday and Tuesday and Sitges, Spain is the place to be!!! The streets are filled with people dressed in costumes watching floats of any random theme you can think of drive down with dancers all around! Sitges is known for its cross-dressing and gay scene so alot of the float included wonderful drag queens strutting their stuff. Myself, well I went as a bumble bee complete with fuzzy mask, wings and antenna...hey when in Spain?!

The night ended abruptly when our friend got a little sick from all the excitement...and booze. *Note to everyone reading, a night when you must commute for an hour via bus is NOT a night to drink too much!!! Either way it was a generally fun night but next time I attend I will be sure to cut my friends off before I embark on a ride with them!

So for my final trip which I am just leaving as I write this in the worlds smallest airport on my phone is PARIS! Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.......where to begin? Well Nick and I decided since we were coming upon the 4 year of us dating we should do something special, so obviously the city of love comes to mind! So just the two of us met in Paris on our 4 year for a weekend of touring, romance, and food (in hindsight...too much food)! Our adventure began with arriving in Paris late Thursday at our little hotel situated near the Moulin Rouge...which also happens to be the sex district so clearly the crowd near our place was a bit interesting. We were starved so being the Americans we are we got pizza and cokes. I will add though this isn't entirely un-Parisian of us as the French are know for cheese and man was it a cheesy pizza.

We woke up early the next morning and started our touring. First stop: SACRED HEART cathedral!!! Clearly the Valkyrie in me was stoked to see this place. While the über catholic Spanish cathedrals iv seen are world-renound, this one definitely stood competition to some of them. Situated atop a hill withr gorgeous steps leading up this cathedral was a perfect way to see the city from afar. We climbed the tower, Quazi Modo style, and we're able to see all of Paris from a tower atop the cathedral....definitely not a bad start to the trip.

Next stop, the Opera. While it sounds boring to go to one without seeing a show, the Paris opera is AMAZING! Poossibly of everything I saw in Paris this was my favorite. Over the top ornate and lush I could just imagine kings and queens seeing shows there as I hope to when I return some day. Gold. Gold. Gold. Painted, sculpted, on chairs and doors, everywhere and sparkling under the dim lights. The real surprise came when we went into the Seating area which is completely covered in lush red velvet...there we saw a traditional french dance team practicing for a show for the weekend. They were doing flips and splits and high kicks all in little heals and too traditional Parisian accordion music. While I would have been happy to pay the 6 euros just to see the opera, the free show was an amazing bonus!

After checking into our hotel located next to the oldest street in Paris, we headed off to a night time boat tour! As Nick was the trip planner this little surprise was his doing and I am so lucky he did! Paris by day is gorgeous is amazing in itself...but Paris by night is sheer magic. The river passes through all the main buildings and they are all illuminated by night making for a super romantic and beautiful boat ride. After seeing all the sights in their most beautiful state we had a wonderful dinner in a restaurant situated between the Eiffel Tower and the River... Perfection. The night was still young so we decided to adventure to the Eiffel Tower and see the city from above at night. While it was too cloudy to go all the way up the middle was plenty tall enough to see the city and take my breath away. The coolest part was being up there for the 10 min when the whole tower flickers every hour! I was legit standing inside of the sparkles in the sky!!!!

The next morning we woke up and went to the louvre first thing. The building itself is equally as astounding as the art, spanning over many acres and with amazing ornate architecture. Once inside the museum (which we got into for FREE) we were able to see what weve only ever read about. Roman sculptures, Ancient Egyptian an Greek sculpture and jewelry, French, Spanish, and Italian famous paintings and lots more! The Mona Lisa was probably my favorite...cliche I know, but it was a very surreal feeling to see her in person. And yes her eyes do follow you everywhere, nick and I checked! After an exhaustingly amazing 3 hours there seeing art we made our way over up the Champs Elyse. This is the largest city in Paris and extends from the Louvre to the Arc de Trimoph. From there we made our way to the Eiffel Tower to explore around it by day. While it wasn't as stunning on a cloudy day, the grassy scenery and fantastic crepe carts made up for it! Not to mention the entertainment of an wedding in the middle of it all! After a day of very fulfilling touring and french treats it was time for a nap and then off to diner in the Latin Quarter area around where we stayed. Snails were our first course at this fun dimly lit bar/restaurant. They had been cooked in what looked like a pesto and tasted like garlic popcorn when eaten ontop of bread...needless to say we loved them!!! After a fun and delish dinner we met Nicks friends from Scotland around the St. Michaels bar area. There was a long street of fun bars and street food that looked and smelled amazing! We stopped in a little bar with bad American music and enjoyed the most overpriced beers at the smallest table ever....true Parisians. Then Nick and I walked along the river and were able to see the Notre Dame light up at night!

The last day we woke up and walked about 20 min to the Jardines du Luxembourg. While the trees were bare for the winter, the scene was still gorgeous with a lot of grass, paths, and my favorite...a castle!!!! We strolled back to our hotel and stopped at an amazing bakery to get fresh croissants and quiche. While the prices were steep for a pastry it was so worth it! Then we went to the Notre Dame where a mass was taking place. It was so nice to see it during that time and hear the organ and French songs...definitely worth going to during a mass. From there we enjoyed lunch at a French bistro and indulged in some delicious Brie cheese. With only 2 hours until Nick had to catch the train we grabbed some crepes and wandered a bit near the Hotel du Ville (in honor of louisville) we were pleasantly surprised to find a street performer juggling swords on a unicycle. Then we parted ways ending the most amazingly perfect weekend I could have ever imagined!

Adventure. Romance. Food. Celebration. Youth. Growth.

This has been my past two weeks and I feel more than lucky to have spent them like I have. Thank you mom and dad for giving me this adventure and experience and thank you all who read for your constant love. I miss everyone so much and hope that these posts give you some peace of mind while I'm over here in the midst of financial crisis and protests. I am safe and sound and clearly having the time of my life. I can't explain it but each journey I take a little part of me changes...there is just something about leaving all that you know and discovering someone new and beautiful that makes you a better person...those of you who have studied know what I mean. I am so happy to be able to continue experiencing this crazy European transformation one city at a time.

Valencia. Check. Interlaken. Check. Paris. Check....

Mallorca. Amsterdam. Edinburgh. Dublin. Rome. Amalfi Coast. Budapest....HERE I COME!

Hasta Luego y Besos