Fall break came and went and it is about time that I recap that experience for you all. The itinerary was as follows: 4 days in Paris, 2 days in Prague, 1 day in Berlin, and 2 days in Amsterdam. The 10 days that I spent traveling around these cities defined the best fall break I have ever had without a shadow of a doubt. I’ll do my best to recap each of these cities and try to keep it brief.
I flew into Paris on Thursday night and ended up being without my luggage for 48 hours. The funny thing was that I didn’t have a worry in the world. I know it’s a little gross to be touring a city in the same clothes for two days but Paris left such an impression on me that I will soon forget the inconvenience of not having a change of clothes. As soon as the plane landed I had the type of feeling that I got the first time I stepped onto Richmond’s campus. It is inexplicable but I felt so excited and ready to go. Along with five of my friends I found my way to the apartment that we would be sharing for the next four days. It was a small two room apartment but we did not spend much time in it. The next four days were a balance of tourism, relaxation, and fun. We hit all of the big stops like the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre.
The Louvre
The Eiffel Tower
We also went out to dinner one night to a great street side restaurant. The wine was flowing and the escargot was sizzling. Everything about that dinner left me satisfied for the night out.
Escargot and wine
Looking back on my time in Paris, I think it is my favorite city I have ever visited and I would move there in a heartbeat.
Next was Prague. My friend Will and I traveled by train and bus and arrived early afternoon. We moved into our “penthouse” apartment (at least it felt like a penthouse after our tiny place in Paris) and immediately went out to walk the city. Pink, green, and red painted buildings lined the streets and I felt like I was in a children’s book. We walked across the Charles Bridge and up to the main castle.
The castle entrance.
The street view
Berlin was a short, under 24 hour, stop. It wasn’t great weather but we still made the most of it and walked to the Holocaust Museum and Berlin Wall.
The Berlin Wall
The Holocaust Museum
Finally came Amsterdam. This city was my second favorite stop on this trip. The canals running through the city gave a unique vibe to the city that made it feel similar to Copenhagen. I made an attempt to go into the Van Gogh museum but after 9 days of traveling through Europe I was feeling a little frugal. I settled for a picture with the “I AMsterdam” sign and continued to walk through the city. Even though it was raining quite hard, I was thoroughly enjoying the walk. There is a very different, and enjoyable, feel to a city when it is raining.
The canal
The windmill.
I know these descriptions were all very brief but I did not want to write an overwhelming post. I could go on forever with each of these cities separately so if you are interested in hearing more, please reach out to me. I returned to Valencia and was greeted by 75 degree weather. Valencia is truly home for me and I am excited to stay grounded in Spain for a little while. Time to perfect my Spanish and see what cities like Barcelona and Madrid have to offer me.
urtravelogues.com 