Discovering the streets of Paris!

A french Beret!

Notre Dame.

Views from the Eiffel Tower!

The streets of Paris.

Gorgeous architecture.

Le Louvre!

The river Seine.

The Eiffel Tower!

Last weekend I went to one of the mostamazing cities of the world: Paris. Now before I took this trip I must admit that I had SO many expectations! After visiting I have come to this conclusion...Paris is one of the most fantastic cities I have ever seen!

I arrived in Paris through the Eurostar which is an EXTREMELY fast train that rides from London to Paris at literally the speed of light. While on the train I was looking outside my windows watching trees pass by in a blur. As soon as I left the train I felt as if I was stepping off a spaceship (in a good way!). I think the difference between a train and a plane is that once you get off a plane you take about 30 minutes to get out of the airport...a train is like instant arrival into a new world!

After taking the metro and practicing my french (which wasn't too bad after 6 months of dormancy) I met up with my friends and we toured the city. We walked around the River Seine while gazing at the beautiful french architecture. I have to say that the french construct their buildings as if they are pieces of artwork! I must have looked a bit silly taking pictures of every building (whether it was a store or apartment) yet I was genuinely amazed. Paris as a whole has the unique ability to maintain it's history while adding a modern flair to the city streets.

Once I had finished admiring the Parisian architecture I casually strolled into Le Louvre and gazed at the Mona Lisa. After seeing this famous painting for years in my textbook it was truly surreal to be standing less than 15 feet from a masterpiece! The next day I woke up early and headed straight for one of the most famous landmarks of all time...The Eiffel Tower! The line to get in the elevators was about 30 minutes long...yet it was SO worth the wait! The elevator to the top of the Eiffel Tower was really fast as it escalated into the clouds. Once I reached the top I had a birds eye view of Paris.

Later that day (after having a delicious banana and nutella crepe) I headed to Notre Dame, one of the most famous Gothic churches of all time. The dramatic exterior of the church had such detail; carved with beautiful angels and innovative gargoyles! Once I entered the church I gazed at the breathtaking architecture. There is something about the inside of a Gothic church that is so beautiful!

My friends and I then bought some french berets and toured the city streets. We decided to head into Les Invalides and see the resting place of the great Napoleon! The building was incredible; a large, beautifully crafted dome shaped building filled with intricate gold designs. Napoleon really had an incredible influence on the history of France! I later headed to a sculpture museum where I saw some of Van Gogh's work, which was gorgeous!

At night I headed to a kebab shop and then strolled around one of the most expensive areas of Paris at the Galaries Lafayette. There I contemplated purchasing a "Longchamp" bag; a french designer label sold for slimmer prices in Paris :-) After my shopping experience I once again walked the streets of Paris and gazed into the local boutiques!

Paris was WONDERFUL! I think I will definitely plan to visit once again and practice my french :-) I keep repeating the song "April in Paris" in my head...willing it to come true!

Until next time,
Ari <3

Taking a trip to Barcelona!

Barcelona City Streets

Breathtaking Fountain de Montjuic

Plush surroundings

La Sagrada Familia

On top of the Castell de Montjuic

So last weekend I took a weekend trip to Barcelona, Spain and ABSOLUTELY loved it! Spain is indeed a beautiful country and the city of Barcelona is fantastic. Picture this: Nice weather (For late fall about 60's isn't too bad!), beautiful buildings and great shopping! Barcelona has a very artsy vibe as it is where several artists such as Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró and Antoni Gaudi really flourished with their work.

Once I arrived in Spain I checked into a hostal with my friends from Wesleyan and the immediately woke up and started my day! I visited the Gaudi houses and saw amazing architecture. Gaudi created his innovative designs through inspiration from nature! (You can see one of his designs above!) One of his most famous works, also one of the most famous landmarks in Barcelona, is the Sagrada Familia which is a Roman Catholic Church. The Sagrada Familia is STILL being built and is not expected to be completed until 2026 which is WILD, yet beautiful!

Later I visited the museum of one of my favorite artists of all time: Joan Miró! He is noted for his modern designs and creative incorporations of interesting colors. It felt almost surreal to be less than an inch from some of the most famous pieces in the world! Visiting the Miró museum also got me inspired to create a few pieces of artwork myself :-) I actually first came across Miró in 6th grade Spanish class when I needed to do a presentation...I've loved his work ever since!

In the middle of the day I headed to the Montijuic castle which overlooks Barcelona (as it is on a hill) and is surrounded by the sea. It was BEAUTFUL! The views were amazing, I felt like I was on the edge of the world! After seeing the water, I was inspired to visit the Beach where I had dinner with friends and enjoyed some Spanish cuisine as the sun set :-)

After walking around the city (and taking the incredibly clean metro!) I headed to "El Barrio" or the old area of Barcelona. I've come to the conclusion that European cities are breathtaking! In the middle of the old town is Catedral de Barcelona surrounded by countless alleyways and winding streets with cute shops and cafes. By the end of the night I headed to the Magic Fountain of Montjuic. I have NEVER seen a fountain so awesome! The fountain itself was huge; complete with flashing lights, intricate combinations of water shows and music. I honestly felt as if I was watching the opening for the Olympics!

In between all of this sightseeing I visited various cafes and restaurants where I had traditional "Spanish" food. Personally, I wouldn't say the main courses are my favorite...but the "tapas" or small Spanish snacks were excellent! It was kind of funny because I feel as if my Mom is ahead of her time, making tapas whenever she can! Also, churros con chocolate, or sweet sugar bread dipped in chocolate are SO delicious! Overall, I would say that Spanish snacks and deserts are great!

While visiting Barcelona I also got to practice my Spanish properly (which I haven't done in SO long!) and I actually surprised myself! From walking around and speaking with locals, I've found that I not only still understand Spanish but can speak enough with others to get by. That was quite a positive element to my trip knowing that once you learn a language it tends to stay ingrained in your system!

IT was GREAT to visit Barcelona! I think Europeans don't know how good they have it; they could travel to another country close by by plane within' two hours. Some parts of the states takes 5 hours to get to! From this experience, I have seen that I need to take advantage of the proximity of other countries. This weekend I am heading off to PARIS! I am so excited, yet still in shock that I just casually visited another country last weekend...this experience is AMAZING!

Until next time,
Ari <3

Traveling the World!

So a couple weeks ago I was in an AWESOME fashion show for the Afro Caribbean Society at Royal Holloway. There were really some interesting designs there that the students created (they really do have style over here in the U.K!) They had classic African clothing and then modern clubbing outfits. It felt awesome to wear some authentic African clothing :-) You can see the outfits above!

On Halloween I headed to London to hang with some Weslyan friends. London is pretty cool during Halloween, yet they aren't as original as the U.S.A. PLUS they are REALLY scary! I can't tell you how many zombies I saw. At one point I forgot it was Halloween and was riding home on a double decker bus when a zombie came up the stairs. It took about a minute for it to register that he was "dressing up" as a zombie. I'm telling you for about five seconds I was thinking: Ahhhhh!!! Overall though, Halloween was a cool experience.

Last weekend I had an EXCELLENT visit from my parents, we went to the Tate Modern, cruised by the Globe (where Shakespeare performed his works!) and had dinner in the most incredible restaurants. One of the restaurants, called "Amalfi," we discovered by chance! It was probably some of the best Italian food I have ever had! One night we went to the famous Ronnie Scotts, a famous jazz club in London. The music was excellent! It was great to hear the art of jazz. We also met up with a family from back home in Chatham and had DELICIOUS Lebanese cuisine. People say that the food in England is bad...you see the key to this is to only eat international food; then you're perfect!

This weekend I'm heading off to Barcelona to see the beautiful sights of Spain! I'm so excited, I hear theres amazing architecture with tons of history, breathtaking views and famous museums. One of my favorite artists of all time, Joan Miró, was born in Barcelona; so I will definitely be heading there to see his artwork! Barcelona is also surrounded by lush beaches (and I hear it will be high 60's while I'm there!) so I may have to take a stroll on the beach on my downtime.

I can't believe it's already November 12th! In exactly a month I'll be back home in New Jersey, which is crazy! I already think London is incredible!!! There's so much to see, I think it may take 5 years to see ALL of London.

Until next time,
Ari<3