The End to a Dream Month

I am currently sitting at my grandparent’s house in Long Island, New York. I have been back in the states for a week and am finally coming to terms with the fact that my month abroad is over. I have yet to post anything new about my trip because I have been having a hard time accepting that it is over. I wish I had been able to post more while I was away, but my Wifi was rarely strong enough to load WordPress.

Going to Europe was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I have been to Europe several times before, but I never immersed myself into European life as much as I did last month. I spent every single day walking around new cities and just absorbing everything around me. And do not even get me started about staying in hostels. Some of them were pretty rough (what is with Europe and no AC?!), but it was an experience I will cherish forever.

While in Paris, I got these crazy flashbacks of being 5 and 6 years old and running around the same places in Paris that we went to this time around. It was an amazing sensation of déjà vu and I loved every minute of it. After Paris, we took the TGV train to Avignon and then drove to Malaucène. In Malaucène, we stayed in a house that we had stayed in back in 2000 and 2001 (when I was 5 and 6 years old). It was so wonderful to be back and it completely warmed my heart.

Experiencing European culture is such a gift. It is great to see how different (yet slightly similar) the culture is from country to country throughout Europe. I can seriously go on forever about how amazing and life changing my trip was, but I would rather break it up into several posts. I cannot wait to tell you all about the amazing restaurants that my parents took my sister and I to throughout France. I am also excited to give you all tips of things not to miss when you head to the same cities that I got to go to.

Keep an eye out. These posts are coming. I promise!

Dreaming of Hamburgers

This may surprise you (it surprised me), but Copenhagen is home to an immense amount of hamburger restaurants. One of my best friends was in Copenhagen a few months ago and told me that I needed to go to this restaurant, Halifax. She told me that she went there for dinner and had the best burger she has ever tried in her life. I am a huge fan of good burgers, so, of course, I had to try it out. Let us just say that the burgers were so good that Sara and I ate there twice in a span of 3 days.

There are several Halifax restaurants around the city, so no matter where you are staying, you are sure to find one close by. The restaurant itself is super cute, which gave off a really good vibe from the moment I walked in the door. The menu is pretty self-explanatory, but if you need any help, your waiter will be more than happy to assist you.

I stuck to the classic burger because how can you go wrong with that? It was delicious. Everything about the burger was perfect. I even enjoyed the french fries, which is saying a lot since we had been in Brussels eating the best fries in the world just a few days prior. You also get to order an extra sauce on the side, which really completes the meal.

I can honestly say that I have never enjoyed a burger as much as I enjoyed the one I had at Halifax. Halifax does not only do beef burgers, they also have chickpea burgers (vegetarian), turkey burgers, and green pea burgers (vegan). They really do a great job at catering to all people, which I really respect about them.

If you are heading to Copenhagen and skip out on Halifax, you are missing a real treat. If you are not a burger person, I understand, but yet, I do not understand because I mean who is not a burger person? If you do not eat burgers all of the time because they are not the healthiest option…just make this one exception. If you eat here, you absolutely will not regret it.

Go to Halifax!!

Half a Chicken, Please!

If you are traveling to Berlin, Henne is a restaurant that you cannot miss out on. The menu consists of half a chicken and a choice of either potato salad or coleslaw (which is really sauerkraut). The chicken is fried, but not breaded. This means that the chicken still has its skin on it, but they cook it in a fryer. It might sound unhealthy, but it really does not seem too oily when you start to eat it. Between the potato salad and the sauerkraut, I preferred the potato salad. It was quite creamy, but it was absolutely delicious.

This restaurant may come across as boring since the menu is so minimal, but it is a meal you need to have…if you like chicken. Going into the meal, I was not too excited seeing as how I have chicken nearly every night for dinner when I am at home, but it was not to be believed. That is how delicious it was!

Most of the restaurant seating is outdoors on an enclosed patio. Enclosed meaning it is closed off from the street; there is no roof. The tables would be comparable with long elegant picnic-like tables. If you are with a small group (~1-4 people), do not be surprised when you are seated right next to another group. Although you are close to other groups, it does not feel invasive since the entire restaurant’s seating is like that.

Henne is more than 100 years old, which makes it a historic restaurant. It is really cool to think that the original people who owned the restaurant lived an entire life before you or even your parents were alive. It is well known throughout Berlin and after eating the food, I understand why. They also have a great selection of beers and other alcoholic beverages.

My last piece of advice with this restaurant is to call ahead and make a reservation. You do not want to get there to be told they do not have any seats available for you. This restaurant is not one that you should risk missing out on. Their website is www.henne-berlin.de . Take a look at it and keep it in mind if you are heading to Berlin anytime in the future. It is definitely a must while you are in the amazing city of Berlin!

France!

Extremely creative post name, I know. The family and I got to Paris yesterday and are here into Saturday morning. We then take the TGV south to Avignon. We are staying in a small town 45 minutes from Avignon for a week. The house we rented is a house we went to back in 2000 and 2001 (when I was 5 and 6). I am very much looking forward to being back after 14 years.

I absolutely love Paris so I am very happy to be here. I am currently writing this from my phone because the Wifi does not want to work on my laptop. I am also currently drafting several posts on Word on my laptop. This means that as soon as I arrive in the South of France, I will begin posting things about my trip (as long as the Wifi is strong enough there). Writing long posts from my phone is just too difficult.

So far I have had nothing but delicious food here in Paris. I also got to watch the sunset over the Seine last night. Sunsets and food…two of my favorite things. You can say I am a happy camper.

I cannot wait until I can share more about my trip with you all. This dodgy Wifi situation really needs to stop happening. But until then, know that I am enjoying Paris and exploring as much as I can in order to have great things to share with you all!

Europe Trip Part 1 ✔️

I made it through my first 13 days of traveling! It has been life changing. I am so sorry I went MIA after Berlin. The Wifi at the next two hostels was so dodgy, it was not even worth trying. Plus, my thumbs were getting tired of writing posts on my phone! But I am back now and ready to post an overwhelming amount about my trip! 
Our last two stops were Copenhagen and Amsterdam and they were both amazing. I think everybody needs to spend at least three weeks of their life traveling through Europe and seeing as much as they can possibly see. It is such an eye opening experience. 

 Copenhagen:  
Amsterdam:

 One thing I love about most major cities in Europe is that they tend to have canals running through them. I find that so calming and beautiful. It definitely calls for some great photos. 
We ate some amazing food in both cities, but I am thinking about writing separate posts about them in order to not cram everything into this one post. 
Getting used to staying in hostels was rough and I am still not sure that I am used to it, but again, it is an amazing experience. We met some wonderful people at our hostel in Copenhagen and I hope to keep in touch with them for a long time coming. That is one great thing about traveling, you are bound to meet people along the way. The best part of that is you have a common ground: you both LOVE adventure. Well, I would assume if you are traveling through Europe and staying at hostels that you love adventure….correct me if I am wrong. 
Copenhagen was beautiful. One of the prettiest cities I have ever been to. The houses were full of color and the canals were a place to hang your feet over the edge and sip on some wine. If you walked far enough in the city, you could even make it to the ocean. So, this city really has it all. 
Amsterdam was also beautiful. I think Amsterdam is so cool because it has so much history. We got to go to the Anne Frank House and that was really something for me. I have learned about her story my entire life, but to actually walk through the place she called home for 2 years (The Secret Annex) was really something else. This city is also super laid back and I am not sure if I get that vibe because of all of the coffee shops and pot smokers or just because it is a genuinely laid back city. Either way, I love the vibe. Weed is legal here, but they still won’t call the places you buy it weed shops, they instead call them coffee shops. I really love that. It kind of adds to the mystery.
I feel as though I am starting to ramble. I think I need to leave this post as is and write separate posts of all of my experiences/suggestions because I have a lot. I just figured I would make an update on my travels first since I disappeared for so long. I hope this post will hold you over until I am back in full swing with plenty of posts! 
Until then. 

Hello Berlin!!

Berlin is AMAZING! That’s the easiest way to put it. I love this place. Sara and I flew here this morning from Brussels, which was a total breeze. Minimal lines to get through security, delicious breakfast, and a super updated and beautiful airport. They got us up in the air pretty close to our expected take off time. 

After a little over an hour in the air and a 30 minute cab drive, Sara and I arrived at our hostel. It is called Minimal Hostel and it is in a super hip neighborhood. It is also a very small hostel (only 10 beds total), but it is adorable and the beds are insanely comfortable. The woman who owns and runs this place is an absolute sweetheart. I already know that if I am ever to return to Berlin and need a hostel to stay in, I will choose this one. I love it! 

Sara and I got to the hostel around 12 and left to explore for the day a little before 1. We had a wonderful lunch a short walk from the hostel at a restaurant that serves typical German food. I really enjoyed what I had. After lunch, Sara and I walked a bit longer until we came across part of the Berlin Wall. We walked down the East Side Halley and it was absolutely beautiful. Many artists have drawn murals all over it and it is amazing to see. I especially loved it because it’s like the artists made something beautiful out of something that made people’s lives miserable for so long. 

   
 After that, we took public transportation to the more touristy area of Berlin. We saw many historic buildings and we saw the Holocaust Monument. It was all very beautiful. Sara and I got to go to the top of the TV Tower and have a pretty awesome view of Berlin. We booked our tickets in advance so we would not have to wait on line and it was a great call! 

   
 After doing that, it was already almost 8 and we were hungry and exhausted. We had dinner at a Jewish Deli type restaurant and then head back to our hostel. 

All in all, our first day in Berlin was filled to the brim with walking and exploring. We had an absolutely amazing time. I can’t wait to see what tomorrow has in store for us. 

  

French Fry Heaven

If I have learned one thing since getting to Brussels, it would be that they truly have the best french fries. I am not kidding when I say that I have never enjoyed an order of french fries more than I have while in Brussels. The best part is, we did not even go to one of the suggested “best” Belgium Frites stands. We just went to ones in the city center that looked quite crowded and smelled good. My one suggestion for future travelers to Brussels is to be brave and try dipping your fries into some mayonnaise. It may sound gross, but I promise you it is life changing. 

 
Yesterday, Sara and I went to the Atomium and go to go all the way to the top of it where this is a wonderful panoramic view of the city of Brussels. The Atomium is literally a giant atom that was the center of one the World’s Fairs. Pretty cool stuff! 

 
We have also spent endless hours just wandering around this city. It has many cute side streets and some awesome murals on buildings. I would not say Brussels is one of my favorite cities that I have been to, but I am glad we stopped here. They have lived up to all expectations regarding their beer, waffles, chocolate, and french fries. I got everything out of Brussels that I expected from it, so thanks for that! 

 
Tomorrow Sara and I head to Berlin for two nights and I am ecstatic about that. I really cannot wait to wander another new city. Until then, I will leave you with a picture of a DELICIOUS ham and cheese sandwich I ate for lunch yesterday at Le Pain. 

  

The Land of the Waffles

Question: does the title make it clear that I am in Belgium? I am slacking on my creative titles at the moment. To be more specific, I am in Brussels. It is beautiful here! Sara and I arrived at our hostel a little after 5 and rested a bit before setting out to explore/get dinner. 

We walked around and saw some beautiful buildings and a palace. We decided since we did not get in until late that we should just spend the evening acclimating. The culture here is so cool. I feel like it is like this all over Europe. People love to sit outside and eat so streets are filled with tables at restaurants. People are also allowed to walk around with alcohol (it is usually beer) so you will see people all over with a beer in their hand. We walked for around an hour before getting dinner at an amazing restaurant. 

    

 The restaurant we ate at is called Fin De Siècle. They serve authentic Belgian food. It was DELICIOUS! I got the beef stew, which came with mashed potatoes and Sara got the rabbit. Sara said the rabbit was delicious, but I would not dare taste it. I will not eat rabbit so I will just take her word for it. Our waiter was extremely friendly and helpful since the entire menu is up on a chalkboard and written in French. Sara and I both got Belgian beer with dinner that was great as well. It is called Zinnebir and I highly enjoyed it!

  Since the sun does not set here until 10pm, Sara and I explored some more after dinner. We saw some more beautiful old buildings AND another palace! Brussels is seriously one big hill and we walked pretty high up it, so we saw a beautiful view of the beginning of the sunset. I was in awe! After that of course we needed some dessert so after not being able to make a decision in all the chocolate shops, we went with waffles. I got a waffle with Nutella on top and loved it. Sara got hers with caramel and cream and said it was really good, but super sweet. I was happy though. 

   All in all, wonderful first day in Brussels. I am a happy camper!