It was our last morning in Paris. We were due to fly out in just a few hours—but, like the rest of our week-long sojourn in in the City of Lights, we were making the most of every second. We were standing in line to climb up the Tours-de-Notre-Dame, the famous Notre Dame towers. As it was Sunday, admission to the towers was free, and I was determined to see the famous gargoyles and the view over the entire city.

It was early January, just a few days after the New Year, and it was absolutely freezing. Although we’d tried to get there early, there was already a line—that’s Paris for you. Since we pretty much needed to get to the airport as soon as we finished, we grabbed one last crepe each while we waited, shivering. Here’s a picture of me, my (faux) fur-lined coat obscuring most of my face, just my grin visible as I hold the crepe close to my face.

Paris was a dream, but on the tail end of a two week jaunt around Europe over Christmas, right before going back to my grueling teaching schedule in Prague, it probably wasn’t the best idea. We were exhausted. Add that to the fact that we were totally broke, and well…it wasn’t our most genius travel plan. In addition, Paris at the start of the New Year might be the busiest place…ever. We spent a lot of time waiting in lines.

Still, we’d managed to get as much out of Paris as possible. We were staying in a very tiny flat with unreliable hot water and heat, a pull-out couch the only bed, and a view over a decidedly unpicteresque courtyard. Still, just over the tops of the buildings behind us, we could see the Eiffel Tower. We watched it every hour, as we ate baguettes and cheese in our flat to save money, sparkling through the long and cold nights.

On our last day, we were finially going to do the activity I’d been dying to do the whole week. We’d seen the Notre-Dame, of course—hard to miss—but I was determined to get a view of the gargoyles (fun fact: the gargoyles are actually the drain pipes in the shapes of monsters; the statues everyone thinks are gargoyles are actually called chimeras).

Finally it was our turn, and we climbed the dizzying, slightly claustrophobic stairs, stopping periodically for the crowds and to snap photos from different points of view.

We made it to the top, finally, and there were the chimeras—staring over the City of Light, some thoughtful, some looking monstrous, some looking almost sad. And there, as I picked out a few landmarks I knew, I felt my eyes filling with tears.

Here I was, in Paris. The place of my imagination, the place of so many stories and dreams and so many other imaginations. Paris is chaotic, confusing, gigantic, overwhelming, and in spots dirty, dangerous, overcrowded and overpriced. But from this vantage point, it was mostly beautiful, iconic, and the Paris of my dreams.

I was heartbroken this week, to hear the news about the Notre-Dame. Such an iconic building, of course, but also one of my favorite memories from my few years living in Europe. Technically, it’s just a building, and even one saturated in so much history and age and beauty and culture, it could be so much worse.

Yet, while I’m sad, I’m also so grateful. I got to see it. The loss of such an important piece of human history serves as a stark reminder that nothing lasts forever. Not even you. You only get one chance to see the world, to see everything you want, to get the things you want. I’m here to tell you that the world is changing, your life is changing, and if you have dreams of travel, go for it, to the best of your ability. Waiting has its purpose, but nothing is ever guaranteed a tomorrow. Not even the places we think might be around forever.

The post Thoughts on Notre-Dame appeared first on Amy and the Great World.

In addition, despite the fact that I try to find something positive about every place I visit, there are a lot of places I just didn’t connect with for whatever reason, or didn’t have enough time to visit. I think everywhere deserves more than once chance–so here are ten places I need to visit again!

Cambodia

Some real talk here: I kind of, um, hated most of my time in Cambodia (except for moments at Angkor Wat and in the Ratanakiri Province). Awful, right? After an amazing, action-packed month exploring Thailand, my cousin and I went to Cambodia and so many things went wrong. We were both really sick; we’d left our friends behind in Thailand and missed them (and their traveling skills); the endless heat and oppressive humidity was getting to me; we were there over Thanksgiving and the homesickness was out of control; and honestly, the locals seemed to harass us, hate us, lecture us, or be annoyed that we weren’t acting the way they wanted. I feel like all of these things combined together to make me hate it, and I couldn’t wait to leave. When we crossed to border into Vietnam–via a boat on the Mekong, on a visa that our couch surfing host had done incorrectly which would make us get detained later (but that’s a different story)–I let out a breath of relief. I know Cambodia is a beautiful, complicated, impoverished country, and I think I need to give it another chance.

Read more about Cambodia here. 

China

China is one of those places that, while I was there, I didn’t love it–but now that I look back, I think “WOW! What a great country!” China, partially because of the situation I was in while there (an internship working with earthquake survivors in Sichuan province) pushed my boundaries like no other, and therefore wasn’t exactly a comfortable experience. I witnessed tragedy, heartbreak, corruption, illness, confusing cultural norms–and was struck by the resilience and joy of the people, and the country itself. Oh yeah, I need to go back.

Read more about China here. 

Thailand

Unlike the Cambodia saga above, I just adored Thailand. The smiling people! The food. The diverse, gorgeous landscape. The sweaty, chaotic cities. The idyllic islands. Thailand pretty much has everything, and even though I spent a month there, I have so much left to see! Plus, E has never been, which is reason enough to return.

Read more about Thailand here. 

South America

Is it cheating to put an entire continent on here? I haven’t been to South America since I studied abroad in Peru and Ecuador in 2009. That study abroad trip was my first real time away from home, and my first solo travel, which means that a lot of my memories are overshadowed by my homesickness, my parasite (yep), my idiocy (even more yep), the reasons I left in the first place (struggles in school and relationships), and my sky-high expectations slowly crumbling beneath me. That being said, now that I’m more comfortable traveling–and (slightly) more comfortable in my skin–I would love to go back to South America. I mean, there is so much more of that giant continent to explore.

Read more about Peru here and more about Ecuador here. 

Panama

We spent only three days there on our honeymoon in 2015, on the island chain of Bocas del Toro. I…did not like it. I don’t know why. I found it overcrowded, dirty, and rather stressful. So maybe I do know why–but I have been to a lot of places that fit those criteria, and that didn’t necessarily bother me. I think the Bocas are exploding with tourism and are not equipped to handle it, and the environment is starting to suffer. It really is a beautiful corner of the world, though!

Read more about Panama here. 

Iceland

Two 17-hour layovers were not enough! Iceland has simply exploded onto the international travel scene, for good reason. I’d love to spend more time there!

Read more about Iceland here. 

Vietnam

Although I would go back to every country I visited during my tour of Southeast Asia (Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, South Korea & Vietnam) the one that pulls me the most is probably Vietnam. I can’t quite put my finger on the why. It stands out in my mind as the most beautiful, but it’s also the place where, as we were traveling so quickly, my cousin and I missed a lot of gems, or just stayed for a day or two. It’s funny, because we had some visa issues and did not leave the country on good terms–but I’m still dying to go back. Or maybe that’s why, and I’m just contrary.

Read more about Vietnam here. 

Italy

Okay, I know Italy is on everyone’s bucket list or return-to list. There’s a reason Italy is one of the most visited spots in the world–and I’ve only seen a few little corners! I haven’t even been to Rome or Florence. I think I haven’t been in a rush because a) Italy is expensive; b) Italy is crowded; c) I will always want to go to Italy and d) Italy is a place I can travel to when I’m older, too. Now, this is usually the opposite of my travel philosophy–I always want to see it now, rather than later, because you just never know if you’ll get another chance, do you? Italy has been creeping higher up my list after our visit to Venice, and the fact that we have friends living all over the country. Not that Italy needs a reason to creep up anyone’s list–it is Italy, after all.

Read more about Italy here. 

Greece

I’ve told you (maybe too much) how even though it was a crazy trip, I completely loved Greece. And I’ve only been to Santorini and Athens–there is so much more to see! The combination of relaxed (sometimes too relaxed, admittedly) attitude, delicious food, ancient history, and beautiful scenery just hooks me in.

Read more about Greece here. 

France

I’ve been to Paris, and Lille, but I would love to get out of the cities and explore more of France. I’m particularly intrigued by Normandy. Truthfully, I didn’t “fall in love” with either Lille or Paris, and I think France deserves another chance! And I didn’t just choose it because it rhymed with chance! I also am part French, and like any true American, I’m eager to learn more about one of my self-assigned homelands.

Read more about France here. 

Do you have places you need to give another chance?

Linking up with Wanderful Wednesday and Faraway Files. 

The post Ten Places I Need to Visit Again appeared first on Amy and the Great World.

Hey y’all! I’m Caitlin, a twenty-something southern belle currently living in Atlanta, GA, and I’m honored to be taking over Amy’s blog today! I blog over at Southern Exhilaration where I share my travels and adventures, southern experiences, and some of my favorite things. So, come on over and stay awhile, and be sure to check out my Facebook and Twitter too!

Today, we are going to spend the day with one of my favorite artists, Claude Monet!

About 46 miles (75 km) to the west of Paris lies the quintessential French provincial town, Giverny. Not the easiest to access, but definitely worth the day trip while you are visiting Paris. After buying your ticket for the Vernon station, it’s a quick 45 minute train ride out of Paris’ Saint-Lazare station. Once in Vernon, you can take a taxi, a bus (my recommendation), or walk to Claude Monet’s house. The walk takes about an hour as the house is a little over 4 miles (7km) from the station. We opted for the bus (€8 per person), due to rain that just would not hold off until we got off the bus.

Once you enter the gates, you are in Monet’s personal sanctuary. There are two parts to Monet’s little slice of heaven: the Clos Normand, which are the gardens in front and to the side of the house, and across the street is the famous Water Garden.

We opted to start with Monet’s house. A spacious two-story home, the ground floor contains Monet’s studio with some of his original sketches and a huge kitchen that made me very jealous. As you head upstairs you’ll see Monet’s room, and the other family quarters. The view from his bedroom is amazing! I snuck this picture, despite the no picture rule in the house. Call me a rebel!

After the house, we wandered the Clos Normand. The garden is divided into different flowerbeds, with different height flowers and color palates making up each bed. It is said that “in the midst of chaos lies creativity”, and that is definitely the case with the Clos Normand. There is a planned chaos, and no constraint on the flowers allowing them to show off all their splendor. The gardens are filled with all different sorts of flowers, some I recognized and some I didn’t, but that was Monet’s design mixing the familiar with the rare.

Passing through the under-road tunnel, you’ll come to the Water Garden portion of Monet’s domain. As I wandered the path through the bamboo, I felt transported to a different place, eventually coming upon the famous Japanese bridge, one of the most notable subjects of Monet’s work.

The bridge overlooks the pond filled with water lilies. It’s breathtaking to see in person, and my nerdy self was geeking out over being in the actual place that inspired some of my favorite pieces of artwork.

After sitting a while in the gardens, just soaking in the beauty, we headed into town and grabbed lunch at an adorable restaurant, Les Nymphéas. We enjoyed the food and atmosphere, but there are a handful of different restaurants around the area you can try. After our delicious lunch, we wandered around the different lanes until we headed back to the bus stop and back to Paris.

Have you ever been to Giverny? Who’s your favorite artist? Have you ever seen the physical location of your favorite pieces of art?

The post Around the World with…Caitlin! appeared first on Amy and the Great World.

Paris, honestly, kind of felt like one giant outtake at times. Our first AirBnB was a disaster–it didn’t have heat, and Paris was freezing. The stress of finding a new place–and trying to keep warm–had the first few days flying by in a stressful blur. For some reason, I didn’t anticipate the crowds, so we spent much more time in line and fighting crowds than I thought we would. I’m not sure I’ve ever been in a city as crowded as Paris was at the end of December! We also bought a Museum Pass, which would have been a much better deal if our time period to use it hadn’t coincided with New Year’s Day, when everything was closed (I promise we aren’t idiots…I did look a lot of this stuff up online, but many of the monuments don’t have reliable times posted on their websites).

Despite all of this and so much more (see below!), I loved Paris. It was exactly how I imagined Paris would be: lovely and romantic, busy and monumental, ancient yet modern. I feel like we only touched the surface in the week we were there, and it’s one of those places I know I’ll go back to–just as soon as my bank account recovers!

Take 1 // Going back to a museum because I realized that–in my rush–a painting I’ve always wanted to see is housed there and I missed it the first time. Only to find out upon searching and finally asking for help–said painting is on loan. To Texas.

Take 2 // Eating about 20 macaroons a day (hey, those things are small, right?).

Take 3 // Spending way too many minutes on the metro due to poor planning (also, Paris is huge).

Take 4 // Taking fifty photos in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles…we never could get one without a billion other reflections in it. Also the lighting in terrible in there…how do people get such fantastic selfies in those mirrors?!

       ^^also, I kept cutting E’s head out.

Take 5 // Inhaling one last crepe before going home…standing in line in the freezing cold. (We ate a lot of food while waiting in line).

Take 6 // Climbing the staircase at the Louvre for a classic picture, but after seven hours of running around the museum, I gave up halfway there.

Take 7 // Trying to get a glimpse of the Mona Lisa.

            ^^a pretty good picture of this random security guy, though.

Take 8 // Thinking this photo through the roof of a boat would be cool and artsy.

Take 9 // Not realizing there are actually pillars designed to help you take this iconic photo.

Take 10 // Attempting many, many failed selfies at the Eiffel Tower.

Take 11 // Going back to a cafe because we overslept and missed our reservations at another one.

Take 12 // Climbing up the Arc de Triomphe for what is supposedly the best view in Paris (for the record, I disagree–the Tours de Notre Dame was the best) only to find it rainy and foggy.

        ^^still is a killer view, though.

Take 13 // Spending three hours lingering over the biggest meal I ate in Paris.

Take 14 // Getting caught in the rain in Montmartre–the one day we didn’t bother with umbrellas.

Take 15 // Trapping about 20 people on a winding staircase while I struggled to get the best shot from Notre Dame that also included the chimeras (or gargoyles).

Take 16 // Being artsy (or trying) with Paris’ best hot chocolate and my lipstick.

Take 17 // Maneuvering the Louvre.

*******************

Do you have outtakes from your travels/life?

*******************

Linking up with Travel Tuesday.

The post Outtakes: Paris Edition appeared first on Amy and the Great World.

I admit I’m feeling very good about Prague right now, and I’m looking forward to seeing what month six has in store!

But first…

(please excuse the length, this month was a big one!)

FIVE MONTHS IN PRAGUE: BY THE NUMBERS

TWELVE Christmas-themed English lessons. If you have to work, might as well continue to be festive, right?

ONE EVENING at the National Theatre for the Nutcracker!

THREE HOURS of chocolate overload with Andrea at the Choco Cafe.

2.5 WEEKS (and counting…) of the cold that won’t go away.

NINE Christmas movies watched to fully embrace the season.

FOUR Christmas packages received! Thanks to all of our fantastic family and friends for those, they are so appreciated! I love it all so much I’m hoarding it in one spot so I can look at it all…

ELEVEN Christmas Markets in total. Two in Prague, one in Valkenburg, one in Bruges, one in Brussels, one in Ghent, one in Paris, and FOUR in Germany. They all had their charms, but the markets in Cologne, Germany were certainly my favorite. Especially the Heinzelmännchen market, or the “Gnome Market” as known to us.

SEVERAL HOURS in Cologne hanging out with Jessi & crew and Sara & her Dan! I love spontaneous blogger meet-ups. (how did I not take any pictures of this??)

THOUSANDS of festive lights seen–on Christmas trees, adorning streets, in light shows, sparkling on the Eiffel Tower.

ONE water bottle full of champagne for New Year’s Eve in Paris. Nothing but class up in here.

SEVEN incredible, busy, overwhelming, crazy, confusing, beautiful, wonderful days in Paris.

400 STEPS up the Tours de Notre-Dame for my favorite view of Paris, and to visit the Chimera gallery, where I learned that the statues I actually thought were gargoyles are actually called chimeras. Gargoyles are actually the ornamental rain drains. Who knew? We had to wait in line for two hours, and we were supposed to be heading to the airport any minute, but I am so glad we made it up into the towers. I cried when I saw the chimeras and the incredible view of Paris.

45 MINUTES in a Christmas market cave.

SIXTEEN DAYS traveling through Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and France.

EIGHT cities/towns visited during these sixteen days–Charleroi (Belgium), Cologne, Valkenburg (the Netherlands), Brussels, Bruges, Ghent, Paris and Versailles (which is also a city, not just a palace).

SEVENTEEN PEOPLE talked to via FaceTime in Texas on December 27…I missed a family reunion on my mother’s side, but I was happy to be able to see everyone this way!

THREE Christmas phone calls. We missed our families and friends but it was great to see their faces on the holiday.

FIVE NIGHTS with a view of the Eiffel Tower from our flat (since it was a studio, we had a view from the table, bed and kitchen! #winning #smug).

TWO NIGHTS in a horrible flat in Paris with no heat and a moldy shower…we earned those five nights with a view and that smugness!

TOO MANY STAIRS to count. Paris especially seems to be the land of stairs–we walked up and down in the Louvre, up three spiral staircases to our flat, up and down in Versailles, up and down the Arc de Triomphe, up and down the Tours de Notre-Dame, up and down to the river…

POSSIBLY ONE MILLION MILES walked on our Christmas trip. Despite the amount of food and beverages we consumed (see below), E and I both lost weight because we were on the move so much!

A RETURN VISIT to our favorite bar in Belgium, Café Terrastje, for some of my favorite beer, Kasteel Donker, and some ham & cheese pasta.

EIGHT HOURS in the Louvre.

ENDLESS amounts of good food consumed, from potato fritters to waffles to fries (oh I love my Belgian fries!) to crepes to raclette to croissants to chips to macarons to salmon to steak to duck to lasagna to pasta to na’an to curry.

TOO MUCH glühwein, wine, champagne, coffee, cocoa and beer to count. Not that I’m complaining…

************

QUESTION:

Even though it’s halfway through January, how was your December??

************

Linking up with Nicole. 

The post Five Months in Prague (By the Numbers) appeared first on Amy and the Great World.

Well, after the charm of Belgium, Lille was kind of shocking, as it’s not a charmingly preserved medieval town like Bruges, but sometimes a dirty, modern city (this was not helped by our truly terrible hotel room). There is certainly charm to be found, in the beautiful main square and the old cathedrals, but what we enjoyed the most was, not surprisingly, the French food. Lille is right on the border of Belgium, meaning it was easy to find my favorite Belgian beer (still can’t get enough of Kasteel Donker), and their food is also influenced by this region. The crepes were true French crepes, and the main meal we had, one dinner, was completely perfect. My goat cheese pasta was the hit of the table, although E’s sausages could certainly hold their own.

This is letter F for the A to Z Blogging Challenge! Click below to find out more and check out the other bloggers!

The post Food in {France} appeared first on Amy and the Great World.