European Destinations
If my last post was written in a state of culture shock induced delirium, this second post is written in a state of culture awe and relish. In the past two weeks, I have had the joy of visiting some of the world’s most famous and attractive cities: Paris, Dublin, London, and Amsterdam.
I was wowed by the utter difference among all the cities; the history, the people, the art, the architecture, the food, the landscapes, everything.
Paris
Paris is the most beautiful city I have ever seen. I wrote this sentence before seeing the other three cities, and I must say now it is debatable, though Paris is certainly stunning. Everywhere you look, every street you wander down, every building you gaze up at, is striking. Of course the chocolate, pastries, and bread are to die for (and I would, if I lived there to have them every day). The city is so French; not comprable to any other city in any other country. I am struggling to find words to describe it: charming, but at the same time elusive; hurried, but slow; uptight but relaxed; old, set in its ways, but so much young, vibrancy. I would love to go back and explore it more.
Dublin
The skies. Dublin skies are the biggest, most-blue, most enveloping skies. The clouds are streamy, stringy, yet fluffy white caps on blue waves that are the crisp, clean, skies. The Dublin people are exceptional. They are welcoming, funny, carefree, and a joy to be around. They’ll thank you after every interaction even when you are the one who should do the thanking. Their self-effacing humor is charming, and, needless to say, the accents are delightful. Also, the food in Dublin is amazing. No, they do not consume only potatoes and other bland anomalies. We feasted on delicious lamb stews, soda bread, garlic burgers, Spanish food, butternut squash soup, and chicken pâté paired with apple compote (surprisingly good).
We were also able to visit a village just outside Dublin called Howth. It is one of the most endearing seaside villages. I want to retire there. We climbed to the peak and wandered down the hill that is the town, seaside views all-encompasing. In the distance was one a magical-looking isle before I’d only seen in movies. It was an enchanting afternoon.
London
I loved London. It reminded me most of the US (which I did not mind, as being away for 3 months will most certainly make the heart grow fonder). It is reminiscent of New York City, but concurrently nothing like it all. Again, the people are lovely. Even the metro system announcers are incredibly polite, letting passengers know to, “Please, mind the gap” when disembarking, and also making announcements just for the sake of letting people know all trains are in good service. It was interesting to see that a lot of Londoners are in fact not British. I heard many languages, accents, and the like, where I expected to be surrounded by posh “Dear boy”’s and “Cheerio”’s. The British ones, though, call everyone “Love” and wish you a “Cheers” on the constant.
It was lovely to be in London during the first signs of Spring. We were able to go to their gorgeous parks and see the first flowers blooming and (much to our terror) birds taking flight.
We paid a visit to the queen outside her castle. By visit, of course, I mean we (and hundreds of others) gathered at a safe distance outside her gates and took pictures of her accommodations completely unbeknownst to her majesty.
I would love to go back to the UK. We had to take hour-long bus rides to and from the airport through the country. The countryside is phenomenal. There actually are sheep grazing on rolling green hills and thatched-roof houses, like something out of a storybook.
Amsterdam
Amsterdam was our “wildcard” city, if you will. We were originally not supposed to visit, but we messed up our ticketing to London, and had a few days to spare: why not Holland?
I am so glad we did.
Amsterdam is the Venice of Western Europe. 60 miles of canals weave throughout. There are over 1200 bridges and some 600,000 bicycles. It is, for lack of a better word: incredible. Someone else on the internet wrote:
“It may sound like a generic word to describe a place, but Amsterdam epitomizes what Merriam-Webster's dictionary defines as ‘too extraordinary and improbable to be believed.’”.
And it’s true.
Amsterdam is like a fairytale. The architecture is remarkably charming: townhouses, each one unique as the last, packed next to each other line bicycle-filled streets following meandering canals throughout.
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