Nomadic Narratives: Traveling Across Europe

It seems like it has been a lifetime since I have been able to write, so much has happened in the past few months and we have been so busy! We recently returned from our two week journey across Europe and while it was only a short trip we were able to see and do so much that I wanted to share a few highlights. 🤗

London, UK

Our arrival in London was pretty delayed but we were excited nonetheless! Staying in Westminster we were immediately in the heart of everything. London was such a beautiful and green city; we really enjoyed it. Apart from the typical tourist spots the places we enjoyed the most were Borough Market and St. James Park. The Borough Market is one of the largest and oldest food markets in London, with a market on the site dating back to at least the 12th century. It was packed with so many shops selling fish and chips, mushroom risotto, Turkish delights, sausage rolls, pastries, smoothies, and anything else you could ever want. St. James Park is a small park that connects to The Green Park that goes around Buckingham Palace. I loved being able to stroll through these parks as it was a great way to get away from the tourists but it was so green, beautiful, and peaceful. Tip: The Tower of London is touristy but honestly very cool and definitely worth a visit. The lines get long so would strongly suggest getting a timed reservation ticket in advance. 

Bath, UK & Stonehenge

Being able to visit Bath and Stonehenge has been on my bucket list for quite some time. Not only is the drive out lovely as it gives you the chance to see some of the countryside but the places themselves are amazing.

Stonehenge is the most architecturally sophisticated and only surviving lintelled stone circle in the world. Not only this but the stones themselves were brought from long distances, the bluestones from the Preseli Hills, over 150 miles (250km) away, and the sarsens from West Woods, 15 miles (25km) north of Stonehenge on the edge of the Marlborough Downs. Still no one is for certain why it was built or its significance but this place has a way of making you wonder about humanity, our evolution, and emits a feeling of spiritualism and curiosity. 

The city of Bath is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Founded by the Romans as a thermal spa, Bath became an important centre of the wool industry in the Middle Ages. In the 18th century, under George III, it developed into an elegant town with neoclassical Palladian buildings, which blend harmoniously with the Roman baths. With its Georgian style buildings, this city is a must see if you'll be in the area. Not only does it have beautiful architecture, but it is also the site of the Roman Baths. The Roman Baths are well-preserved thermae in the city center. A temple was constructed on the site between 60 and 70 AD in the first few decades of Roman Britain. Its presence led to the development of the small Roman urban settlement known as Aquae Sulis. The Roman Baths are still bringing hot spring water up from the ground today. 

 Paris, FR

Just a short train ride from London, this city is known for its fashion, cuisine, and romance. We stayed in the 10th Arrondissement which is not in the city center but not too far from it. Our first day here we decided to actually go on a run from our hotel to the Eiffel Tower along the Seine, only 5 miles in the rain. 😳 The metro is easy to navigate here though so don't fret! Paris is a really beautiful city and we really did not have enough time to explore it. Our biggest highlight was to no surprise, The Louvre. I knew this museum was big but I honestly did not realize how big. We spent 6+ hours there and still did not see all of it (granted we got the audio guides and were taking our time). If you're planning a trip to Paris, definitely plan to spend the entire day here and wear comfortable shoes, you'll need them! Tip: The line into the Louvre is insane, buy a timed ticket in advance and instead of making your way to the main entrance (the glass pyramid) instead cross the street to Le Carrousel du Louvre which will take you down some stairs into a small underground shopping strip where you can enter. If need more information just google it, as there are lots of videos on TikTok. There are many places to eat here as well that have vegan options. 

Versailles, FR

No trip to Paris is complete without stopping at the Palace of Versailles! Versailles is easy to get to from Paris using the metro and the RER C train. Versailles is such an amazing place to visit, the palace itself is covered with beautiful paintings and full of history. The gardens are massive and you really won't be able to see the majority of it unless you take advantage of the numerous transportation options available. There are golf carts available for rental to take you around the grounds and once you exit the main grounds you can rent bikes/e-bikes to navigate the remaining areas. There is also a train that will take you back to the palace at the end of the day. Definitely visit the Queen's Hamlet, as it is such a cute rustic little village built for Marie Antoinette. Tip: Entry lines get long here as well so would strongly advise getting timed entry tickets. Plan to spend the majority of your day here as it is huge! There are multiple places to eat around the palace and in the gardens, some vegan options.

Munich, DE

I studied German during undergrad and had been looking forward to the chance when I'd finally get to visit for a long time. I opted for Munich because I find Bavarian culture very interesting and unique. Munich is a beautiful city with a very relaxed vibe and a great place to visit if you want to get away from super touristy destinations. The city is clean, super vegan friendly, has very efficient public transportation, and of course the people are very friendly. Unfortunately while we were here, there was a severe rain storm which limited what we could do the first day, but on the bright side we got a nice rest day. The Marienplatz is the city center of Munich and as such its the place to be. When we got there we could hear the church bells chiming and it was kind of magical. The Rathaus is at the heart with its Neo-Gothic facade, it looks slightly older than it actually is. Initial construction took place between 1867 and 1905 after the neighboring Altes Rathaus (Old Town Hall) became too small for Munich's city council and of course it features the famous Glockenspiel. The Glockenspiel has 43 bells and 32 figures that perform two historical events. The top half tells the story of a tournament held in 1568 to celebrate the marriage of Duke Wilhelm V to Renata of Lothringen, while the bottom half portrays the Schäfflertanz (cooper's dance). It moves daily at 11am and at 12pm, and from March to October additionally at 5pm. Of course, with any visit to Munich you have to visit the famous Hofbräuhaus! The home of Oktoberfest, this famous beer hall has been open since 1589. There are a few vegan options here as well, which were really good!

Hohenschwangau, DE and Neuschwanstein

Hohenschwangau is a village in Germany’s southeastern state of Bavaria. It’s known for the Neuschwanstein Castle, which inspired Walt Disney, and the neo-Gothic Hohenschwangau Castle, both built for 19th-century Bavarian kings. It is a quaint little village with a few restaurants and shops and a beautiful lake surrounded by the Bavarian alps. King Ludwig II felt the need to escape from the constraints he saw himself exposed to in Munich, and commissioned Neuschwanstein Castle on the remote northern edges of the Alps as a retreat but also in honour of composer Richard Wagner, whom he greatly admired. Ludwig chose to pay for the palace out of his personal fortune and by means of extensive borrowing rather than Bavarian public funds. Construction began in 1869 but was never completed. The castle was intended to serve as a private residence for the king but he died in 1886, and it was opened to the public shortly after his mysterious death. The castle interior is beautiful and has just finished being restored. If you're up here don't forget to take the trail up to the Marienbrücke, which is a bridge with sweeping views of the castle and surrounding mountains. Tip: You can only enter this castle with a guided tour and no pictures/videos are allowed inside the castle. The hike up to the castle can be pretty steep and there are buses that will take you up or a horse carriage if you prefer.

Rome, IT

We completely fell in love with Italy and it really should be its own trip. Rome itself is amazing because its a city but its surrounded by ancient Roman ruins. There's the Colosseum, Pantheon, Roman Forum, and much more. If you are a fan of history, definitely make a trip here if you haven't already. The city is very walkable but there are buses and metro as well. If the history and beauty of the city isn't enough you have the food which is amazing. Tip: Rome is a very popular destination for many people and as such the lines get really bad. I highly advise getting all tickets in advance, the Colosseum tickets and Vatican museum tickets go on sale 30 days in advance and sell quick. I set a reminder on my phone to get tickets exactly 30 days out. The audio guides or guided tours are very worth it, as you'll learn so much more about what you're looking at. The line to the Pantheon are split into two lines, one for paying by card and one for paying cash. Both lines go relatively quick.  

Positano and Amalfi, IT

We only had time for a day trip to the Amalfi coast which isn't nearly enough time to truly enjoy it, but if you just want to see it, like us, there is a pretty straightforward way of getting there. A lot of people recommend taking a train to Naples and then another train to Sorrento and then a taxi/bus to Amalfi. We opted to not take this route as it seemed pretty time consuming and a lot of logistics involved. If you are wanting to head specifically to see Amalfi or Positano the most straight forward way to get there from Rome is to take a high speed train to Salerno (about an hour and a half, two hours if there is a transfer in Naples), the train station in Salerno is about a five minute walk to Salerno Concordia which is a port that the ferry service TravelMar goes in and out of. It takes about an hour to get to Amalfi and a little longer to get to Positano. It was a really great way of getting a chance to see the Amalfi coast from the water. It was a really beautiful experience. To get back just line up your return ferry time with a train ride back to Rome from Salerno. There's a lot of ferries and trains throughout the day so it was pretty easy for us to do. While in Positano, note that it is pretty expensive, but enjoy some sorbetto di limone, an aperol spritz, and go for a swim! The water was alittle chilly but really nice. There are lots of little shops around town selling all things lemon and if you get the chance try some fresh limoncello!