Europe Archives - Page 2 of 9

Driving the Ring of Kerry

February 26, 2019 No Comments

Blarney Castle was magical, but the biggest part of my trip was yet to come. I jumped into my right-hand-drive car and headed toward the west coast. After a few hours of driving, I arrived in Killarney. It was kind of scary driving there. The roads were small and not in the best condition. I was happy when I finally made it there.

When I was planning my trip, Killarney sounded really familiar. Then, I learned it was because the Ireland part of Busch Gardens is “Killarney”! I must say, though, the real Killarney is not much like the Busch Gardens version. That wasn’t the main reason for going there, though. I really wanted to drive the Ring of Kerry.

Europe, Ireland

The Magic of Blarney Castle

February 19, 2019 No Comments

While planning my trip to Ireland, I wasn’t happy with just visiting Dublin. I felt that if I only saw Dublin, I was missing out on so much Ireland has to offer. So, I did something that worried many people: I drove a car. On January 3, I rented a car and started driving south on the left-hand side of the road.

Europe, Ireland

A Day in Dublin

February 12, 2019 No Comments

Ireland was another one of those places that I had wanted to come to forever, but never had the right opportunity to do so. Plus, Ireland is drab and cold, right? Well, that changed when I kicked off 2019 by traveling to Dublin. Dublin was just my first stop on a whole Irish adventure, but it proved to be a good starting point.

Europe, Italy

Rome Day Trip: Sorrento and Pompeii

February 5, 2019 No Comments

While we were planning our Christmas vacation in Italy, I threw out the idea of Rome. Why? There was one particular reason: Pompeii. I had wanted to visit Pompeii since learning about it in school. Little Erika could never have imagined actually visiting.

Europe, Italy

Revisiting Rome

January 29, 2019 1 Comment

After finishing up in Milan, we took a train down to Rome. This was not my first time in Rome, but I wanted my family to experience Rome. Plus, it’s always good to see it again.

Europe, Italy, Switzerland

Day Trips from Milan

January 22, 2019 No Comments

Milan is great, but there is also a lot to see and do in the surrounding areas. While we were in Milan, we took two day trips outside of the city. We rented a car, but it is also possible to go by train.

Italy

Milan: A Little Bit of Everything

January 15, 2019 No Comments

Happy New Year, everybody! I haven’t written since November – I needed some time off. Now, I’m back! I just returned last week from two and a half weeks traveling around Italy and Ireland. Buckle up and enjoy the ride!

My first stop over the Christmas period was Milan. After a small snag (my parents and grandmother getting stuck at the airport and not making their connection at JFK), things were smooth sailing from there. Even when my family wasn’t in Milan with me, I still made the most of it.

Denmark, Europe

Copenhagen: Was It Hyggely?

November 8, 2018 No Comments

Denmark: Land of Vikings. I had been wanting to see Denmark for a while now since I have family that left there in the 19^thcentury, but it was just so expensive. I’m not going to lie. It’s incredibly expensive. But taking a trip to Denmark is necessary, and Copenhagen is a great place to see.

Europe, Finland

Helsinki or Float

October 18, 2018 No Comments

It wasn’t my first choice. I had wanted to travel somewhere else. It wasn’t even on the top of my list of places to visit. But Helsinki charmed me in a way I wasn’t expecting. I arrived at night, which is always difficult. Everything is dark, it’s cold, things are closed. I had no idea what to expect. When I awoke the next morning, I was pleasantly surprised. Helsinki is cute.

Andalucía, Europe, Spain

Granada: The Big Pomegranate

September 20, 2018 1 Comment

Granada is world famous for the amazing and spectacular Alhambra Palace, but few people know the meaning of the city. Granada is the Spanish word for “pomegranate”. According to legend, the pomegranate is a sacred fruit for the Jewish people because it has (allegedly) 613 inside each pomegranate and there are 613 commandments in the Torah. A quick Google search will tell you that that isn’t exactly true. Still, you can see pomegranates everywhere, from the street signs to the pebble-work on the ground.

Like many places I’ve visited and will visit in Spain this year, I always think, “How have I been in Spain for three years and not been here?” Not going to Granada isn’t exactly my fault — their train station hasn’t been linked to major cities in three years while they try to ready the station for the AVE. So to get there, I took the high speed train from Madrid to a small town in the Málaga region, then boarded a bus to take me to Granada. Of course, you can get to Granada by bus, but I hate buses. (I get carsick.) Pero por fin, I had arrived in Granada.