On New Year’s, I caught a flight from Prague, Czech Republic to Warsaw, Poland. I was not ready for what was about to happen. No one ever warned me that Warsaw in winter is comparable to the ice planet of Hoth – it was about 12°F every day, sometimes colder.
After Christmas 2015, I had the wonderful opportunity to visit Prague in the Czech Republic. Prague always seemed like such a mysterious and exotic place to me. We learn about it briefly in history when it was referred to as Bohemia, but we never really know much more about it. In reality, we are exposed to Prague more often than we know. Prague is the backdrop for many movies and TV shows, but it is often disguised as another country. The TV shows Outlander and The Musketeers both recently shot in Prague with the setting in Paris in the 1700s and 1600s, respectively. The most recent version of Casino Royale was also shot in Prague, with the airport and a casino disguised as Miami and the National Museum disguised as James Bond’s hotel in Italy. Sneaky sneaky!
There are honestly so many things to do in London. I was there for six days and there are still so many things I didn’t get to do. But here are somethings I did do that I recommend seeing (that weren’t a part of my Harry Potter, Royal London, or football game posts).
The idea of a monarchy in the 21st century baffles me sometimes, but when it comes to the British monarchy, I just can’t get enough. From the invasion of the Normans in 1066 to the sexy Tudor times, to the present day royals that just seem like your best friends, I have quite the obsession with the Royal Family. That’s why going to London was a dream come true. There is royal history in almost every corner of the city!
For fifteen years now, I have been in love with the Harry Potter series. Harry Potter is actually the reason that I became an Anglophile back in June 2004, coinciding with the release of the third Harry Potter film. Eleven and a half years later, I finally made it to my favorite city and I was chock full of Harry Potter trivia and tidbits.
December 26, or Boxing Day as it is commonly known in the UK, is the day known for shopping, and of course, football. I’m not talking about passing the pigskin around, I’m talking REAL European football. I was lucky enough to get tickets to see my favorite team, Tottenham Hotspur, play at White Hart Lane, in November, and I had been counting down the weeks ever since.
Last week, I got to check off another city that I’ve wanted to go to for some time off my list: Berlin. I found it to be quite an interesting city – the city is over 750 years old, but so much of recent history affects the way the city appears today. I kept thinking about how the Berlin Wall still existed just twenty-five years ago, with reminders all over the city. You walk through the city and see things that were rebuilt because of bombs dropped during WWII. You see DVDs with Nazi flags covering the landmarks of Berlin. It’s crazy to think that less than a century ago, people were actually seeing these things in the city I was visiting. Berlin is a great city, but there are definitely things you should do and shouldn’t do to maximize your enjoyment.
I haven’t gone on any amazing trips yet, but I did do something pretty cool. Everyone knows that Spain is known for its tapas: little bites of food like appetizers. My friend and I went on a tapeo: going from restaurant to restaurant eating tapas. The city I live in, Tarragona, hosts “Tarraco Tapes” every spring and fall, perfect for bingeing on tapas.
Over these past nine months, I have been to many different cities and countries, which has been an unbelievable experience. However, I have also seen some really breath-taking places right here in Catalonia. These are the places that are just day trips, but have really awesome scenery and fantastic backstories.
When people see me, they often ask me where I was born or where my parents are from. They are always surprised to hear that I’m American. People think I’m more Latina that I am. The truth is, I’m actually quite a bit Scandinavian. My great-great-grandmother immigrated to the US when she was just 15 years old. My mom and grandma had contacts with our Swedish family, so I decided to take a trip to meet my family and learn about the past.