christmas Archives - Expedition Erika

Paris, C’est La Vie!

January 23, 2018 No Comments

Paris is one of those cities you either love or you don’t. Some people fall in love with the perceived romance of the city, other people say the city smells. For me, Paris has always been one of the cities I knew I needed to go to, but I wasn’t very interested. Honestly, the main reason I wanted to go was to take a day trip to Normandy and see the Omaha Beaches (but that tour was cancelled …) Still, there is plenty to see and do in Paris, and I felt that I needed a little more time.

Europe, France

A Parisian Christmas

January 9, 2018 No Comments

Being back overseas means getting to spend a Christmas abroad. This year my parents and I had decided on going to Paris for Christmas and London for New Years. To be honest, Paris is one of those places that I know I needed to go to but didn’t really have much desire to visit. The main reason I wanted to go to Paris was to go to Normandy and see the D-Day Beaches. We booked a tour, but unfortunately our tour was cancelled ten days out.

Once we decided on our destinations, we had to decide our order. Should we do London first or Paris first? Unlike London, things are actually open on Christmas. If you’re looking for a European destination at Christmastime, Paris is a great place to go for this reason. The trains and metro are open, which is fantastic! We used them both several times on Christmas day.

Catalunya, Spain

Catalan Traditions: Any Nou i Dia de Reis

January 6, 2015 No Comments

Some people take their time off for Christmas to go home or travel around Europe. After my parents caught their plane back home to the US, I caught a train back to Cambrils. At first I was super upset. It was even harder when I walked into my host family’s house and they were having a huge family get together. It was also Spain’s version of April Fool’s Day, when I didn’t feel like smiling. Although I was upset to leave my parents, I ended up experiencing some unique traditions only seen in Spain.

Madrid, Spain

Madrid at Christmas

December 29, 2014 No Comments

We’re kind of spoiled in the US. Theaters and grocery stores are still often open on major holidays. Even public transportation still operates. That is not the case for much of Europe. Stores and museums begin closing early on Christmas Eve and hardly anything is open on Christmas Day. We still managed to make the most of our time, preferring to get out and explore instead of staying in the apartment doing nothing.

Catalunya, Spain, Tarragona

Tarragona in December

December 24, 2014 No Comments

For me, Tarragona is definitely one of the most underrated cities in Spain. Of course Barcelona steals the Catalan thunder because of its size, but even Tarragona’s northern counterpart, Girona, gets more fanfare. (Especially since Game of Thrones films there, too). But Tarragona is so filled with history and culture. It was the Roman capital of Spain at the height of the empire. Tarragona was one of the most important city along Spain’s Mediterranean coast, and much more important than Barcelona.

I could write so many posts about Tarragona. I did live there for two years and it’s basically my second home. For Christmas 2014, my parents came to Spain. We visited Madrid, Barcelona, and Tarragona. Because I was a resident, I didn’t take many pictures while we were there. And then my mom left her camera in the backseat of a cab in Madrid, so unfortunately, I don’t have much to show from that trip.

Catalunya, Spain

Meet Caga Tió

December 8, 2014 No Comments

Catalans are a very proud people. They have many traditions you can’t find anywhere else. They claim they created the first pa amb tomàquet, they build castells, and they speak their own language. But there is one tradition that is different than anything I have ever seen: Caga Tió.