Quick Thoughts: Our British Isles Cruise

Hey, friends! We're back from our trip, and I am so excited to share it with y'all. I have all of these posts in my head I want to share, so hopefully I will get to at least some of them before our next baby is born (just being realistic here. Haha). This pregnancy has been rougher than my first (and my pregnancy with Anthony wasn't easy), so I usually take things one day at a time. Anyways, today I just wanted to share a few random things about our trip before I get more into the specifics.
I have been asked often if I think a cruise is a good way to see these spots, and in this case, I do. We were in each port for about 12 hours, so there was plenty of time to explore. Plus, we sailed to new destinations while we were sleeping, so it worked out better than having to drive from one place to another. The time at each port is what really sold me on this cruise, though. Honestly, we were both so exhausted from our adventures by the end of each day that we were thankful to get on the boat, relax, and watch a show. Plus, we really enjoyed the beautiful views when we sailed away from the different locations!
Speaking of exhaustion, I was a little worried about keeping up with our excursions, but thankfully, I did well! I did have to rest more than usual after climbing a bunch of stairs, but overall, I was able to do everything we wanted. The most difficult part of the cruise was when the boat rocked. It had more to do with the placement of our cabin than anything (we didn't have a choice with cabins since we had to book late due to not knowing Christopher's schedule), but I was really thankful I had just gotten over the severe nausea/vomiting I had for the first 22 weeks because I would have wanted to get off the boat. We did have one super rough night due to a storm where we barely slept, but overall, it was manageable. 
It was so fun to get to celebrate our big milestones in some stunning places! Chris got to celebrate his 30th birthday in Edinburgh, a city he has always wanted to visit, I celebrated my 30th birthday at Mont Saint-Michel in France, and we celebrated our 10-year wedding anniversary in Guernsey! 
Chris and I both admitted that this trip was just about the right length for us, and we wouldn't have wanted it to be longer. We saw so much and truly enjoyed it, but we were both exhausted by the end of it and ready to see Anthony. The jet lag was much worse than normal too, but thankfully, we're finally feeling adjusted back to Texas time!

Five Things You Must Do in Marseille, France

I’m back today with another post in my five things series! With the weather warming up, I’ve been dreaming lately about the gorgeous days we spent in Marseille. Marseille was a city that completely surprised me. One of my college French professors put it on my radar, and when we did our big tour of France, I put it on our itinerary, not really knowing what to expect. Marseille completely blew me away, and I dream of going back someday! I am excited to share five things I think you must do in this gorgeous city.

Vieux Port
The old port of Marseille has been around for 26 centuries. It’s a beautiful area to walk and is lined with bars and cafes, so you can sit outside and enjoy the view!

Chateau d’If
The Chateau d’If was made famous by Alexandre Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo. Unlike Edmond Dantès, no one ever escaped the prison, but we loved taking a boat ride to see just how isolated it was. Not only is Chateau d’If an interesting historical landmark, but the views from it are stunning!

Basilique de Notre Dame de la Garde
Getting to the top of the Basilique de Notre Dame de la Garde is a bit of a climb, but the view you get is absolutely worth it. The basilica is the highest point of the city (at 162 meters) and offers panoramic views that took my breath away. The inside of the basilica is gorgeous, too!

Les Calanques
Speaking of things that took my breath away, Marseille’s calanques weren’t even part of our itinerary when we first arrived in the city. Thankfully, I saw an advertisement for them and realized we had to change our plans to include them. Let’s just say they made my top five favorite European memories ever. The hike up to them wasn’t bad at all, and the view was simply incredible. I loved seeing them from the top, but I would love to go back and see them from the sea someday!

Take a Boat Ride
As a gorgeous city on the Mediterranean, I think it’s important to see Marseille from the water! We opted to take a longer boat ride to Chateau d’If, so we could enjoy the beauty of seeing Marseille from a boat.

Have you ever been to France? What's your favorite city?

Other Five Things Posts:

Five Things You Must Do in San Diego

Five Reasons You Should Visit the Smoky Mountains

Five Reasons You Should Visit Breckenridge, Colorado

Other France Posts:

Eight Ideas for the Best Romantic Getaway to Paris

Quick Trip: 24 Hours in Strasbourg, France

Three Great Day Trips from Paris

Three Cities to Visit in France (Besides Paris) 

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Eight Ideas for the Best Romantic Getaway to Paris

Chris always jokes he can never impress me on Valentine’s Day anymore because of the year he took me to Paris, and he might be right. We spent the most amazing three-day weekend in Paris over Valentine’s Day on their first warm and sunny days of that year. The Parisians kept telling us how surprised they were it was warm that weekend! Today I wanted to share my favorite parts of that trip (and a few things from a later trip to Paris), so you can plan your own romantic getaway to Paris.

Cruise on the Siene River
I had to start off with my favorite part of our trip. Chris surprised me with a night cruise on the Seine River, and the only way to describe it is magical. It was amazing to cruise down the river, learning about all the stunning architecture and watching the Eiffel Tower sparkle.

Picnic by the Eiffel Tower
It’s so fun to buy a baguette and some meat and cheese at the grocery store and have a picnic by the Eiffel Tower. Of course, you could always grab a crepe from one of the many crepe stands around and have a fun picnic that way!

Take a walking tour to see as much as possible
There is so much to see in Paris, and I think the best way to get a feel for the city is through a walking tour. We absolutely loved the Sandeman’s free walking tour of Paris. Honestly, the next time we go to Paris, I would want to do it again!

Pick a restaurant with a prix fixe menu and have an amazing meal
Paris is full of incredible restaurants, and what is Valentine’s Day without a delicious meal? We had an amazing meal at Le Grand Bistro de Breteuil, which was worth every penny.

Spend a day holding hands while wandering around the Louvre or the Musee d’Orsay
Everyone knows about the Louvre, but my favorite museum in Paris is the Musee d’Orsay. All the impressionist art is gorgeous, and the museum is housed in a stunning old train station.

Go shopping
What’s a trip to Paris without shopping? Plus, if you are going there for Valentine’s Day, you can tell your significant other it’s part of your present. The Champs-Élysées is expensive, but it’s definitely worth seeing. You can also stop by the Arc de Triomphe since it’s close by!

Enjoy the view from the top of the Eiffel Tower and the Sacre Coeur
I don’t think there is anything more romantic than a stunning view, and Paris is full of them. If you are pressed for time, the two views you have to check out are from the top of the Eiffel Tower and from the Sacre Coeur.

Take a day trip to Versailles or Loire Valley
When I first started blogging, I wrote a post about three great day trips from Paris, and my two favorites on that list are Versailles and the Loire Valley. They are both make easy day trips from Paris. I loved going back in time and seeing the extravagant lifestyles of the French royalty.

Have you been to Paris? What did you think was the most romantic thing to do there?

Quick Trip: 24 Hours in Strasbourg, France

I was so surprised by how much I loved Strasbourg and left it wishing we had spent more than 24 hours there. Located close to the French and German border (and fought over by the two countries many times), it is the cutest combination of two cultures. I haven’t added to my Quick Trip series since last summer, so today I wanted to share why Strasbourg makes my list of places to visit in France besides Paris.

How to get there: 
Strasbourg has an international airport with a number of flights a day to and from Paris. However, it might be cheaper to fly into a major European airport and then take a train to Strasbourg. Strasbourg is 2.5 hours from Paris, two hours from Frankfurt, Germany, and two hours from Zurich by train.

What to do: 
One of my favorite things to do in Strasbourg was to walk around the city center and see all the adorable shops and buildings. The Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg is impossible to miss, as it towers over the city center. It was the tallest building in the world from 1647 to 1874 at 466 feet and showcases stunning Gothic architecture. Go inside to see the astronomical clock and climb up 320 steps to the cathedral platform for a nice view of the city and the Black Forest.

My must-see area in Strasbourg was La Petite France. With its cobblestone streets and beautiful medieval buildings, it was such an adorable area to shop, eat, and stroll along the riverside. Plus, it makes for many gorgeous photo opportunities!

If you have more time: 
If we had more time, I would have liked to wander around the Parc de l’Orangerie and visit the Musée Alsacien. Someday, I would love to make it to Strasbourg around Christmas to see all the Christmas markets! I would also love to explore more of the Alsace region, especially Colmar and Riquewihr.

Where to eat: 
Because of the blend of two cultures, Strasbourg has both delicious French food and German food. We had an amazing meal at Winstub S'kaechele, which offers several Alsace specialties at great prices. I really enjoyed the smoked ham shoulder.

Where to stay: 
I really liked the Hotel Cathedrale. The price was great, it’s right across from the cathedral, and the rooms were nice.

Have you been to Strasbourg? What are some of your favorite places in the city?
Other cities in the Quick Trip series: 24 Hours in Boston 24 Hours in Bath, England 24 Hours in Stresa, Italy 24 Hours in San Juan, Puerto Rico

My Top Five European Travel Moments

If I had to pick my favorite continent to visit, Europe would take the cake.  I have fallen in love with the history, the architecture, and the amazing, magical moments I have experienced. Those moments when I was so in awe, so giddy, so thankful to be alive, to be traveling and experiencing what the world has to offer. It sounds cheesy, but those in love with travel know exactly what I mean. Here are my top five European travel moments so far:

Seeing the Eiffel Tower twinkle at night for the first time: 
We went to Paris for the first time over a Valentine’s Day weekend, and on Valentine’s Day, my hubby surprised me with a night cruise on the Seine River. As we approached the Eiffel Tower, it began to twinkle. I had seen it in photos, but it was nothing like experiencing it myself for the first time. At that moment, I fell in love with Paris. Although I usually prefer to travel to places that I haven’t been, I would visit Paris again and again.

Watching Wicked in London:
I had so many different travel moments in London, but seeing Wicked sticks out in my mind. We decided to go on a whim and had an amazing time. It is now one of my favorite musicals, and seeing it in London made it more special.

Hiking up to the Marseille calanques:

This moment really stood out to me because it was one that I didn’t expect. When we visited Marseille, the calanques weren’t on our list, but we saw an advertisement for them and decided to check them out. I was blown away by their beauty. After our hike, we sat down and admired the view, and I never wanted to leave.

Taking a horse-drawn carriage up to Neuschwanstein Castle with light snow falling:
Our trip to Neuschwanstein Castle went beyond my expectations (and those were fairly high to begin with!). Though the inside of the castle is nothing to write home about, the outside is picturesque. I will never forget taking a horse-drawn carriage, holding a mug of hot chocolate with snow lightly falling as the beautiful castle came into view.

Exploring Prague:
I couldn’t pick one specific moment in Prague because I quickly and completely fell in love with the city. I loved the different styles of architecture throughout the city, the Charles Bridge, St. Vitus cathedral, and so much more. The mixture of Eastern and Western styles was unique and instantly made me feel at home.

Three Great Day Trips From Paris

Though there are enough attractions in Paris to last months, I enjoyed the day trips I took to explore other areas. Today, I am featuring three of my favorite day trips from Paris.

Versailles

Travel time: 35 minutes

I couldn’t write a list featuring day trips from Paris without mentioning Versailles. For me, it was every bit as magical as people claimed. The gardens were beautiful, the rooms were glamorous, and it’s so close to Paris that it’s a no brainer.

Dijon

Travel time: 3-4 hours

Though Dijon is a bit far for a day trip, it is worth visiting. This historical capital of the province of Burgundy is known for its mustard, but I was more impressed by its beauty. I loved following the owl trail to explore Dijon’s best sights, including the Palais Ducal, which holds the museum of fine arts.

Loire Valley

Travel time: Anywhere from one hour to three hours

I could seriously spend a week just exploring the gorgeous castles in Loire Valley. The wine is not too shabby either. My three favorite castles on our trip to Loire Valley were Château d’Amboise, Château de Chambord, and Château de Chenonceau.