Decompressing

Well Europe Trip 2012 is a wrap everyone. I can’t believe I actually traveled all around Europe and saw so many incredible places. Parts of it don’t seem real, and I can’t wrap my mind around how much ground I traveled in a few weeks time. It also hasn’t really sunk in that I won’t have to pack up and move tomorrow and continue exploring. Which is good and bad, because that means the trip is over. Just craziness that all of it even happened in the first place and that it’s now over.

Settling back into life here at York has been really wonderful. It has truly become my home and flying back into England just affirmed that for me. On the plane I felt so at peace knowing I was going home, to my own little room in N Block surrounded by the ridiculous, adorable, fantastic people who have welcomed me. Being back has just felt good, despite the less than ideal rainy and gloomy weather. However, I still have much to recap from my whirlwind tour of Europe! So onwards to bulleted highlight blurbs!

Of all of these places I visited, Prague and Florence were my favorite cities, followed by Madrid and Paris. I liked something about all the places I visited to be sure, but these ones felt comforting and surprising at the same time. There was something magical and intoxicating about them, which made me want to spend more time in their lovely streets.
Me in Florence, on top of the Duomo
Me in front of the Prague Castle
Me in the Louvre Museum in Paris
At the Madrid Zoo and Aquarium in front of the Walt Disney nature statues, celebrating Walt’s love of nature. Or I think that’s what it was for.
It’s been raining off and on since I’ve come back and even though campus is starting to get a little flooded in places, I still feel like I can’t really complain. It hasn’t legitimately rained very much so I suppose some spring rains are to be expected.
My body could not handle the stress of all of that traveling very well. I got sick 3 times on the whole trip, and each time I felt ridiculous. Luckily I didn’t miss much by taking time to recover but it was still frustrating to feel run down and not be able to push through it. Guess my body can’t handle 4 weeks of nonstop traveling. Or maybe it just isn’t used to it yet!
Wearing the same clothes over and over again for 4 weeks somehow made me want to buy a bunch of new clothes but at the same time continue to be creative with the clothes I did have.
This big trip definitely gave me the travel bug, more so than I already did. I want to see as much of the world as I can. African savannas, ancient ruins, trees, people, lakes, the rest of the States, glaciers, food I want it all. I want to be greedy with my life experiences, I want to soak them all in.
American music is everywhere. Does no other country have enough popular music to play?
I’ve been reading for my classes and listening to music and the rain all day and it’s been so lovely.
I bought nail polish on a whim in Barcelona for a Euro. Turns out in glows in the dark! So cool!
I seriously need to do laundry but with the rain and my general laziness, I have yet to actually do it. Soon…
When we were in Paris we visited the Orangerie Gallery, home to Monet’s ‘Les Nympheas’ or Waterlilies paintings. We couldn’t take pictures, but the gallery was stunningly lovely. (Here’s a video someone took even though we were discouraged from that http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fw03m1DGkmg to get a taste of it). His paintings are just so pretty and I bought a ton of postcards to function as art.
I have my window open to listen to the rain better but it might be time to close it soon since the Thursday night party crowd has begun making noise.
I have begun looking for my flight home, which is bizarre. It’s weird to even think about leaving, I’m not ready to even plan for it.
My flatmates and I went proper grocery shopping last weekend and I have so much yummy, healthy, filling food now. Wonderful
In all of my pictures from the trip, my flannel shirt is the most photographed thing. It’s ridiculous.
To highlight some more delicious food;
My rather delicious salad from the cafe in the Louvre
Trois fromages sandwich. Simple and delicious.
Patatas bravas as a part of my tapas meal one night in Barcelona
Scrumptious falafel pita pocket. Probably the best falafel I’ve ever had
LADUREE. MACARONS. I have dreamed of tasting these little things and they were SO GOOD. Little bits of happiness. Ugh now I want some again.
Crema Catalana from the sweet shop inside San Miguel Mercado in Madrid.
Paella and sangria on our last night in Spain, inside the Mercado again. Yum yum yum.
Eating chocolate con churros at the world famous San Gines Chocolateria in Madrid. So delicious.
And finally, the greatest meal I’ve ever eaten. No joke. Our first night in Paris we stopped at a little restaurant up near Sacre Ceour Cathedral that to us looked quintessentially French and also boasted a 3-course meal deal for 18 euro. And then the food was just delicious. My pictures don’t do it justice at all, but ohmygod incredible food. I repeat, best meal I’ve ever had. To put it in perspective, I ate green beans and I loathe green beans. I think they’re vile and smell weird. But I ate them because with the sauce and the fish… ohwow just so good I want to fly back to Paris and eat the whole meal again.
First course: tiny homemade cheese ravioli in a simple cheese and herb sauce.
Second course: the food of angels. ohman this picture does nothing for this food. I was actually overwhelmed by how good it was. Fish on a bed of green beans in a beurre blanc sauce and just omg I want to eat it.
And creme brulee to finish it off. Just a fantastic meal.
I’m too distracted by memories of that epic meal to write much else, so that might have to be it for now.
Playlist for this post: Ingrid Michaelson’s newest album “Human Again”