Submitted by Rebecca Jaeger on the 2013 fall semester program in Granada, Spain..
In the past two weeks, I have had the opportunity to explore two of the most famous European cities: London and Paris. Both were beautiful and intriguing in their own rights and these weekends were easily some of the greatest experiences of my life.
Visiting London has always been a dream of mine. Historical places, the royal family, fantastic accents; what’s not to love? And love it, I did. London was absolutely beautiful. It was a very clean and safe city, with classic architecture. Granted, the weather was less beautiful (it was quite cold and rainy), but that did not stop me from exploring the city. Over the course of two days, I visited the Tower of London, Shakespeare’s Globe Theater, and Westminster Abbey, among other sites. Of course, I also had to stop by some of the many palaces scattered throughout the city! While at Buckingham Palace, I saw Queen Elizabeth arrive home from some royal duties. Granted, I did not actually see her, just her car, but it was still incredible to know that I was about 500 feet from the Queen of England. Overall, I adored London and I am already planning my trip back, because 48 hours are not enough to explore all of the fascinating places that the city has to offer.
Four days after returning from London, I left on my Parisian adventure. The hardest part about traveling through Paris is the language barrier. Let”s just say that my fourth grade French did not get me very far! But after the initial language shock, we were able to successfully maneuver our way around the city. My favorite part of the weekend was visiting the Eiffel Tower. It was absolutely incredible to get to see it in person, during the day and at night. And, although there were gale force winds, the view from the top was unbelievable. The pictures that I took certainly did not do the view justice! I also had the chance to visit the Chateau of Versailles, the Louvre Museum, the Arc de Triomphe, and many of the other sites that Paris is famous for. Although London remains my favorite city, Paris is high up on the list as well. It has beautiful buildings and so much history and culture to explore!
Overall, London and Paris were two beautiful and historic cities that I cannot wait to visit again. As I head off to Sevilla and Cordoba tomorrow, I can’t wait to see what other adventures this trip has in store for me!