As I write this I am actually 37, 000 feet in the air and on my way back to Perth from the most amazing European adventure! I thought I would write a little travel blog of my whirlwind experience.
We started the trip back in the middle of June, I was a blubbering mess as I left Scarlett, my 2 year old back in Perth with Mum and Dad. Safe to say that we are so excited to see her when we land! Any Mums who may feel guilty about taking a holiday without the little ones, then don’t. As hard as it was, I think we made the best decision. She has been having a ball and getting spoilt by the family and we have been able to relax and have some couple time again which I think is so important.
So we began by flying into Paris with 4 other friends which made the flight go a lot quicker, especially because we ended up delayed in Singapore for 8 hours so we made the most of it and hit Singapore town at night which set the pace for the holiday! We finally made it to Paris and it literally took my breath away. I forgot to mention that I have never been to Europe before and driving through Paris, I felt like I was in a dream. Paris is everything I love – good food, shopping and beautiful scenery. And yes, I made a purchase – a beautiful Chanel Bag ,which I had to go to 5 shops to find but lucky Paris is filled with Chanel! We met another 6 friends there as well. Places to check out – Hotel Raphael on the rooftop for an amazing view of the Eiffel Tower, Kong Paris which is a rooftop restaurant overlooking Paris (appeared in a sex and the city episode) and Crazy Horse which is a carbaret rather than Moulin Rouge and also appeared in Beyonces Partition video.
After 4 days in Paris we went down the South of France to Avignon where we had the most beautiful villa through air bnb and shared with 10 other friends. We were down there for a friends wedding, which was absolutely stunning! Theres just something about destination weddings and the French know how to do it right! Starting at 2pm and finishing at 4am – we ate, we drank and we danced the night away! While down there we visited St Tropez, known as the playground of the stars. Filled with yachts, Ferraris and Porches I can see why!
Next, we caught the train to Barcelona and entered Spain! Oh the tapas, which is my favourite way to eat, the beach and the La Rambla markets were my favourites. We also went to the rooftop of W hotel for some cocktails and the view is gorgeous! From Spain we went to London which felt like a second home. Yes it was cold and meant to be summer but still so beautiful. We went to Sketch London for dinner and I have to say it was the best restaurant I have ever been to. Not only is the décor absolutely stunning but they had the food to match it as well!
After London we went to Amsterdam, this place is something else! With the beautiful canals and bikes everywhere to the “coffee shops” and red light district! I have family here so we got a great tour.
Next stop was Venice, the city on water. How cute is Venice?! As soon as we got there, we got lost and loved every minute of it. Walking down all the little cobble streets and getting rowed around on gondolas is really something else. We then drove through Italy and down to Florence. Again, breathtakingly beautiful and so rich in history. From Florence we went to Rome. Rome again is so rich in history, we literally didn’t have enough time to see everything. We did fit in the Colloseum, Palentine Hill, Vatican and Trevi Fountain though. I was disappointed that I couldn’t toss a coin in the Trevi Fountain because Fendi decided to have their star studded 90th birthday there so it was closed off to build the runway! I could imagine the show would be amazing at such a beautiful location.
Last stop was Dubai and on the home stretch! We stayed for a day and night rather than just flying through. It was a super hot 40+ degrees and literally a city in the desert but what a place! I’d recommend if you are flying through Dubai then stop over for a night and have a look around, the shopping is great too! I managed to squeeze a few more things last minute in my suitcase haha!
I really want to be able to see a lot of the world in my lifetime. I believe that travel truly enrichens your life. The amount you learn about the world, about cultures and about yourself is priceless. A lot of us work so hard and can get caught up in working all the time but we need to work and also be able to enjoy life at the same time. This trip has truly opened my eyes to this. Work hard and play hard people! PS, my acrylic nails with GiGi Gel Polish outlasted the trip, I got them down a week before I left and they are still going strong and in beautiful condition! Im only ready for a new design now as I get bored quickly haha.
