Intro: Sometimes I wonder to myself what the world would look like if every place was the same. If everyone had the same resources and experiences to offer, would the everlasting conflict between nations throughout the world stop? I could go deep into my why's and reasonings, but in short the answer is no. A hard no. My reasoning is honestly quite the opposite. The differences is what makes this world we live in so beautiful. So attractive. It's what inspires you to dream big, knowing that there's a whole world out there to explore. I don't know about you, but this drives me crazy. Knowing that there is more than 36 billion acres of land on Earth and we'll be lucky to experience 0.0005% of that. As humans living in a forever evolving world, we are constantly looking for ways to expand, advance, and grow. Over time, I've learned that one of the best ways to do this is to compare and contrast. Sometimes it could be as simple as choosing which restaurant to order take out from. You start thinking to yourself, "this place offers this," "I had this one more recently," or "how expensive will this place be compared to that one?," until you come to a conclusion and decision. Other times, it can be much more advanced. This is the method I adapted to during my time in Europe. With so much of the world to see, I (sadly) knew that I would have to pick and choose, with some destinations having to wait for another chapter of my life.
With all that being said, my first 3 weeks in Florence were busy. The school schedule is much different than America's, and I began my studies with a bright and early 3 week photography class Monday-Friday. One of my goals for the trip was to become a better photographer with both a camera and phone, and I am proud to say I achieved that goal while developing a new passion that I'll continue to practice for years down the road. During this course, I learned the true meaning of street photography, how to branch out of my comfort zone while photographing, and that there's always an image to be taken, you just have to find it. As much as I wanted to begin my travels right away, It was nice to have a few weeks in Florence before the adventures began. It gave me time to settle in and familiarize myself with this new foreign city that had just recently become my "home." Photography class was my saving grace in regards to familiarizing myself with Florence. It got me outside each day, taking a new direction and leading me to an unfamiliar destination. The dismissal of class on my final day of the 3 week course marked one of my last weekends in Florence and the start of my spring break. You may be asking yourself how this is possible. Didn't you just arrive a few weeks ago? My next 9 weekends in a row were filled with at the time unknown train delays, all night travel days, but most importantly, a knock at reaching that 0.0005% that I talked about earlier. I was ready to travel and explore, and there's no better way to start than spring break.
Amsterdam, Netherlands: The city of canals, coffeeshops, techo music and Heineken. For only having 3 full days, my friends and I lived life to the fullest and experienced all that the crazy city of Amsterdam had to offer. Before diving into the crazy weekend, we began with a tour at the Anne Frank house. A beautiful museum that recognizes the horror and suffering Jews had to endure for years during Nazi Germany's takeover of Europe during World War II, but also the bravery and heroism of the Frank family who provided other Jew refugees hiding and shelter during Germany's conquest through the Netherlands. We received a tour of the museum, as well as the apartment the family hid in for 2 years. This was definitely an experience that makes you take a step back and appreciate the life you've been gifted with. Our next tour of the weekend took us to the Heineken factory where we enjoyed glass after glass of freshly brewed Heineken beer. The factory and tour itself was very interactive and definitely a highlight that Amsterdam has to offer. Over the next couple days, we spent time exploring the city while visiting the Our House museum and the Amsterdam Ice Bar. Our House is an EDM/techno inspired museum that features all sorts of interactive music equipment to make you feel like a Dj for the day. It not only gives the history of the genre starting back in the 1970s, but also pays tribute to the ones who built the genre into what it is today, like Avicii. During our tour of the Amsterdam Ice Bar, we were forced to bundle up in hats, coats and gloves before making entrance to the shivering cold room that awaited behind the entrance. The bar sits at a freezing 14 degrees fahrenheit, but the beers and cocktails offered warm you up. Our time in Amsterdam ended with a canal tour throughout the city. A very relaxing way to end the day after the busy, head bopping weekend Amsterdam provided. Before our departure to the train station, we made on final stop at Greenhouse Coffeeshop, one of Amsterdams most idolized experiences. The celebrity picture wall included visits from actors such as Chris Rock, Miley Cyrus and Bradley Cooper to superstar athletes Shaquille O'Neal, Tom Brady, and Alex Rodriquez. I'm going to try and limit the amount I say this because I do have a list ranking all the adventures I've taken, but Amsterdam will forever be one of my favorite places in the world.
Restaurant Recommendations: Brasserie Palladium, Sham Maza, The Amsterdam Basement
Attraction Recommendations: Anne Frank House, Our House EDM Experience, Amsterdam Ice Bar, Heineken Experience, Canal Tour
Nightlife Recommendations: Aran Irish Pub, The Waterhole, Nova Amsterdam
Paris, France: Going into this Spring Break trip, I thought that Paris and Amsterdam were going to be my favorite 2 places, but I was a definitely disappointed with Paris. It reminded me a lot of Rome in a sense that it's a place you need to visit once in your life, but don't have to go back again in the future. To start, the city is massive with all the main attractions being spread out. Although it was nice to walk as the weather was beautiful, each walk took at least an hour to reach the next destination. In the future, I’d buy a day rail pass and save myself the time. If the weather is good, then the day is perfect. Street vendors will be open and the streets will be packed, but if it’s rainy, the city is a ghost town. We spent most of our time in Paris walking and exploring the sites scattered throughout the city. Our first night was spent picnicking and drinking champagne at sunset in front of the Eiffel Tower. Once the sun went down and the sky turned dark, the tower illuminated the sky with lights. Each hour, the tower would sparkle as the lights danced on and off for 5 minutes. The following day was spent exploring the Louvre, Pantheon, Notre Dame Cathedral and Luxembourg Gardens. Vintage prints, painting and artworks lined the streets for miles on end adding lots of pitstops and halts on our way to the next destination. Although Paris wasn't my favorite, it was nice to start each morning with a crepe and Starbucks coffee, something that doesn't exist in Italian culture. Finally, the people. I think this was the factor to "make or break" to way I viewed Paris. French people were not the nicest, especially towards Americans. We seemed to be a big interference on their day which made it tough to connect with anyone on a personal scale. If you didn't speak French, they wanted nothing to do with you.
Restaurant Recommendations: Francetta, Assanabel Paris, Chipotle (If you're abroad, you'll want this. Chipotle doesn't exist anywhere else)
Attraction Recommendations: Eiffel Tower, The Louvre, The Pantheon, Palace of Versailles, Luxembourg Gardens, The Arc
Barcelona, Spain: Before my departure to Europe, I had no intention of going to Spain. I just assumed it would be very similar to Mexico with the same experiences to offer, but man was I wrong. Barcelona, to me at least, truly defined the term "don't judge a book by its cover." If it wasn't for the constant partying, Barcelona is the only other city I visited that could have been "home" instead of Florence. If it were up to me, I would have cut Paris out of the trip just to have more time in Spain. Our time in Barcelona began with a tour to the Basilica de la Sagrada Familia. A church that is still not finished being built after its ground break date back in 1882. Stained glass lined the walls allowing colorful light to illuminate the inside of the basilica from all angles. With a more modernism approach compared to the churches in Italy, the basilica is expected the be to completed by 2028. After our tour of the basilica concluded, we took advantage of the warm weather and enjoyed our time at the beach with breathtaking views of the city and the W hotel. I didn't think Barcelona's nightlife was going to need more than a few sentences, but a paragraph wouldn't even do it justice. The city is a party goers dream. Bars on every corner, beach clubs that stay open till sunrise, and tens of thousands of people looking to have a great time every night of the week. I now understand why its viewed as one of the party capitals of the world. Our time in Barcelona was short and sweet, and I wished I had spent more time in Spain as a whole. I've not only heard about other great places in Barcelona, but heard Madrid and Seville add to what already is a beautiful, flourishing country. Next time I return to Europe, a trip through Spain will definitely be at the top of my list.
Restaurant Recommendations: Sensi Tapas (an absolute must), Minos, Surf House
Attraction Recommendations: Basilica de la Sagrada Familia, Camp Nou, Casa Batlló, The W Hotel
Nightlife Recommendations: Dow Jones, Ovella, Razzmatazz, Opium
Conclusion: I will never forget the feeling of getting off another terrifying Ryanair flight when we arrived back in Florence after this 9 day experience. My mind was tired, my body was tired, but I was already planning where I was off to next. Each place provided me with memories that I'll hold on tight to forever. If you've ever been to any of these 3 places mentioned above and have some recommendations, message me! I'd love to add them in. Over the next couple weeks, I'll be adding my recommendations as well as travel details, housing and pictures to each city/country visited under my portfolio section. Next weeks will be a good one. We'll be starting with a relaxing weekend in Cinque Terre, Italy before heading up north to Copenhagen, Denmark for St. Patricks Day and finishing with a quick pitstop in Dublin, Ireland.
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