Final Sketches

Colosseum

fountain outside St. Peter's

Column detail inside Pantheon

Dome in Venice outside train station

Eiffel Tower

Notre Dame

Winged Victory (Louvre)

Villa Savoy in Paris

Country Overview

Italy

I've always had this love affair with Italy, Rome in particular. It's really silly. It's not like I had ever been there before but for some reason it was the place I always wanted to go. So I was happy to start my trip abroad in Rome! Rome is old and new all at the same time. Perfect combination! There is so much to see... the Colosseum blew me away! Trevi fountain and St. Peters were also favorites! Florence was quite different from Rome. Lots of shopping, pizza, and gelato. The David was incredible. I didn't realize how detailed it was and how big it would be! Venice is charming. More touristy than the other cities. Our hotel was pretty and the grand canal at night is something to see. Rubelli's and Fortuny gave us a nice break from looking at ancient ruins and old churches. Each city we visited was so different from the other! Italy has it all! Big city, beautiful countryside, and everything in between! Italy has great style! Ciao Bella!

Paris

There is so much to see in Paris! We stayed right in the heart of the city just a few blocks away from the Eiffel Tower! For me, two of my favorite things centered around the eiffel tower. Fireworks on Bastille day and going up the Eiffel Tower at night. The architecture and style of Paris is different than what we had seen in Italy. I felt like we are cruising along the design timeline each day of the trip and with each country change I can see new ideas and perspectives popping up. Paris seems more industrial, less traditional, more modern and less ornate. Men and Women's fashion were also different and the general personality of Paris was much louder than Italy. Versailles and Vaux are magical and by far two of my favorite places we visited while in Paris.

England

The rain seemed to follow us all the way here! England has more familiar surroundings. It was refreshing to understand what people were saying whether they were talking to me or not. London introduced clotted cream and scones. We also became quite familiar with the tube and train station. Beautiful gardens and well kept estates kept us busy in the day and Broadways kept us entertained by night. Flashy cars everywhere and an accent that I butchered every time I attempted to speak "British". Big Ben, the London Eye, St. Paul's, Westminster Abby were just a few of the sights to see in this city and I would say that we covered most of the surrounding area. wink wink!

August 4

(flag's up)

Last Day! If you’d asked me whether I was sad to leave or not, I would have told you that I couldn’t be more excited to be heading back to the states, but at the same time I felt a tinge of sadness. This was definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity. To leave for FIVE whole weeks and visit places that I didn’t even know existed! My eyes have beheld incredibleness! What a wonderful experience! What a wonderful opportunity! I feel incredibly grateful! Thank you to those who planned and put this trip together and thank you to those who helped make it possible for me to have such an adventure!

Buckingham Palace was the perfect last stop of our European tour! Apparently the Palace is sparsely opened throughout the year and we just happened to be in London at the right time!

For the last time as a group we walked through Buckingham Palace with an audio guide to educate us on the workings and history of this royal estate! Apparently the queen was home since the flag was raised out front!

There were no pictures allowed inside and I wish I were able to convey in words the beauty of this place! I guess you’ll have to find a coffee table book on the palace! I still remember how nice the carpet felt underneath my feet. The colors were bold, vivid and alive. The window treatments were to die for and I couldn’t help but think this would be a great place to celebrate something! They do use the palace for lots of functions and banquets so my idea isn’t too original! The interior of this Palace tops them all.

(Josie and I just outside the palace after our tour)

Allie Bytheway took this picture of Ericka and I had to show it to you all. I LOVE it! I guess Ericka was trying to make it look as if she was kissing one of the guards. She positioned herself in front of the guard and posed. After several attempts and no luck, the guard whispers, "you know it might be easier if you just kissed me"! So miss Ericka did what she had to do! And what's so great about this is that the guard is not supposed to talk, the guard is not supposed to be touched and the guard is definitely not supposed to smile! :) Their facial expressions are priceless! He's enjoying this and Ericka is probably thinking, "what will Chandler (her fiance) think" or "what have I gotten myself into, hurry take the picture". haha! Love, love, love this picture! Allie, you should really enter this into a photo contest!

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After our tour a few of us went to the famous Abbey Road! Terri brought her “professional” camera and we walked along the very crosswalk that the Beatles walked for one of their album covers. It took us a few times but I think we got it!

You can probably guess that we had some packing to do! Back to the flat and time to get ready to see the states!