Bloggingsouls.com: Vacation, All I Ever Needed

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July 25, 2006

Vacation, All I Ever Needed

Adam and I returned late on Saturday (technically, Sunday morning) and while I've been wanting to post about our trip since returning, various things I've had to catch up on as well as jet lag have meant not being able to post until today. Our trip was fantastic though--you tend to forget how fun travelling oversees is until you actually do it and then you wish you can do it all the time.

Since I posted about the first half of our trip already, I'll fill you in on the rest of the trip. The Basque region was nice--a lot of rolling hills, farms, small towns, and popular beaches. I was really hoping I'd be able to see this horse but, unfortunately, since it was hot they were up in the mountains.

Paris was great--there's tons to see, of course, and the food is sooo good. The only drawback was the combination of the heat and lack of air-conditioning. Save for local trips, Adam and I have never travelled during the summer since we've been together so summer vacationing was a new experience for us and, after this vacation, we decided we would do our best to avoid travelling to warmer countries during the summer. Our strategy during this trip can best be described as heat avoidance--leaving early and being spending more time outdoors during the evenings, walking on the shaded side of streets, ducking into air-conditioned stores, and trying to eat at air-conditioned restaurants. While the weather was pretty hot, at least in France, we were very lucky in the rain department--it rained for only half an hour our entire trip.

Eating in France has made me a little mad about the food we're stuck with even here in NYC--they put so much attention into so much of their food--even their sandwiches are a lot better than the ones we have here. I almost never eat salads at home but the French seem to have elevated salad-making into an art level. It sucks that French food costs so much here in the States.

One thing I don't envy in London or Paris, however, are their subways--they're small, crowded, and un-air-conditioned--not a very good combination in the summer. I realize they're probably old, but considering how hot it's been in Europe during the summers over the past decade, I think they should really consider upgrading their subway trains.

Subway and heat issues aside, it was a great trip and left me with memories that hopefully will last until our next big trip. Anyhow, onto the photos:

London

Hampton Court Palace:

Hampton Court Palace.jpg