Impressions of Paris | Summer

Firstly, happy new year to you all!
I've decided to kick off 2013 with a post on the city where I hope to spend the next New Years at - Paris! The City of Lights. Loved and remembered fondly by so many around the world. I was expecting to fall in love with Paris as soon as I set foot in that city. Instead, my experience in Paris turned out to be unexpectedly memorable.

Venice, the Italian maze |

My favourite place in Italy was definitely Venice. With it's distinctive canals, romantic gondolas and beautiful architecture, it was the perfect place to visit in Summer. By the time we arrived in Venice we were just over the halfway mark for our trip, and had become well accustomed to starting our time in a new place with a guided walking tour (that and carrying big bottles of water around, looking like a complete tourist). 

Roaming about in Rome |

Rome. Home of the ancient ruins, the famous sights and the heart of the Italian heat wave. 

My memories of Rome involved walking around with a 2-litre water bottle in 40+ degrees heat, trying not to faint in the hot air as we admired the Colosseum and fought through the crowds at the Trevi Fountain.

Florence |

From the beautiful blue waters of the French Riviera, we wound our way to the top of the hills to cross the border into Italy. The landscape changed as soon as the bus drove through the border into the countryside of Tuscany, and we were greeted with lush green trees surrounding quaint houses with the distinctive terracotta roof, nestled in sloping hills that resembled giant steps in the mountains.

Piazza di Santa Croce 

French Riviera |

Roomies - with Bec, Dahna and Annabelle in Monaco

One thing I love about Europe is how much the landscape and mood changes between countries. While Barcelona (see previous post) had a very festive vibe, lots of noise and things to see, the French Riviera was all about the luxurious beach lifestyle. 

Barcelona |

So after a few months of travelling I am finally back home and back to blogging! Although I'm still jet lagged after my 18+ hours flight, I can't wait to tell you all about the rest of my Topdeck trip and all the shenanigans we got up to for those amazing 28 days. Following on from the previous post where I took you all to Switzerland, our next stop was somewhere completely different in both language and culture. From the calmness of the Swiss Alps, we arrived in the chaos of Barcelona in Spain! 

After checking into our surprisingly nice hostel (equipped with ensuite bathroom and air conditioning!) we made our way to the Sagrada Familia, the basilica designed by Antoni Gaudi. It was a truly impressive sight to behold and the details, all of which carved in stone, were definitely worth craning our necks for.

Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland |

If there ever was a place that embodied the word "picturesque", it would be Lauterbrennen, a little town nestled in the Swiss Alps. With lush green mountains, rapid glacial waterfalls set against the backdrop of a clear blue sky, Lauterbrennen won our hearts with its ode-to-nature charm. We were there for two days, staying at a camping ground in log cabins. Some went skydiving in a helicopter while others took a train up to the mountain Jungfrau to admire the snow. I went with 3 fellow travellers on our Topdeck tour to the glacial waterfalls called Trummelbach Falle. It wasn't adrenaline pumping but the long walk there and the actual falls itself made for a very peaceful day. At night it was a different story. We chilled our local beers and wine in the creek filled with ice cool glacial water and partied into the wee hours of the morning.

What a night in the Swiss Alps!