Tuesday, September 22, 2015

REFINISHING FURNITURE: A new hobby

So I watch HGTV everyday, I know for someone my age probably not expected but oh well. I love it! One of my favorite shows is Fixer Upper featuring Chip and Joanna Gaines from Waco, Texas. And Joanna's design style is so perfect.  I love how she salvages old pieces that many people throw away and turns them into shabby-chic clean one of  kind pieces. Distressed is in and going off of that note I decided that I wanted to learn to give new life to old pieces and return them to their full potential.  So I signed up for a class on how to use Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint where I learned several paint techniques and how to achieve those perfectly chic distressed looks.  The only thing about this paint is that you have to find a retailer near you to buy it from, because it is not available for online purchase.

Now I'm not saying that you can't use anything else to achieve this look, this is just how I've gone about doing it.  

I feel like everywhere I go now I am looking for wooden pieces that I can spruce up and experiment on!
Here's a couple of my first pieces.





TOUR OF EUROPE: Wrap up

Europe was AMAZING.

I could seriously just leave those three words there and that would wrap it up. But I won't I'll elaborate and talk a little more about Europe as a while.  

So initially I was beyond scared.  And then we landed and things changed.  We met other people on the trip and it all began! 

Traveling from city to city:

Throughout the trip we mainly and only traveled by charter bus, besides the two trains rides we had. One from London to Paris and the other from Barcelona to Madrid.  (P.S. traveling by train is pretty cool! If you have never done it, you should give it a try)
Now as you can imagine we spent a lot of time in those buses, most of the time we were asleep and trying to get some extra rest because we were out and about non stop in every city. 
Those who decided to stay awake usually watched movies on iPads or kindles, or they were listening to music, or reading a book. 
There were many times however our tour guide would make us play games and interact which was a great way to meet people in the very beginning. 
There were all times when we'd play music over the loud speaker and sing at the top of our lungs! 

We normally would stop halfway at a gas station and get snacks, use the potty (in germany you had to pay), and/or grab lunch.  
My favorite bus driver was definitely Gerard, because he was super col and played so much rock music and he had to leave s in Switzerland because he had tickets o a rock concert. Um priorities.  Just kidding. 
I learned to sleep so comfortably with a neck pillow and in a bus it was ridiculous. 

Traveling in the cities:

Public transportation like metros or even bus systems are your best friend.  I loved being able to jump on the underground or metro like a local and switch between lines to get wherever I wanted to go. Maybe now next time I'm in NYC I won't be afraid to get lost in the Subway. 
WALK. WALK. WALK. There were days when our step counters in our health app on iPhone counted 30,000. That's right 30,000 steps in one day. It is one of the best ways to see the cities. Most aren't that big that you can't walk from place to place.  In places like Paris and London you need public transportation a little more often. But hey in my book, there's nothing wrong with a long walk in a strange city. 

Let's talk about nudity:

Europeans are not shy. Those beaches usually always had a topless woman on it somewhere, and with their families. I even saw a young girl already topless.  I mean hey if that's the european way, you do you. It's just the way families and people are raised i guess.
Did I forget to mention the burlesque "moulin rouge" type show that we went to in Paris? BOOBS were everywhere. It was definitely more racy than I expected.

Food:

We ate SO MUCH on this trip. I am not even slightly exaggerating. We made sure to have gelato or ice cream in EVERY CITY. If not once a day, then twice a day.  In Italy I ate pizza and pasta EVERY SINGLE DAY for the WHOLE week we were there. The way i see it when else do I plan on going back to those places to enjoy those delectable delights? Am I right? or am I right?

Safety:

Because we all know this is a big issue for anyone planning on someday traveling to a foreign country. Europe is pretty safe. There was never a time that I felt in danger or in fear or something bad happening.  Be cautious and be smart.  Keep your purses on your front hip and make sure it is always closed. I bought myself a money belt that I never even out on once.  My money stayed in my wallet in my purse, not in my pocket.  Don't keep anything in your back pockets, because that is just asking for it to be taken.  Keep your passport locked up inside your suitcase. Overall don't worry, but still be smart. 

Language:

Yes, you will run into a language barrier. If you buy yourself a phrasebook, don't forget t use it like I did. If you happen to know a little bit of a certain language well this is our time to practice put your knowledge to good use.  In no way am I fluent in spanish, but I surprised even myself with how much I actually knew. I was able to communicate shockingly well while in Spain, and somewhat in Italy. 

Be Adventurous:

Do not hesitate on a chance for an adventure. Swim out into the ocean. Get lost in the streets of the cities. Eat. Eat. Eat. Make new friends. Step out of your comfort zone. Most of al HAVE FUN.



TOUR OF EUROPE: Last stop, Madrid

Our last stop, Madrid. Man oh man. The fact that we all knew we were going home a couple days after we arrived here was super bittersweet, but we weren't slowing down yet. We made the absolute best of these last few of days.  
We met up with another EF Tour Director and we all went out for churros and chocolate.  Then we explored and wondered the streets of Spain's capital.  







Mojitos in Mercado de San Miguel
 As a last hurrah we all went out dancing again on our second night there!




Our last day we went on a city tour and also toured this palace with an awesome tour guide! He was great! Then e spent the day eating Wok to walk and buying last minute souvenirs.  Then it was back to the hostel to get ready for our farewell dinner and then off to pack our suitcases.  





These awesome people made the 30 days abroad SO MUCH MORE FUN! 



 TIPS:

  • Go to the museums
  • Get a mojito in the Mercado de San Miguel! So worth it and so many options!
  • Go dancing! There are so many bars and a 7 story club! Have fun!
  • Eat churros and hot chocolate!
  • Drink more Sangria!
Hostel:

  • Pros:
  • Great location
  • Neat style
  • Cons:
  • One of our less roomy hostels



TOUR OF EUROPE: Hola Barcelona!!!!



In case you can't tell from the title.... I LOVED BARCELONA! It was so beautiful and clean and the food! So we arrived in Barcelona and went for a quick walking tour and then off towards the marina for a delicious first spanish meal! 


Because when you are in Spain... you drink sangria.
First dinner = Paella

So in Spain the restaurant will most likely always have a dish of paella available to order! So order it! It is SO GOOD!  Then next day we had a city tour where we visited Parc Guell, La Sagrada Familia, and many other great city landmarks! The cool thing about La Sagrada Familia if you didn't already know is that it is STILL being built.  Yup that's right. Since 1882 this beautiful church has been under construction, and is still unfinished.  It is a BEAUTY! so intricate and full of detail! 
After went hopping down Las Ramblas, a must if you are ever in town.  That night we went out dancing at a club that was right off the beach, literally you go out and you're in the sand. Such a fun time with such an awesome group of people! 
That night we went to a flamenco show that was so authentic and so real, I could hardly take my eyes off the stage! 
Barcelona was definitely one of my favorite cities on this month long adventure through Europe.  







Wok to Walk... Why is there only one of these in the U.S.

The next day consisted of a Spanish cooking class where we learned to make paella from a gorgeous spanish chef! Ay yi yi! and after we even learned to make SANGRIA! As if the day couldn't get any better after we headed out to the beach and enjoyed the afternoon soaking up the sun and making splashes in the cool blue waters! Perfection.  




 So our last night in Barcelona we wanted to go see the Magic Fountain at Montjuic, so we hopped on the metro. Now on this SAME day in the United States equal marriage laws were passed. (Which in my opinion is amazing because everyone should be able to marry their special someone. We are all equal, we are all human, and we ALL deserve LOVE.) We jumped off the metro and walked up to the street and saw tents, and so many people, and heard music. We were walking right into the Barcelona Pride Festival. Perfect timing, or what?






TOUR OF EUROPE: Passing through France

From the French Riveria we had a one night stay in the city of Nimes.  One the way to Nimes however our tour director had a surprise for us... she planned a kayaking trip on the Gardon River where we had the chance to go right through the Pont de Gard ( a ancient Roman aqueduct). We kayaked 6 km aka almost 4 miles... It felt like forever but at the same time it was so awesome! I mean I kayaked a river in France. How cool is that?! Unfortunately I made a last minute split decision to not take my GoPro with me so I have no pictures or videos from that experience, trust me when I said I made the wrong decision... I learned on this trip that my GoPro is my best friend when traveling. 

Once we arrived in Nimes we just set off to find a restaurant for a quick dinner and then a grocery store for some snacks and called it a night.  We were ready to save our energy for the next big stop in our trip SPAIN! 

The next day we made our way out of France and into Spain, but along the way we stopped for a quick lunch in Carcassonne.  Now This place was cool.  One: They have lavender EVERYWHERE. TWO: Um they have like everything inside of Castle Walls.  Pretty cool! 

I didn't however capture a lot of photos in either of these cities but here's a couple that I did take! 

NEXT STOP BARCELONA!

Sunset over Nimes
Carcassonne
And this my friends in the Pont de Gard... Gorgeous right?


TOUR OF EUROPE: French Riviera and Monaco


Antibes is the place where we stayed in the French Riveria, aka more days for peace and relaxation! Our first day we  found the beach and along the way passed by a neat road with bars and restaurants galore.  We ended up going back to that road that same night and to our surprise we just happened to be there for the Summer Solstice celebration! So many locals just out enjoying live music, good drinks and perfect weather! We stopped at a few places before finding a band that we liked and that's where we stayed for the remainder of the night! Such a fun time! 


Awesome Thai food
They need these in America.


The next day we went to the beach for a bit before heading back tot he hotel to get ready for our night in Monaco! Eek! So I've always wanted to go to Monaco and I was super excited about getting dolled up for a night in Monte Carlo! We hopped on a train and within 45 minutes we were in Monaco! AKA the second smallest country in the world, after Vatican City! (which we also visited on this trip) We made our way to the restaurant where we enjoyed dinner, dessert, and of course more wine.  And shortly after we headed towards the Casino, but before going inside we made our way to a rooftop terrace where we enjoyed a few mixed drinks and some wonderful Prosecco! Talk about the royal treatment! We took so many photos on that rooftop, you could definitely tell we were tourists. Oh well. But we also enjoyed the sunset over Monaco, before we wrapped it all up and headed to the world famous Monte Carlo Casino!  
Now I love to gamble, and I love to play roulette! So naturally I was planning on spending a little at the casino.  Because when else would I be able to say I gambled at that casino! Anyways after some switching between the tables and the slot machines I won back some of what I initially spent,So hey not a total loss! Totally worth it though!



Hotel de Paris
The Grimaldi's bought me this Prosecco 
Monte Carlo Casino


TIPS:
  • Enjoy Antibes and relax!
  • Drink a desperado! It's tequila + beer in one! I know..... It's delicious and NOT found in the USA
  • Go for a run in the street of the town, I did it and it was a great way to sightsee while trying to be somewhat active!
  • Gamble at least a little in the Casino! Even if you are not a gambler or have no idea what you are doing, just try it! Because when else are you planning on going back to Monte Carlo??
HOTEL:
  • Pros:
  • Two person rooms, so that was nice.
  • Nice staff
  • Good breakfast
  • Not to far from the beach and train station
  • Cons:
  • I can't really think of any.

TOUR OF EUROPE: Pisa, don't fall over!


On our way to the French Riveria we made a quick pit stop in Pisa! So naturally as a bunch of tourists we spent the whole time trying to get the perfect pictures with that big ole' leaning tower! 

So enjoy the multiple attempts as I tried to get the perfect shot! 
(These are just a few of the 50 that were actually taken)






TOUR OF EUROPE: Florence, Tuscany, and Cinque Terre.



Florence is gorgeous.  Actually all of Italy is gorgeous. but seriously, very city seems to have it's little things that just make it so perfect.  

Florence is a wonderful city, full of art and leather.  The statue of David resides in Florence, as well as some of the best leather products you can find at wondrous prices! 





We had a tour through the city and did some fun shopping in the markets before we boarded the bus to head off to our evening in Tuscany for Wine Tasting. Now when I heard wine tasting I expected sips of various delicious wines, ha, more like bottles on bottles of wine. Literally. But it was a great and FUN experience. And I ordered some Italian wine to be shipped home which I still have in my fridge waiting to be opened...


GWC drinking vino Under the Tuscan Sun
Imagine this... times 5. Yup, that's a lot of wine. 


CINQUE. FREAKING. TERRE. Enough said.  No seriously, if you ever have a chance to go here, DO NOT HESITATE. It's amazing! So relaxing, blue waters, beautiful buildings, just heaven in Italy.  This was one of the best days one this trip. Swimming out into the water and turning back and looking at the beach and land, it indescribable. I have seen pictures of this place on Pinterest and let me tell you actually being there is awesome! 

Out of the five towns we traveled from Monterozzo, to Vernazza, to Manarola. One was great for a beach day, the other was where we had linch, and the last included cliff jumping and delicious lemon gelato! 













TIPS:
  • Buy something made of leather. ANYTHING. 
  • Eat gelato.
  • Drink wine.
  • Relax in Cinque Terre! and jump off a cliff! 
HOSTEL:
  • Pros:
  • Best Hostel yet!
  • Rooms were large!
  • A special floor of rooms specifically designed for women!
  • The bar and restaurant downstairs were on point! They had CORONAS! But the bartender had NO CLUE how to "dress a beer" so I had to give him a lesson. and the restaurant had so many yummy affordable options available and breakfast was great too!
  • We met a lot of cool people from New Zealand and other trips while we stayed there.
  • Cons:
  • NONE!