Monday, June 8, 2015

Top Tips for Visiting London, England


To know where I was going, I used a Google map to plot all of the sites and museums You can read how I created one here. I know it made my life a lot easier instead of having to search every time we needed to move somewhere. Here are some of the sites I saw and tips for each of them.



Tower Bridge

Not to be confused with London Bridge. This is a drawbridge that is still in use today. They now have a tour of the top of it so you can watch the bridge come up and down all day!


Buckingham Palace

This is where the current Queen of England lives. Unfortunately, there were no sightings of William and Kate the day I went.


Big Ben

Did you know Big Ben is actually the name of the Bell? The name of the tower is called Elizabeth Tower. Before 2012, it was actually called the Clock Tower. So original, right?


Parliament

 If you look in advance you can actually tour this building, but only on certain dates and times. I think that would be so cool to do. You can see the House of Lords and the House of Commons.


The London Eye

We went on Valentine's Day and my co-worker (who is a male) didn't want to ride it with me. Wonder why....


Tower of London

Home to the Crown Jewels used for the Coronation of  the Kings and Queens of England. Stop in and listen to the free guides or the Yeomen Warders. They are part of the Bodyguard of the old castle. They are great guides who will tell you about various parts of the castle that you own't learn any other way.


National History Museum

 Got kids? Then take them here! Its a great learning experience and they have an amazing dinosaur exhibit. As a child at heart, I would have liked learning about dinosaurs, earthquakes, rock formations, weather, etc. Maybe that is because I'm a geek too? Just remember to get there early. We showed up 30 minutes before opening and there was already a rather large line.


Other Places of Note:

Pubs! This a very key piece of British culture. Don't forget to stop in one and get a pint!
Platform 9 3/4. Harry Potter fans will go nuts.
Prime Minister's Workplace, also known as 10 Downing Street
Hyde Park. Famous during the time of Pride & Prejudice for open horse drawn carriages.
West End. London's version of Broadway! It is also home to a China district.
The Tube. You can't go to London without riding the world famous London Metro. Don't forget to Mind the Gap!



Places I didn't get to, but I still recommend:

Westminister Abbey. When Kate and William were married. Where Shakespeare is buried. Where Coronations are held. Need I say more?
National Gallery. Want to see some of Napoleon's conquest trophies? The National Gallery hold over 2,300 art pieces. And the best part? ITS FREE.
Victoria and Albert Museum. Another FREE museum. It is also the world's leading museum of art and design. I remember when I went they had an exhibition of the style changes of women's clothes and bridal dresses over the past couple of centuries. It was pretty interesting. I wish I could have had more time to view it all!



Readers, do you have any places that I should add to this list? 




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Friday, June 5, 2015

Crazy Love Post: June 5, 2015

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I hope you all have had an amazing week. I'm off to Florence today, and I couldn't be more thrilled. Florence is my absolute favorite city of all time. Its the combination of art, science, architecture that just brings me back to it every time. However, for all of you who are still planning your dream vacations, here is a couple of links to get you through the weekend.

Want to see what happens when a mirror is placed in the middle of a jungle? These animals have some funny reactions to seeing their reflection for the first time. See here.

If you haven't discovered it, I love cats. Here are a couple of cat DJs. Its actually a pretty good beat.


Have you heard about Club W? Its a wine ordering service that ships right to your front door! They help you pick wines that you can find at your local grocery store so don't worry too much about prices. Here is my referral link if you would like to try it!

Have a great weekend everyone!

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Monday, June 1, 2015

Northern Ireland

I am so sorry everyone that I haven't been posting in a while. Work and traveling has been extremely hectic. Please don't hate me if it happens from time to time. 


At the end of March, I had the immense pleasure of returning to Ireland. This time, however, I spent more time in Northern Ireland than in Dublin. I did pick up a couple more tips for Dublin though. 

Dublin Tips:
1) Take a taxi over the bus. It may be more expensive, but it was such a huge hassle to try and navigate with it around the city.
2) Don't forget to stop at Temple Bar District
3) Know where your stop is when you get on and off the Bus Tours. We got off at the first stop and had no idea where we were!


The following pictures are all of Carrick A Rede from the Paddywagon Bus Tour I took again. 




The following pictures are all from the Giant's Causeway.


Do the Audio Tour if you can. Its really dorky but it will tell you a lot about this great mystery. 



Don't forget to see Belfast! This is a city on the North part of Ireland that still belongs to the UK. We didn't stay here long, which is sad. Don't forget they pay in British Sterling not Euros here. 


And finally, take a horseback riding tour! It was a great workout and the stables are just a little South of Dublin. Still accessible by public transportation! I really enjoyed looking at all of the amazing views and learning the basics of horseback riding again. 



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Friday, May 29, 2015

Crazy Love Post: May 29, 2015

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This weekend I'm off to Disneyland Resort in Paris, France. In honor of that, all of my links are Disney themed!!

Want to meet those super rare characters in Disney World like Megara, Shang, or Prince Charming? This blog tells you all of the details. It seems pretty up to date. Can't wait to knock a couple of those off the list when I go home.

Are you as obsessed as I am with Disney decorations? This Buzzfeed article tells you where to get the hippest and coolest ones!

I have read this article so many times. A shy daughter plus a crafty mom equals some awesome costumes for Disney. I wish I could fit into some of those outfits.

Has anyone out there been to DisneyLand Resort in Paris? Got any last minute tips for me? Have a great weekend everyone!

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Friday, May 22, 2015

Crazy Love Post: May 21 2015

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I am so unbelievable sorry everyone. Work has been so hectic and I have been traveling every single weekend. I haven't been able to catch my breath yet. I probably won't make my next post either because I will be in Croatia until Tuesday! I really am super sorry I haven't been able to post anything. Here are a couple of links though to get you through the weekend!

I love Grey's Anatomy. I'm not too thrilled about the McDreamy incident, but Cristina Yang is an all-time favorite character. Look here for inspiration from her.

As you know, I'm a crazy cat lady in training. A friend sent me this and I could not stop laughing. If you have had this moment, I envy you.

Lauren Conrad is doing a deal where if you join Club W, you get a free bottle of wine. Click here to learn about it on her blog.

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Friday, May 1, 2015

Crazy Love Post: May 1st 2015

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This week is going to be a short post as well. My mom came for a visit last week so sorry I didn't post anything then. Hopefully my life will calm down soon.

Have you seen Obama's speech at the White House Correspondents Dinner? I'm sure you have. I really do applaud Obama for trying to bring the younger generations in with tactics like this. Its the first time ever a President is doing something different.

Have you ever seen any of Todric Hall's re-mixed Disney songs? Here is his newest one.

I don't have any trips planned this weekend so hopefully I can catch up on a couple of posts. Can't leave you all hanging! Have a great weekend everyone!


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