Our entire trip went smoothly for the most part, apart from the very first day, when we flew in to Los Angeles and was cheated out of US$150 by a taxi driver claiming to be from the Philippines, in addition to the Paris clipboard scam that we experienced at the Louvre in Paris, halfway through our trip. Our story on this scam can be found here, and the news article can be found here. Also included in the linked blog is tips and ways you can stay safe while travelling, be it in Europe or elsewhere across the globe.
During our approximate four-week trip, split evenly between the US and Europe, we visited three countries and five destinations in total. Our itinerary included Los Angeles, San Francisco, London, Paris, and Normandy (home to the famous Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey in France). We allocated significant time to each destination (with the exception of Normandy, which was just a one day tour), with London being our longest stay in Europe and Los Angeles in the US.
Our purpose for the trip was not only to take a month's vacation and go sightseeing (in addition to theme parks!), but also to see family and do shopping as well. We just happened to also catch up with my school friends in London (we caught up with each other starting off at Buckingham Palace), where we went to an English pub for brunch, and then together, we visited the museum in Trafalgar Square.
On the 24th of January, we started off in Los Angeles, California (after a long 12 hour flight, of course!), where we embarked on a city tour, visited the wax museum and Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum, indulged in luxury shopping at Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, including making a purchase of a Schiaparelli silk scarf, as shown above - and on a seperate day, we took a bus to the Citadel outlet (which is a bit far from downtown LA by bus), and we also did some shopping there. We also visited one of my favorite jewelry stores, Dylanlex, and made a few purchases after visiting the Citadel shopping mall. Additionally, we explored both the Universal Studios theme park and Disneyland Disney Adventure park, where I went on many rides - and also bought some Disney merchandise. Finally, we took a tour of the Warner Bros. studio in Burbank, which was really interesting and fascinating.
The next leg of our journey, and also the furthest part, was London. We flew from LAX airport to Heathrow, a flight lasting about nine hours. Upon arrival, we visited my mum's side of the family (my aunt and uncle) on the first full day, which was the day after we arrived in London. Aunty Agnes and Uncle Mark prepared a lovely lunch for us and even shared some recipes. They also showed us family photos, and we spent a few hours at their house. Afterwards, they drove us to the city where we had dinner. The following day, we met up with Agnes and Mark again, but this time my cousins Mabel and Michelle joined us as well. We dined at Felix Warley, a popular upmarket restaurant near Brentwood, where I enjoyed wine and lunch with the family. Mabel and Michelle kindly gifted me a Charlotte Tilbury eyeshadow palette and a lipstick. We spent a good amount of time socializing and enjoying our meal there. For the remainder of our time in London, until we boarded the train to Paris, we explored the city by taking the hop-on-hop-off bus, visited the London Eye, shopped at Harrods and Selfridges, walked across the London Bridge, cruised the River Thames, visited Westminster Abbey, and watched two shows—Phantom of the Opera and The King and I, both plays were really enjoyable and fun to watch. Additionally, we went to Madame Tussauds, witnessed the Changing of the Guard, and had dinner in Chinatown in anticipation of the Chinese New Year, which was the Year of the Dragon. I also visited the London Dungeon alone. On the last day before heading to Paris, we packed up and eagerly prepared for our journey.
By this point, we were nearly halfway through our trip, and I was eagerly anticipating our visit to Paris. This time, we opted not to fly; instead, we traveled by Eurostar, a popular Eurail train that connects London to various European destinations, including Brussels, Amsterdam, and Paris. The fascinating aspect of this train journey is that it traverses 100 meters under the English Channel between London and Paris (and vice versa). The views were splendid, and the ride was smooth. In total, the journey to Paris lasted only two and a half hours.
Once we arrived in Paris and stepped out of the Gare du Nord station, we took a taxi to our hotel, where we checked in and were delighted to find a room with brilliant views of the city and the River Seine. Due to exhaustion, we opted to have dinner at the hotel despite my excitement to explore the beautiful city of Paris. The following day, our first stop was the Louvre Museum to admire its fascinating artworks, but unfortunately, our day took a turn when three women at the gates forced my mum and me to sign a petition (I declined, but my mum signed). This incident led to us spending half the day at a Paris police station (blog link and news article at the start of this blog for more information on this). However, we refused to let this incident ruin our time in Paris, the rest of France, or Europe as a whole. The next day, we visited the Arc De Triomphe, saw the exterior of the Notre Dame (in which the spire had been damaged by a fire a few years prior, unfortunately), enjoyed a river Seine cruise, and shopped at Galleries Lafayette. Despite the wet and cold weather and long queues, we ascended the Eiffel Tower at night (by taking a lift up), which was a breathtaking experience. On the following day, we embarked on a 14-hour tour to the Mont-Saint Michel Abbey in Normandy. After exploring the Abbey and taking numerous photos, we had lunch at one of the nearby restaurants before doing some window shopping and returning to Paris.
We returned to the Gare du Nord station and took the train back to London, where we checked into the same hotel in Brentwood as before, in the evening. The following day, we visited Buckingham Palace to meet my long-time friends, Gunes and Kayla, from high school, and we had brunch at an English restaurant/pub. Afterwards, we headed to Trafalgar Square, where we visited a museum and admired some historical artwork. The next day, we attended a church service in Brentwood, where we met with Mark and Agnes for the last time on the trip. Following the service, Mark and Agnes drove us to a cafe in Brentwood, where we enjoyed brunch at The Barnyard Cafe. After bidding farewell, we were dropped off in Brentwood, returned to the hotel, had dinner, and packed for our flight to San Francisco, the following day.
During the final leg of our journey, we took a 10-hour flight to San Francisco. Upon arrival, we checked in and settled down for the night. During our time in San Francisco, we explored various attractions (in no particular order), including the famous Alcatraz Island, Ghirardelli Chocolate Square (we went there twice), the Golden Gate Bridge, the Palace of Fine Arts, Chinatown, Fisherman's Wharf, and Pier 39. Additionally, we went on a tour of three vineyards in Napa and Sonoma, enjoying wine tasting at each one. Unfortunately, the weather during our stay was consistently bad, with heavy rain and cold temperatures, preventing us from visiting Yosemite and Muir Woods National Parks. At Fisherman's Wharf, we indulged in fresh lobsters and crabs, observed the seals at Pier 39, and embarked on a sailboat journey that took us near the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay Bridge. We also explored the USS Pampanito Submarine and visited the Bay Aquarium, where I had the opportunity to admire wildlife up close during their encounters and briefly touch a snake. On our last day, we packed up, got ice cream from Ghiradelli square, and prepared to return home.
The flight back home lasted just over 12 hours, making it the longest flight of the entire trip. Even though we left the US on the 21st, we arrived back on the 23rd, in the early hours of the morning, due to time difference and the fact that we crossed the international date line as well. Despite its length and my lack of sleep, it was worth it because not only did I have a great holiday, but I also got to see my family and catch up with friends overseas for the first time in my life! Once we cleared customs (Auckland airport being the worst with long lines and diabolical baggage waiting times), we returned home, unpacked, and freshened up. I thoroughly enjoyed visiting all the places and am very satisfied with my shopping. More importantly, I had a lot of fun, tried new experiences, and spent quality time with friends and family.
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AuthorI am Natalie Dunn. I am a feminist who believes in gender equality and rights for everyone. I have many passions in life such as fashion, beauty, adventures and travelling. ArchivesCategories
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