This summer has been quite the adventure for the Philly PR Girl team. If you haven’t already read about Jess’ adventures in Ireland, check them out here. After Jess came back and caught up to speed, it was Victoria’s turn to set off to Europe for a fast-paced trip. Here’s what she has to tell of her 15-day vacation.
With my family, I set off to Paris where we met old family friends who didn’t waste any time whisking us to some of the city’s main attractions. With less than 24 hours, we crossed off as many first-timer essentials on the to-do list, including the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Arc de Triumph, and Champs Elysees (where I obviously had to make a stop at Louis Vuitton and Maison Laduree). The next morning, we indulged in fresh baguettes, creamy butter, pate, rillettes, chocolate croissants, and fruit filled macarons. Then, it was already time to fly to Venice, Italy where we’d be departing for a twelve-day Mediterranean cruise.
The ship sailed from Venice to Dubrovnik, Croatia to Sicily to Naples to Florence to Rome to Sardinia to Monaco to Palma, Spain and finally arrived at Barcelona. Each day was non-stop adventure involving finding directions, buses, trains, and street names in a limited amount of time before getting back on the ship. The amazing part about the cruise was the amount of cities we got to visit before sailing off to someplace new. From the cathedrals and palaces to the cityscapes and monuments. In a matter of just twelve days, I admired the Sistine Chapel, walked the city walls surrounding Dubrovnik, ate authentic Sicilian cannolis and Neapolitan pizza, felt the effects of Mount Vesuvius in Pompeii, stood at the first casino in Monaco, and roamed the ruins of the Colosseum.
Time became surreal; everything seemed to be lasting too long and too short at the same time. Before I knew it, it was time to fly back for another day in Paris and the last day in Europe. We were welcomed back to the city with a trip to Montmartre, passing the infamous Moulin Rouge and having dinner at a quaint restaurant called Jardin d’en Face tucked away into a corner. I had one of the best dishes I ate all vacation, which was Oeuf Cocotte a.k.a. baked eggs and foie gras. We ate, drank wine, learned about French versus American culture. It was an ideal way to spend our last night in Paris. Only… it got better the next morning! When my mom’s friend took us shopping at Centre commercial Val d’Europe where they had all the designer outlets I could have imagined. While I was tempted by a lot, I walked away with only Longchamp and Givenchy purchases. It was a great way to end an all-too-short journey.
Though it was hectic, now I can tell which parts of Europe I’ll definitely be making a return trip to in the years to come. While every city was glorious in its own way, Paris was my favorite part of the trip with all the great food, shopping, and a language I can somewhat understand. With only three hours in Barcelona before we had to catch a flight, I’ll definitely be back to experience the markets, tapas, shopping, museums, and marvel all the Gaudi work.
Less than one week after Victoria came back from Europe, Paulina was already on her way to Israel. Stay tuned for Paulina’s final addition to our Philly PR Girl Goes Global series.
