Story Time!

Have you been waiting, ever so patiently, for the latest round of updates & stories? Well... The wait is finally over! 

On Thursday, we ventured off to visit the Tower of London & have tea. The Tower is more of a... fort? There isn't really just one main tower & lots to see inside. 

The main attraction in this almost 1,000 year old building is of course, the Crown Jewels. I apologize for lack of pictures of them... Check out : British Government - Crown Jewels for some information & pictures. They were stunning & made me want to be a princess.

Not really. Those crowns look SO heavy! No way I want that weighing down on my head. 

The Tower from outside

Maybe Spring has finally sprunng here? 

Throne? Honestly, why would you want to sit in that? My couch looks a lot more comfortable... 

Tower Bridge 

Lots of people think this is the London Bridge - it's not. The London Bridge is a pretty boring site but infamous nonetheless

The actresses walking around the Tower of London. Mom accidentally insulted the "Queen." OOPS!

The Bridge again

Stopping for a photo op

I'd like a weather vane like this

The guard! Finally a decent picture of the quintessential British guard 

We went for tea after that - I already updated you on that adventure & shared some images! We woke up superrrr early Friday morning & jetted off to Paris. 

Mom & I at the Louvre. 

We booked a super cute Airbnb studio apartment, which was right around the corner from the Louvre. 

If you are EVER headed there, DO NOT wait in line by the Pyramid. It's about a 2 hour wait. You can actually go underground into the "Carroussel" & buy tickets there. It took a lot less time & we got yummy macaroons. 

Side note: If you're a study abroad student, you can get in for free by showing your Visa. Skip the line, friends! 

But the iconic pyramid was as beautiful as expected.

Louvre

That museum was massive. & by massive, I mean, you could spend DAYS in there & still maybe not see all of the art work. We obviously saw the Mona Lisa & Venus de Milo. Other than that, we aren't really art people... So we zipped around & looked at a few other paintings/ sculptures etc. 

Street by the Louvre

Although it was raining, the Eiffel Tower was as beautiful as I expected. 

Honestly, go see it at night. It sparkles for the first 5 minutes of every hour. When it first started, everyone around us gasped & it was worth every second of standing in the pouring rain. 

Hands down, the Eiffel Tower is my favorite site I've seen. Nothing compares to standing near something you studied in French class for 5 years. 

My proud moment? Remembering enough French to understand directions to the Notre Dame. We sadly did not have enough time to go inside but were able to see a glimpse from across the river. 

I wish we could've spent more time in Paris. It was honestly worth every second. I would go back in a heartbeat - that's how cool it was. However, I like London as a city better. A. Because I can communicate much easier. B. It is cleaner. C. There's always something to do in London! 

So today, mama & aunt left on a plane back to America. I am beyond grateful they came to spend the last 10 days with me & time truly flew by. 

Here's to the 33 days I have left in London & exploring my little heart out.