Edinburgh

Last weekend sparked an incredible love affair with the city of Edinburgh. It was a very brief, very fast paced stay, and it was the most fun I've experienced in a number of weeks. Although it was freezing, with the sky constantly a threatening shade of steely grey, I couldn't not love this city! It was lush green, with rolling hills, and so much life! I think it made me realise just how used to London I must be getting, because the entire time I couldn't stop myself from thinking how much open space and so little people there were! This, of course, is completely inaccurate as Edinburgh is a city bustling with life- but compared to the constant traffic and crowds of London - a place where the term 'personal space' is given new meaning- it felt so open! We arrived running on just 20 minutes sleep as we had been completely inundated with work projects the night before and didn't stop- literally- until we flew out two days later. I couldn't think of a better way to spend a much needed break than with my favourite wee Scottish friends- thanks for having us!

Montmartre

Montmartre was the real life vision of what I had imagined Paris to be more like. Cobblestone lane ways lined with ancient houses spread thickly with vines, artists glued to easels as a view of the city blossomed from the tip of their paintbrush, and patisseries sporting windows full of glazed delights on every corner. It was quaint and beautiful, a little town tucked away behind the hill that is the highest point in the city. Perched atop the hill stands the Sacre`-Coeur Basilica, a beautiful white domed church. If we thought the view of the city from the top of the hill was good, we were absolutely blown away by the view from the top of the dome. Literally, the very top, which we found out after a very claustrophobic 15 minutes spent climbing a narrow, winding stair case inside the tallest turret of the dome. Despite the hoards of tourists, we spent the day lazing around in the sun, sprawled out on the grass eating frozen yoghurt and exploring the little artist's town.

Disneyland

It's true what they say about Disneyland. It's the happiest place on Earth. Of all the places I've been, Disneyland has to be up there with one of my favourites. I had always dreamed of going as a child, but never imagined I would ever get the chance. You can imagine my face when Jacob told me we were going when we visited Japan last year, and then my reaction again when we booked to go to Euro Disney. There's so much ground to cover (and I wasn't prepared to miss a single detail), so we spent a good 12+ hours in the park on both occasions. After working solidly for nearly two months straight and bearing the wrath of non-existant weekends, it was the most liberating feeling to let my inner child out and, dare I say it, get the full Disney experience. As sickening as some people find it, I adore Disney, and grew up watching wide-eyed as every fairytale unfolded. It was an incredible day which involved consuming unnecessary amounts of sugar,  riding Space Mountain as many times as my stomach would allow and me running around and grinning madly like the Cheshire Cat. At the end of the day, we were more than exhausted, and the evening was appropriately spent watching a palate of pastels frame the castle with some of the prettiest cotton-candy skies I had ever seen.

Pont de l’Archeveche

New, rusting, some engraved, some simply scrawled with the word 'FOREVER', I could have spent hours here, reading the vows inscribed on the thousands of padlocks that line the Pont de l’Archeveche- a bridge over the Siene widely known as the love lock bridge. I love the idea that something as mundane as a small brass padlock is now represented as loves greatest metaphor. I feel as though only the parisians could transform such a simple gesture into some poetic act of romance. 

Arc De Triomphe

Our first day in Paris was incredibly full. I was determined to see as much of this beautiful city as I could in the limited time we had here. Jacob had been to Paris before, which kept travel time to a minimum as he knew his way round quite well. It was nice to be able to fall into this routine of daily visits to the Eiffel tour (always accompanied by nutella crepes) and just exploring the city in general. This particular day was spent roaming the Champs-Elysees, flitting from shop to shop in the Parisian heat, and appreciating every second spent in the gardens by the Louvre. I had saved the Arc De Triomphe until last on purpose because I wanted to experience the views by sunset and boy, was it worth it. The Arc De Triomphe stands in tribute of those who fought for France during the French Revolution. It takes a dizzying two hundred and eighty-four steps of stumbling up a narrow spiral stair case to reach the top, which boasts a 360 degree view of the city. To be standing on top of this momentous structure, Jacob's hand in mine, watching the sun sink into the city of Paris, that was a feeling I'm yet to find words for.