Trip of a Lifetime! (Part 4)

After seeing England, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands (ok, we only drove through the Netherlands), we had to complete the hand and hit 5 countries....so we headed off to Germany!

We decided on Cologne, Germany and to take the train. Truth be told....Daddy was scared to death of the drivers in Belgium (me too!!) and combined with my driving....well, that made him really nervous! We were all happy they wanted to take the train....no matter how much it cost!

We knew it was going to be a hot day in Germany, but really did not realize just how hot. When we arrived, I thought I was going to die! It was in the high 90s, probably between 95-98. It was so hot! I am not used to temperatures like that anymore and quite frankly, I do not miss Memphis summers.

It was lunchtime by the time we got to Cologne, so we stopped to grab a bite. We ate at this cutest little sidewalk restaurant. The longer we sat there we realized we wanted dessert, mainly because it was just so dang HOT and we did not want to move!
Yummmmy strawberries!

Gotcha!

Finally, we decided to get out of the shade and see some of the city. I was there in December for the Christmas Markets, but seeing it in the summer was really different! We decided to take a little cute train around the city....ok, did I mention how hot it was! Seriously thought I was going to die! Anyway, this little train took us all around and we got to see what Cologne was all about. Mom and Daddy also got to eat a traditional German brat (I am not really sure they liked it!)!

Yep, Maxie joined us! She did not like the heat either!
Before we decided headed out, we stopped by the beautiful Cologne Cathedral!

Germany was the last stop on my family's Trip of a Lifetime European tour! Telling them bye at the airport was terrible and so sad. I miss them more than I can write!

I love you Daddy, Mom, and Angie!

Trip of a Lifetime! (Part 3)

We returned to Brussels after an incredible time in London and Paris! We were exhausted, so we used the next couple of days to just "be" and it was nice! But, there was still Brussels to see...so we could not sit for too long before we were off again!

We hit the main spots in Brussels....the Grand Place,, the infamous, Manneken Pis, and of course...a Belgian waffle! I also took my parents out to where Napoleon's battlefield of Waterloo in Waterloo, Belgium and the Butte du Lion (or Lion's Mound)!

And, of course, the pics...

The Grand Place... Manneken Pis...The Battlefield and Lion's Mound in Waterloo...
Waffles....YUM!
And, we cannot forget about Maxie who was not pleased she could not have even a bite!

We also got to spend some time with Zsa Zsa since Dan was traveling! (Zsa Zsa on the left, Maxie on the right)But, when Dan returned, he took Daddy for a ride in Pam's SMART car! Daddy LOVED the SMART cars over here and is seriously thinking about buying one since gas prices are so outrageous right now! I will keep you posted if he does buy one...how cool would that be! He may be the most popular man in Southaven, MS!!!
Oh, and get this.....I have been craving Mom's turkey and dressing and chocolate pie! You would think it was Thanksgiving or Christmas??!! Anyway, she made it for me! YUM!
Up next....Cologne, Germany (minus Angie who left going back to the States on Sunday!)

Trip of a Lifetime! (Part 2)

My very first trip to Paris was back in March 2004 and I was there for 4 weeks for work. I took many (MANY) pictures, but I sent this picture (below) back home. I just thought it was a great shot of the Place de la Concorde fountain and the Eiffel Tower in the background. When I talked to my parents later that night, Mom told me Daddy had pulled out a postcard that my grandfather had sent home from Paris when he was stationed in France during World War II. The postcard was of this exact shot. Cool, uh?!! I am not sure exactly how long my grandfather spent in France during WWII, but it was long enough to meet, date, and almost marry a French lady. Not sure why they broke up (maybe something to do with distance). Anyway, he spoke a lot about his time in France and I believe that was the main reason my Daddy wanted to visit Paris.

It was funny to see my family's reaction to all things French when we arrived in Paris. One nice aspect about London is the language (English); however, in Paris, things are a little different!! It was time to pull out the French (the little that I have anyway)!

So, here we are...in Paris, France! We were exhausted (due to lack of sleep, tired from walking all over London, etc). On our first full day, we made it over to Notre Dame and stopped for a little breakfast at a sidewalk cafe. Angie opted for no breakfast food and went right on to lunch and ordered poulet and pomme frites (chicken and fries)! There is an inside joke between us and she had been talking about having poulet and pomme frites in Paris for months! Also, Angie is a lover of ice.....and well, in Europe, ice does not come freely. You may (and I mean MAY) get 1 cube of ice, if you are lucky, and have asked for it in advance. While at this cafe, we asked for ice...and they brought her a bucket! We all laughed really hard! It was a great way to start the day! After brunch, we decided another bus tour sounded great! (Can you tell we were tired and wanted someone to drive us around to the sites!!??) It turned out to be the best decision we made the entire trip! I have never been a fan of bus tours...always thought they were too touristy...well, sometimes, it is just smart and worth every penny!

We hit all things Parisian....Arc de Triomphe, Champs-Élysées, Place de la Concorde, the river Seine, Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Invalides, Statues of Liberty, Opéra Garnier, Notre Dame de Paris, Musée d'Orsay, just to name a few!

Here are some pics!

Arc de TriompheDaddy's first view of the Eiffel Tower...

Being silly...

Statue of Liberty!! Confused? Yes, this is a replica of the one France gave the United States to mark the Centennial of the American Declaration of Independence.

As a must do when visiting Paris, is to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower! So, of course, we did it! As I mentioned in the London posting, Mom and Angie are deathly afraid of heights. Mom has been to the 2nd level of the Eiffel Tower on a previous trip, so she opted to sit this one out. So Daddy, Angie, and I jumped in line (and a LONG line it was) and headed up!

In the elevator. Angie was hiding somewhere and not looking out!

We made it!

Views from the top! Arc de Triomphe in the background.

Love how the streets form a "V"...
Place du Trocadero

As I mentioned before, my family LOVES Disneyworld...so when this close to the European version....I had to take them to check it out! (Disneyland Resort Paris)

Right before this picture was taken, I dropped my camera (seriously, it was not a hard fall). It stopped working and I about freaked out. It managed (thank you God) to work on and off throughout the rest of the day so we were able to capture most shots of the day. We bought a disposable camera and used it as a back up. If you know me well, you know my LOVE of photography and pictures...and my camera dying in the middle of a Trip of a Lifetime, was NOT a good thing.

Space Mountain, our favorite ride at Disneyworld. However, Euro Disney (or I think it has been renamed to Disneyland Paris) has come up with a newer version....Space Mountain, Mission 2! And it is awesome!
Angie and I about to get on!

Classic favorite...It's a Small World!

My favorite shots of the day.....Cinderella's Castle...

And Daddy checking out the parade...check out that grin!

Up next, The Glover's in Brussels, Belgium!

Life as an Expat!

The more I think about this conversation, I start to laugh! Here it is...

Email from my friend, Julie, on Friday afternoon as she is on a train from London where she was working for the past few days:

Julie: “Hey! What do you have going on this weekend?”

Tippa: “Hey girl! Not too much, really. It is supposed to rain so it will probably be another weekend indoors.”

Julie: “I was thinking about taking the train down to Paris Saturday morning. I wanted to photograph the city and hit up some of the sales. They are having great last minute summer special fares to Paris.”

Tippa: “Oh, that sounds like a great idea! I really need to get down there and photograph the city without running around showing people all of the touristy sites. However, since I just returned a couple of weeks ago and I am really somewhat tired of Paris right now, I think I am going to pass this time. Thanks for asking me though!”

It just makes me smile at how silly that conversation sounds. I do not know many people who can say....1) I am TIRED of Paris; and 2) I was JUST THERE a couple of weeks ago.

I can already tell I will miss living in the center of Europe and the ability to jump on a train and be in any fantastic destination within a couple of hours (at most). I have started taking living here and being so close to many fabulous cities for granted. I need to get out of that mindset and live in the “now” so not to have any regrets once I move home!!

Yes, this is the same girl who wrote the “Homesick” posting a couple of weeks ago. :-)

Trip of a Lifetime! (Part 1)

This was really a trip of a lifetime for my family. There are no words I could say here to express just how special it was to have them over here, watching them see things they never thought they would be able to see and soaking up the cultures they were able to experience.

Since I have lived in Europe, my family has heard all about the ups and downs, the good and the bad, the completely unbelievable to the most awesome of living in Europe. Nevertheless, until you experience it for yourself, you never really understand what it is like (good and bad). They now have an incredible idea and better understanding of life in Europe.

From the moment we started planning this trip, I wanted them to be able do and see everything they wanted to see and experience, as I knew this would more than likely be the only trip to this side of the world. They are not international travelers, although they love traveling around the US (especially to Disneyworld!). They really did not have too many suggestions and left the major planning to me, they just said they wanted to experience it all. (Ok, that helps a lot!)

For many, the first trip over the big pond sends you to the most popular destinations...London and Paris. The cities you have heard about most and dreamed of seeing. When I asked my family where they wanted to go...their answer was exactly that, London and Paris.

They arrived in Brussels on Thursday, June 19th! Boy, was I (and Maxie) excited to see them. They came in a couple of days early to rest up and get over the dreaded jet-lag, plus I wanted them to spend some time in Brussels and in my apartment they have heard so much about.

We left for London on Saturday traveling on the EuroStar. Although I have been to London many times, this was everyone else's first trip to London and first trip on a high-speed train! I have expressed my love of train travel before and now my family agrees! They loved it! It is just so easy!

I digress...

While in London, we saw everything there was to see. We took the "Original London Bus Tour" (which, in my opinion, is the only way to see everything in London when you have limited time). We did all things 'touristy'....Buckingham Palace (including the Changing of the Guards and the major crowds that went with it), Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, the London Eye, Tower of London, Tower Bridge, London Bridge (yes, it is still standing and has not fallen), boat ride down the Thames River, etc. I could go on and on.

They experienced riding on the other side of the road (which is really weird the first time you do it), the "look to the left" and "look to the right" signs painted on the ground so you do not step out in front of a car coming from a direction you are not used to, the really cute taxis, riding the "Tube" (which is rode a LOT!), and Daddy got to visit and tour the Grand Lodge of England (he is a Mason so this was REALLY special for him). The weather was perfect (and hot) which you do not typically see in London....we even got a little sunburn! Not many people can say they got a sunburn in a climate where it rains a lot!

As a believer that pictures tell the story...here are a few of my favorites!

Getting ready to board the EuroStar...Angie and I on board...

Starting the bus tour...

The Glover's and good ole Big Ben!

And, at Buckingham Palace....

Riding the London Eye...
Taking in the views....

Wow...check out Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament in the background!

Yep, we are really high up!

Mom and Angie are afraid of heights...but they did great!

We just hope this bolt stays put! Check out how big that thing is!

The Glover's!

Daddy (an avid hunter) checking out all the gun at the Tower of London!

Up next....the Glover's in Paris!

Catching Up!

I know, I know....I have not posted any updates since my family left. I am so sorry! I am trying to get caught up, pictures uploaded and edited (we took over 550), laundry done (which will finally be completed tonight), and getting some rest myself...not to mention, work (you know, the reason I am over here to begin with!)!!

In the meantime, look at my precious Maxie! I think she was a little tired to after her Auntie GG, Gammaw, and Gampaw left!

Homesick

I am sure this has something to do with my sister leaving on Sunday and my parents leaving this Friday....but I am really really REALLY homesick. This experience has been incredible and I have absolutely no regrets, but I am ready to get on with the next chapter of my life and get back home. I have about 8 months left and I know I am going to miss it when I am back in Memphis, but that is not what I am feeling or worried about right now.

Remind me again why I did this???

So, please remember me in your prayers, I feel like I am going to need them this week.