The French Riviera: The Starlet Called Cannes

Photo Journal: Cannes, France | July 2015

Cannes, the city of stars. We only had a half-day there, but everyone we talked to was right. That's really all you need. We had eaten a beautiful breakfast at the country home supplied by our hosts on their veranda overlooking the loping hills and gardens leading up the mountains that lay far beyond. It was just the sort of morning you know is going to lead to a good day. Arriving in Cannes just before noon, we immediately found the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, the main hub for the annual Cannes Film Festival in May, amongst other things. I made sure to get a picture there as my before shot. Ya know, before I become famous. Then we strolled the beaches, which were very nice and very nude. No one told us! We tried to have lunch at an adorable side road restaurant, only to find out that they were out of everything but omelets and salads. And by that I mean eggs and lettuce. It was my mistake for once again falling into that American habit of 24/7 service. We found a little buffet place with a menu to go instead, perfect as we could eat on the train to Antibes. Cannes thus was ironically much like the Hollywood starlets it hosts: beautiful, empty, and glittering for only a moment before being passed by for the next big thing. And the next big thing was Antibes.

Check out my other adventures in the French Riviera in Nice!

The Best Four Foods to Eat in Brussels (and where to get them!)

There are four major food groups in Belgium as far as tourists are concerned:

Waffles

Chocolate

Fries

Beer

If you leave Belgium without eating each and every one of these foods, you have not been to Belgium. Simple as that. I had other reasons for wanting to visit Brussels: the convenient proximity to Paris, the chance to see Manneken Pis (a little peeing boy statue that has become a national symbol–oh, Beligum), and to experience the charm and friendliness of the Belgian people, whom even Parisians tend to dote on in weak moments. But if I am being honest, my goal for the trip was to eat as many waffles as possible in the 30 hours we were there. 

First, let me make a clarification: there are Belgian waffles, which most Americans know as enormous puffy light waffles pooling in whipped creme and strawberries. They are basically the same thing in Belgium (only not quite enormous--is anything as enormous as it is in America?). But let me introduce to you a far higher echelon of taste bud heaven that awaits the curious and craving traveler: the Liège waffle. Liège is actually a little town just north of Brussels for which this legendary waffle is named. The dough is denser and with a delightful hint of crunch, the sugar baked right into batter so that you never forget for one moment you are eating the most delicious breakfast (or lunch and dinner, too, in my case) on the planet. The Liège waffle is so delectable, it's best not to interrupt its glorious flavors with superfluous whipped cream or overbearing Nutella. Just a humble sprinkling of brown sugar, and you are ready to experience crunchy, yeasty, melt-in-your-mouth waffle heaven. (now wipe the drool off your keyboard and buy your plane ticket.)

As soon as my cousin Caity and I hit the bus stop in Brussels, we made a beeline for Maison Dandoy. This boutique and tea salon is to waffles in Belgium what Angelina's is to hot chocolate in Paris. It's the real deal, the full treatment, the crème de la crème of waffle world. We settled into a table on the outdoor patio and ordered a Belgian waffle with strawberry sauce and ice cream and Liège waffle with brown sugar. Best. Lunch. Ever.

I planned my entire trip in Brussels around eating waffles for every meal. And I am proud to say that other than the dinner our wonderfully hospitable hosts cooked for us on the first night, I succeeded magnificently. Our eating habits basically followed the same order: Waffle, fries, chocolate, beer. Repeat. 

I made some interesting discoveries about Belgian food along the way:

• Walking waffles are nearly as good as sit down ones. Paying more than 3€ for a waffle is a scam (other than Maison Dandoy, of course. And in this case, only the Liege.)
• French fries are not at all French; they originated in Belgium. Let's start the movement. Belgium fries. (Sounds way better than "freedom fries," let's be honest.)
• All fries are not created equal. You want crispy dark ones with a fun spicy sauce, not the boring yellow fries with a dab of normal mayo. 
• Some chocolatiers will hand out samples, so if you are tasting for the day, it can be free!
• But buying individual chocolates isn't too expensive, and they are so rich that just one or two is enough to satisfy.
• Beer in Belgium is superior to all others. I hate beer, I have tried it many times to try to like it, and I hate it. But Belgian beers can be fun and are far tastier than others. Some don't even taste like beer. I tried my first beer in Disney World at Epcot, and you better bet it was Belgium beer. Explains why all beers since then til now have been a failure.

So where to go to get the best of each of the essential food groups in Brussels? Thankfully we had a tour guide who gave us the inside scoop on where to get the best waffles, fries, beer, and chocolate in Brussels, and we tested them out, just to make sure. You're welcome; the pleasure was ours.

Waffles:

Maison Dandoy

Karel Bulsstraat 14

1000 Brussel

Belgium

Have we established this already? There is a boutique location, and also a restaurant and boutique location. Also, buy the Pain au Grecque (aptly nicknamed "crack bread" by my sister.) Get the Liege waffle with brown sugar and brace yourself for a foodgasm.

Fries: 

Café Georgette

Rue de la Fourche 37

1000 Bruxelles

Belgium

We were unable to visit this esteemed cafe as they are closed on Sundays, but it was highly recommended to us by our guide who pretty much nailed every other recommendation, so I would go for it.

First round of slightly lesser fries... we went to Friterie Tabora by round 2!

Friterie Tabora

Taborastraat 2

1000 Brussel

Belgium

The fries place we went to and LOVED! where I would order the American sauce drizzled over some delectably golden pommes frites. A spicier kick than its boring normal mayo cousin.

Beer:

Delirium Café

Impasse de la Fidélité 4A

1000 Bruxelles

Belgium

The holder of the Guinness World Record for the most beers sold under one roof, this place is a must visit for even most persnickety beer drinker, with 2400+ beers to choose from. I'm just saying, I got an exotic frothy coconut beer that was served with a half coconut as the glass and it was delicious.

Chocolate:

Mary

Koninklijke Sint-Hubertusgalerijen

Koninginnegalerij 36

1000 Brussel

Belgium

Instead of going to one the brands that has become a global chain, go with one of the local legends. Also prescribed to us by our excellent guide Charlie, we bought a half dozen of these little treasures that lasted us over 5 days of sharing. Reasonably priced for some of the best chocolate and service you will receive in your life. May I personally recommend the pink champagne truffles.

Also to be recommended is the four-hour tour of Brussels and all its major sights. It was one of the most comprehensive and hilarious tours I have ever been on, and if you can, tour with Charlie. Plus it's FREE! Tips only, and you will see why–outstanding presentation! See website for details. http://www.newbrusselstours.com. We met three other American guys during our tour, and I wish so badly we had a Go-Pro video of the five of us making a mad dash for waffles and fries during the 20 minute break in our four-hour tour. Americans let loose in foodie heaven.

Brussels can easily be done in a day or two, making it the perfect weekend getaway from Paris or Amsterdam. Booking a bus through Megabus made our trip extremely affordable (~30€ roundtrip), and the bus was not only clean and air-conditioned, but also had free wifi and USB chargers in each seat for your smart phone. It was around a 4 hour drive (advertised at 4.5) and only an hour less than by train, which was around 100€ roundtrip. Megabus gets a thumbs-up from me!

It's a beautiful city, especially in the rain, and I would recommend going to the flower market in the Grand Place on Sunday mornings. It makes for some beautiful photos and lovely fragrances. So do your stomach and your taste buds a favor, and book a trip to Brussels. You won't regret it.

Note: None of the businesses I have endorsed have compensated me in any way for including them in my blog. This is simply me sharing with you my best experiences so you can have them too! But if Maison Dandoy wants to send me some more "crack bread," I wouldn't be upset...

April in Barcelona

Isn't it usually the other way around? Everyone wants to go to Paris in April. But not me. As soon as I knew I was headed to Paris, I made plans to visit Barcelona. It was right up there with London on my must-see list for my first round of sight-seeing in Europe. I had major sticker shock when I tried to find transportation from Paris to Barcelona... who knew this route was so expensive?! So when I found a 100€ RT ticket on Ryan Air, I jumped at the chance to finally get to see that sparkling, sultry, spirited sister city. (Say that five times fast!)

As most of you know by now, when I travel to a new city, I jump head first into being immersed in its culture. I want to learn the language, dance to the music, talk to the locals, and eat the food. No chain fast food or Holiday Express hotels for me. I want the unadulterated experience. So I was very blessed to be traveling to Barcelona with my beautiful Spanish friend, Sara, who is also an au pair in Paris. We stayed at one of her friend's apartments for our visit, located in the hip, youthful, and affordable Gracia neighborhood.

Zurich the Weird

Okay, I'm just going to say it. Zurich was weird. Neither Reagan or I had been before, so we thought why not tag Switzerland onto the end of our travels? Note to self: do not wait til the end of a ten-day trip to go to the most expensive city in Europe. After a few surprise expenses in Vienna and Innsbruck, we ended up pretty much broke by the end of our trip. No, but really. The panic was beginning to spread. We made a fun little game called, "Is it free? Can we make it free?" Because it's fun to be poor! Maybe it was our tight-strapped wallets, but Zurich left something to be desired in my wanderlust.

Innsbruck the Majestic

Another lookbook edition to the blog. Sometimes words distract from the story, so I'll sum up our time in Innsbruck in as few words as possible.

A Waltz with Vienna: A Major Motion Picture

Because some experiences feel more like movies than real life, I bring you the screenplay adaptation of our night at the ball in Vienna. So grab your popcorn and sit back. The show's about to begin.

Vienna the Regal

Of course our main event in Vienna was the ball, but before I get into that, I just have to share the incredible architecture and scenery scattered throughout this pristine, sparkling city. We spent four days in Vienna and we didn't take a single tube or bus, which meant plenty of walking and plenty of being wooed by this city I can only describe as being a city fit for a king.

Stuttgart the Generous

I've decided to name each of the cities from this 10-day winter adventure with a superlative, like kings of old, because each city had its distinct taste. I didn't realize in the planning of this trip that our first stop held particular sentimental value for me. Stuttgart and the nearby military base is where my grandfather had been stationed during the war while he was engaged to my grandmother. All the feels, I tell ya! He told me a story of how once from the base to Stuttgart in time for his leave, he was offered a ride in a laundry truck from a local; most comfortable ride he ever had!

10 Days (and Ballgown) in a Carryon

It all started in September at a sidewalk cafe in Montmartre. I was sitting across from a tall redhead from Chicago I had met earlier that week in French class. "So I went while I was studying abroad in Vienna, and I really want to go back," Reagan was saying. "It's in the royal palace, and there will be masks and ball gowns and a live orchestra and everything. Does that sound like anything you would be interested in?" Was this she kidding?! Just like that, between casual sips of cafe creme, I had been invited to my first ball.

By Christmas vacation we realized our grand trip was only a month and a half away, and we had planned nothing! After a flurry of booking train tickets, ball tickets, and hunting down a myriad of places to stay, we had our agenda. We would start our adventures on Valentine's Day with a stopover in Stuttgart, Germany, then take an early train to Vienna for the ball and a few days of exploration, then we would track our way through the picturesque village of Hallstatt en route to the ski resort hub Innsbruck. We would finish our adventures in Zurich, Switzerland. Fingers crossed, we would also pass through Lichtenstein, the world's sixth smallest country squeezed like a peach pit between Switzerland and Austria.

Our agenda in place, all attention now turned to the dress. My first dress for a ball! It's something a girl always dreams about. But dreaming aside, there were some real life logistics I had to face: I needed a floor-length formal dress that I could fit in a carryon, along with 10 days worth of clothes, shoes, toiletries, etc. With an au pair budget. In Paris. With rentals ringing in at 200€ a night, it was off to the colorful quarter of Barbés-Rochechart, a close cousin of Pigalle and the red light district. We found store after store of belly dancing costumes that I rather liked but Reagan assured me may not quite "go" with the whole royal palace feel. Then all of a sudden I saw it. Hung haphazardly on the doorframe of a storefront was a lovely, long, sparkling blue dress with draping shoulder straps and an exquisitely embellished waist. When you've tried on hundreds of formal dresses from modeling wedding and prom attire, you know your best cuts. And baby, this was it.

As soon as we stepped in the store we were cheerfully greeted by the enthusiastic storekeeper Rami, who insisted I try on the dress. "Take off everything and we will see your size." Ahem, excuse me? After a few seconds of stunned silence, I realized he only meant my coat; ah, language barriers. His assistant (and sister, of course) swept in and gave me a nice blunt pat-down before disappearing into the back and returning with the dress. Slipping it on in the dressing room, I was amazed: it fit me like a glove. Which made the 100€ price tag all the more painful. But Rami could see all and was determined.

"How about this. You buy the dress for 70€, and I will give you my son's phone number."

Well, that was a first. I'd never bought a dress and got a date out of it before. Meanwhile, Reagan was gleefully watching from the background, delighted at this recent development. 

A bit embarrassed but admittedly flattered, I played it cool and tried on another dress.

"Now we have big problem, " said Rami. "You look good in all my dresses at the store." Oh, that Rami was a salesman.

"But we still have a problem," I stated.

"Tell me everything," he said, taking my hand tenderly.

"I cannot buy a dress for more than 60€, " I marooned. At that Rami smiled and kissed me hand. I was bewildered. "The kiss means YES!!!" he exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. The dress was mine.

As I was checking out, he made sure to show me a picture of his son and pass on his number. (If I had known his son looked like a supermodel, I may have settled for the 70€.) Dress in tow, Rami pulled me in for a double kiss and assured me he loved me and if I needed anything else to come back right away. As we were leaving I heard him arguing in rapid fire French to his sister about just who he was trying to matchmake. "But she's not even Jewish!" was the last bit I heard as we walked out the door. If this was any indication of how the rest of our trip was going to go, it was going to be a wild ride.

Now how did I fit this dress in with the rest of my luggage? Since my closet has already slimmed down to bare minimum basics with what I brought in my one suitcase to Paris, it's easier to pack when you have less choices. But a big space saver for me was to come to grips with the fact that I would be wearing the same outfit twice if not more in one trip, and that is totally okay. There are all these Pinners and bloggers who try to sell you their sponsored brands and show you how to pack enough for a different outfit every day. Meanwhile, in real life, nobody, REALLY NOBODY cares or has time to take notice of your OOTD (if they do, be concerned for their lack of life). So swallow the pill and live with the fact that for a few short days, you might have to wear the same thing twice. In fact, in Europe you will fit right in, because few people here have the closet space or bank account for a new outfit every day.

End rant. Here was my list for 10 days in Germany, Austria, Switzerland for activities including hiking, sight-seeing, nights out, and dancing in royal palaces:

Socks and undergarments

Tall brown boots, short black boots, tennis shoes

Three sweaters (black, white, tan)

Two t-shirts (black, gray)

One long-sleeved thermal shirt

One going-out shirt (pop of color!)

One pair leggings

2 pairs jeans (black, light)

Toilettries

Curling iron (usually I skip this, but we had a ball to go to)

Ballgown w/ mask and gloves.

That, my friends, is the power of rolling vs. folding! The one thing I realized I forgot as we hopped on our early train to Stuttgart was my dancing shoes. Too late now, though; I would buy a pair in Vienna for 20€. For now, we were off to the land of bratwurst, beer, and lots of smiles. Next stop, Germany!

Durham County, England

Finishing up my Christmas in England series feels a little silly in March. But then I look at why, why I haven't got around to it, and it's because I am living abroad in Europe, learning a new language, and making friends from all over the world. Sometimes as a writer you need to stop writing and just soak in life. That's what I've been doing. Plus, it's kind of fun to look back on the holidays which feel a lifetime away and remember all the true blessings I felt this year.

After my wonderful cultural immersion in Hereford, I caught a very early bus to a series of trains up north through the English countryside. It was between anxious dozes of this trip (no one sleeps well knowing they have three more trains to catch) that I caught my first sight of snowfall all year. Just a light dusting, but it was so beauitful I felt like I was riding a train through Narnia.

An English Christmas

I have been so busy getting back into the swing of Paris and still discovering new places there that I have neglected to finish my series of posts about my Christmas in England. Here we are, a month and a half later. (Is it just me, or does January always fly by?) So here I will be sharing some of pictures and adventures of the second half of my adventures in England.

We last left off on Christmas Eve with me barely making my train out of St. Pancreas back to Hereford county. As soon as I landed at the Leominster station, I was whisked back to the ever-welcoming Pound Farm, where I joined the rest of the family for a little homemade Shepherd's Pie. Having not eaten all day, I don't know if I've ever had a better Christmas Eve meal. But no time to dilly dally, or we would be late for the Christmas Eve carol service. So, pulling on our wellies, we sent out into the frigid winter darkness, walking through two fields to the village church, where all the local townsfolk were filing in, mostly families who had lived in the area for generations, farms passed down from father to son. The church was built in the 1300s, and we could see our breath as the steward handed out plain white candlesticks to everyone. The organist warmed up the pipes, and we sang a handful of carols intermittently with some local children reading the Christmas story. You have never heard anything cuter than miniature English humans reading the Christmas story.

After the service, it was back out into the magical winter air, and the stars seemed to know it was a special night as they shone their best and brightest across a vast midnight sky. But the night wasn't over yet, no; in fact, it was about to get really English...

Come Again? 7 Words the English Taught Me

When traveling to an English-speaking country, there is sigh of relief knowing you might actually understand when they announce your train has been delayed or what you are ordering from a menu. Especially after living abroad for 3 months, there was no end to my glee when I heard the drone our Air France pilot, "I'd like to welcome all of our passengers to England," in English!

But as anyone who has traveled between the mother country and that Yankee territory will tell you, there is American English, and then there is English English. Same words, different meanings. Or more often (and more confusing), same words, different contexts. The thing about being a language lover is, I fell in love with some of those words we Americans know but never really use. So I just had to share my top 7 of the British vernacular:

London in 72 Hours: Day 3

Can you believe it, it's Day 3 of the "London in Three Days" Challenge!
Don't miss Day 1 and Day 2.

Day 3:

09:00am     Hyde Park and Harrod's

Up 'n' at 'em! With a 1:45pm train to make, I had to wrap up my time in London with some pep in my step. I wanted to see one of London's famous parks and settled on Hyde Park. This is the only bit of the agenda I would have changed. I started at the Marble Arch, which is just exactly that and probably could have been skipped, and Speaker's Corner. But it was Christmas Eve and there was not a soul to be found at this site usually swimming with speechmakers and philosophers and some real wackos. In hindsight, I would rather have gone to St. James's Park, which I thought was far more picturesque than Hyde, and closer to my final destination, but oh well. 20:20. I did end up right near Harrod's which has been a bucket list destination ever since Lindsey Lohan starred with herself in Parent Trap. (Is it bad that I was mentally checking off places from her car ride home while I was there? #millennial). I didn't have time to do more than take a quick peek inside and ride the escalators, but it was a really beautiful building, on the inside. The outside seemed a little rundown, sadly, and I think it's lost some of the glamour from its golden days.

London in 72 Hours: Day 2

Rise and shine, London lovers! It's Day 2 of the "London in Three Days" Challenge. And don't forget to catch up on Day 1 first!

Day 2:

Now that we've seen the sights, we are starting out our second day on a treasure hunt. Treasure in London? But of course! This city boasts some of the most comprehensive museums and historical collections in the world. Since I live in Paris, I was kind of burnt out on art. But I made sure to hit these first two stops because, well, you'll see...

London in 72 Hours: Day 1

How excited have I been to finally put up my London posts? Too excited! I can't believe it was almost four weeks ago! It seems like yesterday... until I pull up my camera roll and find I only have 2,984,047,938 pictures left to go through. Oh bother. But do not fear! One of my New Years resolutions for my blog is to write less more often. (Huh? Smaller posts, more posts, voilaaaa!) So I will be blogging a post about each day spent in London, so as to not overheat your computer with the overwhelming glories of this world capital. You're welcome, chéries.

So, can you really see the best of London in just three days? Well I was about to find out! Armed with guidebooks (any Rick Steves fans out there?), blogs, and travel forums to make up the perfect schedule, hitting all the big sights while still making time to enjoy the city itself. Oh, and doing it on an au pair budget. Challenge accepted!

With just a slight adjustment to the last day, I think this agenda was ideal for a short-term London visitor on the budget. I arrived Sunday evening and left Wednesday afternoon, so I had roughly two and a half days of daylight to make use of. Plus I happened to be there right before Christmas, the shortest days of the year, so time was extra precious and streets were extra crowded (however, attractions were not, as you will see--perks of winter travel!) But I did it! And here's how:

Day 1

10:00am      Tower of London

No matter who I asked or what blog I consulted or what travel book I read, they all said the same thing: don't miss the Tower of London. Seeped in bloody history, the Tower of London sits at the far right banks of the Rivers Thames. This should be your first stop, not only to cross that iconic Towers Bridge (which most people mistake for London Bridge), but to check off the attraction that will take the biggest chunk of your time.

Tips: Qualifies for London's Two for One ticket program (must have current rail tickets to qualify.) Such a great deal if traveling by rail. If not, have no fear! Just do what we did and skip the lines at the Main Ticket Center; the Group Ticket kiosk just to the left also sells individual tickets, and neither the attendant nor I could understand why no one else was figuring this out. We bought student tickets (£18) and walked right in.

Southwest England and Wales

I could not contain my excitement watching France funnel away into the distance, and seeing my motherland fill that marvelous, minuscule airplane window.  The White Cliffs of Dover waved a glittery welcome against the sunny coastline. Did I say sunny? So yeah, that was a sort of phenomenon of my trip. It only rained one out of the 11 days I spent in England, a far cry from the icy downpour I was promised in all those rom-coms and stereotypes of those infamously heavy British skies. So it was a little bit of a surprise when we stepped off the plane to a warm welcome, literally.

Emma's parents picked us up at the airport, and I liked them immediately. They gave me the grand driving tour of the countryside as we wound our way through hedge-lined, single-lane roads deep into the hills of English farmland.  I didn't have quite the shock I expected of being on the "wrong" side of the road, but what really got me was how narrow the streets were, with everyone flying by at least at 50 mph. There were only a few close calls over hills...

We pulled in at last to an old farmhouse resting just off the country lane, no numbers for an address, just a homestead sign and a bright red postbox. There were sheep in the backyard. Yup, just right there. I was shown to my room, and I felt a little like Elizabeth Bennet when she goes to visit Charlotte and Mr. Collins at the Hunsford parsonage in Pride and Prejudice (minus the Mr. Collins bit, and no shelves in the closet).

Christmas in England: Part 1

"What do you want to be when you grow up?" How many times do we get asked that when we are little? The answers are fairly typical: teacher, doctor, President, policeman. But me? I wanted to be the Queen of England. That doesn't surprise some of you at all. But I was serious. It took a lot of convincing by some level-headed adults that one could not become Queen of England unless one was born in England. I was devastated. But that didn't stop my obsession with that glorious country.  I loved the idea of tea and crumpets, of double decker buses, and of-- oh! don't get me even started!--that English accent. Swoon. I had dreams of traipsing through foothills spotted with sheep, of hanging out of a bright red phone booth for a posed picture, of stuffing my face with fish 'n' chips straight from the source. And most of all, standing toe to toe, face to face with Big Ben. All I wanted was to go to England.

As some of you may have noticed from my emphatic and relentless Instagram posting, I just spent 11 incredible, life-changing days in that very same grand ol' UK. From the southwestern farmlands, to the hills of Wales, to the streets of London, to the shores of the North Sea. You'll have to indulge me for a couple posts, because there was SO MUCH to see. But before I get into that, I'd like to tell you HOW this trip of a lifetime came about.

With my first Christmas abroad, I started to wonder what I was going to do with two weeks of vacation. I didn't want to stay in Paris. But Christmastime is a time of being with family, and I certainly wasn't going to encroach upon anyone's holiday traditions. That time was sacred. But you see, God had other plans. He was busy cooking up my biggest Christmas gift ever.

It all started about two months ago, when Emma, one of my dearest au pair friends here in Paris, mentioned something about having friends come visit her over the holidays. She just happened to live on a lovely farmstead in the southwest of England. Somebody pinch me. But of course, I was still guilted by the idea of imposing, so I didn't take her seriously until she started asking me about booking flights together. Oh, so this is for real? Are you sure? Are you positive? How many times do we try to question our way out of God's gifts to us?! Thankfully not enough this time, because before I knew it, I used some travel points racked up with my Chase Sapphire card to book a FREE flight to England. This was really happening, people.

Also in the works was a long-anticipated visit to a family friend, Shelly, who took care of me as a baby. She had married an Englishman and settled in the north of England 20 years ago. I had tried to plan something last year in between school and starting my big girl job, but apparently big girl jobs don't take you seriously when you say you've been planning a two-week trip to the UK? But God knew those plans we had put on hold were about to come alive again. After a little more organization, it was all fixed: I would stay at Emma's through Boxing Day (Dec 26th, also a national holiday in England), then take a train up to Durham to stay with Shelly through New Year's Eve. It was perfect.

Except one thing. I wasn't going to get to see London. And here I have a little confession to make. I am obsessed with London. More so than Paris. Always have been. And the thought of being so close to that adored city and never stepping foot inside, well it just tore me up! So I started to research. First train tickets, then bus lines, then hotels, then apartment rentals, then hostels. But no matter how I tried, I couldn't find a way to stay in London long enough to merit the costs of going. Enter the last little miracle....

While discussing my travel plans with my host family in Paris, I mentioned that I would probably be skipping the London bit, due to costs and everything. Well, don't you know, the family's oldest daughter has an apartment right in central London. Well, don't you know, she was coming home a day before I left for England and just handed me the keys. And well, don't you know, to put the icing on the cake, for Christmas/Hanukkah, my host family gave me money for train tickets, which more than covered all my travel costs while in England.

But it gets better still! Not only was I staying with two families who were entirely welcoming and hospitable, but who insisted on supplying all my meals while I was there. So let me sum this up. That's one plane ticket, two train tickets, three meals a day, and a roof over my head for 10 nights, and not penny out of my pocket. How does that even happen?

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." (James 1:17). God used three families who let their holidays become a little inconvenienced, who really gave beyond the word "generously," who went the extra mile to make sure this ordinary expat girl got to spend her Christmas in the country of her dreams surrounded by friends and family that made her feel like she was almost home. Almost, Mom and Dad :) So here's to the Tomlinson's, the Richardson's, and the Gross's. I could never thank you enough for your kindness. I'm so incredibly blessed by each of you. You really are the spirit of Christmas to me.

Now, wipe those tears away! You're going to want clear vision for my next post, full of pictures of all these magical places. So stay tuned... you'll be chuffed to bits you did!

When God Does Your Christmas

I also just did a post about how our dreams are so small compared to God's dreams for us. That also includes Christmas presents. And this year, He really outdid himself. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, the post about how Ruth got to travel all over England for 11 days, all expenses paid. Wait, what? It's true. It's miraculous! And it was through no certain travel schemes or extreme couponing that this came about. In fact, it had nothing to do with me at all. No, this is the story of how how three families showed me the meaning of Christmas through their unbridled hospitality and selfless giving. This is my Christmas in England.

I've always dreamed of seeing where my ancestors came from, of exploring the footsteps of my mother from 20 years ago, and standing face to face with the most handsome man in the world...Big Ben! I'd come up with several plans before, but I was never able to pull it off. But never in a million years could I have dreamed up a trip like the one I just had.

This being my first Christmas abroad, I had absolutely no idea what to do while my host family traveled out of town, furnishing me with two weeks of holiday bliss to go out and explore. But explore where? I wanted to travel, but I also wanted to feel like it was Christmastime. Christmastime meant family and fireplaces and Christmas movies and singing Christmas carols. Kind of a tall order when you are living by yourself in a foreign country.

But God had a plan. Before I even had the chance to get nervous about it, my friend Emma invited me to join her family for the holidays. Now, I don't know if any of you have ever invited a foreigner to your Christmas celebration, but let me tell you, I think it's a pretty rare thing. Christmas is time with family, time for traditions. I was none of those. And yet this family who I had never met not only invited me to spend that special day with them, but to house me and feed me too. At first I felt like an inconvenience. But throughout my time there, they did so much to make me feel welcome, I couldn't imagine spending my Christmas anywhere else.

A second family to open their arms to me during the holidays was my former nanny, now with a family of her own in the quiet town of Spennymoor tucked away in the north of England. This is the same town where my mom spent some time over 20 years ago, and I was anxious to retrace her steps and meet her acquaintances. I arranged to visit her after Boxing Day (December 26th, a national holiday in England) until New Year's Eve.

But that still put me nowhere closer to my dream city of London. After some extensive research into hostels, Airbnb, train tickets, buslines, and everything else, I was on the brink of giving up the whole idea, realizing that a day to The Big Smoke was hardly worth the train ticket to get there, and the cost of staying any longer pushed me completely outside my budget. Just before I was getting ready to go, I was going over my travel plans with my host family over dinner, and they reminded me that their eldest daughter had an apartment in London and since she would be traveling with them for the holidays, why didn't I just ask her if I could camp out at her place for a few nights? I could have died from excitement.

Now just to get to all these places. No problem for God! I was able to pay for my plane ticket through my Chase reward points, and my host family's Christmas present was money for train tickets that exactly covered the rest of my tickets to London and to Spennymoor. And both my hosts in England provided transportation to and from the airport.

Spending money? Food in London? Tickets to attractions? Just the icing on the cake. My host family paid me my regular pocket money in advance, even for the two weeks I was on vacation, which covered all of my other costs while in England. You can't make this stuff up people.

You can read all these travel blogs about how to travel abroad on the cheap, but let me tell you, no cash-back rewards system or holiday travel bundle can compete with having God as your travel guide. I don't want to sound corny, but there really is no other explanation. God delights in giving gifts to His children. And not just any gifts. Big ones. He doesn't always send us where we don't want to go (though He may for a time... I've been there.) He desires to go above and beyond to have us realize our dreams. I am humbled and still a little dazed from how deeply I have felt His hospitality and generosity and love through so many people over the past two weeks.

So now that you know HOW I got to travel all over England during my Christmas break, in my next few posts, you'll get to see WHAT and WHO I got to see! Stay tuned, darlings!