Europe Trip 2010

Well I guess I should start somewhere, and what a better way to start my 2010 backpacking blog thread than show casing some of my favorite photos taken from the trip. I'm just gonna show them here, and not explain them yet, that will come in the other blog entry. I know people have been asking to see those photos, and guess what, all the photos are going to be shown exclusively on this blog only! That's the benefit of being my blog visitor :P

Ok, let's start. I never planned to end up in Europe for year 2010. I wanted to go Calcutta instead. But my husband wasn't too enthusiastic about it, and the booking of connecting transportation didn't look that promising nor reliable in India either (sorry India, I promise to visit you one of these days!). And as the rate of the Euro and Pounds were headed south, it was a good time to visit a (for once) English speaking country! Heck, I didn't even bother to plan in detail cause I knew I could always ask for direction if need be, or at least read road signs and understand them!

So I thought I'll go England, cause I well, all my childhood was about reading books and stories from England, you know Enid Blyton, Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, C.S. Lewis etc. And I was totally into fairy folks and witches and celtic and druids and we all know there are lots of those in England! So England it was! 

And then I got curious, since I was flying all the way there (12 to 13 hours flight!), to find out how far Paris was from London. Lo and behold! I discovered Eurostar! And that Paris was just a 2 hour train ride away! And before I knew it, I found myself planning a week in Paris as well :)  Best decision ever for my 2010 backpacking trip!

Taking 9 days of annual leave, and with the 2 Singapore public holiday in between, we spend a total of 16 days in Europe! Sure I blew like all my year's bonus money there, but it was worth it :) I saw so much art! Visited so many beautiful churches! Learn so much bloodshed in England's history! And ate so much good food!

 So allow me to slowly share with you my insane journey, probably not for the faint hearted, but fun, spiritual, and life enriching all the same :)

Here is an overview of my trip, (I'll link up the blog entries as I go along)
5-Nov (Friday) - London British Museum
6-Nov (Saturday) - Oxford, Cotswolds and English countryside
7-Nov (Sunday) - Bath, Stonehenge
8-Nov (Monday) - London Natural History Museum
9-Nov (Tuesday) - Paris Pantheon, St Michel, Notre Dame
10-Nov(Wednesday)- Paris Lourve Museum
11-Nov(Thursday)- Paris Père Lachaise Cemetery
12-Nov(Friday)- Paris Place Madeleine
13-Nov(Saturday)- Paris Street Markets
14-Nov(Sunday)- Paris Le Catacomb, Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe
15-Nov(Monday)- Paris Jardin du Luxemberg, Notre Dame (again), Fragonard Perfume Museum
16-Nov(Tuesday)- London Willesden Green
17-Nov(Wednesday)- London Buckingham Palace
18-Nov(Thursday)- London Walk Historical Building and Bunhill Fields
19-Nov(Friday)- London Tower of London

20-Nov(Saturday)- London Notting Hill

Extra:
London Food, Lodging and Shopping Information
Paris Food (Eating In, Eating Out), Lodging and Shopping Information

Ref:
Enid Blyton
Charles Dickens
Jane Austen
C.S. Lewis
Druids
Eurostar