Luxembourg City!

Last weekend, I took a quick trip to Luxembourg City! 

As most readers will know, I am a huge advocate of traveling alone. It's a way to relax, think, and just grow in minute ways. So, this short trip was a solo one, and it was well worth it!

I flew out of the London City Airport bright and early on Saturday morning. I had never been to the City Airport before, but I will be going back! One of the quickest security lines, a silence policy, and a breathtaking view of the city during takeoff!

Upon my arrival in Luxembourg City and checking into my hotel which was just outside the main city centre, I ventured out to the American Cemetery. The American Cemetery in Luxembourg is to honor those men and women killed during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. General Patton is also buried in the Cemetery despite not dying there. 

It was a bit of a trek to the location because I did not have a car. Yet, thanks to TripAdvisor, there were fairly concrete directions via public transport. I took a bus ride for about 30 minutes, and then I had about a 20 minute walk on some backroads and makeshift paths. I'm sure I was a sight to see as I was trekking through the Luxembourg countryside!

When I got to the Cemetery, I found that I was the only one there. The Visitor's Center was closed. There was a guestbook outside under a small kiosk, and I had noticed that others had been present earlier in the day. Yet, I soon quickly looked around and realized I was the only one there.  It was a very moving experience as I took in the monuments and viewed the graves.

General Patton's Grave

After I returned to the city centre for a quick lunch, I grabbed a spot on the Hop-on-Hop-off bus to view the city!  Here are a few shots from places around  the city that I didn't have too much time to visit.

Building General Patton used for his HQ in WWII

European Investment Bank

Luckily, I was in Luxembourg on the first day of their Christmas Market! I grabbed a coffee with Baileys, some macaroons, and danced my merry way around the market looking at the crafts.

The rest of my evening was spent wandering around and taking in the old parts of the city that are separated by the valley.

Sunset

On Sunday, I had a few final hours of being a tourist before I headed back to London. I grabbed a quick coffee at the hotel before wandering back to the city centre to check out Notre Dame Theatre, the famous square of Place D'Armes, and the palace! 

Place D'Armes

Good Morning, Luxembourg!

Royal Palace

It was a great, quick weekend away! Perfect way to relax before the final few weeks of the semester!

And a bonus on my landing back in London? Flying by the Shard and Tower Bridge!

Weekly Recap

Phew! Another week is already gone?

Lately, I feel as if all my posts on this blog are relating to how quickly my second year of grad school is going by! It's the truth, though. I feel like I just got back from the Retreat, and now it's another Saturday. 

I celebrated Macaron Monday!

This week was jam packed with meetings relating to my capstone project including meeting with the liasion! We are putting together our final terms of reference for the six-month project, so we can officially begin conducting research, etc.

Capstone Group post client meeting

The rest of my week was spent either doing homework or at my internship. Nothing too exciting. My fellow interns and I grabbed drinks last night to celebrate the week being done. 

Check out a few other photos from my Instagram feed from this week, below: 

Fall Morning in Notting Hill

Selfridges is getting in the Christmas Spirit!

Off for the Weekend!

via honest

I'm away for the weekend on some adventures!

I'm headed to Fairfield, CT today and then NYC tonight. It's a big of a college/sorority reunion weekend with how many friends/sisters I'm seeing. 

On Labor Day, my best friend Katie and I have made a crazy road trip which encompasses locations in CT, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts.

And, on my way back to CNY on Tuesday, I've got a bit of a scenic route planned.

Stay tuned for tons of instagrams and blog posts next week!

Father-Daughter Eurotrip: Day 14

 Dad and I had hoped that our last day trip in Paris would have been as memorable as the Normandy Day Trip. Yet, both Dad and I were very disappointed in the tour and the tour guide. We had booked a World War I tour of Arras and Vimy Ridge. What we had hoped for and what we got out of the tour were two completely different things. We were very happy when we got back to Paris.

World War I Trench

World War I Tunnel

Putting aside the negative parts of the tour, we were able to see some of the cemeteries and memorials to the various countries for the First World War. We also had a chance to view the tunnels and trenches at the Canadian memorial.

 

After we returned to London, I took off to explore Shakespeare & Co.- the famous bookstore before Dad and I decided to get dinner on Les Champs Elysses.  Of course, what dinner at Les Champs Elysses would be complete without first exploring L’Arch de Triomphe. Dinner was great, and we finished the evening off at Laduree (but, of course!). 

Father-Daughter Eurotrip: Day 11

To get to Paris, Dad and I had to leave our hotel at 4am to catch a flight at 6am. Please note, this was not the original plan, but the airline changed the flight times. With the change, it did leave us with about another whole day to explore Paris! 

After we checked into our hotel, we decided to get some coffee before starting the tourist activities.  We had just flown too early in the morning, so we needed some fuel for the day! From there, we walked down to the Opera House. Our hotel was in the same area, so it was a quick five- minute walk in one of Paris’ nicest neighborhoods. 

In 2008 when I last visited Paris, I only had a chance to visit the outside of the Opera House. As a huge lover of Phantom of the Opera, I wanted to see the famed chandelier that inspired the story and later the musical.  The inside was absolutely gorgeous- just as I expected it to be. Sadly, the chandelier was not on sale, and the Phantom seemed to not be at home. 

Opera House 

The famous Chandelier 

Dad and I then took off wandering the streets of Paris before making our way to the Louvre. We ran quickly inside just so that Dad could see the iconic pieces. One day I do plan on spending time getting lost in the galleries.   We took a quick Parisian lunch by Notre Dame before Dad took a break for the day. 

The Louvre

Mona Lisa

Adventurous as I am, I decided to see parts of Paris that I had never spent too much time in before. I headed down to Les Invalides to see the tomb of Napoloen.  Although, before I could see the tomb, I ran into two of the women who work for the Syracuse London program. It truly is a small, orange world.  

Ran into SU London Folks

Les Invalides 

Notre Dame 

Checking the tomb off my list of things to see, I indulged at Laduree (flagship store on Les Champs Elysses) for my afternoon snack. I left with eight macaroons including two new flavors. Dad and I had an early evening as we were starting three days of day trips the next day. 

Laduree

Eiffel Tower