Coming Summer 2018!

I'm not in a reflective sort of mood today, so I wanted to write about my next upcoming trip this summer: I'm going to Paris, Venice, & Vienna!

I never thought I'd be going back to Paris but I am so glad that I am! There were things that I didn't see or do that I plan on fixing that this time. When I was in Paris, I kept thinking, "I need to come back here one day." And while part of me knew that would happen, another part of me never believed it. 

But it's true!

I'm not going back to the Palace of Versailles because I was there last time and instead, I'm going to spend the day in the city. I had set the bar so low the first time, just being happy to see the Eiffel Tower that as long as I did that, I would be content. This time, I've got more plans. (BTW: I totally cried when my lifetime dream of seeing the Eiffel Tower became real. Totally cried.)

So here's the itinerary and my booked excursions:

An emotional moment in Paris!

Paris:

The 1st real day I'm taking a guided tour of the city! Here's what I'll see:

• Drive down the sycamore-lined Champs-Élysées to view the Arc de Triomphe
• Pass Pont Neuf and the legendary Notre-Dame Cathedral, located on an island in the Seine River
• See the Eiffel Tower, the Palais Garnier opera house and Place de la Concorde, the city’s grandest square
• Marvel at the iconic architecture of the Louvre and Hôtel des Invalides

Then, my afternoon will be free to do whatever so I'm thinking a visit to the Eiffel Tower will take a large portion of my time. I am going to touch the Eiffel Tower and actually go up this time. 

The 2nd day, I have most of the day free, so I'd like to explore Notre Dame and the Louvre. Then I booked an evening cruise down the Seine River. I did this cruise last time and it was one of my favorite experiences in Paris. 

I see now that I'll have to write about what I actually did last time in Paris. I had a great time and saw a burlesque show....I didn't exactly go the PG route. More on that in the next post.

Venice:

Venice, Italy

This is a bucket list city for me. I cannot wait to see Venice. I'll probably cry.

My first day is a travel day where I'll be flying from Paris to Venice.

My 2nd day in Venice, I will be taking a guided tour. Here's what I'll see:

• Step into the iconic St. Mark’s Square and enter St. Mark’s Basilica
• View the stately Doge’s Palace, built in the Venetian Gothic style in 1340
• Marvel at the Bridge of Sighs, the link between Doge’s Palace and the New Prison
• See a glassblowing demonstration to learn about the city’s most celebrated art

Then, after much personal debate with myself and my fear of tiny boats, I've booked a gondola canal cruise. I figured, when you go to Venice, it's something you just need to do.

My next day in Venice is actually not a whole day, I've booked an excursion to visit Verona, and see Juliet's Balcony. I hate Shakespeare and that play in particular but when you get the chance to visit another historic city in Italy, you go.

Ljubljana, Slovenia:

Ljubljana, Slovenia

Woah! There's another city on this trip! 

We are going to be crossing over into Slovenia and spending the night in Ljubljana, which is known for it's love of dragons. I'll be taking a walking tour here and this is what I'll see:

• Stop in Prešeren Square to see the France Prešeren Monument 
• Pass by the Triple Bridge, Town Hall and Baroque Robba Fountain
• View Ljubljana Cathedral, the Dragon Bridge and the famed open-air market

Graz:

Wait, another city? 

Yes, this one is a quick stop over to this World Heritage city. I have no idea what we will be doing here. But I'm down for what ever!

Vienna: 

So my first real day in Vienna will start with a guided tour of the city. Here's what I'll see:

Vienna, Austria

• Visit Schönbrunn Palace, the Rococo Hapsburg home with impressive gardens
• Travel down the Ringstrasse, Vienna’s tree-lines thoroughfare

• See the Parliament building, the Vienna State Opera and the grand Hofburg Palace, the Hapsburg’s preferred winter residence

Then that evening, I've booked a dinner and opera in Vienna excursion. I'm not sure if I will like opera but hearing it in Vienna, which is considered the capital of classical music, if I don't like it in Vienna, I won't like opera anywhere else on the planet.

My second day in Vienna will consist of a Danube River Cruise! This the website's description of my excursion: Travel to Melk for a visit to one of Europe’s most beautiful Baroque monasteries, an architectural wonder perched high atop a cliff. Then, enjoy some free time in the charming, red-roofed town before embarking on a leisurely cruise down the Danube River. Your ship will take you by age-old castles and picturesque villages. Disembark in Dürnstein, where Richard the Lionheart was held captive, and enjoy free time for lunch. En route to Vienna, stop in the Wachau Valley for a wine tasting of regional vintages.

The next day will be my return flight home. There was a Prague extension that I debated taking but there's another tour that involves Budapest and Prague and I want to take that tour one day. So I decided that 12 days would be enough for this trip. I'll be stopping in 3 countries, 6+ cities and I think that's going to be well worth my time and money. 

Let me just say, I cannot wait for this summer!