I'm going to take a risk and predict that Switzerland will be our best trip we take this entire semester. After visiting this country I would be more than content with taking zero trips for the rest of the time I'm in Europe.  Switzerland was mind-blowing in all aspects. From the breathe-taking views of the alps, to the world-famous skiing, and the charming personality of Interlaken. We could not have asked for a better weekend in Switzerland. Purely Perfection.

We arrived in Geneva, Switzerland. We couldn't see the night sky because we arrived in the mixed of a snow storm. Our drive from Geneva to Interlaken was long but you could still see the beautiful glaciers, monstrous Swiss alps and tiny lights coming from mountain side cabins.

Waking up the next morning was spectacular. We took a train from town to the top of the mountain. At the top of the mountain there is the tallest point of Europe, Jungfraujoch. This peak draws in millions of tourist each year and it is no secret as to why. Being tucked in the Swiss Alps, skiing powder up to my waist (yes that was the case at certain points) was like a dream come true. Switzerland has the best skiing in the world, and I dare to say even better than Aspen.

The second day was indescribable. Not exaggerating, literally heaven on earth. The sun was shining intensely, the skiing was magical yet again and every bar and restaurant on the mountain was packed to the rim with people celebrating life accompanied by Swiss beers, and brats. If people weren't partying at the top of the mountain they were laying in the sun chairs taking in the Swiss beauty right beside the commotion of party-goers.

After a long day of skiing we decided to celebrate the amazing weekend by going to an Irish pub, after that we strolled over to the one mini club/bar in all of Interlaken, "The Metro". It was nothing like Barcelona nightlife but it was better that way, it was true to the Interlaken charm.  After an unforgettable night and endless laughs we roamed the town the following day and came across the lakes that surround Interlaken hence the town's name which means "between two lakes". I will never be able to describe the beauty I witnessed that day, all I can say is Switzerland is effortlessly the most beautiful place I have ever been to in my entire life.

and the Swiss chocolate? yep, it's all its cracked up to be.

While myself and my two roommates were skiing, our fourth roommate, Emily, was sky diving. She said it was the best experience of her entire life and I can only imagine so considering she dove out of a plane over the UN-touched Swiss alps alongside the crystal clear lakes.

Possibly the best trip I've ever taken in my life.

Between the posh lifestyle of being Swiss, the Swiss Alps, the traditional charm, I fell in love with Switzerland 10 times over.

Until next time....

Off to Amsterdam!

X,
A

Our weekend in Madrid was a cultural experience that I will never forget. Madrid was what I would call, authentically Spain. Sometimes we forget that Barcelona is a city in Catalonia which has a strong sense of Nationalism. This has a strong influence on the culture of Barcelona and commonly we find ourselves feeling like we aren't truely in Spain because Catalonia (a region of Spain)has a different language, culture, traditions, and a different history than the rest of Spain.

Madrid revealed what Spain has to offer and what this amazing country was built on, all the way back to the early 1400's! This city was full of rich history, great nightlife and deep-rooted Spanish culture starting with the architecture.

The museums are world famous as well. We didn't get a chance to wonder over to the Museo Nacional del Prado, instead we toured the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía which held art treasures from Picasso, Dali and many more. The picture above is a photo with the Don Quixote statue, Don is a famous fictional character in the novel The Ingenious Gentlemen Don Quixote of La Mancha which is the second most famous novel in the world following the Bible. 

During the day we wondered down the secret alley ways of this incredible city. The fashion was different than Barcelona in the sense that people are more conservatively dressed. The shopping was phenomenal because little Spanish boutiques and American brand stores (that we have missed so much) lined the main roads. Based off observation, Madrid has a much older demographic than Barcelona. The capital of Spain did not let us down with cuisine either. We wondered over to the "Mercado de San Miguel" market where within a glass and cherry-wood building there was fancy stands that offer tapas, calzones, wines, cheeses, seafood, etc. We all agreed this market offered the best food we have eaten so far since being in Europe! Along with a rich taste in cuisine, we visited Las Ventas which is the home of the bull fighting in Spain, this arena seats 25,000 people and is still one of the few places in Spain where you can see an authentic bull fight. 

The people in Madrid were so incredibly nice and I was surprised to see such a busy and bright city based on the state of Spain's economy, and Madrid being at the center of that crisis. Madrid is also the center of the political corruption in Spain, we saw few protests but for the most part it was a peaceful weekend with Carnaval parades taking the streets.

One of the nightclubs we hit was Kapital, it was unreal. Seven stories tall! Each floor had a different vibe, one floor was blasting hip-hop music and the next was be house music. It was SO much fun and such a fulfilling experience. It was one of our favorite nights because it was such a pleasant surprise that the club was filled with locals instead of abroad students. 

Madrid is an absolutely amazing city, I loved every second of the weekend.

Until next time...

X,
A

I think it is safe to say our weekend trip to London was my favorite weekend yet. Back to the city I would love to call home some day and where I left my heart just 5 months ago. With the best entourage in town, we had the most perfect weekend I have ever had in London to date. 

With 7 guys and 4 girls all staying in the same hostel room, we started the weekend off in pure madness mode. To celebrate our arrival, we enjoyed Magner’s ciders, which is the drink I missed most.

The next morning we all woke up in excitement to explore the city. This summer I never got the chance to be a tourist, so luckily this time around I was able to see the big landmarks and take them in as one just visiting London to sight see. Our first stop- Buckingham Palace for the changing of the guard’s parade! The changing of the guard’s parade consisted of a guard marching band, guards on horses, and a march around Buckingham Palace. With hundreds of people standing around the Palace in hopes to witness the changing of the guards, it made me realize that maybe there is more to London than I was even aware of.

After the changing of the guards we made our way over to West Minister Abbey, where Kate Middleton glided down the aisle in her iconic Alexander McQueen by Sarah Burton wedding gown and where the Royal wedding watched by millions around the world took place.

Next to West Minister Abbey we saw the Supreme Court of England, the absolutely stunning architecture of the Parliament building and of course the ever so famous- Big Ben!

After taking in the must-sees of London’s historical monuments we wandered towards the London eye. From the London eye we strolled along the River Thames and saw a little bit of everything. From the eye-catching London street fashion which included Punk inspired outfits, vibrant hair colors, Doc Martens, etc. to the Mayor’s office to numerous pubs, charming alley ways that reminded us of Harry Potter, and most excitingly a famous girl band, The Atomic Kittens signing autographs on their way out of a recording studio. The boys were stoked on finding the graffiti filled skate park that is embedded beside the River Thames.  It was such a euphoric experience. Never in a million years did I imagine myself being with 12 of my best friends walking along the River Thames in London seeing the most beautiful things this city has to offer. It was just incredible and I will never forget that day.

After exploring, we stumbled upon the pub "Thirsty Bear" that is in the Oxo Tower Wharf area.  It was hands-down the coolest pub I have ever been to.  Each table has their own keg of Amstel, Heineken, and English Ale. You use an ipad to turn on the kegs and fill up whenever you want instead of having to ask a server. Also, you use the ipads to order your food, go on the Internet, order cocktails, turn on music in the pub, etc. SO COOL! I hope they have this in the States soon.

The boys were also excited to stumble upon this pub because they finally got to try fish and chips, London’s famous dish! 

Later that night I took the crew to Piccadilly Circus so they could experience the more touristy side of London because I feel like if your in London, Piccadilly is a must.

We went to “Zoo Bar” which is a bar upstairs and the basement is a club. We had an incredible night until it was time to catch a cab. Since it is off-season, there are barely any cabs to be found. We waited an hour and a half to catch a cab for three of us and that was after we hopped on a bus to head into a less populated part of town. Just insane!

DAY 2

Waking up was hysterical, no one was in the right bed, everyone was confused but nonetheless we all got up and started our day early once again.

Us girls were overwhelmingly excited to spend our money at the most amazing market in the entire world- Portobello Road Market which is just north of Notting Hill. This was my absolute FAVORITE place to shop and spend my Saturday mornings this summer because I found one-of-a-kind vintage, clothing from up and coming designers, records for record players, exotic food such as alligator, kangaroo, the list goes on!

The one thing I wanted at this market was a new feather headpiece because the one I bought this summer was just exquisite but unfortunately ruined over Halloween weekend in Vegas.

I ended up finding Julia, the woman who makes these priceless head pieces. Fortunately, she remembered me from this summer! We chatted about her new pieces that she has made since last time we met and she even offered me new items from her collection that she wasn’t even planning on selling! I was so honored.  I ended up picking out a green and gold headpiece and a white and silver one, which I wore to Ministry of Sound that night.

She was such a gem and I promised her to go back to her stand every single time I visit London. She makes her headpieces with vintage cloth from the 1920’s and colored feathers. She hand stitches the beads and buttons and wah-la! She makes head pieces of perfection.

After we spent too much time and money at the markets, I had one more thing on my list that was an absolute MUST HAVE. A Boy London shirt. I have been waiting to purchase one of these swagged out designer shirts for too long and now I finally could! Before we headed over to Selfridges to do so we needed to make a stop at my favorite store in the entire world- The TOP SHOP flagship store in Oxford Circus. It was just as fabulous as I remember it being. It is so massive! There is a hair salon, frozen yogurt stand, cupcake stand, walls and walls of accessories, floors and floors of fantastically trendy clothing and lines of people for days. The shoe section is the best selection I have ever seen in my entire life. It did not disappoint lets just say that.

After a long day of shopping we got ready for what we have been anticipating for all weekend… Zedd @ the Ministry of Sound. The Ministry of Sound is one of the most famous clubs in the entire world, it hosts the world’s most famous DJ’s and it is where I met Steve Angello from Swedish House Mafia.

Before we made our trip to Ministry we made a stop at my Aunt Jackie and Uncle David’s flat in Islington, London. Not exaggerating, it was the highlight of every one’s weekend. We enjoyed “nibbles and fizz”, took in the views overlooking the canal and enjoyed the most delicious food we have eaten since being in Europe. I will leave most of what happened under wraps but I would say it was more fun than most college parties I have ever been to.

After a fabulous party at Aunt Jac and Uncle David’s flat we headed to Ministry to see Zane Lowe and Zedd. Luckily, thanks to Lindsey’s connections we were able to score VIP treatment and we were casually on stage. So much fun. It was a spectacular night with many memories that are better left unsaid.

Coming home at 6am was great until half of the group had to head straight to the airport to catch their flight home to Barcelona. After a long weekend and an unforgettable night it was easy to conclude that weekend was the best weekend ever.

The city of magic was just that.

Off to Madrid!

X,

A