Last Summer I had the experience of a lifetime. My friend and her mom were traveling to England to stay with a friend of the family and they asked me to come explore Europe with them! This is something I will never forget.
We arrived in Sheffield, England on July 7, 2009. Just the drive from the Heathrow Airport in London back to Sheffield(which took place on the complete opposite side of the road!) was enough to convince me that there was more to the world then the small town of Martin, Michigan.
After getting settled into the friends house at Sheffield, we began to explore. We started by taking the train to Edinburgh, Scotland. We stayed one night there, and used the day to check out the Edinburgh Castle and then walk the Royal Mile. It was absolutely incredible. The view from the castle was breathtaking and included the gorgeous green hills and mountains, all the way to the coast of the ocean. After checking that out we walked the Royal Mile. Seeing how different things were in all the little shops was neat. And seeing all the men in kilts is a sight I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forget.
From Scotland, we went back to England, except this time to Whitby. Whitby is an enchanting town that borders the North Sea. We walked around the town and explored the remains of the castle that supposedly inspired Dracula, which was kind of creepy. We walked to the North Sea and stuck our toes in the freezing cold water, and finished the day by trying out there famous fish and chips, and checking out the little shops. On the way back to Sheffield from Whitby, we were lucky enough to stop at the train station and see the tracks where many of the Harry Potter movies were filmed!
We saved our best two visits for last. We left Sheffield for good and took the Eurostar(a big train from England to France that travels underwater) to Paris! We stayed the whole day in Paris and traveled the town with a hilarious Tour Guide. We went to the Eifel Tower and rode to the second platform which had an unbelievable view of the entire, gigantic city. We then went to The Lourve Museum which holds the one and only, Mona Lisa! Among other amazing pieces of art.
After our day in Paris, we went and stayed the remainder of our time in London. We were able to watch the Changing of the Guards at the Buckingham Palace, see Big Ben, ride The London Eye(a gigantic ferris wheel), and of course, shop.
This entire experience was beyond amazing. I’m fortunate enough to have traveled to places most people will never get to see in their lives, and I am so thankful for that.
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