Paris day 1

This morning I got up early, I was already packed and ready to go. I left for the airport 2 and a half hours before my flight, it's only a 20 minute walk to the bus station and then a 30 minute ride to the airport. And I was the 2nd last person on the plane! I literally got on and I wasn't even in my seat and they closed the doors to the plane! Security was an absolute nightmare, I think half of Europe was going through security the same time as me. 

Anywho boarded the plane and an hour and a Half later I'm in Paris! I'm staying in someone's flat for the 5 days that I'm in Paris. I found it through the website AirB&B. Much cheaper than the hostels in Paris, and very central. I made contact with the flat owner beforehand obvisouly to get the directions. 

Thanks goodness I lived in London and had to take the tube for 6 weeks because if I had shown up here with no idea how the underground system worked I would be screwed! 

No one speaks English, even though it's a French speaking country I was still told many people do speak English. Like 80% of the city, however I have yet to find someone that speaks English. Except for the guy that owns the flat I'm staying in, and even his English is not very good. 

He's a very nice guy the flat owner, he supplies fruit, tea, coffee, and biscuits for his guests. There are me and 2 other guests, the 3 person bunk bed like I had thought it was going to be but I'm on the bottom so yay! 

Another thank god is that the flat I'm staying in is literally 10 steps away from the underground system (metro) as they call it. So it doesn't scare me as much to go out at night because what would scare me would be walking back to the flat in the dark, but because it's right beside the metro it's not a big deal. 

I arrived at the flat after 5:30, only took me an hour to get from the airport to the flat so I'm quite proud of myself because I was ALONE, and no one could give me directions in English! Met the flat owner, and the 2 other guests. I left to get supper and decide what my plans for the evening would be. 

Also forgot to mention that today is my 20th birthday! So being that it was my birthday and I knew I wanted to see the Eiffel Tower during the day and at night, and that it was getting late what perfect way to spend my birthday but to take a trip trough the city to see the Eiffel Tower! 

WOW! The very first time I saw the Eiffel Tower it literally made me gasp. IT IS MASSIVE! And so beyond beautiful! I got to see it right before sunset, and at dark when they light it up, unbelievable experience and to have it on my birthday was even that more special! 

I'm going to go back so I can see it during the daytime, and to go up and see from the top of course! Planning to do that on day 3 most likely. 

After walking around the Eiffel Tower for a few hours I realized it was about 11 and that I didn't know what time the Metro closes and so I zipped back to catch the 3 connecting trains that I needed to get back to the flat. 

Edinburgh

I have done a lot more planning for my Europe trips and decided to take Spain out of the July/august group, and have it as it's own trip. So I'm going to Spain on June 14th-18th and will be going to Madrid and Barcelona. 

I took it out of the other mix of trips because now it gives me more time in all the cities in my July/ august trip. It also will calm me down a tad because it's a foreign country that I'm doing solo, and it would make me a lot more comfortable going from Scotland to Spain and Spain back to Scotland. Opposed to throwing it in the mix of the other foreign countries. 

Spain is probably the one trip that scares me the most because it is a foreign country that I'm doing solo. Where as Paris, a lot of people do speak English there. Croatia in summer is very touristy so there will be other people speaking English. Italy I'm doing with my roomate, Greece I'm meeting up with one of my moms friends. And Germany they all speak English there aswell. So hopefully that gives you a mental picture on why I think Spain is going to be the most "scariest" in it's own way. 

I did more walking around Edinburgh and got a lot more pictures of the city. 

Balmoral hotel 

Balmoral hotel during the night 

Balmoral hotel from the front 

Church 

Side streets 

The Scott monument 

The Scott monument 

Scott monument 

Europe trip planning!

Wow crazy day! So my friend Jadyn messaged me and said she can't do the Italy trip. I was quite sad because it would have been nice considering I was going to be there a week, and it's always good to travel with another person. Espiscally how I will be traveling to a lot of other places solo so doing a week trip with another person would be great! 

I was talking to my roommate Astrid and I jokingly asked if she wanted to go to Italy with me and she said yes! Her sister lives in Venice Italy and she was going to visit her in July and she has to be back in Edinburgh in august. So she said if I can make it to Venice in the last week of July she would do Venice, Pisa and Rome with me! (The entire trip I had planned with Jadyn) 

So after much thought and different scenarios in my head I happily agreed and now I'm starting my Italy trip about a week and a half earlier than I was going to. 

I will be in Croatia from July 19th-22nd and because Croatia is extremely close to Venice, literally less than 9 hours by car so less than that by train. Because these cities are so close I am going to try and change my flight return "Croatia to Edinburgh"... To Croatia to Venice. And just start my Italy trip then! 

After me and Astrid had it settled that we were going to do the Italy trip together I started thinking that after Italy I was going to do Greece then come home to Canada. Which would have made me home by mid august. However now because I'm doing the trip a little earlier it would put me home at the beginning of august. 

Thus begins me thinking of going to more countries. My thoughts are to go to Spain (Barcelona, Madrid) see these 2 cities for a few days and then go to Berlin Germany and then come home. Adding about another week to my travels. 

At lunch time I was thinking I was going to Italy and Greece in august. And then only a few hours later I'm starting the trip in July and doing Spain and Germany aswell! Wow can some things change in a matter of hours! 

Very happy I've changed the plans because I get to do a week of travel with another person, and I get to see another 2 countries! Possibly even 3 because if I can't fly from Croatia to Venice I would travel my train and go through Slovenia. Giving me the chance to stop and see that city for an afternoon or day possibly. 

All the countries I will be visiting within 3 weeks of July & August! 

Croatia 

Slovenia (possibly)

Italy

Greece 

Spain

Germany 

Edinburgh Scotland

So I had this past Sunday off and here in Edinburgh there is an extremely large hill that's called "Arthur's Seat". It isn't a hill it's a group of hills all overlapping one another and when at the top you can see the entire city of Edinburgh. I had been planning on climbing it for some time now so today seemed like the day to do it. 

First off much bigger when your actually climbing it compared to seeing it from the city streets. It towers over the city and I can see the hills from almost everywhere I have gone so far. 

I did it in the evening which wasn't the best idea because it was so windy, I climbed the one side to the top and then realized I had climbed the wrong one, because looking out I could see another hill much higher. So I didn't get to the highest point but I intend to go back and do the bigger one on one of my next days off. 

My accommodation is booked for my Paris trip! I'm staying at someone's flat that rents a room out to people. The room has a 3 person bunk bed from the looks of it so dear god lets hope I'm on the bottom or at least middle. But it's good because I will only have 2 other roommates. 

Staying here was the cheapest place I could find that was still in the city centre of Paris. I was told from various people that you should stay in the centre because travel costs alone would add up if you stayed outside of the centre. So may aswell pay that extra money and be in the centre, that way your saving travel time too. 

Still waiting to hear back from my friend jadyn on whether or not she can do the Italy trip with me. Fingers crossed she can because it's going to be a 7-10 day trip and it would be great to spend it with another person! 

View of the hills from inside the city 

View of the city from the smaller hills 

Wasn't the best path to walk on at times 

View of the city 

View from my flat. 3rd floor, stairs only, more than 80 stairs to the top. Needless to say I hate getting groceries! 

Life in the UK

So it hit me recently that even though you know I'm living in the United Kingdom (Edinburgh Scotland at the moment) you don't know how very different the way of life is here. So this post is dedicated to me trying my best to explain all the different things they do here or what's different in my opinion. 

First off there is a 7 hour time difference if you weren't aware of that. In Edinburgh it is typically always cloudy and more than half the days of week it's usually raining. 

Countless expressions are different here, the list below shows what we "Canadians" would call it on the left, and what they would call it on the right. 

Candian - UK 

Trucks- Laurie's 

Sweaters- jumpers 

Apartment- flat 

To go- take away 

How can I help you- yes please 

Thank you- cheers 

Sidewalk- pavement 

Lake- loch 

2:30- half 2 

Hungry- peckish 

Bucks- quid 

Rent- to let (as in I have an apartment to rent- to I have a flat to let) 

Line- Queue ( So an example of hearing that all the time would be "the Queue starts here".. Aka "the line up starts here"

Right away- straight away 

Pounds- stone 

They still use skeleton keys! 

And the weirdest one for me that I still have a hard time reacting to is "are you alright" which in their minds means "hey what's up". It's just another way of saying hey, how's it going? Or what's up. But instead they say "are you alright". Which is so strange for me still after 3 and a half months. Whenever I hear it I get such a confused look on my face and am just like "uh ya? Do I look sad or something"? Well I don't say that but I'm usually always thinking it. 

They have more alcohol here than anywhere else in the entire world I think. Well in Scotland at least they do, unsure about the rest of the UK. 

Also distance is absolutely nothing in Canada, having to "rip up to Lloyd" as we would call it back home. (Which is an hour from macklin) Or I have to go to Saskatoon/ Edmonton for the day. Which is 2.30/3 hours. Not a big deal to us back home. Yet here 2.30/3 hours and you would be halfway across the country here! 

When I told my friends here that we would have to drive at least an hour to possibly 3 hours just to go shopping for various things they thought that was the craziest thing ever! They were absolutely speechless that I went to a college almost 3 hours from home and I would frequently drive home just for the 2 day weekend. 

Also it's free to withdrawal cash from any ATM in the United Kingdom (with a UK card of course) opposed to Canada where you get charged at every ATM unless it's the ATM that you bank with.

And since I'm saving for trips across Europe I didn't get a bus pass because they are £54! Which is $108 Canadian. So I walk the 30mins each way everyday which isn't bad. 

I have added various photos of some buildings here in Edinburgh that I pass by on my way to work everyday.  

Down the street from where I work 

That's a coffe shop inside there! 

Typical Edinburgh street 

Planning trips in Europe

Wow! Ok so been awhile since I have last wrote in here. Been quite busy with work and all but also in the middle of planning more trips to Europe! 

First off work is going good, I work 5 days a week so it keeps me busy and I'm starting to meet people at work which is great! Work is enjoyable, on weekdays I do the sales part, dealing with bookings, promotional ideas, and other stuff like that. And on weekends I bartend which even though I have the experience was quite challenging at the beginning! Only because on weekends it's half price cocktails and they have 55 cocktails to choose from. It's also located right beside a playhouse theatre, so it's always busy. However nonetheless I'm catching on and will have plenty of new cocktails to make for family and friends when I get back to canada :) 

The other day I sat down and made a list of all the places I want to see in Europe before I come home. What's on my bucket list to see basically. Because with these flights only being a few hundred dollars here and there, and the flights only a few hours I really need to take advantage of it and see them now, before I go home and possibly never get the chance again. So after my list was complete I went ahead and booked a few trips. 

On June 2nd (my birthday!) I will be flying to Paris to spend 5 days there, being a tourist and getting to know the city. 

Then on July 19th I will be flying to Split Croatia, where I plan to spend 4 days seeing split and Dubrovnik. 

Both Paris and the country of Croatia were on my list to see before I come home, as well as many places in Italy and Greece. 

Tentatively I'm planning a big Italy trip. Where I will see lots of cities such as Venice, Pisa, Rome, and a few others along the way possibly. Ending up in Rome where I'm not far from Greece, so I will then fly there and tour Greece for a bit. 

That trip hasn't been booked yet and won't for awhile yet. My friend jadyn that I went to Amsterdam with possibly wants to come which I would love! Because these smaller trips will be good to go at alone, but the Italy/Greece  trip would be awesome to do with another person! 

Eiffel Tower in Paris

Dubrovnik city in Croatia