It's been a while since I've updated so get comfortable because I have a lot of amazing experiences to share with you…

Let's go way back to 11 days ago, Ashley and I packed up and headed to London to meet my sister is this great little apartment just outside the city. It was perfect for us. I am so grateful that Cate did so much procrastinating, I mean research, for us to find all the places we stayed. After a few stumbling blocks, mostly having to do with no one having free wifi and Cate's phone not adjusting well to the UK, we were able to find one another, and from that moment on it was nonstop fun and excitement.
We chose to head to Stonehenge first, which was a little bit of a hike but Cate was already a pro at public transportation in London so it was no problem at all. I was so happy we ended up taking the tour because not only did we catch a bus up to Stonehenge, but we also got all the history and mystery that comes with this incredible sight. There is so much they still don't know about Stonehenge and all the difference theories the tour shared with us were so interesting. It was a great way to start off our trip.
Before we caught the train to Stonehenge we decided to see if we could get some cheap tickets to see Wicked while we were there. Well, mission accomplished! We jumped in a short line in front of the theater and ten minutes later we had ¼ priced front row tickets to see Wicked in London that night. The show was absolutely amazing, I was in awe that somehow the stars aligned and we were really there. I could listen to the woman who played the Wicked Witch of the West, or Elphaba, sing all day long. It was the perfect end to the perfect first day, and it really only gets better.
Our next day in London we decided there was too much to see to try and do it all on our own so we did the tourist thing all day and booked a Big Bus tour. I can tell you, in hindsight, that our choice of tour was not the best, with confusing maps and 3 hours wasted waiting for a Harry Potter walking tour (yes, I was so excited for the Harry Potter tour like I was a little kid) that we were informed left a half hour later than it did, and ended up missing it completely, but overall we did have a great day. There were a few tour guides that were really entertaining on the bus and gave us so much fascinating history on the city that I was glad we didn't miss out on. The tower of London and the crown jewels were very cool (sorry no pictures aloud in the crown jewel rooms). I'd have to say my favorite London sight was driving over the London Bridge. It was so beautiful, and I couldn't help but singing, in my head, a variety of London Bridge songs. I was a little underwhelmed by the London Eye, but definitely not disappointed. I think if we weren't so hungry, I would have to agree with Cate and say we should wait until night time to do it.
It was then time to say goodbye to London and begin our long train/ferry/car ride to the beautiful Paris. London was great, but I think all those people who told us that we'd love London so much more than France had it all wrong. In our experience, everyone we came in contact with in France was so helpful, welcoming and really nice. It may have something to do with our pathetic attempt at speaking the language and them just taking pity on us. Either way, I have never had such a positive experience in any place I've ever gone to visit.
Our apartment in Paris was at the top of a hill, or as we later realized right on the corner of another street that avoids the hill. We also soon realized we were in one of the trendiest neighborhoods in Paris, and right around the corner from the breathtaking Sacre Coeur Basilica. This time we nixed the bus tour and just took one of their maps to make our way through the city. We started with the Eiffel tower, opting to not wait all day in line to go up but just take some pictures from the ground. Cate and I spotted a familiar looking double decker carousel that about 16 years later I only demanded a picture by, instead of a ride. If only I had a matching overalls and flower hat outfit and an ice cream handy! (don't worry if you are confused, I can show you the picture of my first ride on this particular carousel when I was 7)
We made our walking journey across Paris, taking pictures, a stop in a café for an amazing lunch and soaking it all in on our way to the Notre Dame. After a short break to relax, and of course people watch, we were headed to the Louvre. This was my number one must see while we were in Paris. I think Cate and I were in agreement, we could spend a week straight in that museum and not get enough of it. I cannot believe I actually saw the Mona Lisa in person, let alone all the other incredible artwork we got to see. We spent probably more than 3 hours there and only got a glimpse of all that the Louvre has to offer. Our tired feet (well ankles for me) and empty stomachs got the better of us, but not before we went through my favorite part of the museum, the Egyptian artifacts. I think this wing of the museum convinced me that Egypt needs to be on my list of places I'll go next.
The day was perfect, more than I could have ever imagined, and the last thing on my check list before we had to leave this wonderful city was to taste the true French cuisine for dinner. I cannot begin to put into words how much we enjoyed this dinner, but I'll do my best. Cate and I decided to go all out and really see what Paris had to offer. We started with some French onion soup (just onion soup there) that ruined all other French onion soups for me. I couldn't get enough of it, including the bread! (If you have eaten with the Mahoney sisters you know that soggy bread in soup is typically a deal breaker). Next was this massive personal shell fish raw bar, which included everything from crab to oysters to snails. Yes, I ate snails and I liked it! My favorite thing on this massive platter that you can see in my pictures was a tossup between the conk and oysters. This incredible meal was concluded with what else but crème brulee. The only down fall is that my first crème brulee was in a French restaurant in Paris, I don't know if any other will ever top it.
Sadly it was time to leave Paris and head down to Bordeaux and catch a plane back to Ireland. Ok so not that sadly, but this will definitely not be the last time I go to Paris. After the most beautiful 8 hour drive I've ever taken, fate was on our side once again when we stumbled into this chateau praying they had a room that wouldn't cost us a fortune. Quite the contrary, thanks to it being off season and so late in the day we got an unheard of deal and access to a 5 star restaurant that we took full advantage of in our classy sweats. Like most other places we went to in France, the owner made us feel like we were old friends staying in her house for the night. I wouldn't exactly suggest driving around hoping for this to happen if you ever take a trip to France but with luck on our side and our new best friend TomTom the GPS, it worked out for us.
Now it was time for us to say goodbye to France and begin our adventure back in Ireland. Cate and I did a quick night in Dublin, getting some great pictures of St. Patrick's Cathedral then we were off to Galway. Yet again we found the perfect place to stay, and the great folks at the Inn led us to the Cliffs of Moher tour bus the next morning. We couldn't have found a better tour or made a better choice than going to the Cliffs of Moher. As you can see from our pictures, we took full advantage of our two hour stint at the cliffs. My klutz of a sister was afraid she would fall so it was up to me to get the most death defying photos, but I was up for the challenge. The wind was intense, but the rain held out and we were able to get plenty of pictures. I was amazed that anyone would buy a post card from the gift shop when we each took about 60 with our cameras.
By some miracle, and with the help from our tour guide, we made our train back to Dublin to grab a quick bite before coming back to my place. Sadly it was time for Cate to pack up and catch the Aircoach back the Dublin airport.
I am really sad to have to say goodbye to my sister, I wish she could stay the rest of time here with me. By our powers combined we ended up planning the best trip we could have ever imagined. I'm sad to see that it's over and I can't wait to start planning our next great adventure.
Now on the other hand I am really excited to get back into school on Monday. I've only been with these kids a short time so far, but I miss working with already. These last few weeks better not fly by too quickly, I want to be sure to enjoy every second. My lessons are all ready to go for next week so I have high hopes for a successful first week back after break, I hope my kids are ready to learn a lot and have some fun!