Wanderlust Wednesday: Just a Lil' Lost's Paris Month

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For the last few years, my friend and fellow blogger Michele from Just a Lil' Lost has dedicated the month of April to all things Paris. I've followed along, enjoyed her posts, pictures, reviews, and guest features, and this year I get to be part of it! I'm so honoured to have had the opportunity to do a guest post for Paris Month this year.

Michele's new banner for Paris Month - isn't it pretty?

I've been to Paris twice now, and since both visits were short I decided to share tips for a quick trip to Paris. There's so much to see and do in the City of Light, so if you're only going to be there for a few days, it's good to have a plan. Besides sharing my tips, I also shared a few pictures, plus a giveaway of an Eiffel Tower keychain I bought specially in Paris last June for one lucky person.

Check out my post: 3 Tips for 3 Days in Paris, and be sure to check out all of Michele's other amazing posts this month. 

Here are a couple of the pictures I included in my post, just to give you a sneak peek:

And this is the Eiffel Tower keychain (along with some cute Eiffel Tower stickers) I'm giving away at Michele's blog!

Be sure to check out my guest post, plus the rest of Michele's Paris Month posts!

Have you been following along with Michele's Paris Month? Do you have a favourite post? Have you visited Paris? What were some of your favourite things to see and do? If you haven't been to Paris, is it on your travel wishlist?

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Blog Tour: Every Word by Ellie Marney

Welcome to my stop on Tundra's Every Word Blog Tour! If you know me at all, you'll know I'm obsessed with all things Sherlockian. I've read my fair share of Sherlock-related books, but Ellie Marney's Every Breath and Every Word are definitely my favourites. I'm going to share a short playlist I created of songs I think fit Every Word, plus talk a bit about visiting Baker Street in London.

{Read my review of Every Breath || Read my review of Every Word}

~Marie's Every Word Playlist~

Song for Someone ~ U2
Amsterdam ~ Coldplay
Wonderwall ~ Oasis
Dare You to Move ~ Switchfoot
Do It For Me Now ~ Angels & Airwaves
Radioactive ~ Imagine Dragons
Home ~ Phillip Phillips
London Calling ~ The Clash

Visiting Baker Street in London

In June I fulfilled a lifelong dream: I got to visit London for the first time! I fell head over heels in love with the city. One of the places I was looking forward to visiting most was Baker Street. My travelling companion and I decided beforehand we wouldn't go into the museum; we wanted to see the outside once it was closed because we figured that'd be a good time to get pictures with less people around (we were right). A good portion of Every Word is set in London (yay!). When Rachel and Alicia set out one day to do some sightseeing, I had a feeling I knew where they were going...and then when they emerged from the tube station and Rachel mentioned seeing a Pizza Express across the street, I knew for sure where they were going: 221 Baker Street! I clearly remember the Pizza Express because we were looking for a place to eat and we were so hungry we were willing to eat almost anything. There was a Pizza Hut down the street, but my friend said if we were going to have pizza, she wanted to eat it at a place we don't have at home, and we don't have Pizza Express. Luckily we decided to venture a little further and found a restaurant called Bill's, where we had a delicious three-course meal, but that Pizza Express was stuck in my brain. I thought it was brilliant how Marney worked a visit to the museum into the book.

Ellie Marney was born in the tropical northeast of Australia, and has lived in Indonesia, Singapore and India. Now she writes, teaches, talks about kids' literature at libraries and schools, and gardens when she can, while living in a country idyll (actually a very messy wooden house on ten acres with a dog and lots of chickens) near Castlemaine, in north-central Victoria. Even though she often forgets things and lets the housework go, her partner and four sons still love her. Ellie's short stories for adults have won awards and been published in various anthologies. Every Word is her second novel for young adults.

Find Ellie online: {Website || Twitter || GoodReads || Instagram}

Want your very own copy of Every Word? (Hint: yes, you do.) Tundra and Ellie Marney are generously donating a copy of this fantastic book to one lucky winner in Canada or the US! Enter using the Rafflecopter below - you can do as many or as few entries as you like.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Have you read Every Word? What did you think? If you haven't read it, do you plan to? Do you like books about Sherlockian characters? Let's talk here or on Twitter!

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Wanderlust Wednesday: Changing of the Guard, Buckingham Palace

 

Check out my previous Wanderlust Wednesday posts.

Today's Wanderlust Wednesday is a spotlight on the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace in London. Krista and I decided beforehand that we'd skip this while we were in London because we had a million other things to do and didn't think we'd have time. 

However...on our day trip to Windsor, Bath, and Stonehenge, our tour guide (who was absolutely fantastic) gave us ideas for things to do in London, plus tips for some of the more touristy things. She told us that if you want to see the changing of the guard but don't want to get to Buckingham Palace ages in advance or stand in a huge crowd (which is usually scattered with pickpockets), you should stand on the Mall, which is the long street leading straight from the palace.

So on Saturday morning, we set out with my friend JaimeKristal (who I mentioned in my London Fandom post) and headed to the Mall. I honestly thought the changing of the guard was basically a ceremony switching out the guards at the palace, but it's actually a parade. There was the Welsh Guard, the Household Cavalry, and all kinds of different types of guards. A couple of the groups were marching bands. The whole thing lasted about an hour and was really cool to see! We couldn't see the stuff going on at Buckingham Palace, but we had a great spot otherwise and there was hardly anyone around us (you can see in some of the pics that there were a lot of people across the street, so we picked the right side!). Next time I go to London, I think it'd be worth it to arrive at Buckingham Palace early, clutch my purse tight against pickpockets, and see the ceremony close-up. 

*Please note: Krista and I finally exchanged pictures when I spent part of Labour Day weekend with her, and since she has an incredible professional camera and I was just using my phone (which is awesome, but nothing compared to a pro camera!), all the pictures in this post except for the first two are Krista's*

The Mall

Me, Krista, JaimeKristal

The Household Cavalry...these are one of the only ones I can identify, and it's because Krista is obsessed with horses + men in uniform, so we ended up at the Household Cavalry twice during our week in London lol

I believe this is the Welsh guard, but don't quote me on that!

The ceremony starts and ends from St. James' Palace, which is off the Mall, so we followed them when it was over and got to see them going in there and doing some ceremonial things.

Another tip: the parade is cancelled if the weather is crappy, and it can be cancelled with little to no notice, so aim for a nice day if you plan to go. It looked like rain the day we went and Krista was worried, but luckily it didn't rain until later and the ceremony went on as usual.

 

Have you seen the changing of the guard? Did you stand at Buckingham Palace, the Mall, or Birdcage Lane? Or maybe you've seen the changing of the guard somewhere else? We saw part of it at Windsor Castle, which was really cool. If you haven't seen it, would you like to someday? I know it's not something that appeals to everyone, but if you're hesitant or on the fence, I'd say it's totally worth it! Let's talk here or on Twitter!

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Wanderlust Wednesday: Montmartre and Sacre Coeur, Paris

 

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When I went to Paris in 2011, there were two big things I didn't get to do that I was looking forward to doing this time around: the Musée d'Orsay (which I'll be talking about in a future Wanderlust Wednesday post), and Montmartre. For those of you who don't know, Montmartre (meaning 'mountain of the martyr') is in the 18th arrondissement of Paris. It's best known for the gorgeous church in the pictures below, Sacre Coeur Basilica, as well as the fact it was (and still is) a popular hang-out for famous artists in the early 20th century (think Van Gogh, Monet, Picasso, Modigliani, just to name a few), plus it's famous for it's Red Light District, including Moulin Rouge (which I'll also be talking about in a future WW post).

 

Our hotel was quite close to Montmartre, so I was hoping we'd get to do some exploring there on our own, but since we only had two days in Paris, we just didn't have time. Luckily there was a group dinner there the night before our Contiki group parted ways. The tour Krista and I signed up for was London and Paris with possible extensions, so we were all together in London and Paris, but then people could choose to leave after Paris, stay in Paris a few extra days, or go on to Amsterdam or Rome. The last official night we were all together as a group, there was an optional dinner, and everyone went.

 

We were dropped off and had time to take pictures and get up the never-ending stairs in front of Sacre Coeur. I'm bummed I didn't get to see inside the basilica, but at least I got to see it this time, and it's on my list for next time! It was a beautiful evening, so there were a ton of people hanging out, drinking beer and wine on the steps, and taking pictures. We got to see a bit of the area (beautiful old buildings and cobblestone streets) as we walked to the restaurant. I needed an ATM, so Krista and I got to see a bit more of the area as we wandered around, got lost twice, and then finally found our way. It really is a beautiful area, and I'd love to spend more time there and explore properly next time.

 

I'm happy I got to eat two fancy French meals in Paris: one at Moulin Rouge, and one at the restaurant in Montmartre. It was a three-course meal and we got to choose between several different appetizers and entrées - I had French onion soup, boeuf bourguignon, and brie and an amazing cake in cream sauce for dessert. It was delicious. Each place setting had a glass of rosé, and then there were carafes of red and white wine on the table. Everyone else at my table was drinking the white, so I may or may not have drank an entire carafe or red wine myself...and then had an awesome buzz while walking through the streets of Montmartre to our bus, which took us to the Eiffel Tower to see the city at night.

Have you been to Montmartre? What did you think? If you haven't been, do you hope to go someday? Let's talk here or on Twitter!

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Wanderlust Wednesday: The Roman Colosseum

 

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Rome was Krista's most anticipated place on our UK and European adventure. She's always been interested in Roman history and mythology, so she had a to-see/do list about a mile long. I've always been fascinated with Rome too, but in a more...passive way, I guess? It was somewhere on my 'someday' list, but until we started planning our trip, I didn't know if I'd ever actually get there. Imagine my surprise when arrived in Rome and I was completely, madly in love with the city. 

The Colosseum was one of my top things to see in the Eternal City. I don't think I'll ever forget that moment when we emerged from the metro and there it was, larger than life. I had to remember to keep walking and get out of the way so I wouldn't get plowed down by other people coming out of the underground! It was an amazing sight.

Here's a tip if you're planning a visit to the Colosseum: there's an 'inclusive' ticket that includes the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill. Walk a short distance past the Colosseum to the Roman Forum and buy your ticket there (12 Euro as of June 2015). You'll wait maybe ten minutes in line at the Forum, as opposed to possibly a couple hours at the Colosseum. When you get to the Colosseum, you'll see two lines: one to buy tickets, and one to breeze right in with your pre-bought ticket. Also, the ticket is good for two days, so you can split it up if you want and do the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill one day and the Colosseum the next day!

Krista and I were both sort of struck speechless as we looked around. It was incredible to stand there, knowing the place had almost 2,000 years worth of history, much of it bloody and gruesome.

Have you been to the Colosseum? What did you think? If you haven't been, do you hope to go someday? Are you interested in Roman history? Gladiators? Let's talk here or on Twitter!

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Wanderlust Wednesday: Stonehenge

 

Check out my previous Wanderlust Wednesday posts.

I've always been fascinated with Stonehenge. As someone who's interested not only in history, but also in things that are mystical, Stonehenge - the history of it, its purpose, how it was built - has always intrigued me. 

When Krista and I started planning our, Stonehenge and Bath were originally included in our Contiki tour as optionals, but something changed along the way and they were dropped from the list. Luckily we knew well in advance, and it was something we were both interested in, so we booked a tour on our own for one of our free days. We did Windsor Castle, Bath, and Stonehenge - I'll talk about Windsor and Bath in future Wanderlust Wednesday posts.

 

Stonehenge was incredible. It's a strange feeling to walk around the circle, knowing those stones have stood there for thousands of years without anyone really knowing their true purpose or how they got there. Imagine the rituals that must have been performed within that circle over the centuries. Light magic, dark magic, sacrifices? Witches, pagans, druids.  

 

One thing I found interesting while we were there was the multitude of crows flying around. I've always associated crows and ravens with supernatural forces, and there were tons of them around Stonehenge. We didn't see any anywhere else we went, just there. I pointed it out to Krista and I think we both got goosebumps! We were there just a couple days before Summer Solstice, which was cool, too. I'd love to go some year on the Solstice and witness the ceremonies.

Have you been to Stonehenge? What did you think? If you haven't been, do you hope to go someday? Let's talk here or on Twitter!

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