Best Walking Tour:
I went on walking tours in Dublin, Cork, Berlin, Belfast, Kilkenny, London, and Paris, and while I learned a lot on all of them, London was definitely my favorite. Not only did we get to see all of London's major landmarks, we also got to see the Changing of the Guard, a car that possibly had Queen Elizabeth in it, and take pictures with guard in from of Charles and Camilla's house. We also had fairly decent weather, so all in all, this tour was bloody brilliant.
Best Museum:
Usually I'm not a big fan of museums, so I was surprised when I actually ended up enjoying most of the museums I went to. From the Louvre to the Leprechaun Museum to the National Gallery of Scotland, every museum had something cool to offer, and the since it rained on every single trip I went on, going to museums was a great indoor activity. Hands down though, my favorite was the Holocaust Museum in Berlin. Going there was a very eye-opening experience, and it was really powerful to learn about something so horrific in the place where it happened.
Best View:
Despite all of the terrible weather I had this semester, I got very lucky in a few places and had some great outdoor experiences. In Mizen Head, I really fell in love with Ireland; at the Duomo in Florence I got an awesome view of a country I always wanted to visit, and seeing the Eiffel Tower sparkle at night from the top of Montparnasse was picture perfect. There were so many times I was overcome by the beauty, both natural and man-made, that surrounded me, and the winner for Best View is Arthur's Seat in Scotland. The weather was perfect, the hike to the top was challenging, and getting to see what felt like all of Edinburgh, from the castle to the ocean, was absolutely incredible.
Best Castle:
Speaking of castles, I saw a lot of those this semester too. The exterior of all of the castles was beautiful, and the inside of each was full of history, and I liked each one for different reasons. As cliche as this sounds though, nothing beats Blarney Castle. All of the legends about wishing stones, poisonous gardens, and of course, the Gift of Gab, make Blarney Castle a fun place to explore and a great introduction to old Irish legends.
Best Hostel:
Now for the exact opposite of castles: hostels. Staying in hostels was interesting, and although I had some gross experiences (namely, a cat on my friend's bed), they weren't as bad as I thought they would be. In Florence, we rented an apartment in the city center, and that was definitely my favorite place we stayed. But, since that's technically not a hostel, this award goes to Caulaincourt Square Hostel in Paris. The location was perfect; it was in a part of the city that was close to a metro and Sacre Cour, but since it wasn't right in the city center there weren't a lot of tourists. My friends and I had a private room, it was very clean, and, to top it all off, we got free homemade croissants and baguettes for breakfast.
Best Food:
While we're on the topic of croissants and baguettes, it's time for the Best Food award. This was probably the hardest to choose, because, as anyone who's been following my blog regularly can attest to, I ate some great food in my travels and loved every bite! In Paris, I ate the best salad of my life and discovered a beautiful little dessert called a macaron; in Spain, I fell in love with paella and ate a crepe that accomplished the impossible: being more delicious than any crepe in Paris. I even had great food in Ireland, and I will miss my almost daily cup of tea and brown bread. The best food overall however, was in Florence. I didn't eat anything in Florence that I didn't love, and I wanted to lick my plate and order seconds after every single meal. The spinach ricotta ravioli, zucchini pizza, and of course, copious amounts of gelato, were unforgettable. But, the reason why Florence wins is because a little old man in a sandwich shop made me a sandwich on focaccia bread with prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, and sun dried tomatoes that I will probably dream about for the rest of my life. Usually, I hate prosciutto, so the fact that my mouth waters when I think about this sandwich is what puts Florence over the edge in the food department.
Best Historical Site:
I was lucky enough to spend a week in Italy to visit Florence and Rome, and like Berlin, Rome made me want to take a history class and wish I had paid a little more attention in my freshman year World Civilizations class. When I saw the Colosseum, I was in awe of how people could have built something so epic so long ago with technology that seems like nothing compared to what it is today. With its careful circular design and multiple levels, I now know why Rome wasn't built in a day.
Best Park:
When it wasn't raining, I like to spend as much time as possible outside, and going to parks was a great way to do so. I toured the president of Ireland's house at Phoenix Park in Dublin, enjoyed a perfect outdoor lunch in Paris at the Tuileries Gardens, actually enjoyed getting lost in Hyde Park in London, and escaped to St. Stephen's Green in Dublin whenever I had the chance. But, my favorite park was definitely Parc Guell in Barcelona. The combination of palm trees and Gaudi's amazing mosaics made Parc Guell the prettiest park I saw this semester.
Best Church:
I also saw a lot of churches this semester, and was captivated by how beautiful they were. I went to St. Patrick's Cathedral on St. Patrick's Day, Easter Sunday mass at Notre Dame, and walked through the Vatican the day before Pope Francis was chosen. While all of these churches were incredible and the experience of being in Rome when a pope was picked is something I will always remember, I have to say that Barcelona wins again for prettiest church. Sagrada Familia is the coolest church I have ever seen because it's so unlike all of the other churches I visited. "Awesome" is an understatement, but I really can't think of any adjective that can adequately describe how captivated I was by the inside of Sagrada Familia.
Best Rainy Day Activity:
I experienced a LOT of rain this semester, and although it didn't deter me from making the most of whatever city I was in had to offer, there were some activities that were definitely more fun in the rain than others. When I was in Rome, we visited the Vatican during a thunderstorm, and walking around the interior while hearing the rain outside was incredibly peaceful. Touring the Vatican at any time of day would be awesome, but I think there's something about visiting while it's raining that makes it extra special.
Best Pub:
I went to 30 pubs this semester (yes, I kept a list), and all of them were "great craic," as the Irish would say. On our very first night in Dublin, all of the BC students got on the bus, got off at a random stop, and walked into the first pub we saw for dinner. We somehow ended up at O'Neill's, and this became my favorite pub. With the great live music every night of the week, step dancing bar tenders, and a friendly, laid-back atmosphere, O'Neill's quickly became our go-to pub for a fun night out with great music and, of course, a pint of Bulmers. O'Neill's will always have a special place in my heart, and I know that when I go back to Dublin, it will be the first pub I walk into.
I could go on and on about the best things I did this semester, because I feel like every place I visited, and every landmark I saw was the "best" in its own way. Words cannot even describe how amazing this semester was, and I'm so grateful for all of the opportunities I had for learning, traveling, and meeting new people. These past four months were incredibly life-changing, and I made so many wonderful memories. Dublin has become a new home for me, and like James Joyce, I know that "When I die Dublin will be written in my heart."
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