Six months ago, I received a phone call about an opportunity to go on a trip to Europe. Colten & I needed time to talk it over and pray about it. But from the beginning my husband encouraged me to go. All I needed to do was get my passport, and I’d be on my way across the pond!
6 months later and I’ve just returned from an incredible 9 day trip to London & France.
There are too many things to share all of them, but at least this way you all get a chance to see what I experienced in a small way.
Kensington Palace
Kensington Palace
Buckingham Palace
We spent the first several days in London and I fell in love with the city. I had never been to a foreign country where I could read the signs and understand the language, and that was pretty neat.
We visited Windsor Castle, Kensington Palace, & Buckingham Palace. We spent time at Westminster Abbey. We walked across the Tower Bridge and saw the Crown Jewels. We rode a boat down the Thames River where we could see all the famous landmarks from the river, including Big Ben & the London Eye (Ferris wheel).
Windsor Castle
Westminster Abbey
I loved hearing the accents while in London and my favorite phrase was “Mind the Gap” when getting on and off the tube. Speaking of the tube, we took so many different forms of transportation. We rode a 2-decker bus, Uber’s, the tube (their subway system), and a boat!
We visited Wellington Church on Sunday morning and it was a joy. The people were friendly and welcoming and the Pastor & his wife are doing a wonderful job sharing the Hope of Jesus in a place where churches are few and far in-between. I’ve always loved visiting churches in other countries and all worshipping together as one. Despite cultural differences and geographical location, Jesus breaks down all barriers and doesn’t turn anyone away. Christian fellowship is such a unique blessing.
On our third day in London, it rained on and off most of the afternoon. There was a cold breeze and it felt like fall. We actually had great weather the majority of the trip and the temperatures were perfect! We also got to spend the day with a sweet missionary couple who came over from Belgium!
On our last day in London, we had brunch and did some shopping at the famous Harrods. In the late afternoon, we caught the train from London to Paris. They call it the chunnel, and it was a great way to see England and France countryside!
When we arrived in Paris, we went straight to our Air B&B and that alone was an adventure! We ended up in an Uber that was not big enough for our group and all of our luggage, and it was quite comical.
Paris was much more than I expected it to be. I had heard it was dirty and the people weren’t always friendly, but I didn’t find that to be true. In fact, I found it to be quite charming.
My favorite part of Paris had to be all the open cafes and delicious coffee. In the morning, we’d walk to a cafe and sit outside for breakfast. One morning, my view was of the Arc de Triumph!
Our first morning in Paris, after breakfast, we walked around a corner, and there was the beautiful Eiffel Tower. I’d seen it from a distance peeking between trees, but that was my first full view and it was gorgeous.
We visited the Louvre and saw the Mona Lisa. The line to see her started on floor one and she was on floor four! We were able to see Notre Dame but it was closed due to construction. We also visited a Holocaust Memorial and I learned quite a bit that I didn’t know.
We spent time in the Luxembourg Garden and it was beautiful! We saw men of all ages playing chess & petanque (a very popular French game). We saw a smaller version of the Statue of Liberty there as well.
We went to a chocolate store that had been around since 1761. We went to a bakery and bought chocolate croissants & macaroons. And we even had gelato sherbet in the shape of a flower (and topped with a macaroon!)
One afternoon, we visited Saint-Chapelle and the stained glass windows were breathtaking. It once housed what is thought to be the crown of thorns that Jesus wore.
We had a great time in Paris, and I really did enjoy the city. It still seems surreal at times, that I had the privilege of visiting these famous landmarks and I am so grateful for the opportunity.
We spent our last several days in Normandy, France. We visited the D-Day beaches and memorials and it was incredibly touching. We spent time at the American Cemetery where 2,000 Americans gave their lives to help free the country of France. This was the most sobering part of the trip, and it made me even more proud to be an American.
On our last day, we visited Mont Saint Michel Abbey. It is surrounded by water when the tide comes in, it consists of many shops, restaurants, and a chapel at the top. We didn’t quite make it all the way up to the top (see pictures and you’ll understand why 😆), but it was beautiful and definitely a highlight of the trip! We ate dinner in the sweetest little French town on our way home and it was a great way to end our evening.
We stayed in Air B&B’s the entire trip, and it was neat to experience life as the locals do in that way. The last place we stayed was in a chatoue and it felt like we were a part of a Jane Austen novel. It was snuggled in a small village in the country-side of France and was perfect.
I feel incredibly blessed to have been able to go on this trip. I wasn’t sure how I would handle it physically, but the Lord gave me strength and energy to do all that we wanted to (though we might have had to Uber a few more times than planned 😉). Our group was so fun and we laughed a lot. We didn’t meet the queen, but we did see John Cena sitting at a local coffee shop in London and the Prime Minister’s motorcade as they dropped him off at his home after a long days work!
It was certainly the trip of a lifetime and I am so, so grateful I had a chance to be a part of it! We didn’t get to do everything, simply because there is SO much to see. I guess that means I’ll just have to go back, and take Colten with me next time! 😁 Have you been to London or France? What was your favorite part?
Au Revoir!
*All professional looking photos in this blog were taken by the very talented Christina Fagerberg.
That She May Know 