Second Stop: Turkey

This was supposed to be posted months ago. I have been ridiculous. I can't promise I'll keep posting everyday but certainly not months apart again. Naughty me. Anyway with all the free time ahead, it's time to get back into the swing of things. 

You're probably not going to remember this but I realised I've mentioned my holiday in previous posts and I understand that some have, hopefully, been waiting in anticipation for it. Most likely some of you have had sleepless nights and just couldn't wait any longer for this post. Well, the wait is over. It's here.  

June 2012 was the month that my friends and I decided we were done with the miserable English weather and ready for the scorching hot sun. It being my third time here, I knew pretty much what to expect. The sticky climate, the typical English food and of course the overly nice men. Having said that, there were certainly more positive than negative of this particular holiday. I certainly can't think it's that bad it being my third visit to the European land of Turkey. 

It was time for me and my friends to relive our summers as children. So, first things first, we jumped in. It's always nice to feel young again.

The pool would have to be the highlight of the hotel, despite it's name it wasn't exactly The Hilton. Although, on a girls holiday all you need is a bed to sleep in after a night out and Epic Hotel was our destination. The name sold it to us. 

Walking along the streets of Turkey and taking in the warm evenings, my friends and I came across a number of delights. 

                   

It being a girls holiday with daily activities of drinking, eating and more drinking, we found that soaking up the culture meant petting these gorgeous animals on our way to bar street. 

Being a huge animal lover myself it certainly set a good vibe before the drinks started coming in. 

We learnt a lot. 

Among other activities, most lunch times we took a break from lying in the sun and delved into a bit of gambling. It wasn't quite 5 star casinos in Vegas but the thrill was certainly there. Preparing for old age, we played bingo, it may not appeal to all but once you get that buzz of winning there's no stopping.

As you can see by our reactions here, certain drinks were rather vile. Of course when they're free, as students we couldn't really say no. 

And here's the blue gooey drink that caused our foul faces. 

From what I remember, it was a pretty good holiday. Forgetting the dramas and hangovers it's almost a year on and we're still joking about it. That's got to be a good sign. 

First Stop - Paris

It doesn't take much to please me, so going to a place that gives me more than I could ask for well, that's just fantastic.

Besides expecting the obvious scenery and architecture, I decided to arrive with an open mind, not in fear that I would be disappointed, after all it was Paris.

It was a while ago since I stepped foot into the land of France but that's not to say the memory has faded. The incredible scenery and quaint architecture is something that I think most people would remember and certainly a destination worth visiting more than once. 

Even though the university I attend cancelled our original trip I was highly grateful when they replaced it with a trip to what's known as 'The fashion capital of the world'. Baring this is mind it was inevitable that something educational was involved. However, to some the word 'educational' may imply something tedious, but not for me. A Marc Jacobs exhibition, the educational aspect of the trip, was one of the highlights and certainly something worth seeing.   

 After travelling for a good couple of hours at five in the morning, it was obvious that not many of us were not in the best of moods to be walking around, however, it certainly had to be seen. I will admit, I was slightly disappointed, not with the exhibition itself, but the fact that there should of been much more of it. By all means I'd recommend anyone to see the work of Louis Vuitton presented in such a unique way, but anyone would agree that it was over too quickly. 

The next stop of the day was checking out where we would stay for the night. St Christopher's Inn was the hostel and to be honest it wasn't a place for all. For some, they were happy it was just a one night thing, it being rather basic and slightly grim. Of course, for a typical traveller it probably wouldn't have been half bad, especially with it being filled with plenty of other people to meet. When you're there to just to put your head down after a busy day of sight-seeing, it's not half bad...

... especially with a view like this just outside. 

After a well deserved nap and a couple of hours of getting ready I was eager to see the city. So Rebecca- Elizabeth, Megan Layland, Georgia Mallia and I set off on the Metro to visit L'arc de Triomphe. It's a pity we didn't get very close or even climb up it but it was still truly speculator, especially with the sun setting right behind it. Enough rambling, the picture speaks for itself.  

    

Felt very small here...

    

The next day we had just enough time to make one final stop in the city before we jumped back on the Eurostar.  As we stepped out of the Metro station in gorgeous sunshine weather we hovered about for a second thinking, 'where the hell is it?'. It wasn't until we decided to walk down the street slightly and turn the corner and finally we were there. In front of us was the breathtaking Eiffel Tower. Again the pictures say it all, yet I would encourage anyone that hasn't seen this beautiful city to

 go, right now, and see it. Nothings better than seeing the real thing. 

By all means I had a great time and even though this was my first time visiting, it certainly wasn't the last. 

Look out for my next blog about my adventures in Turkey :) 

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