Europe Field Experience Exploring London and Paris Vanessa Rosales
Day 1 – 5/20 Upon arriving to London, we headed straight to our hotel room and waited. After waiting, we embarked on our first walking tour of London. Our tour guide took us on our first tube ride, which was so easy to navigate, and we headed for the London Eye. From a distance, we saw the London Eye and Big Ben peeking in the background. We then headed for Trafalgar Square and ended up at Salt N’ Pepper in the evening for our first dinner in the city. After dinner, we had free time where we explored Convent Garden and the surrounding area.
Ello London! London Eye!
Day 2 – 5/21 Our second day in the city started off bright and early. We jumped on the tube and made our way to Harrod’s. I had no idea what was in store, everything was beautiful! I could not believe how detailed every inch of the store was. The food court was extravagant and each floor housed every current collection you could think of. After exploring Harrod’s for a bit on our own, we headed to our first appointment of the day. The EDITD office was very modern with a lot of open space and white walls. After a very insightful presentation which taught us all about the software many popular retailers use and the future of buying and forecasting in fashion, we went to visit the Burberry Flagship Store on Regent St. We had a spontaneous presentation of the dressing rooms by an associate at Burberry,
one
word…UNREAL.
The
technology
used
throughout the entire store is so advanced. Visiting the store was an experience out of this world. After visiting the store, we headed to Liberty and then to the Burberry Headquarters where we had a presentation by three employees. The presentation covered topics such as the history of Burberry, its core values, diversity within the company, and my favorite, social media. The luxury fashion house is very active on social media, I loved getting a behind the scenes look at all their channels and the
content that is published on each account. After the Burberry meeting, we had free time to explore the city at our own pace.
Hotel View!!
Day 3 – 5/22 On Day 3 in London, we jumped on a bus and headed to explore the city. Our first stop was a short walking tour of Westminster Abbey. We then drove around the city and got to see Buckingham Palace and a few other places as we sat on the bus. We then made way to Windsor Castle. The extravagance of the each room in the castle left me wanting to redecorate my home! It was incredible knowing that so much history had happened there. After exploring the castle, we took a few selfies with a guard who wanted nothing to do with us. After heading d back to the city to visit London Tower, we broke off on our own to explore the city. We decided to head back to Liberty and then have dinner at The Diner.
Day 4 – 5/23 On our fourth day in London, we headed to the Victoria and Albert museum where we were fortunate enough to see the Alexander McQueen exhibit. The craftsmanship and thought that went into each piece he designed demonstrated his ingenuity. Each collection had a backstory and reflected McQueen’s thoughts, ideas, and struggles. My favorite collection has always been Plato’s Atlantis and I still can’t believe I was lucky enough to see it so close (you know I had to sneak in a picture!). After the McQueen exhibit we ventured off to Brick Lane and received a short but informative tour by Wendy’s friend, Karen. Having a little free time in Brick Lane gave us the chance to shop the local vendors and explore the area. The talent of street artists was very inspiring and demonstrated their incredible skills. My favorite work of art that I came across was a mural of a name, STAR, spelled out in Mylar balloon letters. The artwork looked so realistic and the balloons looked as though they were floating in the air. After Brick Lane we headed to the St. James theatre where we viewed the McQueen play. The play was like a tour into the mind of McQueen and his thoughts. The cast of the play did an amazing job! After the play we headed back to the hotel to pack and get ready for Paris.
Day 5 – 5/24 After a great experience in London, we packed our bags and boarded the Euro Star to Paree! The train ride was quiet and surprisingly fast! Maybe because we slept the whole way. After arriving in Paris, we took our first Metro ride to Porte de Clignancourt where the oldest flea market is located. The surrounding area was very sketchy and made me paranoid, but shopping the flea market vendors eased my nerves. Shopping fixes everything. The experience of being lunch and witnessed a very passionate woman arguing with a man who had blocked traffic on a very narrow street. I was very thankful we got to experience the flea market but was ready to see the charming city of Paris that you see in pictures and movies. We headed back to the city where we had lunch and then met up with our tour guide to take a boat tour down the Seine. After the boat tour, we were able to witness the Eiffel tower all lit up! It was a beautiful sight to see.
Day 6 – 5/25 On our second day in Paris we headed to the Louvre bright and early. We were able to beat the crowds and navigate the museum for a few hours without too many people everywhere. This gave us the chance to see the Mona Lisa up close and personal. We even took selfies with her! We also walked through the Egyptian art and sculptures section and toured Napoleon’s lavish apartments. The museum was huge! Too much ground to cover in just a few hours. After the museum, we headed to Notre Dame Cathedral, Saint Germaine, and then the Latin Quarter. There was something to see everywhere you turned! The Latin Quarter was full of shops and restaurants; we were able to enjoy our first crepe there. After touring the area, we had free time and decided to do a little shopping so we headed to Saint Honore.
Day 7 – 5/26 I had been waiting for Day 7 to arrive since Day 1! Visiting Versailles has been a dream of mine and I can’t believe it came true! We boarded a bus early morning and made a short drive to Versailles. We were first able to experience the gardens which were immaculate! We didn’t have enough time to visit every garden, but the little we did see was incredible. It left me wondering about the lavish parties that were once hosted there. After a million photo opportunities, we headed inside the palace with our tour guide. She was so well versed in all things Versailles, she spoke to us about King Louis XIV, his wife, her children, and most important, Marie Antoinette. I spent my entire time in Versailles completely mesmerized by the decorative rooms and chandeliers. Our time in the palace was short but completely inspired me to add a bit more glam to my life (and apartment!). After the palace, we jumped back on the bus and took a short tour back through the city and headed up to Montmartre. We enjoyed a bit of free time and enjoyed dinner at Chez Eugene. After dinner, we were free to roam the city so we headed to see the Eiffel tower up close and personal. We bought a crepe, people watched, and enjoyed some music by the tower.
Day 8 – 5/27 On our last day in Paris, we headed to Galeries Lafayette and Printemps to do some shopping. It was our last day in the city so we decided to go hard or go home. After a bit too much money spent at Christian Louboutin, Valentino, Chanel, and YSL (combined between 4 girls) we headed to Champs Elysees and decided to make the trek down to the Arc de Triomphe. We stopped at a few stores, people watched, and took selfies with the Arc. After walking down Champs Elysees we raced to have our last dinner in the city. We enjoyed tasty duck a few minutes from the Louvre and started reminiscing on our trip. I could not believe such an amazing trip was coming to an end so quick! After dinner, our sweet teeth lead us to the nearest cafÊ to enjoy our last crepe. We then made our way toward the Pont des Arts to add our locks to the lock bridge and toss our key into the Seine forever. It was the perfect way to seal the deal on a trip that has changed me and inspired me to experience everything the world has to offer.