Top Takeaways (Twenty Three) - Western Europe

We've covered a lot of ground during two months in Western Europe but we feel like there is still so much more to see! Here are our top takeaways from our time in the Netherlands, Spain, France, Portugal, England and Italy.

One of our favorite spots: The Amalfi Coast.

1. Tourism is alive and well. While we knew that the countries we visited in Western Europe appealed to many tourists, particularly Americans, we still weren't prepared for the hoards of people we encountered near ever major sight. We tried to adjust to waiting in lines and fighting for the best view but we never really enjoyed the experience as much as some of our previous sightseeing.

2. Having said that, it's still possible to get off the beaten path. If you are comfortable missing some of the "must-see" places, you can easily create a unique and enjoyable travel experience, even in crowded cities. We bypassed the Uffizi gallery in Florence and didn't venture inside St. Mark's Cathedral in Venice but instead found empty side-streets and perfect hilltop views. Our preferences have definitely evolved over the past year and we now actively seek the road less traveled.

3. Besides maybe Japan, Western Europe is the most expensive area we've visited. Portugal aside, we found most places to be very pricey. If you are looking for a more budget-friendly trip, we would recommend Southeast Asia or Eastern Europe first!

4. Unfortunately, crime can happen anywhere. Of all the places we've been, we didn't expect France to be the sight of the single worst occurrence during our journey. We consider ourselves pretty tough New Yorkers and are constantly alert, but the truth is no one is immune from opportunist criminals.

5. Paris remains the city of romance. Alex and I had both separately been to Paris in our teenage years and didn't have particularly fond memories of the city; coming back together was a completely different experience. Given the city's size, we found it easy to just wander around and get lost in the charming streets and neighborhood parks. Even after five days, I felt like we didn't get to see everything and now I can't wait to come back!

6. England's reputation for disappointing food is unwarranted. Seriously! We admittedly had excellent hosts who directed us to the best restaurants but we had some of our best meals in the land of the British. Alex and I can definitely get behind the local pub food and traditional Sunday night roast!

7. Italian food really is as delicious as advertised. Speaking of food, we really can't deny the appeal of Italian cuisine. In addition to the perfectly cooked pasta, oven-baked pizza and fresh tomatoes and mozzarella, the local seafood and cured meats were equally tasty. Certainly not the healthiest way to end our journey, but probably the most delicious!

8. Nearly everyone speaks English. Alex and I rarely encountered a serious language barrier - the major cities in Western Europe attract so many tourists that English is widely spoken. My favorite example of this was an American mom and teen who commented (negatively) on my outfit in English while I stood next to them at a crosswalk in Rome; I assume my deep tan implied that I was an Italian, but seriously the Italians speak English too!

9. Traveling within the Eurozone is very efficient and highly convenient. In complete contrast to the US, train travel in Europe is fast, easy and relatively affordable. We were most surprised that no one checked our passports between countries (until we got to the UK) - guess we'll just have to come back for those passport stamps!

10. There will always be a reason to come back to Western Europe! We still feel like we barely scratched the surface and we are excited that we still have so many future trips to take. Completing the France road trip we didn't get to take and visiting Scandinavia are probably the two standouts for us.

Peak: Celebrating the wedding of our friends Blythe and Cody with our friends in Levanto

Pit: Getting robbed in Marseille

Next Stop: Japan (by way of New Jersey / New York)

Paris

We spent Thursday getting organized in Lisbon and mapping out our game plan for Paris and London. Disappointed to learn that Brunch Café was closed for "vacation" for the next two weeks (we could really get used to the European way of life!), we headed back to our reliable restaurant marketplace, Mercado de Ribeira, for one final meal. 

Our late afternoon flight was slightly delayed so it was nearly midnight by the time we made it to Paris. While we were both pretty tired, we were excited to see a lively atmosphere at the crowded bars and clubs in Montmartre, our home for the next four days.

We woke up on Friday morning with the sun shining through our AirBNB apartment windows (tonight we will remember to pull the shades!) so we headed out early for some coffee nearby. I decided immediately that I loved the surrounding neighborhood, which was full of cute shops, cafes and restaurants and also reminded me of New York. After deux café au laits (four years of French is slowwwly coming back to us), Alex and I headed up the hill to check out the Sacré-Coeur.

Looking out down the hills and toward Paris.

Gazing up at the beautiful church (without the hordes of tourists already scurrying around the area).

We noticed that almost everyone else ended their tour after taking photographs from the front and venturing inside; we headed around back and found a beautiful little park to stop at for a rest (and as you can see, very few other tourists ventured back here!).

Time to walk down the steps through Montmartre!

Looking back up toward the basilica one more time.

We spent a couple of hours exploring the Montmartre area on foot and ended with a leisurely lunch at a cute outdoor café before heading into central Paris for the afternoon. Our first stop was the Arc de Triomphe, where we purchased our Paris Museum Pass (definitely recommend buying one if you spend a few days exploring the city - the pass is good at most sites, including Versailles) and checked out the views from the top. Unfortunately the weather was a bit hazy so we decided to return once the sky cleared up (another benefit of the pass - unlimited entries!).

While it looks like I am about to be run over, I was actually standing on a median!

Completely overheated from the muggy weather, Alex and I decided to spend the afternoon in the Louvre. I had admittedly been dreading this part of the trip given my memory of the number of tourists pushing through to see the famous works of art and the current prevalence of selfie sticks. Unfortunately, it was worse than I remembered!

I know I am not a museum person but come on! This is simply not enjoyable!

This picture pretty much sums up our thoughts on seeing the Mona Lisa: selfie required, pushing mandatory, frustration inevitable.

In all seriousness, it's a shame that the museum's crowds lessen the experience so significantly; it's hard to imagine Alex or I ever going back to the Louvre in its current state. Seeking a more peaceful experience, we headed to some of the lesser-known exhibits and definitely found a slightly less hectic route through the museum.

Alex is always drawn to the ancient Egyptian / Persian artifacts.

We can never resist a great view of the surrounding landscape!

I was drawn to the beautiful blue and turquois tiles displayed throughout the Persian exhibit.

Looking back at the Louvre.

We spent the remainder of the late afternoon strolling around the parks and gardens near the Seine river and by the evening we were ready to call it a day.

Checking out the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel. About half the size of the more famous Arc de Triomphe de l'Etoile, we thought it also looked similar to Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.

Definitely a few degrees cooler by the water!

Opting for a lighter dinner, we hopped into a local grocery and picked up some meats, cheeses and baguettes (but of course!) for a picnic in our apartment. While located on the sixth floor of a pre-war walk-up building, the apartment also has pretty nice views of Montmartre and we were able to enjoy the sunset at our temporary home.

We actually missed a brief thunderstorm - glad we made it back in time for the sunset!

We reserved Saturday for a day trip to Versailles but made sure to save enough time in the morning to grab a pastry to go from a shop around the corner...

Quite the display! I convinced Alex to stray from his usual pain au chocolat to try the poire et chocolat pinwheel and let me just say: it’s hard to select a bad pastry in Paris!

Even though the public transportation system in Paris will take you directly to Versailles, the journey took nearly two hours door-to-door. Once we saw the predictable masses of tourists waiting to get inside, we were thankful we thought to bring sandwiches and cold water to enjoy while we stood in line.

The interior of Versailles is certainly something to behold, but I think both Alex and I enjoyed exploring the outdoor gardens more. While the rooms inside are ornate and beautifully decorated, it all started to feel a little overwhelming given the huge number of visitors that pass through each day.

Walking into the front of the palace.

I liked this golden statue of Venus.

Checking out one of many ivy-covered archways in the gardens.

Looking out onto the gardens from the palace.

Watching the final fountain display at Neptune's Fountain. (Tip: if you go to Versailles, try to plan around the fountain shows, which only occur on select days and at select times).

This was one of my favorite views in the entire complex.

Once we got back to Paris, we got off near the Eiffel Tower to check out the views - and many brides being photographed!

It took a couple tries to get this shot - the first woman I asked actually managed to get a picture of us without any part of the tower!

It really is a beautiful sight.

Thinking of the movie Inception.

Realizing we still had a couple of hours until sunset (the sun sets at 10pm during the summertime here!), we had a casual dinner at Oscar. We figured the place would be packed, but it turned out that we had the entire restaurant to ourselves...normally when I see a restaurant with no one else in it, I decide we need to change plans (if no one else is there, it must be bad, right?). But it must have been a fluke that it was empty tonight because its 4.5 starts in TripAdvisor are very well deserved!

Afterward, we made our way back to the Arc de Triomphe and repeated the climb to the top - this time the weather cooperated and we were able to catch some amazing views.

Dusk falling on La Tour Eiffel.

Looking back toward the financial district.

We woke up a little later on Sunday and geared up for another day of sightseeing, beginning with the Musée d'Orsay. Alex and I tend to prefer Impressionist art to Renaissance styles so we really enjoyed many of the pieces on display here (not to mention the lower volume of tourists!).

Rooftop views of the Seine.

Looking out through the old clocktower.

A couple of my favorite pieces by Monet at the museum.

Alex and I both liked the bright colors in this pointillism style piece.

After we were finished at the museum, we walked along the Seine toward Notre Dame. The church was beautiful but we didn't stay long because it was mobbed with tourists and the entrance to go up to the top had just closed. We'll come back tomorrow to check out the views from the top.

The views from across the river, looking back at Notre Dame.

We walked to St. Germain to enjoy a few glasses of wine outdoors and spent a few hours chatting and people watching before dinnertime. Based on the recommendation of our friend Jill in Barcelona we headed to L'entrecote for their famous steak-frites. I was so hungry I ate everything before snapping a pic, but believe me when I say the food was amazing (it better be with lines out the door and no menu!). We went to bed full and happy, ready for one more day in Paris.

Feeling a little lethargic, we jumpstarted the day with a run through the city...and then promptly undid our efforts with some delicious crepes for lunch. While our crepes were stuffed with delicious ingredients, I still prefer an omelet / egg  or sandwich base to the dry crepe wrap and am looking forward to just that when we make it back to the States!

After lunch, we walked back to Notre Dame and only had to wait about 45 minutes before being granted access to the rooftop. Needless to say, the wait was worth it!

Alex loved all of the different gargoyles looking out onto the city.

I thought this guy was pretty creepy but the views of Paris cannot be beat.

After taking in the views at Notre Dame, we headed to the nearest Longchamp location (there are a LOT throughout the city) to buy Alex's mom a bag as a thank you gift for all the help she's been while we've been away. Who doesn't like a limited edition bag from a French designer, purchased in Paris?

New bag in hand, we made our way by metro back towards the Eiffel Tower so we could eventually watch the sunset there after dinner. As we walked to dinner at Bistrot Chez Franz we were treated to beautiful views of the Eiffel Tower, which never seems to get old.

None of the locals seemed as impressed as we were.

Our dinner experience was actually pretty memorable - some good and some bad. Chez France is run by a husband and wife team, but unfortunately the wife was completely overwhelmed and could not attend to 8 tables at once (understandably, but still a bit frustrating to wait 20 minutes for water). The food was incredible - Alex and I loved every single thing we ordered - but the surrounding company (mostly annoying American tourists) was not. To top it off, a cute elderly lady sitting next to us got sick and vomited directly on the table...depositing every bite of the meal she'd just finished right back onto the plate! Maybe give this relatively new place a few months to sort itself our before you visit?

After dinner - we left pretty quickly after the unpleasant incident above - we followed the lead of every other tourist and local around and grabbed some wine to watch the sun set behind the Eiffel Tower. The drunk college students and rowdy teenagers made the whole scene feel a little bit like a spring break party, but the view was definitely worth sticking around for.

I maintain that the giant inflatable tennis ball is an eyesore, but I am sure the advertising fees are quite high.

A man, his beard and the Eiffel Tower.

One more before bedtime.

Tomorrow we are taking a morning train to London and Alex and I are both excited to spend time with our friends and former colleagues before heading home to NYC!

Merde

Unfortunately, our time in Marseille will forever be overshadowed by the single worst occurrence of our trip to date: our rental car was broken into and all of my belongings were stolen. Early on Thursday Alex and I drove up to Notre-Dame de La Garde to check out the beautiful church and hillside views before heading further south for a hike. Because the freezing wind was so intense, we only stayed 20 minutes – apparently enough time for a brazen criminal to smash the window, unlock the car and grab my purse, both of my backpacks and our iPhones. We realized we still had Alex’s belongings – including our camera, laptop, passports and his wallet – so we tried not to panic and immediately involved the church staff and police.

These are professionals who have done this before - they got in by breaking this small window and using a coat hanger to open the door from inside. BUT THE UPSIDE: The only thing of mine not taken? The dress I bought for a friend’s upcoming wedding. Not very helpful right now but I’m sure I will appreciate it later!

After a harrowing, stressful and emotional two days in Marseille, we made the difficult decision to cancel the France road trip we had planned for the next two weeks. Beyond the obvious rental car damage and logistical challenges we faced, the driving experience in Marseille was also miserable. Instead, we booked two relaxing weeks in nearby, sunny Portugal to try and shake off the darkness of the past 48 hours. Not exactly how we planned to end the European part of our adventure, but hopefully a vast improvement over our time in Marseille!

P.S. Below are some “highlights” from our time here; while we did get to see some impressive sights, neither Alex nor I really feel up to the task of showcasing a place that caused us so much misfortune.

Looking up at Notre-Dame de la Garde from the Old Port. (Yes, alright, it's beautiful).

The Marseille Cathedral.

Did Dali design this gazebo?

Blissfully ignorant that at this exact moment, we were being robbed. (Thought Alex's only problem at the time was not wearing pants!)

Up close at Notre-Dame de la Garde.

Inside the church. Very nautical-themed, if you ask us.

Looking out to sea from Notre-Dame de la Garde. Beautiful...but we just won't remember this view favorably...