Pic heavy, detailed Vision OTS review/recount of our 12nighter out of Barcelona!

[Hailzmick]

Haggis...

 

Views in Luss

 

Hannah, Jen & I

 

 

[Hailzmick]

Alan's family own a farm, so I was lucky enough to see some horses & play with three day old lambs!!!

It was my highlight of Scotland, (I'm SUCH an animal lover!!!!)

 

Awwwww

 

Best day ever

[Hailzmick]

Scotland, continued.

 

We spent a day in Edinburgh & you know what?! It was the only day on the entire trip that it rained! & did it rain! We went to a castle & it was truly magnificent. Such a super awesome long weekend, although it wasn't long enough!!!

Jen & the boys visited a House of Horrors type place, that told stories of history, but by real people & they made you the characters. There was 10 scenes all up. I am the biggest scaredy cat of all times, & after learning my lesson at Universal Studios Haunted House in LA, I'll never do another scary thing as long as I live!

[Hailzmick]

The car ride to Edinburgh

 

Rain rain, go away!

 

Luckily we were weather ready! Lol

 

ITS A CASTLE!!!!!!

 

A real castle!

 

[Hailzmick]

Closer to the castle

 

The drawbridge!!!

 

Next up, PARIS!!!

[Hailzmick]

PARIS, FRANCE. (3 days)

We caught a flight on the Monday, which happened to be a bank holiday, from Glasgow to Paris.

 

TIP NUMBER FOUR:

Try to look up local public/bank holidays or events, just in case it clashes with flights or trains. We knew it was a long weekend & wanted the extra time with our friends, but it did cost us an extra $300 more than it usually would!

 

The man at Glasgow airport felt sorry for me that I had too many things to carry, ha ha, so he put us through the priority line. Woohoo. See Mick, it pays to pack a lot! Lol!!!

Our flight was super quick and uneventful... Thank goodness. There was a school group on the plane with us and they were super quiet! (I did think, whoa, imagine doing a school camp to PARIS!!!)

We got a taxi to our AirBnB apartment, which was ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!

It was in the Montparnasse area, (South of the Eiffel Tower) & brilliant.

We didn't bother unpacking anything, but went to have a look around our neighbourhood.

We went to a bakery & a local supermarket & got a whole lot of French foods & made a mini picnic.

That night we met up with someone I had worked with for the last eight years, who is now teaching in Paris. It was great to see him, but we were super tired, so we headed back to the apartment.

[Hailzmick]

Our first sight of the Eiffel Tower

 

Our apartment

 

 

 

 

Our French picnic

[Hailzmick]

Paris continued...

 

The next day, all day, we did the Hop On, Hop Off bus again. It was thru the same company, Big Bus Tours & was equally as good as in London.

We stopped at the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, the Lourve and way too many other breath taking places!

[Hailzmick]

The Eiffel Tower

 

 

 

 

 

[Hailzmick]

More of the hop on, hop off bus

 

 

 

 

 

[Hailzmick]

& mooooore!!! Paris is so pretty!!!!!

 

Cool bikes you can hire!

 

 

 

Perfection! But super busy!

 

[Hailzmick]

This was the day that I think my millionth selfie was achieved. Ha ha. Even Mick got into the spirit. The Eiffel Tower was absolutely out of this world. We had all kinds of photos with it & of it.

 

Side note: although Mick & I are married... I've always dreamt of being proposed to at the Eiffel Tower. It's just something that I really wanted to happen. Mick had refused every single time I talked about it. (He can be super shy sometimes & doesn't like crowds!)

So, when we were smack bang underneath it, I asked him if he wanted to ask me anything... (Ha ha, poor guy, I'm not pushy at all, am I?!)

Well, HE ASKED ME!!! Yes, it was a whisper in my ear, but he asked me & that's all that matters. Woohoo!!!

The best pics came at night time, when it was lit up with thousands of lights. An experience I will never forget.

I will also never forget how rude the French people were to us. We spoke in French to them & they were still rude. So many people spat in the streets & we also saw so many dogs poo in the middle of the streets & their owners must ignored it. It was awesome to see the sights, but we wouldn't go back to France at all. Next stop, Bordeaux.

[Hailzmick]

Wow!!!!

 

Oohhhhhh, lovers! [emoji177][emoji182]

 

 

This is when he asked me!!!

 

Becoming night time

 

[Hailzmick]

 

Sorry, I can't stop posting!!!!

 

Okay, one more!!!

[Hailzmick]

I'll post about Bordeaux tomorrow... Sorry it's taking so long! I'm REALLY enjoying this though! Lol xxx Hailz

[A&L_Ont]

I'll post about Bordeaux tomorrow... Sorry it's taking so long! I'm REALLY enjoying this though! Lol xxx Hailz

 

Don't worry about it. I am enjoying your review too. You 2 look like your having a blast. You have done so many fun things, and you haven't even got on the ship.

 

Andrew

[Virtopia]

I am really enjoying this review! I will be on the Vision next September but your pre cruise adventures are great!! Definitely following along for the rest of the journey.

[RenaeG]

...

Edited June 22, 2015 by RenaeG

[RenaeG]

Is it wrong that I'm reading your review with my version of an Aussie accent (hint of NY'er) in my head - my favorite is "Melbourne", which in my real voice sounds like Mel'Bawrn, but in my "Aussie" voice it's Mel'bin ;)

 

I'm always amazed.. and more importantly, impressed, when I read reviews of people traveling to faraway lands just to get to their vacation (holiday) destination. I couldn't imagine having to organize planes, trains.. hotels.. cruise, and then more than likely do it all again in reverse. :eek:

 

Enjoying your review, and you're not even on the cruise part yet. :)

 

 

I took a 28 hour flight from Melbourne to Miami to join Allure of the Seas last year for a 7 day cruise. Don't worry I stayed for another 2 weeks to potter about the carrribean but it was the cruise I was really there for! I'm fly to NYC in January just to take a cruise on Anthem.

[Hailzmick]

I took a 28 hour flight from Melbourne to Miami to join Allure of the Seas last year for a 7 day cruise. Don't worry I stayed for another 2 weeks to potter about the carrribean but it was the cruise I was really there for! I'm fly to NYC in January just to take a cruise on Anthem.

 

 

I don't mind flying, but I could NEVER fly for over 20 hours without it being for at least a month. You must really love Allure!!! Lol. :-)

[Ned49]

I am really enjoying your review. We are doing a cruise next year from Barcelona, as we are originally from the UK we are going there first, Manchester, to catch up with family. I will be interested to hear how a med cruise compares with an "Aussie" cruise. Eg dress codes, as we know us Aussies can be a little relaxed.

[Hailzmick]

I am really enjoying your review. We are doing a cruise next year from Barcelona, as we are originally from the UK we are going there first, Manchester, to catch up with family. I will be interested to hear how a med cruise compares with an "Aussie" cruise. Eg dress codes, as we know us Aussies can be a little relaxed.

 

 

Ohhh, there's quite a big difference!! Can't wait to write about it!!! :-)

[Hailzmick]

BORDEAUX, FRANCE. (3 days)

We got the train from Paris to Bordeaux, then a taxi to our apartment just out of town in the University district. Until now, I had not lost a game of Skipbo, which is unheard of... Must be something about being on the other side of the world that made me so good at it!

 

Bordeaux. (This was in our street).

 

Our cute little apartment

 

 

 

[Hailzmick]

In Bordeaux we had our first sleep in, stumbled across the most amazing market, ate duck breast baguettes, drank €1 glasses of wine & ate Nutella crepes. We became absolute pros at working out local metro & tram systems too. (Thanks to lots of apps & pre loaded maps on my phone!

 

The market! So amazing seeing all the food!!!

 

 

Just in case you're not sure which cheese is which...

 

Mmmm cheese

 

Duck!!!

 

[Hailzmick]

Bordeaux continued...

 

We did a wine appreciation tour, paired with cheeses & took a trolley ride that nearly killed us.

 

Just the one bottle thanks!!!

 

The trolley car

 

Us looking way too cool for school