Eurotrip Part Two: Bath, Cardiff, and Weston-Super-Mare

If you read my previous post, you will know that I recently took an amazing trip to England and France! This is part two of my recent adventures in Europe!

After an awesome time in London, I was off to Bath with my sister Lexi. She is spending a semester abroad in Bath now, and I was excited to see the city she's living in and what her experience is like! Although I had been to London before this trip, this was my first time in Bath, and I ended up loving it even more than I thought I would! The city is on the smaller side, but still has so much going on there. There are a ton of great shops and restaurants, lots of history, beautiful scenery, and the people there were all so friendly!

Lexi and I got to Bath from London a little after midnight, so we just went straight to her house and went to bed. Then the next day, while she was in class, I met up with my friend Ben who lives near Bath! It was great hanging out with him again because the last time I had seen him was almost two years ago when we studied abroad together. On my first full day in Bath, we actually ended up heading to a completely different city—Cardiff! 

Cardiff is a city in Wales and is not too far from Bath by train. Cardiff had a totally different feel to it than Bath and London, but still felt very distinctly British! The first thing we saw was the Cardiff castle. We didn't tour it, because it was very overpriced, but even from where we could see it, it looked really cool! That's one of the many things I love about Europe—there are so many castles! After that, we got some lunch, walked through the city centre, walked down to the water, and walked though the National Assembly for Wales, which is where the Welsh government operates. Cardiff was so pretty and exactly the way I pictured a coastal Welsh city! And then on the way back to Bath, we had an amazing view of the Welsh countryside!

Cardiff Castle

Cardiff city centre

the Welsh seaside

When we got back to Bath, we met up with Lexi for some dinner. We found a Thai place that had such amazing food! I swear, out of everywhere I've ever been, England has some of the best Asian food, second only to Seattle. I got pad thai, which was sooo good! After dinner, we all walked around Bath for a bit, and then Lexi and I headed back to her house, and Ben headed to the hostel where he was staying for the night, because the next day, he and I were taking another day trip...this time to the English seaside!

The next morning, we hopped on a train and headed to a town called Weston-Super-Mare. I had never heard of it until Ben suggested going there, but I am so glad we went! It was a beautiful and relaxing town, and the weather was completely perfect on the day we went. For most of the day, we just walked all along the seafront. We saw the beaches, a big ferris wheel, and the pier. Apparently, the original pier in Weston-Super-Mare burnt down, and this one was built only a few years ago. At the end of the pier, there was food and lots and lots of arcade games! Seeing as we were at the sea, I felt it was fitting to order some fish and chips. And like all the other fish and chips I've had in England, it was delicious and so big! After lunch, we played a few of the arcade games. And I must say, I did pretty awesome at Guitar Hero :) We walked around some more that afternoon and just enjoyed being in the sun and then headed back to Bath that night.

view from the top floor of the pier

The views of the English countryside were so pretty from the train!

Ben took a train home to Wiltshire then, and Lexi and I tried something that I have always wanted to experience... a conveyor belt sushi restaurant! We sat right at the counter and watched all the sushi and food going by us. The sushi was pretty cheap, but I could see how someone could really overdo it, because it was so tempting to just take everything that went by! I got a couple different sushi rolls, a piece of sashimi, and some terriyaki chicken that Lexi and I shared. It was so amazing and such a cool experience, and I really want to experience another conveyor belt sushi restaurant soon!

The next day, I was in need of a more chill day after all the sightseeing I had done during the trip. So I decided to check out some of the British stores that we don't have in the US. First, I went to one of my favourites, Primark. If you don't know Primark, it is really similar to Forever 21, but even less expensive! And apparently, Primark is expanding to the US in 2016, and the first store they're opening is going to be a huge one in Boston! I ended up getting some great things from Primark during the trip. I also went to Superdrug to see the British makeup, Next, and New Look which I really loved.

And then after some shopping, it was time to head to the bus station to meet up with my parents who arrived that day! I was really excited for them to experience England and France, because before this trip, neither of them has ever been outside North America. They loved all the cities we went to, Bath especially! After dropping their suitcases off at the hotel, we went to Lexi's school to meet her when she got out of class, and we even got to see inside the school a little bit. It was totally different from the university I studied at in Lyon where most of the classes were lecture-style, because this had just one small classroom and each class only had about 10 people in it. It's really cool how personal it is, but I don't think I would have liked a class like that, because I always liked being more anonymous in classroom settings haha :) After walking around for a little while and introducing my parents to England, the four of us went to a pub for dinner and a pint. Lexi and I both got a shepherd's pie which was the perfect comfort food! Then I headed back to the hotel with my mom to get to bed early, because I was so exhausted, and my dad and Lexi spent the night hitting a few different pubs.

The next day was our last full day in Bath, and my parents and I really took advantage of that to see all the main sights. Ben came back to Bath that day and played tour guide for us, and Lexi joined too after she was out of class. We saw the Pulteney Bridge, which was in the movie version of Les Misérables, the River Avon, the Holburne Museum, Bath Abbey, the Circus, and the Royal Crescent. All of the architecture we saw was so pretty and it was so fun walking around and soaking it all in!

the Pulteney Bridge

my dad and Ben bonding outside the Holburne Museum

really pretty view from the Holburne Museum

the Pulteney Bridge

my mom and dad posing by the River Avon

Bath Abbey

the inside of Bath Abbey

the Circus

the Royal Crescent

That night, my parents, Lexi, and I did something that had been recommended to us by Ben and a couple of other people: the Bizarre Bath comedy walk. I absolutely loved this and would completely recommend it to anyone who goes to Bath! It starts off right in the centre of Bath, and it is very similar to a walking tour, hitting all the main tourist attractions in the city. But instead of just giving you facts and history, the guy leading the walk puts a funny spin on all the different aspects of Bath! There were too many funny things to even mention, but if you go to Bath, you need to do this comedy walk. I'm curious if that company does tours in other cities too, because I really want to go to another!

the Pulteney Bridge all lit up at night

And then it was our last day in Bath before heading to London. We had originally planned to take a mid-day bus, but after we were having such a great time in Bath, we decided to stay longer and take a late-afternoon bus to London instead. We walked around some more and met up with Lexi for another Full English Breakfast. This one was good, but it couldn't top that delicious one Lexi and I had in London! We went back to Bath Abbey, saw some street performers, and did a little more shopping before we headed to the station to catch our bus to London. I had such a great time in Bath, Cardiff, and Weston-Super-Mare spending more time with both Lexi and Ben, and I really hope to go back someday!

Full English Breakfast

the Royal Crescent

24 Hours in Provincetown, Massachusetts

This weekend, some of the women in my family headed to the town at the very tip of Cape Cod—Provincetown.

I had only been to Provincetown (or "P-Town" for short) once when I was about 6 years old, so I had never fully appreciated the uniqueness of the town. First off, it is so beautiful. Of course, with it's location right on the tip of the Cape, it has amazing views. And the hotel we stayed in, the Provincetown Inn, was right on the harbour where our room had a patio overlooking the water. P-Town has some amazing beaches and is the quintessential "quaint" New England town, with narrow streets, lots of beach-themed shops, and the cutest houses and inns you can imagine! The downtown area has so much going on, and there are some really amazing restaurants—and with P-Town being on the Cape, it has some of the best seafood around.

And another reason that makes P-Town unique is that it is known as a huge hub for the LGBT community. While some of the LGBT people who come to P-Town like to blend in and stay under the radar, a huge amount of them love to be completely themselves and really flaunt who they are, which I loved! People there are so friendly, and it's so entertaining as well, because you'll see everything, from drag queens dressed as various celebrities to men walking down the street in speedo bathing suits, and even a dog riding a skateboard! (And yes, those are all things we saw while we were there!)

To start off the weekend, my mom and I made the two-hour car ride to P-Town where some of our relatives had already arrived the previous day. As soon as we got there, we joined them in the pool area of the hotel for some cocktails. The cocktail I got was called a "Watermelon Kiss" and it was amazing!

 After a few hours of lounging in the pool area enjoying some cocktails, it was time to get ready to go out for the night! I stayed in a room with my mom, cousin, and two of my aunts from my dad's side of the family. After we were all dressed and had touched up our make-up, it was time to break out some wine. My dad's entire side of the family loves their sauvignon blanc, and I cannot say that I complain about that! Then we headed over to the other ladies' room where my dad's cousins and a couple of their friends, were already starting to party hard! We got some group pictures on the P-Town waterfront, and then headed to the hotel restaurant for dinner. I ordered lasagna, which was really good and tried a drink called a "butterball" that tasted like butterscotch and was delicious! After dinner, we headed down the hall for the hotel's resident drag show—Forever Blonde. It was decent but, not gonna lie, we expected there to be more drag queens! The show featured songs from lots of different blondes throughout music history (Britney, Madonna, Lady Gaga, etc), but other than the host of the show, all of the girls were played by girls, and the guys just danced with them. Although, they did perform "Sexy Back" by Justin Timberlake, during which some of the guys showed off their moves on a stripper pole! It was a fun night, and definitely an authentic P-Town experience!

getting ready to go out with my mom, two aunts, and cousin

the whole Goyette clan!

                       
The next day, we headed into town. I walked in with my mom, cousin, and two aunts where we wandered through the streets and eventually found a place to get lunch that overlooked the water. The food was all so good, including my chicken panini and especially the scallops that my mom ordered! After lunch, my mom and I split off from the other three, because we wanted to go into some different stores than they did. We checked out clothes and accessory boutiques, consignment stores, and  beach-themed homeware stores. There was some really cute stuff, but we didn't end up buying anything. I think the most interesting encounter we had was definitely in the Marc Jacobs store. A man approached me and my mom asking for our help in picking out a man purse for him. He was one of the most eccentric people I had ever met, and based on his odour, he had definitely been enjoying some alcohol and marijuana earlier that day! I don't think he ended up buying a man purse in the end, but my mom and I had a fun time recalling all the crazy things he said to us! After that, we made the scenic walk back to the hotel, and then decided to head home for the night.

downtown P-Town

the view from the restaurant where we ate lunch

the view of downtown from the hotel

The rest of the group was staying an extra night and heading back downtown dressed up as superheroes, but we had decided to only stay for one night. And one night had been perfect for us, because we got to experience both the pretty and crazy sides of the town and had a really fun time! I want to go back to P-Town in the future with a group of girls, because it was definitely an experience I'd like to repeat!

My Eighth (and possibly final) Trip to Prince Edward Island

When I was 12 years old, my grandparents decided to buy a second house in the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island. I had never heard of PEI, but after they bought the house, my family decided to go up for a couple of weeks the following summer, and then the next six summers after that! After that first summer, my aunt, uncle, and cousins joined us every other year. It turned into a fun tradition, and we made so many fun memories up there! We spent time relaxing on the beach, walking on the boardwalk down the street from my grandparents' house, going to the small amusement park and water park, shopping, going to the Anne of Green Gables village called Avonlea, and eating lots and lots of great food! The last time I went to PEI was when I was 18, and then after that, my grandparents stopped going up every summer since the 2-day long car journey was getting to be a lot, so we stopped as well.

But now my grandparents are selling the house, so my grandmother wanted to go up one more time! My mom, aunt, and I all joined her as well. Even though none of the other kids would be joining, I knew the trip would bring back a ton of memories, and I would have a good time!

We left early on Saturday morning and drove all the way up to Calais, Maine—right on the border of Canada. Then on day two, we made it up to PEI around 5pm—just in time for a happy hour! We had a fun night sitting out on the deck watching the sunset and looking at the beautiful harbour view.

the view from my grandparents' deck

My favourite memory from this trip was something new that I had never done before in PEI. One night, we went to a brewery in Charlottetown called the Gahan House. Unfortunately, they no longer offered a brewery tour in that location, but they had really good beers and AMAZING food! They had a mango beer on special that my mom, aunt, and I all ordered, and it was so good. Then for dinner, my meal was fettucine with chicken, chipotle sauce, mushrooms, and bacon. I swear, once I got my food, I did not stop to talk to anyone until I had finished... it was that good! Everyone else's meals were amazing too. The chef in the restaurant has won a bunch of awards, and I could definitely see why!

The Gahan Brewery

Cheers!

One of the best meals I've had in a LONG time! So delicious!!

Something else we did several times was to go to the beach that is about a half mile from my grandparents' house. Even though it's a small beach and there are much more famous ones in PEI, we loved the North Rustico beach because we could walk to it on the boardwalk, and it was never overly crowded. Something unique to PEI that I love is that the sand on all the beaches is red, and there are a bunch of cliffs. Even though I grew up in a beach town, the beach there is completely different from the beaches in Massachusetts so it's a totally different experience!

We also did some shopping while up in Canada. Something I was so excited about was going to drugstores and checking out some of the makeup brands that they sell in Canada, but that we don't have in the US. I ended up buying an eyeshadow crayon from a brand called Annabelle that I love and a lip gloss from Soap and Glory called Sexy Mother Pucker. (Yes, the name is part of the reason I decided to buy the lip gloss, but it's also an amazing product, and I've been using it so much!) Once we got back into the US and we had WiFi again, I actually saw online that Soap and Glory products are sold in some Sephora stores in the US. I'm going to be sure to check it out, because they're awesome!

And finally, we couldn't leave out my favourite Prince Edward Island tradition: a few trips to Cows. Cows is an ice cream shop that has so many amazing flavours, and has actually been voted the best ice cream shop in the world according to some lists! What makes Cows stand out is that they have a store connected to their ice cream shops where they sell t-shirts and different clothing items with puns on different pop-culture things, but all about cows! For example, Orange is the Moo Black and Fifty Shades of Hay. I did see that there are a couple of Cows locations outside of PEI, so even if I never make it back to Prince Edward Island, I may still be able to go to Cows again, which makes me happy.

posing with the Cows mascot outside of the Charlottetown shop

                              
                              
In addition to all of those things, we had several happy hours out on the deck, met a few of my grandmother's friends, had some more amazing meals, and did a lot of reading. I have been starting to feel really stressed out with the job search, and was so ready for a break from all that, so having a week off in PEI was perfect for me! I originally didn't think I would be able to join in on this trip, but I am so happy that it was able to work out. As of today, my grandparents just accepted an offer on their house, so I know none of us will be returning, which is a little bit sad. But now I have even more memories of Prince Edward Island to look back on, which makes me happy :)

the Charlottetown waterfront

me and my mom in Charlottetown

with my aunt on the Charlottetown waterfront

my grandma, aunt, mom, and me at Brackley Beach

Another first: trying the Canadian classic, poutine! It was so good!

delicious margaritas at a Mexican restaurant in Maine on our drive home

the group at our last dinner together in Maine after a LONG day of driving!