Lucky Seven
To travel is to discover that there is so much more in other countries. Traveling is to open our hearts and eyes and to learn more about the world than our newspapers will accommodate. It is to bring what little we can, in our ignorance and knowledge, to those parts of the globe whose riches are differently dispersed. And people travel, in essence, to become a young fool again — to slow time down and get taken in, and fall in love once more (Pico Iyer). Being abroad is the experience where you stay up late, follow impulse, and find yourself as wide open as when you are in love. You live without a past or future, for a moment at least, and are open to interpretation. Seeing everything in a different light can make one realize that lifestyles around the world are vastly different, but as human beings, we are all the same. Take away our over-thinking minds and at the core of our being, it is easy to see that we all want to feel connected, love and be loved. As Pico Iyer says, “and if travel is like love, it is, in the end, mostly because it’s a heightened state of awareness, in which we are mindful, receptive, undimmed by familiarity and ready to be transformed. That is why the best trips, like the best love affairs, never really end.” Along my journey of traveling, I have discovered some amazing places throughout the world. You’ll be transported to your childhood like when you experienced wonderland for the first time. Candid Café located in Angel Islington, London, is a unique place with a relaxed atmosphere that will make you feel like you are inside Alice in Wonderland. When you enter, you enter through a cobble road around the back of Angel, to find a steep stairwell above the doorway, which leads to a series of doors with a wonderland display. Then you find another door fluttered with posters, cards and antiques, only to find another door with what looks like a library, but is actually a sitting area, and as you go deeper, you find a little archway up a set of tiny stairs to a room simulating Wonderland. You will then enter the unique hidden Mediterranean and vegetarian café, with a long table and melting candles located in the middle of a wooden room with beautiful paintings and couches with pillows. It's quite the maze! It is a great place to study with friends, relax, have a cup of London's finest tea, or go on a romantic date. Candid Café is definitely worth a visit! A must see London attraction would have to be the London Dungeon. Walking there on a stormy night heightened the experience. Fear is a funny thing. The dungeon brings together a fantastic cast of theatrical actors, special effects, and two thrill rides that will send chills down your spine and maybe even a good laugh or two. It is an experience like no other, and while the shows are based on real London history, they share true and factual information about London with a unique twist. Biking through the city of London makes you feel like a little kid all over again. Flying and free; the breeze drifting through your hair and the sun shining on your face, is a wonderful experience. Stop by along the way to enjoy some of London’s finest architecture that will leave you breathless. Riding over Westminster Bridge and passing by the glorious Big Ben is an astonishing feeling. Stop by Hyde Park or Buckingham Palace along the way and enjoy the view! Biking through London on a nice sunny day is one you definitely do not want to miss!
If you are in England, be sure to find a day to visit the famous Stonehenge. Stonehenge is a massive stone monument, with stones up to 30 feet, that have evolved over 10,000 years. While no one can truly explain how they got there, or who put them there, many theories exist. Be sure to take a tour to learn more about this famous landmark and formulate your own hypothesis on how and why those stones were placed there.
Why not stop in York, England along the way? The chocolate factory located there is delicious and delightful to see. Take a tour to see how chocolate was made from the beginning of time, up until now, and let your taste buds light up by experiencing the different flavors of chocolate, some of which you may have never heard of before. At the end of the tour, you will even get to make your own chocolate from scratch! The chocolate factory in York is a great experience where you will learn a lot about the history of chocolate and York, England too. Moving on from England, Holland is a neat country to visit because it is full of color, life, uniqueness and art is everywhere. The canals light up the city at night and will take your breath away. It is a remarkable place and beyond beautiful. You can even take a trip back to the 1900’s by visiting The Anne Frank house. It will send goosebumps down your spine as you walk in and you can see exactly where Anne Frank hid out for years, and the pictures that she hung on the walls that still remain today. It is a sad, yet unique experience and will give you a deeper understanding of how the Holocaust affected the people. This experience will give you another perspective when studying history or World War Two. Holland is a glorious place! Last, but definitely not least, Prague is a historical city filled with life and culture, located in the Czech Republic. Prague was found by the Romanesque and contains many historical monuments and bridges. There is a phenomenal medieval astrological clock where every hour you will hear music and see four figures set in motion. This remarkable piece of architecture is worth seeing and has been around since 1410. The Charles Bridge which dates back to 1347 was named after it’s founder King Charles 1V. Here you will take a trip back in history where you will not only find antiques for sale and musicians playing instruments while strolling across the bridge, but you will also find the famous statue of St. John of Nepomuk; rub his foot for good luck as the legend goes. Shortly after the Charles Bridge, you will come to the only Ice Bar located in the Czech Republic. Everyone who goes into the ice bar gets to put on overly large coats and gloves, and enters a room where everything is made of ice- even the glasses you are drinking out of! You are in the room for thirty minutes where it is minus seven degrees Celsius. This is a “cool” experience you don’t want to miss while experiencing the historical culture of Prague. All in all, traveling offers a life changing experience that you don’t want to miss out on. It is worth the adventure, the stress, the money, and everything in between. You may come back home feeling like a new person, with new knowledge and a different perspective on the world around you. There are many amazing places to travel to, from London to Prague- they are all full of adventure and life. You will encounter experiences that could change your life forever. We travel, initially, to lose ourselves; and we travel, next, to find ourselves (Pico Iyer).
