A Tale of Three Cities
I haven’t been able to travel as much as I’d like–especially with COVID messing up my study abroad plans–but I’ve loved every single place I have ever had the opportunity to explore. However, these three cities I’ve visited are at the top of my list and completely blew every other location out of the water.
1. London, England
London is easily my favorite city in the entire world. Everything from the sights, to the accents, to the architecture: this city is a dream come true. It has so much history and endless amounts of landmarks and gorgeous buildings. When I walk the streets of London, I feel so empowered taking the Tube by myself and figuring out how to get from Big Ben to Trafalgar Square or from Buckingham Palace to Piccadilly. London’s vibes just feel magical and the night life is equally electric with the city lights and vibrant street music. The beauty, along with the history and the landmarks, definitely put London at the top of my list.
2. Rome, Italy
Rome’s ancient ruins were the most fascinating sight to see and the fact that I was walking where Romans walked thousands upon thousands of years ago is unbelievable to me. I saw the Roman Forum, which is a large area of a bunch of ruins and it was amazing. I walked past aqueducts, the Colosseum and even took a day trip to Vatican City, a city-state in Rome. It’s insane to think that people built such phenomenal structures long before we had the type of technology we have now. The Sistine Chapel was beyond anything I could’ve imagined. We weren’t allowed to take pictures in the room that has Michelangelo’s mural on the ceiling, which made looking at the painting that much more beautiful to soak in and digest. Rome and Vatican City just left me completely awe-struck because I was able to walk through visible history. To this day, I still can’t process that I walked where the Roman Empire used to exist.
3. Versailles, France
Versailles is one of the most gorgeous cities I’ve ever seen. I went to the Palace of Versailles which now contains a lot of famous pieces of art from French history. I’m not an art buff, but there are sculptures and paintings from so many different eras and each piece is every bit as amazing as the last. The back of the palace also has beautiful trees and gardens as well as a fountain. Within the trees, there is a stellar cafe with crepes, croissants and little tables that are of the typical style you would think of when you think of France. Paris is obviously a must when making a travel list, but I highly suggest taking a short train to Versailles if or when you go to Paris, because it’s absolutely breathtaking and very close to the city.
It’s so hard to say what cities are the ‘best’ because every place is so different, which makes them hard to compare. However, these are just my favorites based on how I felt while in each one and the culture surrounding the city. I highly recommend adding these cities to your bucket list, and just traveling in general. It really puts so much into perspective and makes you realize that there’s so much in the world outside of just our little bubble. There’s so much to explore and traveling is just a reminder that we are part of a huge world with so many different lifestyles, people, cuisines and cultures to learn about.