My husband and I married in 1993. Which means that, this summer, we’re celebrating our 25th anniversary! How can this be? I married when I was 21. Still, I’m too young for this!
25. Years. The occasion seemed to demand something grand, something memorable.
I lived in Germany from the age of 9-13 and traveled through Europe with my parents and sisters extensively during that time. But I hadn’t been back since. And Europe is my absolute favorite international destination. The charm! The history! I wanted to return and I wanted our kids to experience the things I’d experienced when I was young. Thus, I twisted my husband’s arm until he agreed to a family trip to Europe in celebration of our 25th.
We flew to London. Spent five nights there. Traveled to Paris. Spent five nights there. Then returned home to Dallas a week ago.
The expense, the long flights, and the jet lag — all worthwhile. All well worthwhile. We had an amazing time.
The Tower of London. The crown jewels are housed in the building behind us.
We took a “London Walks” tour of venerable Westmister Abbey.
Afternoon tea at 108 Brasserie in the darling Marylebone neighborhood of London was a highlight of our visit. Delicious! (Plus, they had great gluten free and vegan options.)
The buildings in London look like this.
And this! Postcard cute. Adorable pubs like the one pictured above dot every street. During happy hour, they’re so popular that their patrons spill out onto the sidewalks.
We found Big Ben to be slightly underwhelming. 😉
The fish and chips, however, lived up to the hype.
Hyde Park
When we’re posing.
When we’re not. Notice the girls’ expressions!
On our last morning in London, we trekked back to the gift Shop at Buckingham Palace Mews, because my oldest had seen a corgi there earlier in the week that she HAD TO HAVE. Mission Corgi was a success.
We took the Eurostar train from London, under the English Channel, to Paris. We made the trip in just 2 hours and 15 minutes. The train was unbelievably fast, smooth, and quiet.
In Paris, the buildings look like this.
And this! Pubs are to London what Cafes like this one are to Paris. Those famous sidewalk tables are full at meal times.
Crepes!
Ice cream served in the shape of roses and garnished with macarons.
Awe-inspiring Notre Dame
The Louvre. We booked a “Family Tour” through AirBnB and were so glad we did. The Louvre is enormous! It made all the difference to have an expert leading us straight to the most famous and kid-friendly exhibits.
We reached our 7th floor flat via the world’s tiniest elevator — just large enough for two.
Our unit had a washing machine, but no dryer. So we decorated our flat with damp clothes.
Bakeries graced every block.
A few years ago I mentioned the Paris love locks in this post. Here we are on the bridge that once supported all the locks. It now supports lock-proof sides. However…
Intrepid couples are still attaching locks to every available surface nearby.
Marie Antionette’s hamlet at Versailles.
Our last day in Paris, we visited two biggies. The Eiffel Tower.
And the Arc de Triomphe. By this point, we were so tired, that we nixed our plans to climb it and instead gave it an, “Oooh!”, took a selfie, and beat a path to the Metro.
If you’ve visited Europe, which places were your favorite?
p.s. Some friends and I are celebrating the fact that our books made the final round of the INSPY Awards in the contemporary romance category with a giveaway! One winner will win all 5 nominated novels. If you’d like to enter, click here or on the image below to be taken to the entry page.
Becky Wade
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Oh, I love Europe! We go nearly every year.
Italy is quite remarkable.Rome is wonderful for the historical sites, Florence for the food, and Barga (a quaint mountain town) for the views.
But my favorite place in Europe is Dublin, Ireland. The country is gorgeous and the people are incredibly friendly. (Plus they have that irresistible accent and fun music!)
I’ve never been to London or Paris, but one day… Thanks for the lovely photos (and the inspiration!)
Thank YOU for the inspiration, Cheryl! I’d love to visit Italy and Ireland. Both places are at the top of my Europe list.
Thanks for sharing these interesting pictures/captions! I got to see places I’ll probably never get to see. Made my day! And loved seeing all the stuffed animals. Cute.
You’re welcome, Grace! I’m glad you noticed my 9 year old’s travel companions. 🙂 She was adamant about bringing her doll on the trip and, the day we had afternoon tea, insisted on bringing her along. We were out sightseeing from after breakfast until after dinner, so I doubted whether she’d be willing to carry her doll around London ALL DAY. But she did! The stuffed animals were both items she purchased with her souvenir budget. She carried them gladly, too.
Congratulations on your anniversary! I wish you many, many more. Your trip looked amazing. Memories for a lifetime.
Thank you, Lynn!
Paris and small towns in France have to be my favorite places to travel. I studied French from 6th grade through graduate school and loved the language. I taught it for years, and while I’m rusty now with my language, I can certainly understand it. The mansard roofs in Paris are charming! Cathedral architecture and art are also favorites of mine. I love shopping in the little specialty shops in France. When I submitted my sample to Ancestry.com, I learned that I am 45% French. Perhaps that’s the reason for my love of all things French!
Perhaps that is the reason! Some of my ancestors were from England, and I felt that tug when I was there.
I’d love to visit small towns in both England and France on a future trip. Our 17 year old and 14 year old have booth studied French in school for years and their knowledge of the language helped us many times!
Dear Becky,
Congratulations on your 25th Anniversary. My husband and I celebrated our 42nd a week ago today. Talk about time flying by!
Due to health reasons, I doubt very much that I will be able to travel to Europe. Thank you for sharing pictures of your trip and thanks for telling me about the giveaway.
You’re welcome, Janet! My pleasure. 🙂
What a great trip! So many fun places to see in London and Paris! Your kids were blessed to take such a special family trip! I’ve been to Europe a few times. A boat ride down the Rhein River to see all the castles and visiting Switzerland are fun memories for me. But my all time favorite was my trip to England with my husband where we visited Highclere Castle – Downton Abbey and toured lots of fun gardens, manor houses, and amazing countryside.
“my all time favorite was my trip to England with my husband where we visited Highclere Castle – Downton Abbey and toured lots of fun gardens, manor houses, and amazing countryside.” That sounds absolutely amazing, Carrie!
I’m not sure that I ever said happy anniversary. So happy anniversary, Becky!! 25 years. Yay! Such an accomplishment in today’s world. And Europe … my dream to go. I want to sit thru a Wimbledon tennis match. ❤
Thank you, Shelli!
Me and my girlfriends plan on going to Europe next year for a mile-stone birthday. Including: London, Paris, Zurich, Milan, Florence, Rome and Edinburgh. I’m excitedly exhausted thinking about it, but it’s a once in a lifetime trip and we plan on making the most of it.
Thanks for sharing your pictures and congratulations on 25 years of marriage!
Oh, wow, Amy!! Your upcoming trip sounds phenomenal. There’s definitely something to be said for seeing as much as you can once you get yourself over there. The plane ticket is expensive, the flight is long, and the jet lag is a bit of an obstacle. A long stay helps to make all those things worthwhile!
I’ve been carefully tracking all your posts about your trip because we are having our own Europe trip this summer! We will be in Switzerland, Paris, and Spain. Your trip looked fabulous! And congratulations on 25 years. (25? That must be a typo I need to correct!)
Oh, Sarah! I’m so excited to hear about your upcoming Europe trip. I know your family will have a fabulous time. I can’t wait to see YOUR pictures!
Looks like such a fun trip! I absolutely love both London and Paris. I also really enjoyed my time in Barcelona and in Rime with my family.
Barcelona and Rome — two more epic European cities! I love that they’re each so distinctive, each so full of their own flavor and culture.
Your pictures are amazing! I was fortunate to meet my husband’s ship in Barcelona, where we spent 10 wonderful days. Our hotel was right on the Ramblas, a wide promenade down the middle of the street, filled with sidewalk cafes, flower stands, bookshops, and gift shops. We also traveled up the Costa Brava, so picturesque. Barcelona has many wonderful museums, art shops, and cathedrals.
Congratulations on 25 years. Happy anniversary!
Thank you, Betty! Your time in Barcelona sounds amazing. 🙂
What a fun trip! I love Switzerland, Austria, Scotland, and England. I’d love to go back and explore some more.
I’d definitely love to visit Switzerland and Scotland on a future trip!
I was born and breed in England. I’m a Cockney. But breed in Huntingdon Cambs (Cambridgeshire).
We visited London every now and then as my Dad’s family are all there.
But when I married my husband who was in the U S Air Force we got stationed to California.
Fish and chips are wonderful ofcouse best is eaten from the newspaper. And pie-mash.
Best places to visit are the villages like Wyton and Houghton.
Miss England and my family back there.
I’m glad you’re able to get back to England to visit, Kathleen! I’m sure it’s difficult to live in a country that’s far from your family and the country of your birth.
How fun! Those will be memories I’m sure your family will relive many times in the coming years! Happy anniversary!
Thanks, Anne!
Happy Anniversary. Sigh. How wonderful to take your whole family! I went to England/Paris with my mother and sister in 2016 and it was one of the highlights of my life!This reminds me of so many lovely memories and places. Probably one of my favorite trips, though, was to Prince Edward Island, Canada with my husband last year for our 15th anniversary. I’d love to go back to Europe of course and spend more time in North England, Scotland and Ireland. Next, next would be The Netherlands, Italy, and Austria.
I’m sure Prince Edward Island was amazing! What a terrific place to visit.
By far, my favorite place was Cinque Terre, Italy
I’ve never been to Europe but it’s wonderful to travel vicariously! I have my passport now, so never say never, right?
Thanks for sharing your adventure with us! The “posed/not posed” pictures made me laugh. Reminds me of my family.
Hi! Your post is getting me very excited for my trip at the end of July. England for most of it, but Paris is part of our holiday. So much on our itinerary. Including a private tour of The Kilns. Not an easy appointment to snag! Highclere Castle, Windsor Castle, Versailles, Notre Dame…the list is vast. The excitement is getting palpable. Thanks for the great post. Blessings to you.