Paris

At the end of October, Jason and I went to Paris with our friends Joe and Christine. It was our first time in Paris and we had a blast!

The afternoon we arrived, we went went to  our place, dropped our bags off, and walked around the city. It was just lovely! That night, much to my dismay, we got Domino's Pizza for dinner. I was not happy about this but got outvoted 3-1. We stayed up and played drinking games and had a blast.

The next morning, Jason and I went to the Louvre, the Orsay Museum, and walked around on our own. The Louvre was my favorite. I couldn't believe how huge it was-- 13 km... wow!! We saw the Mona Lisa and many of the other great works. We could have spent the whole day just at the Louvre alone.

This was taken outside of the Orsay Museum. This one is for you, Dad!! 

We then met up with Joe and Christine and went to see Notre Dame. All I kept thinking was, "gosh, I wish I could have gotten married here!!" It was gorgeous! The stained glass was incredible!! 

We went to the Eiffel Tower that evening. Words can't even describe how beautiful it is! Every hour, on the hour, the lights glitter. I could have just sat and watched it for hours!!

The next day, we went on a day trip to Versailles. What a great time we had. As you can tell from the pictures, I was in a spunky mood that day. I mean, I couldn't help but live it up in Paris!!

Jason and I even had a leaf fight! ;)

On the way home from Versailles, we stopped at the Arc de Triomphe to take pictures of the Eiffel Tower at sunset. Climbing all those stairs was totally worth it!!

While in Paris we also went shopping, went on a boat cruise, ate croissants for breakfast, drank lovely wine and had some pretty tasty dinners. Overall, our trip was a huge success! I am so lucky to have been able to go visit a city that I have always dreamed of going to with my amazing hubby. I can't wait to go back!! 

Istanbul

Better late than never, right? 

In mid-October, Jason and I had the opportunity to visit Istanbul, Turkey. He had to go for a business trip and we decided to extend it into the weekend. Our trip was nothing short of fabulous. 

While in Turkey, we got a chance to see some very special things. One of my favorites being the Grand Bazaar. I mean, who doesn't love shopping and bargaining? We had the privilege of being escorted around that Saturday by Alp, our driver. He helped me get the best deals and showed us pretty amazing sites. 

While shopping, I decided that I loved the stamps. I couldn't help but want the one showed below, so I just had to get it. 

And of course I just had to buy a traditional scarf as well! 

 

I must let you know that Jason took all of these amazing photos while I was shopping. I am so lucky to have such a great photographer as a husband!!

And of course, who goes to Turkey without picking up a Turkish rug? Needless to say, I shopped my little heart out! ;)

This is one of my favorite pictures of Turkey. We were on the European side looking towards the Asian side. I can't even tell you how beautiful it was! 

Of course we had a chance to visit a couple of the mosques. My favorite was Ayasofya or Hagia Sofia. It was first a church, then a mosque and now it is a museum. If you are curious, you can read about it here. The mosaics were amazing! 

 

I just love this little food cart!!

Of course you can't visit Istanbul without seeing the Blue Mosque. We made it just before prayer time. 

We also enjoyed going to the Spice Market and picking out a few spices for our kitchen. 

 

And of course, the thing that made me laugh the most was when Jason was taking pictures of pigeons and he got pooped on. You just can't help but laugh. 

We simply had a fabulous trip to Istanbul. We are lucky enough to be able to go back in a couple of weeks. Next time, I will be sure to take my very first Turkish Bath. 

Until next time... LOVE!! :)

Busy As A Bee

... as my Mom would say.

The last couple of weeks have been a blur. We have been to Istanbul and Paris since the last time I have posted. Both trips were amazing and I will post about each one very soon. Jason is in London at the moment on a business trip and happens to have all of the pictures with him on his computer, which means no blogging for me until he gets home. But please do not fret-- I will post next week!

Here are my latest news stories...

1. I have been battling a sinus infection on and off for about 3 weeks now. The challenge about living abroad is getting prescription medication. In Turkey, it was a breeze. I went straight to the pharmacy and asked for Augmentin (the usual). I was given it without a hassle and my sinuses cleared up in no time. When I went today in Salzburg, I was told that I have to see a doctor to get prescription medication. Ugh... the Austrians love to follow the rules!

2. At the end of the month, we are having a big Thanksgiving dinner with our Salzburg family. I am super excited about this. Last year, it was just Jason and myself in Melbourne, Australia and I was super bummed to be missing out on all the turkey and family time. This year, we decided to get some friends together to celebrate. I can't wait!

3. Lately, my friend Julie has put together a boot camp for all of us girls here (she used to be a workout instructor). Every Wednesday we head to a local park and we run and do various excercises. It is a great workout and a fun time to spend with great friends. I love it!! (even though my body hates me the next day!!)

4. I am not sure if I mentioned this before, but we are also involved in our very own book club. We have read some awesome books. Right now we are readying A Moveable Feast by Earnest Hemmingway. It is a good book and great follow up to our last book, The Paris Wife, which I loved!!

Well, that's about all for now. Stay tuned for my postings about Istanbul and Paris. Both trips were amazing!! :)