The Holy See

Vatican City: The smallest country in the world. It has an area of about 44 acres and has a population of just over 800. The Vatican City is known for its Catholic history. It is home to the Bishop of Rome (the Pope) and the Sistine Chapel. The Sistine Chapel is full of beautiful artwork, including the world-famous "Creation of Adam." The Vatican City is a very beautiful, historic country and it's definitely something worth seeing!

"Creation of Adam"

Ooo La La!

Paris, France: "The City of Love." Every girl dreams of going to Paris, whether it be for fashion, love, or just to see a beautiful city. Paris is a 41 square mile city located in the north of France and is home to over 2,000,000 people. It is the capitol of France and by far my favorite place I've ever visited. I went there for a quick visit for a few days this past summer (2011).

I was lucky enough to have my own personal "tour guide" per-say. My best friend was on a study abroad in Paris over the summer (hence, why I went) and she took me around to see all the fun sites Paris has to offer! We ventured all over town from the Eiffel Tower to Notre Dame, and Sacre Coeur to Shakespeare's Bookstore. Everything we saw exceeded every expectation I had before going.

I definitely visited at the perfect time; the day I flew in was the last day of the Tour de France. We got to watch as the front pack of bikers raced past us on their final stretch. It was a once in a lifetime experience seeing the sea of bikers pass at incredible speeds. This is definitely something I won't soon forget! :)

My favorite part was, by far, watching the Eiffel Tower sparkle at night. It was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen and pictures truly don't do it justice. I wish I could describe how incredible it was but there are no words that explain it. I will go back to Paris someday and I can't wait for that day to come. I've never fallen so in love with a city and I would go back in a heartbeat.