I visited Spain in April 2019 with a few friends, exploring Barcelona and Madrid over the course of a week. Landing in Barcelona, we toured around the city for a few days before taking a train to finish our trip in Madrid. Spain is characterized by an ‘enjoy life for what it offers’ mentality - with friendly locals and dinners starting at 9PM and lasting till 11PM. The country is filled with history and a great appreciation for its culture. Places visited: Barcelona: Gothic Quarter (neighborhood with unique gothic architecture and narrow streets) La Rambla (famous street in the Gothic Quarter lined with trees and shops) Castell de Montjuic (fort located in Montjuic) La Sagrada Familia (famous large church designed by Gaudi that started construction in the 1882 and is still being constructed) Picasso Museum Citadel Park (large park near the beach) La Barceloneta (main beach in Barecelona) Madrid: Plaza Mayor (central plaza in Madrid) Royal Palace of Madrid Las Ventas (Spain's largest bullring) Palacio de Cristal (glass building located in Buen Retiro Park) Buen Retiro Park (large park located in Madrid) Royal Botanic Gardens Places ate at: Barcelona: La Boqueria (famous food market located in the Gothic Quarter) Madrid: Mercado de San Miguel (food market near Plaza Mayor) Chocolatería San Ginés (famous cafe known for its churros) Ramon Freixa (2-star Michelin restaurant)

I visited France towards the end of November in 2019 for four days. Since it was my first time in France and I only had four days, I mainly explored Paris and only did a day trip to Versailles to visit Palace of Versailles. The major attractions in Paris lived up to the expectations I've had hearing about them growing up. The Eiffel Tower stands prominently in the heart of Paris, giving the Parisian skyline that Parisian feel. As you walk down the Louvre's galleries, it's famous paintings and sculptures will make you double-take and think - wait I've seen that in an art textbook before! Notre Dame looks frozen in time, it's two main columns overlooking the Seine river. My most memorable impression of Paris was the "aesthetics" of the city. The architecture and vintage feel of everything gave the city a very "Paris" vibe that is unique only to itself. When there is good weather, the sunset basks the entire city in a warm glow that lights up the ivory-colored buildings in an orange hue. Places Visited: Landmarks: Eiffel Tower Palace of Versailles Notre Dame Arc de Triomphe Art Museums: Louvre Musée d'Orsay

I traveled to Europe for the first time in November 2019, with London being the first European city I've ever visited. I chose London to be the first European city I visited since it's an English speaking city with a culture similar to that of NYC - plus the number of available cheap, direct flights from JFK. I explored London over four days with the goal of visiting all the major attractions in the city. London is a very juxtaposed city, with ancient landmarks and buildings over a millennium years old mixed with sleek, modern skyscrapers and trendy shops/restaurants. The main area in London (i.e. City of London) is not very large, making it easy to get around with the tube (i.e. subway) - taking around 30 min to get from anywhere in the city to anywhere else. Besides exploring the City of London for most of the trip, I also took a day trip to Cambridge University. My cousin that studied there also happened to be visiting London that week and gave us a tour of some of the popular spots on campus. After spending a few days in London, I took the Eurostar train from London's St. Pancras station to Paris' Gare du Nord station. Places Visited: Tower of London Tower Bridge Buckingham Palace Palace of Westminster/Big Ben Eye of London Cambridge University Tate Modern Borough Market The Apple Market (Covent Garden)