Winning London: Part 1

You might be pretty excited by the title, but I’m not talking about the Mary Kate and Ashley movie from the early 2000’s today. Waah waaahhhh. Although, shout-out to them for making a really great movie, not to mention they were the original fashion icons of my generation. Their outfits during that entire movie were so classy and amazing.

Well, look at me, maybe we will talk a little bit about the movie! Anywho….. I am actually going to take you on a quick trip around beautiful London, England! We are going to hit some of the hotspots, then wrap it up for the day!

Your first stop should 100% be Westminster Abbey. It is an absolutely gorgeous building, inside and out! One of my favorite things to do when visiting a new larger city is look at the cathedrals, because you really get a taste of the incredible architecture. I have rarely seen a cathedral that was disappointing.

Westminster Abbey stands tall in the city, and it’s hard to miss because it really is in the center of everything. I have to hand it to London, most of the major tourist hot-spots are all in the same area, making it very easy to walk and see a lot! When you go into Westminster Abbey you are not really allowed to take photos inside, which was a major bummer for me. I guess they want to keep the allure, which I suppose I understand. I will warn you, it is very expensive to get inside, but in my opinion it was well worth the cost for the experience and the history! You have years and years  of famous monarchs getting married, crowned, and buried in Westminster Abbey. It’s incredible to see all of the people who are buried there like Mary Queen of Scots, Elizabeth I, Jane Seymor, most of the Henry kings!! Incredible! AND! They have a large corner called the Bard’s Corner that pays tribute to authors like Shakespeare (heard of him?) and Jane Austen!! So much history in one building.

I also highly suggest coming back at night and looking at it then! The way they light up Westminster at night is so beautiful and almost haunting, especially on a rainy London night. Make sure to explore all areas that you can! We loved this corridor that leads to a beautiful courtyard in the back! It kind of reminded me of Hogwarts!

After you have explored Westminster Abbey till your heart is content, your next stop should be Big Ben and Parliament. Westminster Abbey is next door neighbors to the Parliament building! Again, I love how close everything is in London!

Did you know that Big Ben is actually the nickname of the clock itself, not including the tower? The tower is called the Elizabeth Tower; it was renamed in 2012 to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee! Also, can we just take a moment here and talk about how adorable  the Queen is?! I’m not sure if it’s because she reminds me of my Grandma, but I just think she is the cutest little lady!

Ok, back to London. One of my favorite views of Parliament and the tower is from Westminster Bridge. You can walk out on the bridge (or even cross over to the other side of the Thames) and get a great view of the building! One of my favorite parts of walking around London was hearing the chimes of Big Ben. When we went, it was the last time Big Ben was going to ring for awhile because they were doing some restoration on it, so that was really special.

Another super cool thing we got to see was Parliament letting out of session! At one point we walked around the corner and all these men and women were dressed in old clothing and had powdered wigs on!! It was both fantastic and hilarious. Jackson, being the fearless guy that he is, walked up to one of the younger looking Parliament members and asked if we could take a selfie with him. Yes, I know that this was the most American thing we could have possibly done, but looking back on it now it’s one of the funnier moments in my life. Turned out the member we selfied with had just begun his time serving, and he thought we were hilarious….so…. we were Parliament approved.

There is so much to do and see in London that I could hardly cover all of it in one blog post. I thought I would start with two of my favorite places, then eventually I will put out the second half. I hope that if you ever get the chance to go across the pond, you take it! London is a neat city, and one that I hope to visit again in the future!

❤ Abbie

P.s. This should go without saying, but I did not take the photo of Mary Kate and Ashley or the photo of the Queen. Everything else was taken by me. Obviously.

Tabasco Factory- Avery Island, LA

Do you love Tabasco Sauce? Do you love historical places? How about beautiful plantation-like oak trees? Well friends, I have a place perfect for you, if you like any of those things! Today we are going to be touring the Tabasco Factory on Avery Island, Louisiana!

For those of you who may not have heard of Tabasco sauce, it is a true Louisiana-brand pepper hot sauce. To be fair, Tabasco makes a lot of other types of sauces and products, but their most famous is the hot sauce. When you go to Avery Island, you can see where the original sauce was created more than 180 years ago! The island is still a working factory to this day, and you can tour all of the neat historical buildings that the sauce is made in!

First stop should be the Tabasco Country Store. They have all the Tabasco products and gifts you could ever want! They even have a tasting center where you can sample quite a few of their different kinds of sauces! I highly suggest trying their Pure Honey and the Garlic Grill Marinating Sauce! After you’ve gotten your fill of samples and picked up your favorite Avery Island Tabasco souvenir penny, you should grab some lunch!

1868 is the delicious restaurant on the property! They have everything from Hot Dogs to good ‘ole BBQ! Don’t worry if you left your Tabasco sauce at home though, they have plenty of different sauces you can add to your food if you’d like!

After you’ve got a belly full of good food, it’s time to walk it off on the Factory tour! You can see some of the really cool original pieces of Tabasco history in the first building. It’s pretty amazing to read about the incredible people that made Tabasco, and all of their different endeavors.

A little further along on the tour, you will see the greenhouses where they grow their famous peppers that are the main ingredient in the hot sauce. You will also get to see the giant barrels where the sauce sits and salts for a long time.

It is said that Avery Island sits on top of a giant deposit of solid rock salt. There are mines under the island that they gather their salt from. The rock salt formation is said to be as deep as Mount Everest is high!! They have a really neat exhibit where you can see an example of the rock salt. Trust me, it’s actual rock salt…. someone in my party might have licked it just to be sure….

In the last building there are giant replica hot sauce bottles that you can stand with and pose for pictures. It’s a pretty cool photo op!

Remember when I said there would be plantation-like oak trees? Well, it’s time for that! Not only does Avery Island house the Tabasco plants, but it’s also home to some amazing gardens!

The factories only take up a small portion of the island, the rest is home to some gorgeous plants and wildlife, called the Jungle Gardens! Take a drive around to all of the amazing scenic locations around Avery Island. When I say take a drive, I mean it, because there is no way you could walk all of the grounds in one day!

While you’re driving around all the rivers and lakes, don’t forget to watch for alligators! If you keep your eyes peeled, you might just see one! I also suggest checking out the beautiful Chinese Garden where a giant Buddha sculpture sits.

After you’ve seen all you can see, don’t forget to stop in one of the gift shops on the way out to claim your free bottles of Tabasco Spicy Green Beans and Tabasco Hot Sauce!

I hope that if you are ever in Louisiana you check out Avery Island and the Tabasco Factories!

❤ Abbie

For Grandpa…

This post is written in honor of my Grandpa Jachym for today, his 95th birthday. Thank you for your constant love, beautiful hand-made wooden objects, and sharing all of your travels with me over the years. I cherish each moment I get to spend with you, and each story that tells me a little more about the young man you were. This post, this journey, it was inspired by you.

In my life I have traveled to many different places. I’ve gotten to see natural wonders like the Cliffs of Mohrer, incredible homes like Versailles, huge cities like New York, but none of them meant as much as this little town just outside of Reims, France.

As Jackson and I were planning our Europe trip there were many places on our must-see list. Places like Edinburgh, London, and Paris, were absolute musts for us, but when I knew for sure we were going to Paris, I knew I had another place that made it to the top of my must-see list. You see, my grandpa used to tell me these amazing stories about the times he was overseas during WWII. He would tell me about visiting Versailles, about running around England and stealing chickens (I didn’t say his stories were legal…. but brilliant and hilarious, nonetheless). He would tell me of his home outside of Reims where his unit was stationed. He shared the photographs of the places he visited, which always made me long to visit these locations. So, when I found out we were going to Europe I asked if I could borrow his photographs to take with me, and he gave them to me without question.

One day, while researching places to visit in France I found writing on the back of his old photograph that read, “Our home at Pargny Les Reims.” I showed it to Jackson because I thought it was cool, and he asked if I had “Googled it”? For some reason that had never occurred to me, but I am thankful every day that it occurred to him. After a quick search, he found a photograph of the exact same home that was in my grandpa’s photo some 73 years ago… and the best part? The home has become a bed and breakfast. Friends, when I saw that I was instantly in tears. Even now just thinking about it I am holding back tears. To find a very specific non-famous location continents away from my home just seemed unfathomable, but here we were staring at the beautiful home on our computer screen. That was it for me. I booked our stay immediately and it instantly was moved to the top of my list.

We left Paris for a one night stay in the small town of Pargny-les, Reims at La Baleiniere Bed and Breakfast. When we arrived we were greeted by the lovely owner of La Baleiniere, Patricia. She and her family were some of the most kind and helpful people I have met. We were having trouble connecting to the internet, so her daughter set up our phones. When we wanted to take a trip into Reims to see the famous Reims Cathedral, her husband drove us. I can honestly say they were the best hosts we have ever had, and I would go back a million times over.

When we arrived Patricia gave us a tour of the rooms, and told us about the history of the home. (When I found this place I emailed Patricia and explained my grandpa lived there during the war, so she already knew my side of the story.) The home was owned by her husbands family for three generations previous. During WWII the home was first taken over by the French army, then the German army, and ended with the American army.

She showed us the places in the walls where the American soldiers carved their names in the stone. She showed us the burn marks on the floor where they put out their cigarettes. She told us how during the winter, they would chop down a tree and shove the tree in through the window, then chop it up to go in the fireplace. Unfortunately, the Americans didn’t really know about the history of the home, so they kind of beat it up back in the day. Looking on it now, so many years in the future was really incredible. I could just imagine my then-young grandpa standing at the fireplace and watching men play darts.

We had the entire half of the bed and breakfast to ourselves because we went in February, which is an off-season. We had full roam of the dining room, library/game room, living room, and our room. We arranged to stay in the Hélène suite, which was honestly divine. I have never stayed somewhere so lovely.

In the morning our hostess made us a lovely breakfast, then we had to head back to the train station to make it back to Paris. There were so many amazing moments on our trip to Europe, but for me this one topped the cake. It was not only beautiful, but emotional. I wish my grandpa could have been there with us.

When I got back to the U.S, I made a trip up to Ohio to visit. I got to tell my grandpa about my trip. I got to show him my photographs of La Baleiniere. I’m not sure how much he understood, but I will never forget his smile when I showed him the picture of me standing in front of the place he used to call home in that little small town in Reims.

Happy birthday, Grandpa! I love you!!

Abbie

Lake View Cemetery, Cleveland, OH

Hello friends! So, I’ve been going back and forth about whether or not I wanted to post about some spooky/supposedly haunted places because the last time I did I received some negative feedback. However, it is something that has always been of interest to me, and I feel I need to be true to myself. With that being said, I want to start this post off by saying I don’t necessarily believe that these places I will be sharing are “haunted.” I am just going to tell some facts and share some experiences had by others and I will let you make the call. Or don’t make a call and just enjoy some spooky stories! Anyways, somewhat soapbox over. Let’s get to some spooky!

Today I am sharing one of the cooler places I’ve visited in Cleveland! Lake View Cemetery is the resting place of many famous Clevelanders throughout the years. Buried in the rolling hills of Lake View are people like John D. Rockefeller, Elliot Ness, and James A. Garfield (tomb is pictured above), just to name a few. You might be surprised at some of these names, but back in the late 1800s/early 1900s Cleveland was actually home to more millionaires than any city in America. The oil and railroad trades boomed in Cleveland, making it a very wealthy city! That meant the wealthiest could afford to be buried in the most beautiful location in Cleveland, Lake View Cemetery.

The cemetery itself is massive, spanning over 285 acres. With all this land and lots of twisted pathways, it’s not hard to get lost. But, that is the beauty of Lake View, getting lost for an hour or two looking at all of the beautifully haunting graves.

It’s amazing to me the detail that was put in to making some of these graves. The beautiful mausoleums, intricate gravestones, and hauntingly realistic sculptures greet you at every turn. It’s not hard to get the sense of not being alone.

One of my favorite graves is for a family named Haserot. It is perhaps the most photographed grave in the entire cemetery because it is so foreboding. Nestled back behind some tombs sits the Haserot angel.

The name of the dark angel is actually “The Angel of Death Victorious.” The angel sits with an extinguished torch upside-down to symbolize life being extinguished. She stares straight ahead, unmoving. The eeriest part of the Haserot angel comes from years of being exposed to the elements; the bronze has worn and it looks as if she is crying black tears. Even if you see nothing else in the cemetery, you must  visit the Haserot Angel.

The final grave I would like to share comes with a bit of a story. Hans Tiedemann was a German immigrant who came to live in Cleveland in the late 1800s. He built an incredible home called Franklin Castle.

If you are from Cleveland (or Ohio in general) you have most likely heard of this house. Franklin Castle is known for being the most haunted house in Ohio. Years and years of stories and mystery have shrouded this home and they all trace back to the supposed horrors of Mr. Tiedemann.

Tiedemann and his family built the mansion (shown above) from 1881-1883 in one of the most influential and wealthy parts of Cleveland. He moved into the home with his wife Louise, and their two children. The Tiedemann’s lost several children due to the common diseases of the time, but rumor had it that more people had died in the home (of not so natural causes, if you catch my drift). The home switched owners several times through the years. Some say it was built above part of the underground railroad. Others say in the 1920s during prohibition, the basement was used as a speakeasy. Some even say it belonged to a group of Nazis. One thing always stays the same however, the owners always say the house is haunted. What is most commonly seen is a woman in black standing on the second floor balcony. People report mysterious mists appearing and the feeling of being pushed. I’m not quite sure if we’ll ever know what really happened in Franklin Castle, but it sure makes for a good spooky story! If you want to hear more creepy details about Franklin Castle I highly recommend the book “Haunted Ohio.”

Well, that’s all for this weeks spooky wandering post! If you ever get the chance to visit Lake View Cemetery in Ohio, it’s worth the trip! Say hello to the Haserot Angel for me… and let’s all hope she doesn’t say hello back.

❤ Abbie

So What’s the Deal with AirBnB?

AirBnb seems to be one of the newest trends in travel. If you are unfamiliar with it, let me fill you in! AirBnB is a service where you can rent nights in people’s homes, instead of staying in a hotel. The idea is genius, but is the execution as good as the thought? Today, I’m going to share our AirBnB experiences and hopefully this will help you make your decision about using this service!

Courtyard of our AirBnB in Edinburgh, Scotland.

So how does it work?

First, sign up with the site and make a personal profile. You can’t rent anything until you complete your profile. Once you’ve done that, you can choose your location, dates, and room sizes. The really cool option is that you can rent anything from a couch to an entire home. The price of the location is on the main page to make sure it’s within your budget. Once you choose your place to stay and dates, you can request to book your stay. The owner of the location will email you giving you all the information you need to know about the home and the approval to stay. You can also email back and tell them a little about you! Then you are all set!

What makes this different than staying in a hotel?

Staying with AirBnB is always a unique experience. You are literally staying with normal people (who know the location well, because they live there) and in regular houses. The stay feels more like home, in our experiences. You also will pay (9 times out of 10) less than you would for a hotel. We would find homes for rent right in the middle of big cities for almost half than a price of a hotel in the same location.

Inside our AirBnB in London, England.

What are some perks that are unique to AirBnB?

The hosts are a huge help. All of our hosts were very friendly and informative. In almost every occasion, our hosts gave us maps, pamphlets, and advice on what to see in their city! Locals know better than anyone what to see, where to eat, and how to get around! That alone, was enough to make each trip a success! You also get the perks of staying in a home. Whether you rent an entire place or just a room, you get privacy. Most places allow you to use their appliances as well. When we were staying in Cork, Ireland we needed to use a washer and dryer, and our AirBnB hosts let us use theirs! We used the kitchen when staying in Edinburgh, Scotland. You can save a lot of money by using the kitchen provided, rather than eating out! Those are just some of our favorite perks!

Free breakfast in our London stay.

Is it safe staying with people you don’t know?

We never felt unsafe at any of our AirBnB homes. While AirBnB doesn’t preform background checks on all hosts or guests, they do allow you to see past guests’ comments which can allow you to weed through the homes. Reading comments and ratings is actually one of my biggest suggestions! Guests are required to leave comments after every stay, so you really get to see what it was like! Trust me, in my searching I’ve seen stellar comments to scathing comments; at least people are honest! You can also check out the neighborhood guides on the hosts page to see what it would be like to stay where they live! Also, it’s way safer than staying in a hostel. I never felt nervous or anything about leaving our stuff (including expensive camera equipment) in our room while we weren’t there. It’s more expensive than a hostel, but you’ll feel much safer in the long run.

View from our AirBnB in Cork, Ireland.

Are there any downsides to choosing AirBnB?

The only downside we experienced was in Paris, when we rented an entire loft. Our host kept changing plans on how to get the apartment key and give the key to back after our stay. It wasn’t awful, but it was a tad inconvenient. So, I guess the only inconvenience is in the arranging of arrival and departure. However, we only had an issue at one out of the four locations we stayed.

View from our AirBnB in Paris, France.

Would I recommend AirBnB?

Absolutely. To be honest, in all of our experiences we had a fantastic stay! It was great to be able to meet new people and stay in cool places! We also saved a ton of money by choosing AirBnB. Our stays ranged from $50-$70/night, where a hotel would have cost us at least $100+/night. Overall, I would 100% recommend AirBnB!

Behind our AirBnB in Dean Villiage in Edinburgh, Scotland.

I hope this has been a helpful guide! Have a fantastic day!

❤ Abbie