Doesn't Mallorca Sound Wonderful About Now?

Towards the end of May, we booked a spur of the moment (stupid cheap) Ryan Air flight to Mallorca, Spain. I told Chris that it would be a delayed present for his 28th birthday; but let's be honest, it was more of an excuse to escape a miserably long Belgian cold spell. Spain had also claimed a special place in our hearts and a prominent spot on our travel calendar after a trip to Barcelona (If you're interested, find some of our Barcelona info here, and here). 

I think there was still snow on the ground as we boarded a flight bound for Spain's largest island. I had heard about the neighboring party island (Ibiza), but the only reason we chose Mallorca was because there was a direct flight from Brussels to Mallorca for less than an Italian dinner for two (Italian is about the cheapest sit down dinner option you'll find in Europe). My type A-must-research-every-detail-of-a-trip-to-a-new-city-personality sort of took a vacation, and I threw planning out the window! I mean, how hard could it be for us to get down to a beach, lay out our towels, and relax on the warm sand?!

I learned my lesson (again), because what we wanted and what we walked into were so completely far off from each other!

 At the airport, we caught the local bus #21, and within ten minutes we were walking into the lobby of Java Hotel. Our accommodation was right in the middle of Playa de Palma, and while the hotel itself was newly remodeled and reasonably priced, the long stretch of beach outside of the hotel was less than relaxing! What we had wanted was a slow couple of days sprawled out on the sand followed by seafood dinners at beach front restaurants. What we actually got was this:

Salzburg, Austria {Gondola Ride}

All the boys crammed into the Gondola in Salzburg, Austria. 

This post is a continuation of that one time I crashed "guy's weekend." 

{and . . . It may not be the last time because I had a blast}

After we broke the rules at Neuschwanstein Castle, our big group piled into the borrowed "mom-van" and headed for Salzburg. Now, that is one stunning city! Unfortunately, the weather wasn't exactly cooperating on our first morning in town, so Reece decided we should try to get above the clouds by visiting Untersberg, the highest mountain next to the city. 

About 15 minutes after leaving Salzburg, we pulled into the Untersberg gondola parking lot. The Alps loomed all around us, but heavy clouds interrupted our upward views. We paid 20 Euros per person, pushed ourselves onto a crowded gondola, and silently prayed that the angry clouds would disappear once we reached the summit. A dense white fog obstructed our view for most of the 10-minute gondola ride, but just as we summited, the sun appeared and the sky was the most magnificent shade of blue! Suddenly we felt a burst of energy and a lightness of spirit. It's amazing what a little sunshine can do for  you, eh?!

- Sneak Peek Paris -

For months, I've been dreaming of a return trip to Paris! My September girl's trip was just picture perfect! The romantic city graced me and Kayla with pleasant weather, tasty wine, balmy evenings in front of the Eiffel Tower, friendly (and super helpful) people and an insatiable itch to return as soon as possible. Chris' office closed over the Thanksgiving holiday, so we went to Paris! My best friend and I jumped into our car and made the two and a half hour drive to "La Ville-Lumiere" ("The City of Light"). 

I'm currently sorting through all of the pictures that we took, but here's a little sneak peek at how we kept ourselves warm in late November. 

There were already so many love locks - so we each took a jumping picture instead of adding to the clutter. 

Chris was trying to look like the Eiffel Tower here. Did he succeed?

"Paris is always a good idea." - Audrey Hepburn as Sabrina Fairchild in Sabrina