Author: Madison

I love my wife and my son more than I could have ever imagined. My wish is to give them a life they deserve for being such amazing people. Part of that is the natural desire to travel and see the world with my family. I'm excited to share my favorite places I have visited and the ones I desperately desire to visit. I hope to see all of these places one day, and hopefully I can give some great insight on my experiences!

Bucket List #6: Berlin

by Madison, posted in Uncategorized

Good afternoon everyone! I hope you’re all staying safe in the midst of all the craziness going on in the world! These circumstances have taught me better than ever to be thankful for everything I have and to not take this life for granted. Although I’m not afflicted by this disease, it all goes to show us how quickly and greatly our lives can be altered. However, with this being a travel blog, it also gives credence to the fact that Rebecca and I want to see everywhere as soon as possible, because none of us know when our time will come, or when our opportunity to see some awesome places will pass. This should renew our vigor to pursue the rest of the world! With that being said, I’d like to dive into the best places I want to visit when our family visits the economic power of the EU, Germany! (More specifically, Berlin!)

First: The Brandenburg Gate

As we’ve all clearly come to know, I’m a huge history buff, and the Brandenburg will satisfy that craving immediately upon arrival to Berlin. Built in 1788, the Gate now signifies peace and unity in Europe. When the gate was originally built, only the royal family was allowed to actually pass through it (along with one other family, Pfuel, which you’re welcome to look more into. Too long for this article!). In the 20th century, the Nazis used this gate as a symbol for their party. At the end of WWII, people could freely travel through this gate until 1961, when the Berlin was underwent construction. When the wall was knocked down in 1989, travel was restored and this is when the Gate undertook the symbol of peace and unity in Germany. Many websites I’ve visited have named the Brandenburg Gate as the number one place to visit while in Berlin, and that’s most certainly what I’ll do!

Next: Jewish Museum Berlin

First and foremost, this building is one of the coolest buildings I’ve ever seen. Check my Instagram for a picture of it! I thought this museum would be an awesome experience because of the long struggles undertaken by Jewish Germans. This is also the largest Jewish museum in Europe. While this building is much more modern than anything I’ve suggested so far on this blog, the story about how it got here is quite remarkable. The original Jewish Museum in Berlin was built in 1933, but was seized a few years later by Nazi Gestapo. In the late 1980s, the idea for a design of a new museum came to life, and after holding an anonymous competition for the rights to design the building, it was reconstructed in 1999 and opened refilled with inventory in 2001. The museum has been under controversy lately, however. I don’t want to get into the specifics on here so as not to offend any readers based on their perspective, but it’s definitely worthy of some research if you care to dive a bit deeper into that.

Last: German Museum of Technology

I don’t think a trip to Germany would be complete without acknowledging and admiring their unbelievable technological and industrial work over the past few decades. Germany is the number one exporter of cars in the world by a very wide margin, and their vehicles are widely accepted as the most reliable (I’m sure there are those that disagree, but…oh well!). From planetware.com, the museum has several vehicles and air crafts that are on display, and they also have steam engines dating back to the late 1800s.

I think the most exciting part of the visit to Germany would be the fact that I’ve loved every German dish/beer that I’ve ever tasted! Needless to say, there would be an enormous amount of eating involved on this trip! Sauerbraten, Bratwurst, Schnitzel, Spatzle, you name it, I want it all! I know this wasn’t to most extensive post I’ve had so far, and I must admit, it’s totally my fault. I know much more about Western Europe than I do Eastern Europe, and that’s just because I’m more familiar with the culture. Doing research on this post has made me want to get into Eastern Europe much more, and I fully intend to do so. Don’t be surprised if you see a few more Eastern European cities this week 🙂

Blessings,
Madison

Bucket List #5: Prague

by Madison, posted in Uncategorized

Prague was another idea that came from the trip Rebecca and I were planning a while back. Although you now know that we didn’t go on that trip, we spent a couple weeks just searching for a quality destination. Had we gone on the trip, we would have gone to Rome. We ended up planning our finances around that being our destination. When that didn’t work out though, I had myself a nice little list of places to consider for future trips. This allows us to research places that we never would have thought of, and one of those places was Prague! It’s a place that anyone I know that’s been there has talked about how beautiful it is, but I don’t think I’d ever considered it as a touristy destination, at least in the small bubble that I lived it. However, this was fun to research, and here are a few things that we MUST do when our family visits Prague!

First: Charles Bridge.

This pictures of this bridge are magnificent, and it’s one of many architectural masterpieces in the Czech Republic. The bridge is suspended over the Vltava River, the longest river in the country. One really cool fun fact about this bridge is the legend surrounding the exact time at which construction began. At the time, King Charles was fond of the power of numbers. The believed time of constructions was 5:31 a.m., on July 9th, 1357. The way dates and times were displayed (obviously different from the U.S.) would’ve made that date look like this: 1357 9, 7 5:31, effectively forming a palindrome (a number or word that looks the same backwards as it does forwards. I don’t know why he was so fond of numbers, but I thought that was a super interesting story! There are 30 statues along the bridge symbolizing different historical figures. Unfortunately, the statues are all replicas, as the originals are in the National Museum, also located in Prague (I’ll most certainly visit the National Museum, but I’ve written about quite a few museums already).

Next: St. Vitus Cathedral.

While I’m at St. Vitus, I’d be able to kill two birds with one stone, as this cathedral is located on the property of the Prague Castle, which is the number 1 ranked tourist destination in Prague according to planetware.com. St. Vitus is the seat of the Archbishop of Prague, and it’s the largest church in the country. While work on the cathedral started in the mid 1300s, it wasn’t officially completed until 1929, meaning that the project was never “officially” completed, although the cathedral was functional and would largely appear to be a finished product for most people. Another cool things about this church is that it’s the burial site for several Bohemian kings and Holy Roman Emperors. This is also the location of the tomb of St. Vitus himself, and of St. John of Nepomuk (fascinating read). Visitors are welcome to attend mass, and you can also climb the cathedrals main tower to get phenomenal views over the city, two things that I would most certainly take advantage of upon visiting!

Last: Old Town Square.

There’s so much to do at Old Town Square, I almost couldn’t narrow down where I’d want to go! The history of this small area is amazing. One of the cooler things I found was a statue in the center of Old Town Square dedicated to Jan Hus, who was burned at the stake for his religious views. If you have a couple minutes, search “Jan Hus” and read his Wikipedia page. I know not everything form Wikipedia is completely accurate, but the story itself is simply amazing. Perhaps the coolest thing I found about this area is Prague Orloj (or, Prague astronomical clock). This clock is 1) Humongous, 2) Beautiful, and 3) The 3rd oldest astronomical clock in the world (1410), and the oldest one that’s still active. If you follow me on Instagram, check out the picture of this amazing clock! This would also, be a fantastic place to visit over Christmas because the Christmas Market in Prague is ranked as one of the top 10 worldwide! Rebecca and I live across the street from a major Christmas market in Indiana, so this would be a really cool sight to see, especially since the perspective may be different being in a different country!

So, I’m done for today, but I wanted to say thank you to anyone that’s been reading! I hope I’m providing good enough content for you, but I’ve also had a blast just researching these places and thinking about the awesome time my family will have when we can visit and report back to you all about our time there!

Blessings,
Madison

Bucket List #5: Prague!

by Madison, posted in Uncategorized

Prague was another idea that came from the trip Rebecca and I were planning a while. Although you now know that we didn’t go on that trip, we spent a couple weeks just searching for a quality destination. Had we gone on the trip, we would have gone to Rome. We ended up planning our finances around that being our destination. When that didn’t work out though, I had myself a nice little list of places to consider for future trips. This allows us to research places that we never would have thought of, and one of those places was Prague! It’s a place that anyone I know that’s been there has talked about how beautiful it is, but I don’t think I’d ever considered it as a touristy destination, at least in the small bubble that I lived it. However, this was fun to research, and here are a few things that we MUST do when our family visits Prague!

First: Charles Bridge.

This pictures of this bridge are magnificent, and it’s one of many architectural masterpieces in the Czech Republic. The bridge is suspended over the Vltava River, the longest river in the country. One really cool fun fact about this bridge is the legend surrounding the exact time at which construction began. At the time, King Charles was fond of the power of numbers. The believed time of constructions was 5:31 a.m., on July 9th, 1357. The way dates and times were displayed (obviously different from the U.S.) would’ve made that date look like this: 1357 9, 7 5:31, effectively forming a palindrome (a number or word that looks the same backwards as it does forwards. I don’t know why he was so fond of numbers, but I thought that was a super interesting story! There are 30 statues along the bridge symbolizing different historical figures. Unfortunately, the statues are all replicas, as the originals are in the National Museum, also located in Prague (I’ll most certainly visit the National Museum, but I’ve written about quite a few museums already).

Next: St. Vitus Cathedral.

While I’m at St. Vitus, I’d be able to kill two birds with one stone, as this cathedral is located on the property of the Prague Castle, which is the number 1 ranked tourist destination in Prague according to planetware.com. St. Vitus is the seat of the Archbishop of Prague, and it’s the largest church in the country. While work on the cathedral started in the mid 1300s, it wasn’t officially completed until 1929, meaning that the project was never “officially” completed, although the cathedral was functional and would largely appear to be a finished product for most people. Another cool things about this church is that it’s the burial site for several Bohemian kings and Holy Roman Emperors. This is also the location of the tomb of St. Vitus himself, and of St. John of Nepomuk (fascinating read). Visitors are welcome to attend mass, and you can also climb the cathedrals main tower to get phenomenal views over the city, two things that I would most certainly take advantage of upon visiting!

Last: Old Town Square.

There’s so much to do at Old Town Square, I almost couldn’t narrow down where I’d want to go! The history of this small area is amazing. One of the cooler things I found was a statue in the center of Old Town Square dedicated to Jan Hus, who was burned at the stake for his religious views. If you have a couple minutes, search “Jan Hus” and read his Wikipedia page. I know not everything form Wikipedia is completely accurate, but the story itself is simply amazing. Perhaps the coolest thing I found about this area is Prague Orloj (or, Prague astronomical clock). This clock is 1) Humongous, 2) Beautiful, and 3) The 3rd oldest astronomical clock in the world (1410), and the oldest one that’s still active. If you follow me on Instagram, check out the picture of this amazing clock! This would also, be a fantastic place to visit over Christmas because the Christmas Market in Prague is ranked as one of the top 10 worldwide! Rebecca and I live across the street from a major Christmas market in Indiana, so this would be a really cool sight to see, especially since the perspective may be different being in a different country!

So, I’m done for today, but I wanted to say thank you to anyone that’s been reading! I hope I’m providing good enough content for you, but I’ve also had a blast just researching these places and thinking about the awesome time my family will have when we can visit and report back to you all about our time there!

Blessings,
Madison

Bucket List #4: Cardiff

by Madison, posted in travel blog

Yes, I’m staying in the United Kingdom with today’s post, and yes, I will venture out into other parts of the world. This, however, is my obsession at the moment! I imagine that Rebecca and I will eventually take Griffin (and baby #2) on a big trip to Europe at some point. I honestly feel like I could move to the UK for a little while to get ingrained in a culture other than the U.S. (I love the States, but I just think it would be super fun to live somewhere else for a while). The trouble with that is how much Rebecca and I want want Griffin to have a great relationship with his grandparents and cousins that are all within 45 minutes of us. For now, I’ll settle for small chunks of time. Today, I’m going to be talking about Cardiff, Wales, a place that I didn’t know much about until a few months ago. During the fall of 2019, Rebecca and I decided that we really wanted to go on a long vacation. Meaning, we wanted to be away for a month or so. I don’t know what really got us to that point, but we just wanted to get away. We began looking for destinations, from South American places like Buenos Aires, to many different European places like London, Rome, Brussels, and Copenhagen. Unfortunately, we didn’t have an opportunity to do this because of normal life circumstances, but the one place that we both seemed to like while doing some research was Cardiff. It’s difficult to explain why, but Cardiff didn’t seem like the place someone would think of when planning a trip to Europe. That made it more exciting because it wasn’t really a mainstream destination. However, when comparing the costs, along with the fact that we had Griffin going with us, this seemed like a nice place to take a family. Here’s my top places I would HAVE to go to if and when we visit Cardiff!

First: Cardiff Castle.

Are you noticing the same thing I am with all these places in Europe? Castles! They’re freaking amazing! I’m so mesmerized by the history behind these castles; how old they are, who once lived here, the wars that took place around them, everything about them! The Cardiff Castle is the top rated destination in Cardiff on several websites I visited, and I couldn’t be more excited to visit when we go! From what I’ve been reading, this castle was built in the 11th century (which is insanely old in it’s own right), and the land it was built on was a 3rd century Roman fort! I’m nerding out so hard right now. I still can’t believe how much I love history compared to when I was in school. I used to dread it. Now, I can’t wait to dig deeper on a particular landmark and find out not only what, but also, who, when, and why! If you like history at all, I implore you to research this castle! Even if it’s just on Wikipedia or something like that. This castle has been through almost 1,000 years of history. It’s crazy to me how old we think people are that are 100, and all the history that they’ve been through. This place has been here for almost 10x that!

Next: Principality Stadium and Cardiff City Stadium.

I told you, I’m a sports nut! Principality is where the Welsh rugby team plays, and boy do the Welsh take rugby seriously! Also, fun fact, I had no idea that the people of Wales were referred to as Welsh until Rebecca and I researched this trip. Then we have Cardiff City Stadium, where Cardiff City FC of the English Football League Championship (one step below the top league in association football) plays its home matches. About a year ago, I would turn on the tv on Saturdays before college football would start. During that time, other than listening to previews for the day’s games, the only sport on would be rugby from the Six Nations Championship (a rugby league in which the national teams from Wales, Scotland, Ireland, France, England, and Italy play each other). I became fascinated because the object of the game seemed so simple, although I’m sure it’s much more complex. I really enjoyed these parts of my morning because I was able to watch something that most Americans don’t really care about unless they’re from another country. The Welsh rugby team is the current champions of the Six Nations Championship, and they have the most overall titles out of the six nations that compete. How’s that for intense?! Another thing I’d love to take in is a football/soccer match from Cardiff City FC. What would be even more amazing is to see a match between Cardiff City and Swansea City, their biggest rival located about an hour west of Cardiff, and the 2nd largest city in the country.

Last: EVERY OTHER CASTLE!

I know, this feels like a cop-out answer, but I genuinely want to visit so many of the castles in or near Cardiff. I read that Wales has the highest concentration of castled in the UK, and there are dozens of castles within an hour drive of Cardiff. How amazing! I can’t write in detail about all of the castles, but here are the ones that make my list! 1) Caerphilly Castle, built in the 1600s and only 15 minutes from Cardiff. 2) Castell Coch, built in the 1800s on a site that had originally built a castle in the 1000s, and only a 20 minutes drive from Cardiff. 3) Ogmore Castle, built in the 1100s and just over 30 minutes from Cardiff. 4) Raglan Castle, built in the 1400s and about 40 minutes from Cardiff. And lastly, 5) Chepstow Castle, one of the the oldest castles in Great Britain, built in 1067, and less than 40 minutes from Cardiff! I seriously think I could take a trip to Wales and do nothing but castle-hop the entire time. What amazing works of art and centers of history.

Blessings,
Madison

Bucket List #4: Cardiff, Wales

by Madison, posted in Uncategorized

Yes, I’m staying in the United Kingdom with today’s post, and yes, I will venture out into other parts of the world. This, however, is my obsession at the moment! I imagine that Rebecca and I will eventually take Griffin (and baby #2) on a big trip to Europe at some point. I honestly feel like I could move to the UK for a little while to get ingrained in a culture other than the U.S. (I love the States, but I just think it would be super fun to live somewhere else for a while). The trouble with that is how much Rebecca and I want want Griffin to have a great relationship with his grandparents and cousins that are all within 45 minutes of us. For now, I’ll settle for small chunks of time. Today, I’m going to be talking about Cardiff, Wales, a place that I didn’t know much about until a few months ago. During the fall of 2019, Rebecca and I decided that we really wanted to go on a long vacation. Meaning, we wanted to be away for a month or so. I don’t know what really got us to that point, but we just wanted to get away. We began looking for destinations, from South American places like Buenos Aires, to many different European places like London, Rome, Brussels, and Copenhagen. Unfortunately, we didn’t have an opportunity to do this because of normal life circumstances, but the one place that we both seemed to like while doing some research was Cardiff. It’s difficult to explain why, but Cardiff didn’t seem like the place someone would think of when planning a trip to Europe. That made it more exciting because it wasn’t really a mainstream destination. However, when comparing the costs, along with the fact that we had Griffin going with us, this seemed like a nice place to take a family. Here’s my top places I would HAVE to go to if and when we visit Cardiff!

First: Cardiff Castle.

Are you noticing the same thing I am with all these places in Europe? Castles! They’re freaking amazing! I’m so mesmerized by the history behind these castles; how old they are, who once lived here, the wars that took place around them, everything about them! The Cardiff Castle is the top rated destination in Cardiff on several websites I visited, and I couldn’t be more excited to visit when we go! From what I’ve been reading, this castle was built in the 11th century (which is insanely old in it’s own right), and the land it was built on was a 3rd century Roman fort! I’m nerding out so hard right now. I still can’t believe how much I love history compared to when I was in school. I used to dread it. Now, I can’t wait to dig deeper on a particular landmark and find out not only what, but also, who, when, and why! If you like history at all, I implore you to research this castle! Even if it’s just on Wikipedia or something like that. This castle has been through almost 1,000 years of history. It’s crazy to me how old we think people are that are 100, and all the history that they’ve been through. This place has been here for almost 10x that!

Next: Principality Stadium and Cardiff City Stadium.

I told you, I’m a sports nut! Principality is where the Welsh rugby team plays, and boy do the Welsh take rugby seriously! Also, fun fact, I had no idea that the people of Wales were referred to as Welsh until Rebecca and I researched this trip. Then we have Cardiff City Stadium, where Cardiff City FC of the English Football League Championship (one step below the top league in association football) plays its home matches. About a year ago, I would turn on the tv on Saturdays before college football would start. During that time, other than listening to previews for the day’s games, the only sport on would be rugby from the Six Nations Championship (a rugby league in which the national teams from Wales, Scotland, Ireland, France, England, and Italy play each other). I became fascinated because the object of the game seemed so simple, although I’m sure it’s much more complex. I really enjoyed these parts of my morning because I was able to watch something that most Americans don’t really care about unless they’re from another country. The Welsh rugby team is the current champions of the Six Nations Championship, and they have the most overall titles out of the six nations that compete. How’s that for intense?! Another thing I’d love to take in is a football/soccer match from Cardiff City FC. What would be even more amazing is to see a match between Cardiff City and Swansea City, their biggest rival located about an hour west of Cardiff, and the 2nd largest city in the country.

Last: EVERY OTHER CASTLE!

I know, this feels like a cop-out answer, but I genuinely want to visit so many of the castles in or near Cardiff. I read that Wales has the highest concentration of castled in the UK, and there are dozens of castles within an hour drive of Cardiff. How amazing! I can’t write in detail about all of the castles, but here are the ones that make my list! 1) Caerphilly Castle, built in the 1600s and only 15 minutes from Cardiff. 2) Castell Coch, built in the 1800s on a site that had originally built a castle in the 1000s, and only a 20 minutes drive from Cardiff. 3) Ogmore Castle, built in the 1100s and just over 30 minutes from Cardiff. 4) Raglan Castle, built in the 1400s and about 40 minutes from Cardiff. And lastly, 5) Chepstow Castle, one of the the oldest castles in Great Britain, built in 1067, and less than 40 minutes from Cardiff! I seriously think I could take a trip to Wales and do nothing but castle-hop the entire time. What amazing works of art and centers of history.

Blessings,
Madison

Bucket List #3: Belfast

by Madison, posted in travel blog

I admit, right now, I’m obsessed with Europe. Most of the travel bloggers I follow have an affinity towards tropical places, which is totally fine! As I’m able to get out and see more, I’m sure my taste in destinations will evolve as well. For now, however, I’m stuck on Europe! The idea to write about Belfast comes from my trip to Ireland. While I was at the Summerfire Conference in Cork, Ireland, there was a family from Belfast that our group got to know. They were extremely kind, and the way they described Belfast made me want to go so badly! One thing that still baffles me is how close most places are in Europe. While in Cork, we were only about 4 hours from Belfast. It would take me longer to get from Indianapolis to Canton, OH where we visit family 3 or 4 times a year. Anyways, let’s talk about Belfast!

First: Titanic Belfast.

Other than having seen the movie, Titanic, I literally knew nothing about it until going to Ireland in 2018. It was here that I learned the Titanic was built in Belfast, and that it’s final docking location was Cobh. I’d never really equated the movie to real life places until I saw the exhibit in Cobh. At Titanic Belfast, there are guided tours that take you around the dock, the slipway, and there’s also admission to the SS Nomadic, which was the Titanic’s tender. I actually had to do a fair amount of research on ship terminology while preparing to write today (mostly because I’ve never been around ships before, other than taking one little ferry from Ft. Lauderdale to the Bahamas). A ship’s tender refers to a larger boat that’s responsible for transport people and supplies to and from the shore/other boats to this particular ship. This being said, by boarding the SS Nomadic, you’re boarding the ship that actually took passengers and their luggage to and from the Titanic. This ship has a very long and colorful history, but it’s relationship to the Titanic definitely gives it it’s allure.

Next: Crumlin Road Gaol and Ulster Museum.

Yes, these are two different places, but I lumped them into one point because I have the same goal with each: learning more about “The Troubles.” If you aren’t familiar with The Troubles, this is a conflict that took place from the 1960s to the late 1990s with the primary problem being that one side wanted to separate from the UK, and the other side didn’t. This sometimes gets labeled a religious war because one side was predominantly Protestant, and the other was predominantly Catholic, but the religious aspect wasn’t the primary reason for fighting. This is my understanding on the conflict from my research and from a couple conversations I had with people during my time in Ireland. If I’m in any way wrong about my claims above, please call me on it by dropping a comment below! The two places I referenced above as destinations are listed as opportune places to visit if you’re interested in learning more about The Troubles, which I most certainly am. The Crumlin Road Gaol (aka, the Crum) is a Victorian Era prison that was closed from holding prisoners in 1996, but holds a ton of historical value. What I’d be interested in is a tour called the Crumlin Road Gaol Troubles Tour (learn more about it as this link: https://www.inyourpocket.com/belfast/crumlin-road-gaol-visitor-attraction-conference_27950v). The Ulster Museum is another great place to go to learn about The Troubles. This museum, however, also has a number of great things, including fine art, sculptures, and a 2500 year old mummy. On Friday, March 20th, 2018 (20 year anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, effectively ending the Troubles), the Ulster Museum opened a new gallery called “The Troubles and Beyond,” providing images, objects, and perspective into what happened in those three decades, and how the country has moved past it into the present day.

Last: The Parliament Buildings.

The Parliament Buildings in Northern Ireland are gorgeous. They’re located on the Stormont Estate, which is home to the Stormont Castle, Stormont House, Parliament Buildings, Dundonald House, and a few other government buildings. The property as a whole is astonishing. The Parliament Buildings are revered as somewhat controversial, however. Sinn Fein, a political party in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, claimed that the building was too closely associated with Unionist rule (political party that professed loyalty to the United Kingdom). From what I’ve read, they were the only party concerned with this, so the call for a new parliament building diminished. My interest in visiting the Parliament Buildings comes from a renewed political interest that I’ve discovered in the last 3-4 months. I have my views on politics, but I’d like to think of myself as a very open-minded person that’s willing to have a conversation and learn. This drives me to learn more about the government and political systems of other countries from a non-judgmental perspective. Almost every system has its good and bad, so this would be a deeper dive into the political climate of Northern Ireland that I would find extremely enjoyable.

Here’s are some honorable mentions that I’d certainly like to visit when we visit Belfast, but I just didn’t include them on my three writing topics!

The Belfast Castle, Grand Opera House, St. George’s Market, and again, having as much food as possible that’s more native to Northern Ireland! I hope you enjoyed today’s post, have a great rest of your day!

Blessings,
Madison

Bucket List #3: Belfast!

by Madison, posted in Uncategorized

I admit, right now, I’m obsessed with Europe. Most of the travel bloggers I follow have an affinity towards tropical places, which is totally fine! As I’m able to get out and see more, I’m sure my taste in destinations will evolve as well. For now, however, I’m stuck on Europe! The idea to write about Belfast comes from my trip to Ireland. While I was at the Summerfire Conference in Cork, Ireland, there was a family from Belfast that our group got to know. They were extremely kind, and the way they described Belfast made me want to go so badly! One thing that still baffles me is how close most places are in Europe. While in Cork, we were only about 4 hours from Belfast. It would take me longer to get from Indianapolis to Canton, OH where we visit family 3 or 4 times a year. Anyways, let’s talk about Belfast!

First: Titanic Belfast.

Other than having seen the movie, Titanic, I literally knew nothing about it until going to Ireland in 2018. It was here that I learned the Titanic was built in Belfast, and that it’s final docking location was Cobh. I’d never really equated the movie to real life places until I saw the exhibit in Cobh. At Titanic Belfast, there are guided tours that take you around the dock, the slipway, and there’s also admission to the SS Nomadic, which was the Titanic’s tender. I actually had to do a fair amount of research on ship terminology while preparing to write today (mostly because I’ve never been around ships before, other than taking one little ferry from Ft. Lauderdale to the Bahamas). A ship’s tender refers to a larger boat that’s responsible for transport people and supplies to and from the shore/other boats to this particular ship. This being said, by boarding the SS Nomadic, you’re boarding the ship that actually took passengers and their luggage to and from the Titanic. This ship has a very long and colorful history, but it’s relationship to the Titanic definitely gives it it’s allure.

Next: Crumlin Road Gaol and Ulster Museum.

Yes, these are two different places, but I lumped them into one point because I have the same goal with each: learning more about “The Troubles.” If you aren’t familiar with The Troubles, this is a conflict that took place from the 1960s to the late 1990s with the primary problem being that one side wanted to separate from the UK, and the other side didn’t. This sometimes gets labeled a religious war because one side was predominantly Protestant, and the other was predominantly Catholic, but the religious aspect wasn’t the primary reason for fighting. This is my understanding on the conflict from my research and from a couple conversations I had with people during my time in Ireland. If I’m in any way wrong about my claims above, please call me on it by dropping a comment below! The two places I referenced above as destinations are listed as opportune places to visit if you’re interested in learning more about The Troubles, which I most certainly am. The Crumlin Road Gaol (aka, the Crum) is a Victorian Era prison that was closed from holding prisoners in 1996, but holds a ton of historical value. What I’d be interested in is a tour called the Crumlin Road Gaol Troubles Tour (learn more about it as this link: https://www.inyourpocket.com/belfast/crumlin-road-gaol-visitor-attraction-conference_27950v). The Ulster Museum is another great place to go to learn about The Troubles. This museum, however, also has a number of great things, including fine art, sculptures, and a 2500 year old mummy. On Friday, March 20th, 2018 (20 year anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, effectively ending the Troubles), the Ulster Museum opened a new gallery called “The Troubles and Beyond,” providing images, objects, and perspective into what happened in those three decades, and how the country has moved past it into the present day.

Last: The Parliament Buildings.

The Parliament Buildings in Northern Ireland are gorgeous. They’re located on the Stormont Estate, which is home to the Stormont Castle, Stormont House, Parliament Buildings, Dundonald House, and a few other government buildings. The property as a whole is astonishing. The Parliament Buildings are revered as somewhat controversial, however. Sinn Fein, a political party in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, claimed that the building was too closely associated with Unionist rule (political party that professed loyalty to the United Kingdom). From what I’ve read, they were the only party concerned with this, so the call for a new parliament building diminished. My interest in visiting the Parliament Buildings comes from a renewed political interest that I’ve discovered in the last 3-4 months. I have my views on politics, but I’d like to think of myself as a very open-minded person that’s willing to have a conversation and learn. This drives me to learn more about the government and political systems of other countries from a non-judgmental perspective. Almost every system has its good and bad, so this would be a deeper dive into the political climate of Northern Ireland that I would find extremely enjoyable.

Here’s are some honorable mentions that I’d certainly like to visit when we visit Belfast, but I just didn’t include them on my three writing topics!

The Belfast Castle, Grand Opera House, St. George’s Market, and again, having as much food as possible that’s more native to Northern Ireland! I hope you enjoyed today’s post, have a great rest of your day!

Blessings,
Madison

Bucket List #2: Paris

by Madison, posted in travel blog

As much fun as I had writing about Rome yesterday, I’m even more excited to write about Paris! I feel like I’m getting all the traditional American cliches out of the way early, but this is definitely somewhere I’ve always dreamed of taking the love of my life! I don’t know about you, but I feel like ‘romance’ or ‘romantic’ is almost synonymous with Paris, at least in the eyes of most Americans. Similar to yesterdays post, I’ll take you through three places in Paris that I’d love to visit WHEN I go. Also, hold me accountable to using the word “if” when speaking about the places I’m going to go. I’m going to speak it into existence by saying “when” instead of “if.” Cheesy, I know, but it’s gonna happen! Anyways, I know there’s no possible way I can cover all I want to do in Paris, so this would also need to be a multi-week trip. I feel like I’m going to say that about everywhere I choose to write about! If you’ve ever been there and have some insight as to what our family should do, shoot me a comment on here or on social media!

First: Eiffel Tower (Duh).

Would this be anywhere but first on my list? Until researching about Paris (and France as a whole), I really didn’t know much about it other than the Eiffel Tower! When researching it some more, however, I learned some truly fascinating things about this tower! The idea was for the tower to be designed to serve as an entrance into the World Fair. This tower was only supposed to last for 20 years, and was widely criticized as a “monstrosity” (planetware.com) when it was first constructed. This, however, became the most recognized structure on the Paris skyline, so naturally, it was left to bask in its beauty. Along with visiting the tower comes my desire to sample as much French cuisine as possible, and this would be a perfect place to visit Le Jules Verne restaurant. This Michelin-starred restaurant sits on the 2nd level of the tower, and has a panoramic view of the Paris architecture. Trust me, when we go to Paris, this will be a no-brainer (and I’ll even take lots of pictures for you all, now that I actually remember)! I did read that the restaurant does not oblige its guests to wear suits or ties, but that casual wear like shorts and t-shirts would not be acceptable, so this would be an amazing place to get a phenomenal, formal meal with Rebecca, and to view the gorgeous skyline.

Next: The Louvre.

It wasn’t until my senior year of high school that my feelings for fine art were really discovered, and even then, those feelings would put on hold for four years while I played baseball in college. After being out of college, I’ve rediscovered the love I have for almost all fine arts, and that’s why the Louvre is on my ‘must-do’ list when I visit Paris. As I’ve already discussed, I’ve also become somewhat of a history junkie in the last few months, so seeing sculptures and paintings dating back to the 17th century would just be incredible. The thought of standing in front of a creation that someone actually made over 400 years ago gives me chills just thinking about it. I can’t imagine actually seeing it up close and personally. I do admit, as a newly found history buff, things like this elicit an emotional response inside of me that I didn’t know existed for a long time. Of course, the Mona Lisa, would have to be at the top of my list, but I have been reading that the process for actually seeing the piece is excruciatingly inefficient. From what I can tell, the closest anyone can get is about 12 feet, and that the room where it’s exhibited is suffocating when at capacity, as it usually is. I’ve never been, so I can’t make any judgment, but this will be one thing I keep in mind when the family goes. Even if it’s annoying, I can’t not see arguably the most famous work of art in world history. For you major art fans, don’t judge me for saying that. I’m just an average and ordinary person, and I’d bet 4/5 average people like me would say Mona Lisa if you asked them to name a work of art off the top of their head. If I’m wrong about that, let me know in the comments 🙂 .

Last: A football match at Le Parc des Princes (home stadium of Paris Saint-Germain).

I know it seems odd that I’d put this ahead of other amazing things to do in Paris, but above all, I’m a gigantic sports fan! PSG’s stadium holds about 50,000 people, and as amazing of an environment it was to see an MLS match in Cincinnati, I can’t imagine what it’s like watching one in Europe! Ultimately, I want to see some Premier League matches, but I’ll save those for future posts! PSG is one of the most well known clubs in the world, and is by far and away the best team in the French league right now. They’ve won 2 league titles in a row, and 6 of the last 7. I know it’s beginning to sound like I’m making things up, but being a soccer fan (sorry, as an American, it’s confusing on whether or not I should say soccer or football!) is something that really started about 2 years ago. I went to some obligatory matches in college because my then-girlfriend was on the school team, but I never got into it as an actual fan. Sure, me and my roommates played FIFA all the time in our apartments, but I would never go out of my way to watch a match on TV. That changed about 3 years ago, but this year in particular, I would literally wake up early on Sunday mornings to watch the matches going on in the English Premier League before we went to church (or after, depending on which service we went to). Back to PSG; the stadium looks immaculate from the pictures I’ve seen, and this would be an absolute thrill to see one of the best clubs in the world up close!

Now, I’d be remiss if I didn’t say that there are other things that will 100% be done on this trip, for example: The Notre Dame cathedral, Palais Garnier, Luxembourg Gardens, and like I said earlier, as many cafes and bistros as possible! I get so excited when writing about this stuff that I think we just need to move our family to Europe for a couple years (shh, don’t tell Rebecca, I have to work my way into that one!). Anyways, thank you so much for reading! As always, comment here or on social media about your experiences in Paris! I’d love to learn from every one of you 🙂

Blessings,
Madison

Bucket List #2: Paris!

by Madison, posted in Uncategorized

As much fun as I had writing about Rome yesterday, I’m even more excited to write about Paris! I feel like I’m getting all the traditional American cliches out of the way early, but this is definitely somewhere I’ve always dreamed of taking the love of my life! I don’t know about you, but I feel like ‘romance’ or ‘romantic’ is almost synonymous with Paris, at least in the eyes of most Americans. Similar to yesterdays post, I’ll take you through three places in Paris that I’d love to visit WHEN I go. Also, hold me accountable to using the word “if” when speaking about the places I’m going to go. I’m going to speak it into existence by saying “when” instead of “if.” Cheesy, I know, but it’s gonna happen! Anyways, I know there’s no possible way I can cover all I want to do in Paris, so this would also need to be a multi-week trip. I feel like I’m going to say that about everywhere I choose to write about! If you’ve ever been there and have some insight as to what our family should do, shoot me a comment on here or on social media!

First: Eiffel Tower (Duh).

Would this be anywhere but first on my list? Until researching about Paris (and France as a whole), I really didn’t know much about it other than the Eiffel Tower! When researching it some more, however, I learned some truly fascinating things about this tower! The idea was for the tower to be designed to serve as an entrance into the World Fair. This tower was only supposed to last for 20 years, and was widely criticized as a “monstrosity” (planetware.com) when it was first constructed. This, however, became the most recognized structure on the Paris skyline, so naturally, it was left to bask in its beauty. Along with visiting the tower comes my desire to sample as much French cuisine as possible, and this would be a perfect place to visit Le Jules Verne restaurant. This Michelin-starred restaurant sits on the 2nd level of the tower, and has a panoramic view of the Paris architecture. Trust me, when we go to Paris, this will be a no-brainer (and I’ll even take lots of pictures for you all, now that I actually remember)! I did read that the restaurant does not oblige its guests to wear suits or ties, but that casual wear like shorts and t-shirts would not be acceptable, so this would be an amazing place to get a phenomenal, formal meal with Rebecca, and to view the gorgeous skyline.

Next: The Louvre.

It wasn’t until my senior year of high school that my feelings for fine art were really discovered, and even then, those feelings would put on hold for four years while I played baseball in college. After being out of college, I’ve rediscovered the love I have for almost all fine arts, and that’s why the Louvre is on my ‘must-do’ list when I visit Paris. As I’ve already discussed, I’ve also become somewhat of a history junkie in the last few months, so seeing sculptures and paintings dating back to the 17th century would just be incredible. The thought of standing in front of a creation that someone actually made over 400 years ago gives me chills just thinking about it. I can’t imagine actually seeing it up close and personally. I do admit, as a newly found history buff, things like this elicit an emotional response inside of me that I didn’t know existed for a long time. Of course, the Mona Lisa, would have to be at the top of my list, but I have been reading that the process for actually seeing the piece is excruciatingly inefficient. From what I can tell, the closest anyone can get is about 12 feet, and that the room where it’s exhibited is suffocating when at capacity, as it usually is. I’ve never been, so I can’t make any judgment, but this will be one thing I keep in mind when the family goes. Even if it’s annoying, I can’t not see arguably the most famous work of art in world history. For you major art fans, don’t judge me for saying that. I’m just an average and ordinary person, and I’d bet 4/5 average people like me would say Mona Lisa if you asked them to name a work of art off the top of their head. If I’m wrong about that, let me know in the comments 🙂 .

Last: A football match at Le Parc des Princes (home stadium of Paris Saint-Germain).

I know it seems odd that I’d put this ahead of other amazing things to do in Paris, but above all, I’m a gigantic sports fan! PSG’s stadium holds about 50,000 people, and as amazing of an environment it was to see an MLS match in Cincinnati, I can’t imagine what it’s like watching one in Europe! Ultimately, I want to see some Premier League matches, but I’ll save those for future posts! PSG is one of the most well known clubs in the world, and is by far and away the best team in the French league right now. They’ve won 2 league titles in a row, and 6 of the last 7. I know it’s beginning to sound like I’m making things up, but being a soccer fan (sorry, as an American, it’s confusing on whether or not I should say soccer or football!) is something that really started about 2 years ago. I went to some obligatory matches in college because my then-girlfriend was on the school team, but I never got into it as an actual fan. Sure, me and my roommates played FIFA all the time in our apartments, but I would never go out of my way to watch a match on TV. That changed about 3 years ago, but this year in particular, I would literally wake up early on Sunday mornings to watch the matches going on in the English Premier League before we went to church (or after, depending on which service we went to). Back to PSG; the stadium looks immaculate from the pictures I’ve seen, and this would be an absolute thrill to see one of the best clubs in the world up close!

Now, I’d be remiss if I didn’t say that there are other things that will 100% be done on this trip, for example: The Notre Dame cathedral, Palais Garnier, Luxembourg Gardens, and like I said earlier, as many cafes and bistros as possible! I get so excited when writing about this stuff that I think we just need to move our family to Europe for a couple years (shh, don’t tell Rebecca, I have to work my way into that one!). Anyways, thank you so much for reading! As always, comment here or on social media about your experiences in Paris! I’d love to learn from every one of you 🙂

Blessings,
Madison

Bucket List #1: Rome

by Madison, posted in travel blog

I’m so excited to be starting my bucket list series today! I do want to say as well, if you follow me on social or here on WordPress, please make sure to leave a comment with your buckets list destinations and tell me about your experiences in the places I write about! Now, on to destination number 1: Rome, Italy (also, thinking about all my Italian friends as I write this post. Stay healthy!). I think every American, at some point, has fantasized about going to Rome. For me, I’ve had an obsession with history since I left college, which is unfortunate, because I hated history while I was in school! Now, I’m fascinated with almost all of it. For instance, the castle I posted on Friday from my time in Ireland had a date on it of around 1200. That is just baffling to me that the structure I visited has been on this earth for 800 years! It’s mesmerizing because we learn about our American history dating back to predominantly the 1700s, which sounds incredibly old, until you visit a castle that’s been here since the 1200s! Throughout this post, I’m gonna talk about the 3 things I want to do in Rome, and this will serve as somewhat of a guide for when I’m lucky enough to be able to go!

First: The Colosseum.

The Colosseum is about as synonymous to Rome as anything. As a sports junkie, this would be the one thing I MUST do when I go to Rome! The more I research on the history of the Colosseum, the more magnificent it becomes. According the planetware.com, construction of the Colosseum began in 72 AD, and was ‘inaugurated’ in 80 AD with a “series of games.” To get a grasp of how big the Colosseum is, I pulled this paragraph from ducksters.com:

“The Colosseum was huge. It could seat 50,000 people. It covers around 6 acres of land and is 620 feet long, 512 feet wide, and 158 feet tall. It took more than 1.1 million tons of concrete, stone, and bricks to complete the Colosseum.”

Now, 50,000 doesn’t seem gigantic today, especially when we have college football stadiums holding over 100,000 people. But thinking about the time in which it was constructed, that had to be astronomical! I also read that the first events held in the Colosseum lasted lasted 100 days and held over 3,000 gladiator fights (also from ducksters.com). I certainly won’t criticize from my narrow point of view, especially because this is such an integral part of the history in Italy, but it’s sometimes shocking to think that we used to use “fights to the death” as entertainment. Again, not criticizing! It’s just crazy to think about what would happen if that were applied in today’s modern times. From what I’ve been reading online, you can get self-tour tickets for about $30, but I’m seeing that the better value is to get the deeper tours, like one for $85 where you can go out into the arena, see where animals were caged, and see the rest of the underground chambers (probably the one I’d want to do the most). When our family goes, I’ll make sure to include what we paid and what we got to see!

Next: Vatican City.

While I, myself, am not a Catholic, I do think that this would be a great experience. For one, this is where to leader of the 2nd largest Christian denomination in the world is housed. Two, it’s the home of the largest church in the world (St. Peter’s Basilica). And 3. It’s where arguably the most famous artist in world history, Michelangelo, completed his work on the Sistine Chapel. By the way, I’m on “awesome history overload,” right now, meaning it’s difficult for me to process how unbelievably important and awe-inspiring all these things are, and the fact that they’re all in this one place! Other fun fact, up until a couple years ago, I didn’t realize that Vatican City was actually it’s own country! Yes I feel dumb, and no, you’re not allowed to make fun of me for it. Another thing that draws me to visiting Vatican City, St. Peter’s Basilica particularly, is that this is where all of the Popes are laid to rest. Like I said earlier, I’m not Catholic, but I do think there’s a measure of respect that should be paid to people that have had this much influence over such a massive population. I would have the same level of reverence at the burial sites of people like Confucius, Martin Luther, Muhammad, etc. This is number 2 on my list of amazing places to visit in Rome.

Last: Palatine Hill.

The hardest part about this post is that there are so many other places that need to be visited! But I ultimately settled in on Palatine Hill as a must for when I visit Rome. From what I’ve been researching, Palatine Hill has evidence of it being the first place that was settled in Rome (as early as 9th century BC!). This is also the site where early leaders (emperors and the very wealthy) chose to build their homes. I’d be very curious to see what their definition of magnificent would be compared to what we have today. The main reason, however, that I chose Palatine Hill for a “must visit” on my list is simply because of the extraordinary history that goes into being the oldest settlement in Rome. It’s difficult for me to wrap my head around some stories I’ve heard from great grandparents that lived through the great depression and World War 2, let alone seeing ruins from 9th century BC up close and personally. I’m amazed just thinking about it. This circles me back to why I fell in love with the idea of travelling and exploring the world. There’s so much to see and so much history to learn. I not only think this is fun, but I think it helps us have a better understanding of who we are as humans. We don’t just have to read about this in a textbook and say, “Oh, that’s cool, it’s really old and some crazy stuff happened.” We can actually see remnants of what our ancestors left behind and have some sort of connection with those that came before us. I’m not thinking about this from a spiritual perspective, but I do think that an expanded worldview is a good thing, and seeing what our ancestors left behind only adds to our worldview.

I know I missed so many things! There are probably some people from Italy that have already thought of 25 things I should be doing while I’m there, and I truly hope I get to do them some day soon! I really think that a trip to Rome would have to be at least 2 weeks long for me to get to some of the things I’d want to do. I have to have time not only to see all the awesome “touristy” things, but I want to just be part of Rome for a while! I want to go to the restaurants, the sporting events, see the architecture, and just do everything that it is to be part of Rome. I know it’s a lot to ask for a short trip, so this one is gonna be a long one!

If you have any amazing ideas for things to do in Rome, whether it’s based on your own research or from your own experiences, leave it in the comments here or on my social media!

Blessings,
Madison