One of the highlight’s of my year was traveling to Europe. Paris, Rennes and Milan to be specific. I had a fabulous time and on top of that, I signed to a reputable agency in Italy. Here are a few details about my fantastic trip.

Paris, France

Paris was my destination city. When I arrived, I thought “the people are so FREE.” And by “FREE” I mean lots of kissing, holding hands, sharing baguettes and who could forget the random street parties…which hit me by surprise on my first day. I managed to get some footage of one of the many random street parties.

So that is what I mean by FREE…. See I was exhausted after a long flight from New York and this random street party was all I needed.

Another amazing experience in Paris was going to the very top of the Eiffel tower with my good friend, Younes. From the top, I could see most of Paris. I saw the Champs des Mars (A park which is named after the Campus Martius (“Mars Field”) in Rome, a tribute to the Roman god of war,) the Pantheon (Where the famous artists are buried,) Trocadero (An area of Paris across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower) and Quai Branly (A museum with primary art from all over the world).

Enjoyed a walk by the lovely Seine river and view of Montmarte. Who could forget the amazingly beautiful Tuileries garden that led to the Louvre.

On Bastille day, I watched fire works by the Eifel Tower with my beloved sister, Linda and a few friends while drinking wine and eating crepe.

Then there was the black eye peas concert that I attended at the Stade de France, which I have to say was surreal! This is where I spotted people eating hot dogs the size of a log. And interestingly enough, these people stay fit….hmm I wonder how they do it??? Maybe it is all the walking, riding of scooter’s and/or calories burnt while struggling to get out of the mini sized coopers….Can someone tell me the secret?

All jokes aside, if you have visited Paris, then you know exactly what I am talking about…it is simply amazing! Oh how I miss the bread, the cheese, the nicely displayed macaron (French pastry,) the wine and of course the wonderful friends I made.

Rennes, France

Another amazing trip was to Rennes for my sister’s graduation. I loved the architecture, eating crepes and my relaxing visit to Saint Malo, which is in the northwestern part of France. I thought it was quite peaceful and enjoyed the simple life and beautiful, but sometimes rainy weather. I was lucky to get a sneak pic of Saint Mont-Michel (A rocky island) on my way back to Rennes.

Milan, Italy

Milano, Milano…. I did not spend as much time in Milan as I would have liked, but I still managed to enjoy myself. I visited the Duomo (A cathedral in the center of Milan). The Castello Sforzesco (A castle) at night was beautiful. Also, traveled by car to Stresa (Lago Maggiore or Lake Magiore) for a shoot…it was BEYOND beautiful and I had an amazing time there. I enjoyed eating a Pedina which is kind of like a quesadilla with vegetables inside.

I have to say that Milan is more of an industrial city and most people are there for business or fashion. I plan on going to Italy again this summer and would like to visit Venice and Rome.

That’s all for now folks. Hope you enjoyed reading about my wonderful experiences. Keep in mind there is more to come in the future. Happy New Year to you, take care and most of all, BE SAFE!!!

~Sandra Nyanchoka