We are the Champions...

…of the world.  Well, these are my champions of all the places I have been these past four months!

It’s awards show time people!  And the winners are:

Best Trip:  Ireland. 

I got so much love for you darlin’. It was one of our very first trips, but from the nice man in the airport to the bus driver that waited for us.  It was the greatest!

Best Hostel:  St. Christopher’s Inn – Barcelona. 

The lockers under the bed made you.  And you were new.  Bonus points!

Best Food:  Italy.

Pasta on pasta on pasta.  And gelato.  Need I say more?

Best Souvenirs:  Dublin.

Carrroll’s was a god send. 

Best Airport:  Venice- Treviso. 

The seats with footrests.  Me gusta.  The bag check.  No me gusta.  But compared to the others, you were a shining beacon.

Best Transportation System:  London. 

Hands down.  Love me some Underground.  Barcelona, you were a distant second.  Good effort.

Best Airline:  United.

Can I say United?  Well since this is my blog, I say I can.  On the way to London I loved you so much.  You with your giant individual screens and selection of 193498064 movies.  That was a good time in my life.  On the way home from London, you were so boring and so long.  But the memory of Newark to London still crowns you King.  Monarch Air, you get best small airline.  The space between the seats was magical.

Best Weather:  Germany. 

The only place I didn’t have to wear a coat at all times.  It may also help that we went in September, but we will just say it was good ol’ Germany.  Venice, a close second.  But the wind on the water ruined it for you.

Best Hotel:  Edinburgh.

Traveling with parents is great.  I love hotels.  The end.

Best Experience:  Gondola Ride.

Was it expensive?  Yes.  Was it worth it?  Yes.

Best Tourist Attraction:  Cliffs of Moher.

So much green.  So much gorgeousness.  Fountain of Montjuic, I loved you too.  But it was too cold outside for you to take the cake.

Best London Activity:  Tour of Buckingham Palace. 

Love. Just love.  A close second was the Ice Bar.  That was a good time.  A good, cold time.

And of course, with every winner comes a loser…or something like that.  So without further ado, the losers are: 

Worst Souvenirs:  Barcelona.

We struggled to find anything we really liked.  And we like lots of things.

Worst Airport:  El Prat.

Barcelona was a great trip.  Until El Prat.  See story of water bottle throwing above.  Not a good moment in my life.

Worst Transportation System:  Venice.

While everyone loves a good canal, including myself, they are not the most efficient way to get around.  To even get to Venice proper, we had to take a bus.  Then a water bus.  Then walk 10 miles. 

Worst Airline:  Ryanair. 

Love the cheap flights.  Don’t love the 60 euro fee to print out a piece of paper.  Don’t love the 60 pound fee to change a flight.  Rule #1 when flying Ryanair:  Don’t make any mistakes that you aren’t willing to pay 60 something for.  PER PERSON.

Worst Weather:  Barcelona.

So cold.  So so cold.

Worst “Hotel”:  Hotel Villa Serena - Venice. 

This hotel was so hard to find.  We walked in circles for a good hour.  The wi-fi was horrendous.  My phone had to be on the floor for it to actually work. 

Worst Experience:  Missing the flight to Edinburgh.

We were dumb.  We were in crisis.  We had to switch London airports and spend the night in the freezing Luton. 

Worst Tourist Attraction:  Oktoberfest.

I know, I know.  I’m a college kid and I’m supposed to love all things involving copious amounts of drinking.  But, Oktoberfest was like a state fair on steroids.  With public drinking and children mixed together.  It wasn’t at all what I expected.  And it was packed.  And I was unimpressed.  But I saw it, I experienced it.

Worst London Experience:

Not seeing royalty.  Harry, Wills, Kate, EII, I’ll be comin’ back for ya!