Oh, Paris. You are a beautiful city filled with fashion, art, culture, & gastronomy. Paris is a sight for sore eyes. It always a rush to visit the remarkable city. If you happen to find yourself in the lovely capital of France, you must take a look at the Notre Dame.

The Notre Dame under construction - September 2019

Tourist Information:

The Notre Dame Cathedral also referred to as Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris or Notre-Dame de Paris, is open every day of the year. Did you know that it translates into "Our Lady of Paris?" Its hours are from 8 am to 6:45 pm; on Saturdays & Sundays it's open until 7:15 pm. Access to the cathedral is free of charge during the open hours. However, you may have to wait in line. The line goes by pretty quickly but it also ranges by the day or even hour.

History:

The Notre Dame is a historic Catholic cathedral with French Gothic architecture. It's about 800 years old! In 1163, construction began for the Notre Dame Cathedral; the original cathedral that stood there was demolished. Construction took quite a long time & was eventually completed over 100 years later in 1272. Since it was built, the Notre Dame has remained one of Paris's & France's most recognized symbols.

I love viewing the grandeur that is the Notre Dame. It's a wonderful place to visit regardless of how many times you've seen it. I am obsessed with churches & religious art. I always have been; I remember it started in my ninth grade world history class. Last time I featured the Cologne Cathedral in Germany.

Once you get inside it's up to you what you want to see. There's no right or wrong way to do things. Walk around. People watch. Look at the stained glass. You can buy a candle, light it, & say a little prayer. Take a moment to soak in the glory of the Notre Dame. If you're in Paris, France this is a must-see experience. It's just one of those things you have to do!



The Notre Dame is a world wonder. It has so much character after being developed over hundreds of years. When you visit Paris make sure to set some time aside to visit the Notre Dame Cathedral. After all they made a whole Disney movie about it, The Hunchback of Notre Dame. That has to mean something, right?

Have you ever visited Paris or the Notre Dame?  :]

Traveling abroad is one of the most amazing things you can do in life. You get to witness how other people live their lives, what they eat, how they speak. There's really nothing like it. One of my favorite things about traveling is trying local foods, new foods, & getting out of my usual routine. The thing to consider is that you're already paying a huge chunk of change for your plane ticket. The question therein is: how do you eat cheap & on a budget while traveling abroad? Don't worry I've got your back with plenty of tips to lead you on the right track. Here's to eating well & eating cheap!

Do your research

If you have some sort of Internet access look online to see what food is out there. You can check out Yelp, browse reviews, & search for affordable options in your area. There's no way that you could possibly know all the restaurants & cafes yourself, so to do a little bit of research & narrow it down. Be sure to consider the pricing, portion size, & distance from your current location.

Understand tipping

Tipping practices vary per country. Some don't require or expect tips at all. Some include tips into your check. Make sure you learn & understand how it works. Over time, you'll save a pretty penny if you know the tipping culture.

Go to a grocery store

Heading to local grocery stores is one of my favorite things about traveling. I will never forget Albert Heijn, a Dutch supermarket. You have no idea how many times I went into that store to buy delicious juice, cheese croissants, & lentil avocado salad. Their prices were cheap & made for the perfect picnic. Grocery stores & markets are the way to go because you get to grab something to-go or make, cook, & assemble your own meals. You can also buy coffee or tea bags to save you from picking up one every morning.

Pack your lunch

You're out & about all day exploring the city & its many wonders. Save some cash by bringing lunch with you. It's just like the old days in elementary school; packing your lunch will keep your cost down. The fun challenge is finding a lovely place to eat your lunch. Picnics are everything when traveling abroad! I'll never forget the quaint garden lunch at a picnic table in Copenhagen or the lovely lakeside picnic in Amsterdam. Those packed picnic lunches were some of my favorite memories from traveling abroad.

Eat before you're super hungry

I admit I made this mistake many times. Learn from my mistakes. In order to save money while you're traveling the world, eat before you're super hungry. If you're about to faint from hunger you'll likely visit the first place you see regardless of its price. That doesn't really help if you're on a budget. Be sure to get some food before you're starving.

Have a snack on hand

This kind of goes hand in hand with the above tip. Always always always have a snack with you. Keep it in your purse, your backpack, your fanny pack or pocket if you have to. If you have a snack with you you won't immediately be tempted to lunge at the first sight of food. A banana, cup of cereal, or mixed nuts ought to do the trick.

Ask a local 

Engage with the locals & inquire about their favorite restaurant, cafe, or underrated eatery. Ask about budget-friendly options in the neighborhood. Locals know a hell of a lot more about the city than you do. Take their advice & run with it. You have no idea how many times asking a local about something totally enhanced my overall experience.

Eat at the hotel

If you're at a hotel, motel, hostel, Airbnb that includes a meal, take advantage of it. In Paris, my mom, sister, & I ate breakfast every day at the hostel. That saved us about €10 per person per day. You can buy souvenirs, macarons, museum tickets, or what have you with that money. The more cash you save by eating on a budget when you travel abroad leaves more room for other options.

Use a kitchen

Does your hotel or Airbnb have a kitchen? Take advantage of it. Cook your meals at home. We all know this is one of the best ways to eat on a budget in general. As a broke college student, I took pride in being able to scrummage up food with whatever I had in the house. You can obviously supplement that by going to the grocery store.

Refill your water bottle

In some countries, you have to pay for water at the restaurant or they may not give you any at all. I remember sitting down for lunch in Denmark & specifically asking for tap water only to find out that they charged for it. Lesson learned. Buy a water bottle & refill it. You'll save a lot of money on water alone.

Drink outside

Europe is pretty chill about drinking outside or in public. Stop by the store & pick up a bottle of wine, some beer, even juices rather than buying them at a restaurant at a markup. I spent €6 on a beer at a restaurant. Then I got wise & bought an even larger beer at the market for about €2. Do a little research on the laws about drinking in public in your country.

Go to the Market

I always like to visit the farmer's market wherever I may roam. Whether I unintentionally happen upon one in Milan, Italy or perhaps a very purposeful promenade through Mercat de la Boqueria in Barcelona, Spain. Markets & farmer's markets tend to have almost a wholesale price for produce, veggies, & other goodies. Plus, they're as fresh as can be.

Want to visit one of the most enormous & gorgeous cathedrals in the world? It's a work of art! If you're looking for things to do, take a trip to see the Cologne Cathedral in Koln (Cologne,) North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

Address: Cologne Cathedral, Domkloster 4, 50667 Köln, Germany

History of Cologne Germany Cathedral

The construction of the Cologne Cathedral began in 1248. Goodness gracious; that's a really long time ago! The cathedral itself is 474 feet tall (144.5 meters) & 283 feet wide (86.25 meters); the towers are 515 feet tall (157 meters). It's enormous. It's difficult to get it all in one photo. In fact, the history of Cologne Germany is that Cologne Cathedral is the largest Gothic church in northern Europe.

The gothic-style cathedral features two huge spires, flying buttresses, a black marble High Altar, Three Kings Shrine, art treasures, immense stained glass window, and more. Visitors can climb up the spiral staircase of stone steps to a viewing platform. The Cologne Germany Cathedral is genuinely gargantuan. It is one of Germany's most famous landmarks. You have to back up pretty far in order to get the whole thing within frame for your photo. Spot it from outside & gasp with surprise. Head inside & see what riches lie within. I like to think of it as a history of Cologne Germany museum because there's an abundance of beautiful religious art inside. You can travel nearby since there are day trips from Cologne. 

UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996

There are furnishings, windows, tombs, monuments, floor mosaics, & cathedral bells at the Cologne Cathedral. When I went back to the Kölner Dom website, I was surprised by just how many significant works were held within its confines. A lot. If you can't make it to Cologne, Germany, you can do a virtual tour on their site. It tells you about every piece & where it's located within the gothic cathedral.

The entire cathedral is massive. Don't feel bad because you're not the only tourist there. It's one of the biggest tourist hubs in Cologne. Many people were there taking photos, praying, & enjoying the glory of Cologne Cathedral. On another note: I couldn't help but be captivated by the creepy looking door handle. It's truly creepy no? It's sad. It kind of reminds me of The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

There's nothing quite like a nice music festival to get you pumped up. KAABOO* is a three-day festival & it just wrapped up day one. The fest is still on a roll, but I wanted to show you some of the moments I captured. It was a hot day especially if you're sitting in the sun. With all the wonderful live music, the funky art, the hilarious comedians, & the delicious food it's hard not to enjoy yourself.

Take a look at some of the photos I shot at KAABOO Del Mar. I'll be heading out there today as well but I wanted to give you a little glimpse into what it was like. I'll add more photos & individual bands later. But here's a teaser. Hope you enjoy. :]

Add me on Snapchat: carmenvarner

*Disclaimer: I received a complimentary ticket from KAABOO. All opinions in this are 100% mine aka Carmen's. :]

Celebrate the perfect pumpkin dish depending on what you're in the mood for and what ingredients you have. Whether you're in the mood for breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner, sweet, savory, drinks, food, you can pick a combo or come up with your own idea to suit your taste. You can create sweet pumpkin cookies, delicious pumpkin sauce for pasta or gnocchi, enjoy pumpkin oatmeal, the list goes on! You can buy pumpkin puree on Amazon.

Of course, we all know that there's pumpkin pie, but how else can you use pumpkin puree? Well, check out this list of ways to utilize it. I wanted to challenge myself to find a variety of options to consume pumpkin without feeling bored. I was thoroughly surprised with the flavor & depth it gave my food & drinks. It's as simple as adding it to your favorite grub, beverages, & sauces. Autumnize your recipes by dropping in some pumpkin! Check out this list.

Give your coffee some flavor by mixing in a dollop of pumpkin puree.

You could even do a pumpkin kombucha! Here are 70+ kombucha flavors to pick from.

My oatmeal tasted scrumptious with pumpkin puree, pecans, & chia seeds.

Sweet and Desserts Things to Make with Pumpkin Puree

11. Pumpkin oats or pumpkin baked oatmeal

Luxembourg is the capital of the small European country of the same name. To avoid confusion it's often called Luxembourg City. The country borders Belgium, Germany, & France so it's the ideal destination if you're heading to any of those places on your trip. The city is known for its medieval fortifications & is one of the largest fortresses of modern Europe. Pretty cool, huh?

Luxembourg is a city full of history & beauty. I only spent the day there but was able to experience enough to whet my appetite. It was a sweltering day -- the kind of hotness that leaves you sticky & uncomfortable. Humid. It was so different compared to the influx of rainy & cloudy days spent in Copenhagen & Amsterdam.




Le Chemin de la Corniche is a must-see because it overlooks the old city; that was probably my most favorite thing in Luxembourg -- being able to witness so much history in one spot. I'd recommend spending one to two days in Luxembourg if you're making a visit. It's the perfect amount of time so you can enjoy all the sites without feeling overwhelmed.