My first trip to Europe was back in 2015. That two week, five country tour is one of the most memorable experiences and really a trip that inspired me to travel a lot more. A melting pot of different cultures, languages, food all just a short plane or train ride away. With 7 cities knocked off my checklist, I wanted to share my top experiences from each place. Read on for my short and sweet guide from my European Adventures. *Special thanks to Dora Dominguez (insta: finding_doryyy) for letting me use a few of her photos to add to the blog. :)

Barcelona, Spain:

Being part Spanish, Spain has always been at the top of my bucket list. Barcelona is synonymous with Antoni Gaudi, a Catalan architect, who's work and unique style is displayed all around the city. From Casa Batllo, Park Guell, Cascada Fountain in Parc de la Ciutadella, to the unfinished Basilica of La Sagrada Familia, his whimsical designs are largely inspired by nature. His most iconic masterpeice, La Sagrada Familia has been under construction for over 100 years and is the most visited landmark in Barcelona.

Cooking Class: One of the highlights of the trip was learning how to cook authentic Paella. We purchased and reserved a cooking class with Marta online, which if I remember correctly was around $30. She hosts a private cooking class in her home and asks for each group to bring their own wine. With class size about 10 or 12 people, she started with the history of Paella and had us prep the ingredients by assigning everyone a job from cutting the tomatoes, chopping the garlic, dicing onions, etc. She then took everyone outside to her balcony to mix up all the ingredients and explained the art of making Paella. Her balcony over looked the city and was the perfect backdrop for our intimate dinner.

Venice, Italy:

Visiting this one of a kind floating city, there are 2 things to note before going. Venice is a HUGE maze, so prepare to get lost. This can be a good thing or a bad thing (especially if your desperately looking for a bathroom and you keep hitting a dead end.) I even hear google maps can get you lost here.

The smell: The plumbing sewage system is not updated, raw sewage gets dumped directly into the canals everyday. Thankfully you couldn't smell it everywhere, but the odor was stronger in certain areas then others.

Those minor things don't overshadow the charm and the appeal of Venice. You really can't compare this city to anywhere else.

Island tour: Take a half day tour of the other Islands in the Venetian lagoon: Murano is known for their traditional glass blowing techniques and Bruano is famous for their bright colored houses and their Italian lace.

Day trip to Verona: For 18 EUR round trip and an hour and a half train ride, you land in Verona, home to William Shakespeare's star-crossed love story "Romeo and Juliet." Here we toured Arena Di Verona (a smaller version of the Roman Colosseum), Piazza delle Erbe and the reason most come to Verona, Casa di Guilietta aka Juliet's House.

Crowds of people visit to see the famous balcony where Romeo and Juliet profess their love. Although this is dedicated to fictional characters, it made you believe just for a moment the story was real. As you enter the tunnel leading to the main courtyard, you are surrounded with an overload of lover's initials scribbled all over the wall. The small courtyard is filled with love notes, love locks,and a bronze statue of Juliet. Touching Juliet's right breast is supposed to give you luck in love. You can also pay an entrance fee of 6 euros to explore the inside. I have never watched the movie "Letters to Juliet" but it's actually a real thing where you can write to "Juliet." A collection of love letters and stories from all over the world can be mailed, emailed or hand carried off to Juliet's mailbox. The Juliet Club also known as Juliet's secretaries are volunteers who answer back to every letter with a response.

Paris, France:

Paris the "City of love" has been my dream place for as long as I can remember. One of most awe-inspiring, surreal places to visit, Paris was better then I had imagined it to be. With countless things to see and do, it was hard to cram in everything on my agenda, but that just means I have to make it back to Paris one day.

Laudree- For the ultimate Parisian experience you have to make your way to Laudree. The well known pastry shop has been in business since 1862. As soon as you walk in your surrounded with delicate, girly details: gold chandeliers, white marble countertops, pastel colors everywhere. If you choose to take your pastries to go, they package your goodies in one of their beautifully crafted boxes. At $4 per macaron, you will know first hand why Laduree is legendary.

Musee Du Louvre- Even with limited time, you can't pass up the chance to visit one of the most iconic museums in the world. Collections in the Louvre include Leonardo DaVinci's Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, Winged Victory of Samothrace. With an overwhelming amount of artwork and exhibits, it is physically impossible to see everything. We walked around for about five hours and still had more then half of the museum to explore.

Palace of Versailles: Named the "World’s Largest Royal Domain" the estate was a symbol of grandeur and power starting in the 17th century. A basic tour was 18 euros which included the hall of mirrors, the royal chapel, the king's apartments, the queen's apartments, the gardens. If you want to get a better tour of the gardens they offer mini electric vehicles for 34 EUR per car per hour. There can be a pretty long wait to even rent the vehicles, but the gardens are as massive as the chateau itself. Your feet will thank you in the end. A day trip to Versailles in my opinion is as necessary as visiting the Eiffel Tower.

London, England:

A city known for its diverse cultures, food, theater and history London is high on the list of places to visit. It’s also one expensive European city. Keep that in mind when it comes to budgeting for food, lodging, tourist attractions and shopping.

Buckingham Palace: Obviously a visit to London wouldn't be complete without stopping by the residence of the British Monarchy. They offer public tours during the summer to late fall for 24 pounds ($31 USD). Not far from the Palace, you are a stroll away from St.James Park, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, and the London eye.

Afternoon Tea: A setting fit for a queen, if you want to see how the Brits do tea, Sketch London is the tea party many rave about. A 2 star Michelin restaurant, the food and service was worth the splurge. One of the priciest tea rooms in London, tea service starts at 59 GBP ($76 USD) and 73 GBP ($94 USD) if you wanted to add some champagne. Most people recognize Sketch due to it being an instagram hot spot. It gives a mid century modern vibe with its blush pink walls and velvet chairs, chevron patterned flooring and art covered walls by artist David Shrigley. They also have THE coolest bathroom, which also has been instagrammed by many. You walk into a multi colored ceiling space with a bunch of white bathroom stalls that are shaped like pods.

Dublin, Ireland:

The two things that stand out the most about Ireland for me were the the people and the alcohol. The Irish are some of most welcoming, hospitable human beings. Whether it was asking for directions or simply having a conversation at a pub, they were candid and eager to connect with strangers. Guinness Storehouse, Jameson Distillery, Trinity College, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin Castle are top some of the top sites to explore.

Temple Bar District: If you are looking for lively nightlife in Dublin, Temple Bar district is where to go. The locals call it a tourist trap with it’s over priced pints and congested crowd. But if you’re visiting Dublin, its a MUST. With various bars, eateries, art galleries, live music and shops you’ll find something to keep you entertained. Another MUST visit is the historic pub by the same name, Temple Bar. Established in 1840, its one of the most popular and photographed pubs in Dublin.

Horse Back riding: Wanting to see more of the countryside, we ventured to a nearby village, Enniskerry for some horseback riding. A 30-40 minute bus ride from Dublin and a 10 min. hike up a hill, we were welcomed by beautiful horses at Killagar stables. Since we were traveling during low season, we managed to book a last minute horse trek for a reasonable price, under 40 euros.

Rome, Italy:

Rome…Roma….the Eternal City. From the cobblestone streets, the grand architecture, the ancient Roman Ruins, collectively transport you back into history. An instant time machine. Top can’t miss sites, The Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, the Roman Forum, Pantheon, Altare della Patria just to name a few.

Vatican City: The smallest country in the world, Vatican city is home to the Roman Catholic Church. Being one of Rome’s top sights I recommend getting the tickets in advance. The lines can get jam packed and pre-booking a tour not only allows you to skip the line, but can also get you early access. Even if you’re not Catholic or religious you will still appreciate a trip to the Vatican. One of the most unforgettable moments is walking in and seeing the Sistine Chapel ceiling by Italian renaissance sculptor and painter, Michelangelo. You would never know this masterpiece only took him 4 years to complete, the detail is flawless. You’ll also come across work from other Italian renaissance greats like Leonardo Da Vinci and Raphael in the Vatican museum.

Santorini, Greece

If you are looking for a relaxing, scenic holiday Santorini, Greece has you covered. I remember the moment I saw pictures of this Greek island on pinterest, it was love at first sight. To get to Santorini we flew into Athens International Airport. We did one full day touring the capital, which in all honesty Athens was underwhelming and a day was more then enough time to visit the Acropolis and take off to a nearby island.

Live large: I’m not usually the luxury hotel type of girl when I travel. Mainly because I don’t see the point in fancy accommodations when your time will be spent outside. But this was the exception to the rule. There are hotels, suites and villas with instagram worthy cave jacuzzis and infinity pools overlooking the Aegean sea. These panoramic views are what dreams are made of. These places obviously don’t come very cheap and we couldn’t afford to stay at our suite our whole Greece vacation, prices can range from $300 to over $1000 per night, but the time we were able to spend here was money well spent. For $300 a night including breakfast I couldn’t recommend Alta Vista Suites enough.

Sunset Sailing: Not only is Santorini known for their crisp, white buildings and serene, blue water but they are notorious for their beautiful sunsets. We booked a 5 hour catamaran excursion with Sunset Oia for 105 EUR. The itinerary included floating through the hot springs and swimming at the Red and White sand beaches. For dinner we had barbecue chicken and pork skewers, endless Greek salad, dolmades (stuffed grape leaves), tzaziki and unlimited refills of local Santorini white wine.