October Travels: Five Countries in Three Weeks

Yes you can read that right. I went to five countries – France, United Kingdom, Ireland, Turkey, and the United States – in three three weeks. You can keep reading for pretty photos and 400+ words but the title really says it all.  If that isn’t a reason enough why Sparkles and Shoes has been a little quiet, I don’t know what is. Thankfully, I have a bit of a break coming up in six weeks of no travel plans so I plan to edit and share all of my great travel adventures in detail.

I shared a bit of our family vacation from the end of September when we live biking in the Loire Valley but we finished the trip on September 30th and spent a few extra days, the start of October, on a family weekend in Paris. Then it was back to the UK for the week before jet setting to Ireland for an overnight stay to surprise my Nana while she was on holiday there.

Then back to the UK for a few days before Mark and I travel to Istanbul to spend a few days, exploring the Turkish capital and attended a friends wedding.  The trip was over before we knew it and was back to the UK one more time for a few days of work before heading on the quickest trips back to the States I’ve ever done.  As the Brit’s say Mark and I needed to do some “life admin” but once this was sorted, was able to spend a few days in New Hampshire with my parents, enjoying the best, New England has to offer him a call.

This ended with a redeye flight back into work on Monday which was rough, but I’m glad we got to make the most of these travels, and while we live in Europe, it is things like this we truly want to take advantage of. Here are a few of my favorite snaps from our October travels omitting the UK, well, because that’s my normal.

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With Mark at my favorite photo spot, the Colonnes de Buren/Les Deux Plateaux in Paris
(If this looks familiar I have done two Fashion Friday shoots here, once in 2018 and another In 2019)

The Light Show at the Eiffel Tower from the 16th Arrondissement in Paris

With Nan a the  Trinity College Dublin’s The Rubrics

The Gold Sphere and Library at Trinity in Dublin
(you can see more from my first visit in my 2016 post)

Hagia Sofia from Sultanahmet Park with Red Dome and Minarets

With Mark at a black tie wedding at Çubuklu 29 n the banks of the Bosphorus in Istanbul

The famous red tram on Istiklal Caddesi (Independence Avenue) in Istanbul

Keniston Covered Bridge in Andover New Hampshire, s one of the few surviving 19th-century covered bridges in the state

Maple Creemees at Mac’s Maple Sugarhouse at the McNamara Dairy & Farm Store in Plainfield, New Hampshire

The beauty of Fall Foliage in New Hampshire

Which of these October travels shots is your favorite?