An American Girl in Paris...

That's right, folks. There will be an American girl in Paris this June, and it will be ME! I will be the one with the greasy hair and large backpack because...I am so elated to announce that my two week European adventure is BOOKED. SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED. It's happening...

I've always yearned to travel and see the world, and even though this will be my first adventure out of the country (besides Canada) and I am almost 30, well, better late than never, I suppose. I've always said that I need to see the world before I bring little bambinos into it. One friend mentioned that this trip will probably change my life. Bring it on. It's time.

via weheartit

With one of my closest friends, we will be traveling across the pond to the following cities:

Paris

Nice

Venice

Rome

Florence

Munich

Frankfurt

I am excited. Ready for an adventure. Anxious to see what the world has to offer. Nervous about packing EVERYTHING IN ONE BACKPACK (says the girl who usually takes three bags on a weekend trip). And more importantly, damn grateful that I have such a supportive husband who knows how much this trip means to me and has made sacrifices to get me there.

While my friend and I are pretty organized and have dived into the research, I'd love to hear from YOU, dear bloggers, about your travels in Europe. Anything would be helpful at this point.

Have you "backpacked"? Any suggestions for packing? If you've visited those cities, are there restaurants you'd recommend? Must-see spots? Tips for NOT sticking out like a tourist? :)

Speaking of traveling across the pond, this next installment of "Cupcakes Around the World" comes to us from Sarah of "Saraharmony...Holistic Living". Sarah lives in the UK and recently discovered a little bake shop, The Hummingbird Bakery. Here is her review, and boy, is it making my mouth water! (Photos courtesy of the bakery!)

The Hummingbird Bakery was opened by Tarek Malouf in 2004 on the famous Portobello Road in Notting Hill, London. Tarek wanted to bring the famous American cupcake to London and opened the first store after completing a short baking course in New York. Since that time, two further Hummingbird Bakeries have opened in Soho and Oxford Street.

The Hummingbird Bakery is a favourite stop for celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Madonna, Mariah Carey and Elle Mcpherson. And after my first visit to the bakery in Portobello road, I can certainly see why it so popular!

The minute I walked into the bakery I was greeted by a counter of cupcakes delights! In every colour you can imagine. The cupcakes on offer include vanilla, chocolate, red velvet, carrot cake and many more. And that is alongside the many tempting cakes, cheesecakes and pies that the Hummingbird is also famous for! It was a tough decision to make! – as Marie Claire magazine once said “If you haven’t tasted a Hummingbird Bakery look-too-good-to-eat cupcake, you’ve definitely missed out. It’s bye bye healthy eating regime and hello fluffy sponge topped with buttercream icing and sprinkles”.

I finally made my decision and choose a vanilla sponge cupcake with pink vanilla frosting and colourful sprinkles. My hubby chose the carrot cake cupcake. Both were DELICIOUS! So sweet and so buttery! We couldn’t leave without taking some cupcake treats home...it was the chocolate sponge cupcake (with chocolate frosting) that I choose to take away with me. Even more delicious than the first and I think I would have to rate this as my fave!

You can even set up the Hummingbird Bakery in your own home with their amazing cookbook! Its full of beautiful and delicious photos to flick through and every single recipe is as mouthwatering as the next. For Easter weekend, I baked the Raspberry Cheesecake Brownie (three of my favourite things) and it went down a storm.

So the next time you are in London, make sure it includes a visit to The Hummingbird Bakery!

Thanks, Sarah!!! If you haven't already, check out Sarah's blog, too! She is a reflexologist in training and her posts are always so fascinating!