by Stacey Valley

I love to travel. L-O-V-E, love it. So when the opportunity to travel to Kenya this summer on a mission trip was presented, I jumped in with both feet. I went there in 2010 and vowed to return again. To get to Kenya, you have to fly through a major European city – London, Paris or Amsterdam usually – so I convinced my husband that we should fly a week early and finally take the honeymoon that we’ve postponed for almost a year now. He lovingly agreed. (He’s a smart man.) The major tourist sights are a must, but I also try to go beyond the obvious to the more interesting and off-the-beaten path experiences. And if food or drink is involved, then BONUS for me!

Days 1-3: London and Cambridge, England
Luckily, we have a free place to stay in England – my brother-in-law and his wife live in Mildenhall about 30 minutes from Cambridge. Besides spending time with them, here is my wish list of things to do in Cambridge and London:
• Take a guided bus tour of the London sites in an open-top bus
• Eat fish and chips and have a pint of ale in an English pub
• Go punting in Cambridge – it’s the English version of a gondola ride
• Visit King’s College Chapel in Cambridge for the Sunday afternoon service – the choir is supposed to be fantastic
• Watch a Footlights comedy performance

Days 3-5: Bruges, Belgium
We will travel on the Eurostar train from London to Bruges for about $55 each. I am so excited about staying in Bruges! This historic city center has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and we’re staying at B&B Guesthouse Abiente, a renovated 17th century house right in the heart of town. My agenda for Bruges is less structured, more beer and chocolate:
• Wander along the Dijver canal which snakes through town
• Visit Markt square and the 13th century belfry
• Go chocolate tasting at The Chocolate Line and BbyB
• Buy a bag of mini-boterwafels (sweet butter waffles)
• Shop for some Flemish fashion at the boutique L’Heroine
• Eat Belgium fries from a street vendor (Side note: I spent a semester of college in Amsterdam, and these fries are a-maze-ing, but eat them often and you won’t fit in your skinny jeans anymore.)
• Drink a beer or two at Brugs Beertje (100’s of choices on the beer menu!)
• Compose a symphony of church bells at Sound Factory in the city’s concert hall museum
• Rent bicycles and ride along the wide canal that circles the city
• Pray at Begijnhof, a quiet courtyard where Benedictine nuns live

Days 5-7: Paris, France
We’ll take the Thayls train from Bruges to Paris for about $60 each. It leaves early (6:25 a.m.), but that gets us into Paris at 9 a.m. so we’ll have two full days to enjoy this magnificent city. We’re going to stay at a B&B called A Room in Paris which is just blocks from our train station and just a mile or so to the Eiffel Tower and other sights. Here is my Paris “to do” list:
• Do some window shopping on the Rue Saint-Honore
• Stroll the Rue des Martyrs, the foodie haven of Paris
• Take a night-time walk from St. Germain to Notre Dame and sample delights from the chocolate shops along the way
• Eat at a sidewalk café in the Place des Vosges, the oldest and most beautiful square in Paris, in the Marais neighborhood
• Splurge on a boat tour on the Seine River
• And of course, we’ll take selfies in front of the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe

Day 7: Fly to Nairobi, Kenya
We’ll meet up with the rest of the mission team in Nairobi on Friday night, then travel most of the day on Saturday by car to Migori where the orphanage is located. We’ll spend about five days there leading a vacation Bible school for the kids and doing whatever else is needed (preaching, construction, etc.). The culmination of our trip is a safari in the Masai Mara where we’ll stay at the tranquil Mara Serena Safari Lodge – heaven on earth.

I’ve started a Pinterest board to add additional ideas as I come across them. If you have any recommendations for additional places we should go or places to eat, please comment below. Asante! (Thank you in Swahili.)

My name is Stacey Valley. I’m a wife, mother, and public health professional with a horrible sweet tooth. My life is quite beautifully ordinary and at the same time more than I could have ever imagined. I blog to express my feelings, share photos and recipes, and occasionally rant about health issues or the craziness of juggling motherhood, marriage, and making a living. My life’s motto is “Live big. Love deep.”