When CNC Machine Operator I Joseph Louis and his wife were planning a trip to France, they were unexpectedly invited to join friends on a tour of some of Europe’s most beautiful countries.
Since the trip would fall just after his official five-year anniversary with Arthrex, he decided that it would be the perfect chance to turn it into a Trip of a Lifetime.
They flew out of the Miami International Airport in the afternoon, arriving in London just before sunrise.
“Although it was pretty cold out for a Floridian, we were excited to go and explore the city,” Joseph said.
For three days, the group toured all the famous sites: the Royal Palace, Palace Street, Buckingham Palace, and Windsor Castle.
They also dared to traverse up to the 72nd out of 78 floors of The Shard, the tallest building in the United Kingdom.
“We got a beautiful, bird’s eye view of The Tower Bridge and all of London,” he said.
And of course, the group made sure to enjoy all the food they tried.
They were wonderfully surprised when they stumbled upon a Caribbean restaurant that was run by a fellow country native.
The cuisine is characterized by bold flavors, with dishes made up of rice and beans, plantains, vegetables, chicken, beef, seafood and fresh marinated fish cooked in tomatoes, garlic and pepper sauce. They also served griot, which is a particular Haitian dish made of pork shoulder that is marinated in citrus and then fried and is often considered a national dish.
Joseph ordered Tasso, which is beef that is marinated, cooked and then fried or baked, served with a spicy condiment made of cabbage, carrots, bell peppers and vinegar called Pikliz. It came with fried plantains and mushroom cooked rice.
“It was delicious,” he said. “Truly, it was a touch of home away from home.”
Then they departed London by train to his favorite destination, Paris. Joseph and his wife were particularly excited about ‘the City of Light’ because they had always wanted to see it.
There, they visited the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower and the Musee de Louvre, admiring all the beautiful architecture and history. And of course, they had to see the Mona Lisa in person.
In Rome, they once again hit up all of the hot tourist attractions – exploring Vatican City, the Colosseum, the Fountain Vatican and the Arc of Constantine.
“Seeing the city firsthand really showed why Rome was not built in a day,” he said.
Then the group packed their bags and headed off to Spain to spend time enjoying the beautiful sights and countless attractions in Barcelona before making another stop in Madrid for more architectural sight-seeing.
Once more, they sought out the must-see destinations of the city like the Royal Palace, Plaza de Espana and Horcajo. They also caught a city tour bus, where they rode around listening to the local history.
“We chose the main cities like London, Paris and Madrid because of their pasts,” said Joseph. “We wanted to visit the royal palaces and see all of the ancient objects used by kings, queens and other court officials to really get a feel for their history.”
For two weeks, the group had traveled between five countries and six major cities, having to arrive exactly on time for lunch and dinner reservations, activities, flights and train rides to ensure that they didn’t miss a thing.
“We were in a hurry sometimes, and almost every two days we had to pack our stuff,” said Joseph. “We were living from hotel to hotel, but all of that was just a light inconvenience when I consider all of the unforgettable moments I got to have with my wife and our friends.”
Lisbon, Portugal was their final stop before heading home, and the timing was perfect. They arrived during a carnival, and they spent their last days playing games and enjoying the delicious street food.
“We would like to express our gratitude to Arthrex for its generosity and for the Years of Service benefit which allowed us to take a Trip of a Lifetime,” he said.
For every five years of employment with Arthrex, employees are eligible for a company-paid Trip of a Lifetime to recognize their dedication. Look for more Trip of a Lifetime highlights on the Arthrex Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn pages.