Ok, so fun story.
I forgot my camera.
The one time you do not want to forget a camera is in a beautiful country where pretty much everywhere you look you feel like you need to take a picture, your finger never leaving the top right button on the camera. And I forgot it.
In place I bought a disposable camera. Yet though it (hopefully) worked, I feel a better way for you to see pictures is for you to see it in your head. I wrote most of it down while we were traveling and have the rest stored in the brain ready to recount to you. Starting first with the account of Pisa...
Pisa, Italy: Check into hostel, bustling youth nightlife on a warm summer Italian evening. The gelato place is packed. We get directions to a pizzeria that's south of the river. Crossing the river is a dream in itself, the street lights reflecting off the water as the sun still sets in the Tuscan sky.
The pizzeria is quaint; high ceilings, bottles of wine everywhere, the feel of a nice Italian house. The pizzas are enormous. Imagine an XL pizza from Pizza Hut, multiply it by two, combine the two into a three foot long oval form, and only get charged 18 euros for a pizza that comfortably feeds 4 people. Add a bottle of genuine Tuscany wine and we get instantly introduced to typical, yet fantastic Italian dining. The pizza was complete with three different toppings: 4 fromaggi (cheeses) which was no mild cheese experience, Sicilian - including sausage and eggplant, and pepperoni - which in Italy are bell peppers; the latter of the three toppings easily beating out the others as king of the pizza.
After finishing and paying our modest bill (about 31 euros for 4 people), we wind through a couple of Pisa's dark alleys, nooks and crannies, stumbling upon a few piazzas which were just open squares that were probably bustling constantly through the day, but were eerily calm at night.
Wandering back to Piazza Garibaldi where our hostel is, there are more people now, mostly young students. Chillin', drinkin' beers and wines, or givin' some TLC to their gelato cones. We decide to jump in on the last one, and with a multitude of flavors to choose from, we each have our own first gelato experience. Mine personally: a fruit yogurt (the best), lemon, lime, and mango. Fruity and fantastic. Gelato in hand we decide to wander through side streets with only a general direction in mind. Piazza here. Graffiti there. A big piazza opens in front of us, with its charming archways inviting us to come through. The second we decide we're lost, we turn a corner and see our destination subtly lit up over the Pisa rooftops. As we get closer to the tower (fighting the feeling of being in a dream world), we sit on the stairs of St. Mary's Cathedral, soak in the moment underneath a crooked tower with only a few onlookers. The area almost completely void of tourists (for now). We listen to some Italian guitarist serenade his friends with the likes of Crazy Train and Stairway to Heaven, then make our way back to the hostel. The town is so quiet, no cars, few pedestrians, no sirens to spoil a calm promenade.
The quiet ends as we get back to the Piazza, which is now in full nighttime mode. I grab a 3,30 beer at a bar that has no seating, just a liquor license, and walk with the others to mingle with the Italian youths. We settle on a quieter spot on a bridge overlooking the river running through Pisa. Drinks finished, fully satisfied with our first few Pisan hours, we head back off to the hostel and fall asleep. Not kept up by the noise of the crowd outside, but rather lulled to sleep by the dull roar of the crowd.
Alarm buzzes at 8, but we were already awake. Still on our Italian high from last night, and looking forward to a full morning which has turned out to be fittingly beautiful. Sarah and I wander off for breakfast, espresso and a waffle for me. Overpriced for Pisa I think, but seemingly normal for a student who's been living in Paris for 8 months.
We make our way back to the Hostel, pick up Sunanna and Kim and make our way back to the Tower. Excited to be able to be seen holding up the tower (or kicking it over). Of course, we weren't the only ones with the idea. Everyone was giving putting in their best efforts to holding the old tower up. After we head to the bazaars across the street and outside of the old city wall, pick up some souvenirs and commence full Pisa wandering tour. More piazzas, more side streets, and at the end of the tour, finding a beautiful walled in park where we had a bit of childish fun on the swings and trampolines. It's past noon by now and I cannot contain my excitement for my next Italian food adventure (aka Lunch, with pasta on the mind).
It did not disappoint. Turns out this meal would be my favorite of all the pastas/pizzas I had in Italy. A small sidewalk cafe dished out a fantastic salmon butterfly noodle pasta. Incredible infused flavor in every bite of the pasta. It wasn't a lot, but the quality definitely trumped the quantity. After lunch, we made our way back to the hostel to pick up our stuff, then back across town (only about 10 minutes) to the train station to catch our train to the next destination: Florence.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Final Post From Maman
This will be the final post from the special guest on Justin's blog, as I am returning to the US tomorrow.
These past three days have been remarkable. The things we have seen and done are experiences I will treasure in my memory and heart for the rest of my life. I send out thanks to my love ones that made this happen.
Picking up on the adventure, Tuesday was a day of following Justin while he worked doing tours. He left first thing in the AM with written instructions on how to meet up with him for his 4 hour tour. I was quite proud of myself as I left his apartment on my own, ordered and paid for a nutella and banana crepe, rode the metro myself, and met up with him at the Saint Michel fountain, where his tour started. Didn't get lost or anything!!
Next I walked along with Justin on his tour. He ended up with about 40+ people. It was great watching him again do his thing. All those hours spent with speech competitions and acting in plays in high school really helps this kid do his thing. I was introduced as the special guest, and several people came up to me and complimented on what a good guide Justin is. I agreed!!
So after a 4 hour tour, we took a break briefly. He had a work meeting near where the 6pm tour was going to start so I wandered in the shops and met up with him to walk another tour. This was the same Monmarte tour done on Sunday, but I really didn't want to hang out by myself, so I went along. More hill walking. The tour ended with taking 5 very nice guests out for a drink as part of the tour. Then we headed home, as we needed to be up at 5am to leave for London.
We arrived in London at Luton airport, and took the bus to Victoria Station, near our hotel near the heart of Westminister. Took about 90 minutes to get there as there is soooo much traffic, and crazy traffic. If you guys in Chicago think that is wild, try watching the traffic, going down the wrong side of the road, with bikes, taxis, buses, etc, all trying to navigate these crazy turns and streets. I could not even watch the bus driver as I was sure we would hit someone!! But we did not.
We met up with Justin's friend from Pekin, Whitney, who is schooling in London. We first went to Buchingham Palace, but just missed the changing of the guard. Whitney then joined us for fish and chips at a local pub. We walked (notice this word, it will be repeated often) to Westminister Abbey. Of note, across the street, in a square, there was some sort of non-violent protest going on. There were tons of cops standing around monitoring this, along with helicopters (these may have been news chopers). Kinda freaked me out a bit. But we went on into the Abbey, and followed the guided audio tour. Once again, I was amazed that I was actually in this facility. Saw lots of buried dignitaries, kings, queens, and learned a lot about Britain's monarch history. Then we actually took the tube (metro train) to tour the Tower of London. Saw the Crown Jewels, which was incredible to look act, actual crowns, and stuff they use for coronations. Spectacular gems. Once again, learned what this piece of history was all about with an audio tour. We left there and ate a bit in a outdoor cafe on the bank of the Thames. We walked across the Tower Bridge, and took loooooong stroll down the other side of the Thames. Saw the sky-line of the downtown area, the London Bridge (which still is NOT falling down), the Globe Theater (Shakespeare's landmark), and walked back across the Millenium Bridge, which is only for walking (no cars). We were headed now to the National Gallery. We tried to find a cab, however, it was rush hour, and none were available. Just as well since there were traffice jams all over. We were going to meet Sarah, Miranda, and Katie from the Paris gang, who also just happened to be in London. So with no cabs available, guess what we did? That's right, walked!!! A long, long time. We arrived, finally, after passing through some cool side streets with pubs and people just standing around, having a pint after work. Pretty interesting. We FINALLY arrived at the Gallery. Now, we looked at the actual website the night before, and it said it was open on Wednesdays till 9pm. Well, someone needs to update the times, because it was closed!! But we did have a good look at Trafalgar Square, which was cool to see. We could not reach the girls to see if they had made it there to meet us. So after a little rest, we wandered over to a souvenir shop. While there, the girls did call and they were at the square, near the center statue. Justin went to meet them while I finished up. It was not clear to me, though, if he was coming back or if I was supposed to go over to the square. I was a bit panicked because I did not want to get separated. Can't just call him on the cell phone. I wandered toward the square, worried about how I was going to find him until I noticed some goofy kid doing some kind of dance on the top area of the statue. Couldn't mistake those long legs. Then he jumped up on the lion statue and there was no doubt, it was Justin. We went with the girls to check out what the Buddha Bar looked like. Kinda an exclusive bar/restrurant. Too pricey for us, so we found a quaint little local pub called Hops, and had a few pints. Spent some Kodak moments with the kids in the phone booths, then parted company. Justin and I headed back to the river to view the London Eye, Parliment, and Big Ben at night. Another walk. Then more walking to get back to the hotel, with a small detour because London labels their street in the most ridiculous way. Sleep finally.
Today started with a traditional English breakfast, which is toast, a long sausage, bacon (which is actually thin ham), an egg, some sauteed mushrooms, and baked beans (yeah, didn't eat those, not normal breakfast food for me). Loaded our tired bodies onto the bus, back to the airport, then back to Paris. After a quick stop at the apartment, we headed to see more sites, which included the Centre Pompidou, the Marais (the gay-jewish district), the Place des Vosges where Victor Hugo lived, Bastille Square, and nice river walk, eating an awesome thing called a Falafel along the way (wow), and going to a Fondue place after, drinking wine there out of a baby bottle. Oh yes, that was different. We then headed for the Champs again to try to catch a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower when it sparkles at night. However, some joker artist decided to light the tower when he feels inspired, rather than at the top of the hour. We got almost to where we we wanted to me, and it was already sparkling, 10 minutes early. We were really bummed. We stood for a bit at the river, just looking at the tower, and very shortly, it did it's sparkly thing. Very cool to see. Glad the artist felt the need to do this again. I would tell him thanks if I knew who he was. Back on the metro for a ride home.
Other firsts foods:
9. Fish and chips in England
10. Falafel
11. Wine in a baby bottle
12. Cheese fondue
13. Shaved lamb sandwich (actually very good)
I am totally exhausted, and so is my tour guide. However, he has been so wonderful to take me to as many sites as he could while I was here. He sacrificed his social life and time to do this for me, and I will always be grateful for this time we have had together. I will return with lots of stories, pictures, and experiences in my memory, and hope this has enabled me to share some of my time here with you. Hopefully I can post some pictures on FaceBook when I return. I miss my husband, family, friends and dogs, but this was worth it.
Much love to all,
Maman
These past three days have been remarkable. The things we have seen and done are experiences I will treasure in my memory and heart for the rest of my life. I send out thanks to my love ones that made this happen.
Picking up on the adventure, Tuesday was a day of following Justin while he worked doing tours. He left first thing in the AM with written instructions on how to meet up with him for his 4 hour tour. I was quite proud of myself as I left his apartment on my own, ordered and paid for a nutella and banana crepe, rode the metro myself, and met up with him at the Saint Michel fountain, where his tour started. Didn't get lost or anything!!
Next I walked along with Justin on his tour. He ended up with about 40+ people. It was great watching him again do his thing. All those hours spent with speech competitions and acting in plays in high school really helps this kid do his thing. I was introduced as the special guest, and several people came up to me and complimented on what a good guide Justin is. I agreed!!
So after a 4 hour tour, we took a break briefly. He had a work meeting near where the 6pm tour was going to start so I wandered in the shops and met up with him to walk another tour. This was the same Monmarte tour done on Sunday, but I really didn't want to hang out by myself, so I went along. More hill walking. The tour ended with taking 5 very nice guests out for a drink as part of the tour. Then we headed home, as we needed to be up at 5am to leave for London.
We arrived in London at Luton airport, and took the bus to Victoria Station, near our hotel near the heart of Westminister. Took about 90 minutes to get there as there is soooo much traffic, and crazy traffic. If you guys in Chicago think that is wild, try watching the traffic, going down the wrong side of the road, with bikes, taxis, buses, etc, all trying to navigate these crazy turns and streets. I could not even watch the bus driver as I was sure we would hit someone!! But we did not.
We met up with Justin's friend from Pekin, Whitney, who is schooling in London. We first went to Buchingham Palace, but just missed the changing of the guard. Whitney then joined us for fish and chips at a local pub. We walked (notice this word, it will be repeated often) to Westminister Abbey. Of note, across the street, in a square, there was some sort of non-violent protest going on. There were tons of cops standing around monitoring this, along with helicopters (these may have been news chopers). Kinda freaked me out a bit. But we went on into the Abbey, and followed the guided audio tour. Once again, I was amazed that I was actually in this facility. Saw lots of buried dignitaries, kings, queens, and learned a lot about Britain's monarch history. Then we actually took the tube (metro train) to tour the Tower of London. Saw the Crown Jewels, which was incredible to look act, actual crowns, and stuff they use for coronations. Spectacular gems. Once again, learned what this piece of history was all about with an audio tour. We left there and ate a bit in a outdoor cafe on the bank of the Thames. We walked across the Tower Bridge, and took loooooong stroll down the other side of the Thames. Saw the sky-line of the downtown area, the London Bridge (which still is NOT falling down), the Globe Theater (Shakespeare's landmark), and walked back across the Millenium Bridge, which is only for walking (no cars). We were headed now to the National Gallery. We tried to find a cab, however, it was rush hour, and none were available. Just as well since there were traffice jams all over. We were going to meet Sarah, Miranda, and Katie from the Paris gang, who also just happened to be in London. So with no cabs available, guess what we did? That's right, walked!!! A long, long time. We arrived, finally, after passing through some cool side streets with pubs and people just standing around, having a pint after work. Pretty interesting. We FINALLY arrived at the Gallery. Now, we looked at the actual website the night before, and it said it was open on Wednesdays till 9pm. Well, someone needs to update the times, because it was closed!! But we did have a good look at Trafalgar Square, which was cool to see. We could not reach the girls to see if they had made it there to meet us. So after a little rest, we wandered over to a souvenir shop. While there, the girls did call and they were at the square, near the center statue. Justin went to meet them while I finished up. It was not clear to me, though, if he was coming back or if I was supposed to go over to the square. I was a bit panicked because I did not want to get separated. Can't just call him on the cell phone. I wandered toward the square, worried about how I was going to find him until I noticed some goofy kid doing some kind of dance on the top area of the statue. Couldn't mistake those long legs. Then he jumped up on the lion statue and there was no doubt, it was Justin. We went with the girls to check out what the Buddha Bar looked like. Kinda an exclusive bar/restrurant. Too pricey for us, so we found a quaint little local pub called Hops, and had a few pints. Spent some Kodak moments with the kids in the phone booths, then parted company. Justin and I headed back to the river to view the London Eye, Parliment, and Big Ben at night. Another walk. Then more walking to get back to the hotel, with a small detour because London labels their street in the most ridiculous way. Sleep finally.
Today started with a traditional English breakfast, which is toast, a long sausage, bacon (which is actually thin ham), an egg, some sauteed mushrooms, and baked beans (yeah, didn't eat those, not normal breakfast food for me). Loaded our tired bodies onto the bus, back to the airport, then back to Paris. After a quick stop at the apartment, we headed to see more sites, which included the Centre Pompidou, the Marais (the gay-jewish district), the Place des Vosges where Victor Hugo lived, Bastille Square, and nice river walk, eating an awesome thing called a Falafel along the way (wow), and going to a Fondue place after, drinking wine there out of a baby bottle. Oh yes, that was different. We then headed for the Champs again to try to catch a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower when it sparkles at night. However, some joker artist decided to light the tower when he feels inspired, rather than at the top of the hour. We got almost to where we we wanted to me, and it was already sparkling, 10 minutes early. We were really bummed. We stood for a bit at the river, just looking at the tower, and very shortly, it did it's sparkly thing. Very cool to see. Glad the artist felt the need to do this again. I would tell him thanks if I knew who he was. Back on the metro for a ride home.
Other firsts foods:
9. Fish and chips in England
10. Falafel
11. Wine in a baby bottle
12. Cheese fondue
13. Shaved lamb sandwich (actually very good)
I am totally exhausted, and so is my tour guide. However, he has been so wonderful to take me to as many sites as he could while I was here. He sacrificed his social life and time to do this for me, and I will always be grateful for this time we have had together. I will return with lots of stories, pictures, and experiences in my memory, and hope this has enabled me to share some of my time here with you. Hopefully I can post some pictures on FaceBook when I return. I miss my husband, family, friends and dogs, but this was worth it.
Much love to all,
Maman
Monday, April 20, 2009
More sights and a list of Firsts.
After a very restful night of sleep, Justin and I decided to do a cathedral tour, after all, it was Sunday. We started with a church called Saint Sulpice. This church is going through a major renovation, mostly on the highest tower. Since it was Sunday am, mass was actually being held, so we could not wander around much. They kinda frown on tourists browsing in the middle of their worship service.
So we moved on to Sainte Germain, which, of course, was also having mass. I did video a brief spot of the worship leader (not sure what the Catholics call them) singing in the cathedral. The acoustics were very different that in my church.
Next stop, Sainte Chapelle. This is actually a historic church, open for tourists (for a fee). It was build by Saint Louis to hold the Holy relics, including the Crown of Thorns that he had purchased from the emperor of Constantinople. The Crown has since been moved to the treasury at Notre Dame. The relics were on display in the upper sanctuary, only viewed by kings and important people. This sanctuary has these massive stained-glass windows that surround the entire room, which looks to be about 3 stories high. Each set represents a certain book of the bible. There is a story in each window, with the ends of the room representing the Passion of Christ and the Apocalypse. The pictures just don't do it justice, but hopefully you can get a bit awesomeness of this room.
So that was it for the cathedral tour. NOT!! We saved the best for last, the majestic Notre Dame. I cannot even describe the massiveness (is that a word?) of this church. Pictures don't do it justice, but it is hard to get perspective on the sheer size. You just have to see it to believe it. They were having mass while we were there. We could walk around, just not in the middle aisle. The organ was playing , which I could have listened to that all day. It truly moved me to tears to realize I was standing in Notre Dame, during mass, listening to the organ echoing through the cathedral. A memory I will never forget. I recorded this on a short video also. After walking completely around the outside of the church, it was now time to eat some lunch.
We went to a quaint restaurant, where we had very delicious authentic french onion soup. Justin had to go to work after this, so I went with him. It was his Montmarte walking tour. He taught us all about the Moulin Rouge, took us to see where Vincent VanGogh lived, some sites that were used in a movie call "Amelie", a restaurant that Pablo Picasso used to frequent, and ending up at Sacre Coeur, a beautiful basilica at the top of Montmarte (which stands for Hill of Martyrs). It was actually a very steep hill. The tour ended back almost at the bottom of the hill. The skies also cleared up, the sun came out, and it was much nicer weather. Then we walked back up the hill to check out the artist's square. By this time, my legs were ready to fall off, so we stopped for a light supper. Then we headed back down the hill. By this time, we were beginning to feel the jet lag kicking in, so we went back to the apartment for a nap before the scheduled pub crawl.
Waking up just in time, we scurried over to Saint Michel. I guess it was too nice of an evening for people to sit in pubs, so no one signed up for this. So we met up with Justin's good friend, Sarah, and did our own little pub crawl. We went to this little hole in the wall that serves Sangria in small crock pitchers. Very yummy. Then went to a favorite of the american students, O'Neills, where they can choose from a large selection of beer they brew in house. We got home around midnight, and it was the end of day two.
Day three began with a hammer drill downstairs waking us up around 8am. So we showered and hit the street. After visiting the grocery store and the bank, we stopped for a cafe and croissants on the sidewalk table of a place called Les Deux Magots. Weird name, huh? My croissants actually had dark chocolate inside. Very tasty. We jumped on the train and went in search of the Pantheon, which is a LARGE building that now houses the remains of French writers and famous people, like Alexander Dumas, Voltaire, Louis Braille, Marie Curie, just to name a few. Again, the size of this building cannot be put into words. Just amazing how the people of the 16 century could even build something this big. There is also this pendulum suspended from a 200 foot steel cable that contantly swings back and forth, and a clock dial that surrounds it, proving a scientists theory that the earth rotates. That is another story, look it up on Google.
We stuck with our plan, and stopped by another grocery store, but this time we picked up stuff for a picnic lunch in the Jardin de Luxembourg, a pretty park, very large, that has lots of pretty flowers, park benches under the shade trees, and chairs that you can sit in to soak up the sun. We sat under a tree to eat our bagette bread, cheese, pate, strawberries, and wine. The bird in the tree must not have liked our intrusion, as it proceeded to crap on Justin's head and jacket. ICK! We finished lunch, packed up our leftovers, and dropped them back at the apartment. Back to the train to visit the Eiffel Tower.
There is not much I can even put in words, again. The size of this compares to nothing I have ever been around. Justin endured another long wait to get to the top with me, but it was so nice to have a personal tour guide to point stuff out.
After a 2 1/2 hour visit, going up to the top then down, we took a lovely stroll down a park that lines the banks of the Seine. Saw some small barges that had been converted into house boats. Interesting idea for a summer home. We reached the end and viewed the miniature Statue of Liberty. Kinda sad, not many people know she is there, and no one was there visiting here. We were now tired and hungry again, so we dragged ourselves to the train, and went to dinner at another quaint place.
The food there was OK. Weird that they serve fries (frites) with most dinner plates. Didn't see a baked potatoe anywhere. I also don't know exactly what I ordered. It was some kind of beef kabob with no veggies. We left this place, went back to Sainte Michel, and ate some gelato. Extra creamy ice cream is how I would describe this lucious dessert. Now we are back to the apartment, resting up for another busy day. Will be tagging along with Justin's 4 hour walking tour tomorrow. I think I have walked more in the last three days than I have in 6 months. No wonder you see very few obese people in Paris! I did, however, see a punk rock cowboy wearing a white cowboy hat with a rat sitting on his shoulder. They were on their way to the metro train. If any of you know my fear of mice, you can bet that I wanted to be a far from this dude as possible. Justin said he had never seen anything quite like that either.
FIRST FOODS
Here is a list of foods that I have never tried before coming here:
1. Crepe with ham and cheese
2. Creme Brulee
3. Authentic french onion soup
4. Mussels (they look aweful but taste very good)
4. Rabbit and Duck pate
5. Camembret cheese
6. Endive (appetizer at dinner)
7. Lamb (not sure I liked this, only a taste of Justin's)
8. Gelato
More on this I am sure. Signing off for the day,
Maman
So we moved on to Sainte Germain, which, of course, was also having mass. I did video a brief spot of the worship leader (not sure what the Catholics call them) singing in the cathedral. The acoustics were very different that in my church.
Next stop, Sainte Chapelle. This is actually a historic church, open for tourists (for a fee). It was build by Saint Louis to hold the Holy relics, including the Crown of Thorns that he had purchased from the emperor of Constantinople. The Crown has since been moved to the treasury at Notre Dame. The relics were on display in the upper sanctuary, only viewed by kings and important people. This sanctuary has these massive stained-glass windows that surround the entire room, which looks to be about 3 stories high. Each set represents a certain book of the bible. There is a story in each window, with the ends of the room representing the Passion of Christ and the Apocalypse. The pictures just don't do it justice, but hopefully you can get a bit awesomeness of this room.
So that was it for the cathedral tour. NOT!! We saved the best for last, the majestic Notre Dame. I cannot even describe the massiveness (is that a word?) of this church. Pictures don't do it justice, but it is hard to get perspective on the sheer size. You just have to see it to believe it. They were having mass while we were there. We could walk around, just not in the middle aisle. The organ was playing , which I could have listened to that all day. It truly moved me to tears to realize I was standing in Notre Dame, during mass, listening to the organ echoing through the cathedral. A memory I will never forget. I recorded this on a short video also. After walking completely around the outside of the church, it was now time to eat some lunch.
We went to a quaint restaurant, where we had very delicious authentic french onion soup. Justin had to go to work after this, so I went with him. It was his Montmarte walking tour. He taught us all about the Moulin Rouge, took us to see where Vincent VanGogh lived, some sites that were used in a movie call "Amelie", a restaurant that Pablo Picasso used to frequent, and ending up at Sacre Coeur, a beautiful basilica at the top of Montmarte (which stands for Hill of Martyrs). It was actually a very steep hill. The tour ended back almost at the bottom of the hill. The skies also cleared up, the sun came out, and it was much nicer weather. Then we walked back up the hill to check out the artist's square. By this time, my legs were ready to fall off, so we stopped for a light supper. Then we headed back down the hill. By this time, we were beginning to feel the jet lag kicking in, so we went back to the apartment for a nap before the scheduled pub crawl.
Waking up just in time, we scurried over to Saint Michel. I guess it was too nice of an evening for people to sit in pubs, so no one signed up for this. So we met up with Justin's good friend, Sarah, and did our own little pub crawl. We went to this little hole in the wall that serves Sangria in small crock pitchers. Very yummy. Then went to a favorite of the american students, O'Neills, where they can choose from a large selection of beer they brew in house. We got home around midnight, and it was the end of day two.
Day three began with a hammer drill downstairs waking us up around 8am. So we showered and hit the street. After visiting the grocery store and the bank, we stopped for a cafe and croissants on the sidewalk table of a place called Les Deux Magots. Weird name, huh? My croissants actually had dark chocolate inside. Very tasty. We jumped on the train and went in search of the Pantheon, which is a LARGE building that now houses the remains of French writers and famous people, like Alexander Dumas, Voltaire, Louis Braille, Marie Curie, just to name a few. Again, the size of this building cannot be put into words. Just amazing how the people of the 16 century could even build something this big. There is also this pendulum suspended from a 200 foot steel cable that contantly swings back and forth, and a clock dial that surrounds it, proving a scientists theory that the earth rotates. That is another story, look it up on Google.
We stuck with our plan, and stopped by another grocery store, but this time we picked up stuff for a picnic lunch in the Jardin de Luxembourg, a pretty park, very large, that has lots of pretty flowers, park benches under the shade trees, and chairs that you can sit in to soak up the sun. We sat under a tree to eat our bagette bread, cheese, pate, strawberries, and wine. The bird in the tree must not have liked our intrusion, as it proceeded to crap on Justin's head and jacket. ICK! We finished lunch, packed up our leftovers, and dropped them back at the apartment. Back to the train to visit the Eiffel Tower.
There is not much I can even put in words, again. The size of this compares to nothing I have ever been around. Justin endured another long wait to get to the top with me, but it was so nice to have a personal tour guide to point stuff out.
After a 2 1/2 hour visit, going up to the top then down, we took a lovely stroll down a park that lines the banks of the Seine. Saw some small barges that had been converted into house boats. Interesting idea for a summer home. We reached the end and viewed the miniature Statue of Liberty. Kinda sad, not many people know she is there, and no one was there visiting here. We were now tired and hungry again, so we dragged ourselves to the train, and went to dinner at another quaint place.
The food there was OK. Weird that they serve fries (frites) with most dinner plates. Didn't see a baked potatoe anywhere. I also don't know exactly what I ordered. It was some kind of beef kabob with no veggies. We left this place, went back to Sainte Michel, and ate some gelato. Extra creamy ice cream is how I would describe this lucious dessert. Now we are back to the apartment, resting up for another busy day. Will be tagging along with Justin's 4 hour walking tour tomorrow. I think I have walked more in the last three days than I have in 6 months. No wonder you see very few obese people in Paris! I did, however, see a punk rock cowboy wearing a white cowboy hat with a rat sitting on his shoulder. They were on their way to the metro train. If any of you know my fear of mice, you can bet that I wanted to be a far from this dude as possible. Justin said he had never seen anything quite like that either.
FIRST FOODS
Here is a list of foods that I have never tried before coming here:
1. Crepe with ham and cheese
2. Creme Brulee
3. Authentic french onion soup
4. Mussels (they look aweful but taste very good)
4. Rabbit and Duck pate
5. Camembret cheese
6. Endive (appetizer at dinner)
7. Lamb (not sure I liked this, only a taste of Justin's)
8. Gelato
More on this I am sure. Signing off for the day,
Maman
Saturday, April 18, 2009
With Special Guest Blogger: Mom!
I thought this would be a special way to keep track of all that we do on "The Mother and Son Euro Tour." So Justin is letting me be the guest blogger!
My best bud, Kay, picked Justin and I up from my house Friday AM, and graciously dropped us off at the Amtrak station in Blm/Normal. Good thing we had our tickets already as there were quite a few Cub/Cardinal fans that decided to take the day off and take the train to Chicago for the game. What a way to travel. With all the driving I do in a week, sitting back and riding was a great thing. Of course, we also had to rely on my sister to pick us up in Joliet. That all went off without a hitch, got a Grand Slam breakfast at Denny's, then on to the airport. All flights left on time, and except for an aborted landing in Paris because another plane was in our way, travel was good. I am not sure how much Justin and I actually slept, as it was a very full flight, probably 400+ people, and it was hard to get comfortable. I swear I will bring my pillow as my carry-on the next time I have to try to sleep on a plane.
We arrived at his apartment around 11:00am. After dropping off our bags, we hit the streets. It was a cloudy, drizzly day, but around 55 degrees with no wind. We first stopped for some food, which, for me, consisted of a ham and white cheese crepe made by the crepe street vendor near Justin's place. He also makes paninis on bagette bread. If one of those was near my place, I would be a regular. Yummy!. On to sight seeing. We took the Metro train, aka the subway, to the Arc de Triomphe. It is so massive, it is hard to get your mind around it. No picture does it justice. We then strolled down the Champs Elysees, a long street with high end shops and places to eat. On the recommendation of one of my docs, we stopped at LaDuree. This is a place known for their pastries and multiflavor macaroons. We had hot chocolate and a macaroon each. The hot chocolate was the richest, thickest hot chocolate we have ever had. Truly decadent, mmmmm. Then we headed down to the Grand and Petit Palais, which are museums. We checked out the Pont Alexander III bridge and statues around it. Past the bridge, in the distance, we could see the Hotel des Invalides, which is where Napoleon's tomb is located. We then walked more to the Place de la Concord. This is the round-about, where there are no lanes, no traffice signals, and insurance companies don't even bother to investigate claims. If there were lanes, it is probably wide enought to have at least 4 wide. On to the Place Vendome. This is the square where the very tall statue with Napoleon on top is located. I was going to do some shopping at Dior, Chanel, and Bulivar, but decided to hold off on that. We strolled some streets. Amazing to see shops so exclusive that only one person can go in at a time. You have to ring a bell to be let in, then they personally show you gloves, perfume, or jewelry. Gotta have some bucks. The Louvre was our next stop.
The size of the Louvre astounded me. Again, until you see it up close, you cannot imagine how large and spread out this building is. Lots of people there on a rainy Saturday afternoon. Saw the traditional things, Mona Lisa, Venus, etc, etc. Was very impressed with the ceiling art, and the sheer size of some of the paintings.
At this point, it is about 4:30, and we were dragging. Back to the apartment for a power nap before showering and going to dinner. Thanks to Mom and Dad, we enjoyed dining in a high end restaurant. Absolutely worth every euro. Had some great wine, white asparagus for an entree, which in France, is the appetizer. Then I had duck with a crushed pistachio sauce and some sort of garlic potato gratin. Then the best part of all, dessert. I had creme brulee for the first time, and for sure, need to learn how to make it. The carmelized top tasted like roasted marshmellows and was a nice crunch to go with the creamy smoothness of what was underneath. Justin had tiramisu, which was also to die for. After dinner, we took a stroll in front of Notre Dame, lit up at night. Breathtaking! We did a bit of shopping for gifts to take home, then went back to the apartment to crash.
Who knows what tomorrow will bring? We are thinking of doing a catherdral tour, and checking several out. The rain is supposed to last through tomorrow, but the rest of the week looks great. Will post again tomorrow. Having a great time, and cannot believe I am seeing things in person I have only seen in history books. Thanks to all who helped me to make this trip possible.
Maman (french for Mommy)
My best bud, Kay, picked Justin and I up from my house Friday AM, and graciously dropped us off at the Amtrak station in Blm/Normal. Good thing we had our tickets already as there were quite a few Cub/Cardinal fans that decided to take the day off and take the train to Chicago for the game. What a way to travel. With all the driving I do in a week, sitting back and riding was a great thing. Of course, we also had to rely on my sister to pick us up in Joliet. That all went off without a hitch, got a Grand Slam breakfast at Denny's, then on to the airport. All flights left on time, and except for an aborted landing in Paris because another plane was in our way, travel was good. I am not sure how much Justin and I actually slept, as it was a very full flight, probably 400+ people, and it was hard to get comfortable. I swear I will bring my pillow as my carry-on the next time I have to try to sleep on a plane.
We arrived at his apartment around 11:00am. After dropping off our bags, we hit the streets. It was a cloudy, drizzly day, but around 55 degrees with no wind. We first stopped for some food, which, for me, consisted of a ham and white cheese crepe made by the crepe street vendor near Justin's place. He also makes paninis on bagette bread. If one of those was near my place, I would be a regular. Yummy!. On to sight seeing. We took the Metro train, aka the subway, to the Arc de Triomphe. It is so massive, it is hard to get your mind around it. No picture does it justice. We then strolled down the Champs Elysees, a long street with high end shops and places to eat. On the recommendation of one of my docs, we stopped at LaDuree. This is a place known for their pastries and multiflavor macaroons. We had hot chocolate and a macaroon each. The hot chocolate was the richest, thickest hot chocolate we have ever had. Truly decadent, mmmmm. Then we headed down to the Grand and Petit Palais, which are museums. We checked out the Pont Alexander III bridge and statues around it. Past the bridge, in the distance, we could see the Hotel des Invalides, which is where Napoleon's tomb is located. We then walked more to the Place de la Concord. This is the round-about, where there are no lanes, no traffice signals, and insurance companies don't even bother to investigate claims. If there were lanes, it is probably wide enought to have at least 4 wide. On to the Place Vendome. This is the square where the very tall statue with Napoleon on top is located. I was going to do some shopping at Dior, Chanel, and Bulivar, but decided to hold off on that. We strolled some streets. Amazing to see shops so exclusive that only one person can go in at a time. You have to ring a bell to be let in, then they personally show you gloves, perfume, or jewelry. Gotta have some bucks. The Louvre was our next stop.
The size of the Louvre astounded me. Again, until you see it up close, you cannot imagine how large and spread out this building is. Lots of people there on a rainy Saturday afternoon. Saw the traditional things, Mona Lisa, Venus, etc, etc. Was very impressed with the ceiling art, and the sheer size of some of the paintings.
At this point, it is about 4:30, and we were dragging. Back to the apartment for a power nap before showering and going to dinner. Thanks to Mom and Dad, we enjoyed dining in a high end restaurant. Absolutely worth every euro. Had some great wine, white asparagus for an entree, which in France, is the appetizer. Then I had duck with a crushed pistachio sauce and some sort of garlic potato gratin. Then the best part of all, dessert. I had creme brulee for the first time, and for sure, need to learn how to make it. The carmelized top tasted like roasted marshmellows and was a nice crunch to go with the creamy smoothness of what was underneath. Justin had tiramisu, which was also to die for. After dinner, we took a stroll in front of Notre Dame, lit up at night. Breathtaking! We did a bit of shopping for gifts to take home, then went back to the apartment to crash.
Who knows what tomorrow will bring? We are thinking of doing a catherdral tour, and checking several out. The rain is supposed to last through tomorrow, but the rest of the week looks great. Will post again tomorrow. Having a great time, and cannot believe I am seeing things in person I have only seen in history books. Thanks to all who helped me to make this trip possible.
Maman (french for Mommy)
Monday, January 19, 2009
Beatles, Big Ben, and (insert B word)
It seems my great days here come in blocks. One week might be boring, the other might be tainted by unwanted drama, but the best are highlighted by some of the best days of my life and ones that I certainly won't ever forget. I was fortunate to experience the latter last week. Yeah, maybe I skipped a few classes to go, but in those classes I didn't miss much, and I'd rather miss nothing than miss a trip to the Royaume-Unis.Thus, I met my buddy Scott in Liverpool on Tuesday. It was an awesome flight. I'd had been a few months since I had flown, and when I did it was dark out. This time, it was in the middle of the day and I could see everything. And lucky for me it was a cloudy day, because we were flying over white puffy clouds. Though I've never been to the North Pole, in my head, the tops of these clouds made me think that this is what it might look like. Rolling hills of white with blue skies on top. No polar bears though. Anyways, it was nice just to listen to music and enjoy the calmness above a crazy world. There are no economic crises above the Cumulonimbi.
We landed in Liverpool and I took a bus to the center of the city. I can't seem to put my first impressions of the English landscape into words. There were lots of brick houses, open spaces, front yards, winding roads. I think the reason why I can't describe it well is because I haven't seen anything like it. It didn't blow my mind, but there was a subtlety about Liverpool that made me feel welcome. After I got off the bus, I had no clue where I was. Fortunately, they let us off right by a travel center and I hopped in there to ask them where the hostel was that I was meeting Scott at. They directed me on a map that it was clear across town. Scared by what looked like a
daunting distance on the map, I was pleased to hear from the teller that it was only about a 15 minute walk. I've been so used to looking at Paris maps and expecting 40 minute-2 hour walks to go somewhere that this short walk was refreshing. I made it to the hostel, met up with Scott, and we quickly hurried across town (again only about 10 minutes power walking) to catch the Magical Mystery Beatles Tour. This was great. Liverpool is the true home to these guys, and they were anything but shy about it. They wrote a bunch of songs about this place, including Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields, both of which were quite charming.After the tour, we had a pint a local pub (I got a free silver beer bottle opener out of it, more on that later) and then went back to the hostel to go online to use the internet to find train tickets. Unsuccessful at that, we made the decision to just go to the train station and buy the tickets there. If they were for the next morning, so be it. But the nice gentleman at the terminal, after cracking some lame jokes, helped us to find some cheap train tickets from Liverpool to London, with only one stop in between and a three hour journey total. It left ten minutes after we got the tickets, and we arrived in London around 11:30. Navigating the buses and underground metro (which they call the Tube) we arrived at Roehampton University and snuggled into our cozy living room resting place of a very wonderful host (a million thanks to Whitney and her roommates).
Wednesday: Scott and I headed out in the morning to catch another tour. This one was held by
the same company that I do my tours for, New Europe. And it was a great tour, I won't go through it in detail but we saw pretty much everything in the center of the city like Buckingham Palace, the National Gallery, Westminster Abbey, Parliament and Big Ben. Each place was accompanied with one or several anecdotes/stories, in true New Europe style. A great tour, kudos to Pip. We then met up with Whitney again and she took us to see the Tower of London and Tower Bridge, just more of the regular skyline scene in London. Afterwards we retired back to the cozy apartment after a long day of walking.Thursday: Scott left the next morning, and Whitney, her roommate, and I went to see some movies at a nearby movie theater. Yes Man is hilarious and you should all go see it. Classic Jim Carrey. But between our double feature, we stopped into a pub (which I guess was run by an umbrella company that owned a bunch of pubs), and I got some fish and chips and a cup of coffee. The meal was great, but what made it taste even better was the fact that it only cost 3.20 pounds, a deal unheard of in Paris. After our movies, we went back to the apartment and laid around, watching more movies, and preparing for the next long day.
Friday: Whitney and I had decided, after spotting one on Tuesday, that we would go out hunting for space invaders on Friday afternoon. By space invaders, I mean tile grafiti art that a guerilla
artist puts in cities all over the world. They are in Paris, London, Amsterdam, LA, New York, etc. And to go hunting for space invaders is a great way to get out an explore the city. Which we did. Going through place like Covenant Gardens, SoHo, Chinatown, and other little nooks and crannies, we were able to stumble upon 3 space invaders that day, which brought our London total spotted to 4. After our wandering, we went to a sushi bar. Strange I know, but I had never been to one, and it was one of the bars that had the conveyor belts with plates of sushi and you can pick which one you want off of the belt. The ones I picked were absolutely delicious and have made me excited for the next time I get to eat sushi. Delish.Saturday: I left. I took the London Luton Airport back to Charles de Gaulle in Paris. All my flights went very smoothly, the only pain was Paris Beauvais, where I had to pay 13 euros to get out to the airport and then another 10 to pay with a credit card. But the travel was relatively easy and comfortable, which makes me excited for the EuroTrip coming up. At least the travel will be nice, as for the hostels... well you will hear about that soon enough.
All in all, London was awesome. The people were friendly, the prices were great, the city itself was extremely clean (compared to Paris), and I got to speak English which was a nice break from having to always formulate my sentences before I talked.
Highly recommended. And I would definitely go back.
A bientot!
Justin
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Makes you feel like a kid again.
Disneyland Paris.
Mixed reactions when this was the answer to the question other people posed to me as to what I was doing for my New Years Eve. It was either "Oh my gosh I'm so excited for you. That'll be so fun." or "Oh my gosh you're probably going to hate it. It's extremely lame."
That being said, I agree with both sides. It was extremely good fun, and it was also extremely lame fun. But it was fun nonetheless. Helps when you have good company too.
Katie and I started off the day early taking a train to just outside of Paris where Disneyland is located. It was cold and rainy/snowy when we got off the train and continued to be that way for the first two hours while we were there. However, while we were in line for our first ride, STAR TOURS, the precip let up and it was a bit more enjoyable. I can't say the same for Star Tours
though... not so enjoyable. First of all, I didn't know how the Fast Pass worked yet, so we waited in line for 90 minutes for a 5 minute "ride". I had a few problems with it. 1) The droid was talking in French, and it's very difficult to understand droid talk in French. 2) It was a simulated Star Wars virtual reality ride to Endor that took us to the Death Star where the rebellion was attempting to destroy the FIRST Death Star, which was located by the planet Yavin. Different sides of the galaxy. 4) In the simulation, some other pud blew up the Death Star instead of Luke Skywalker... seriously? -- It just didn't compare to the Star Wars ride that I went on at least 3 times when I did DisneyWorld. I was hoping it wasn't an indication for what was to come.
It wasn't, because we figured out the Fast Pass system and got ours for Space Mountain. We came back and did it later in the day, and though it doesn't compare to American roller coasters, it was pretty fun.
But in between Star Tours and Space Mountain, we did a few other things. We looked around in some gift shops, wondered around and explored the park (which wasn't terribly large but still had plenty to see), and ate lunch. I had the Fish 'n Chips and Katie had the fish sandwich. Both were expensive, but good. They don't to a lot of catering to the American crowd since not a lot visit. Rather they take American cuisine and give it the European twist, whether it's Fish n Chips for lunch or Balsamic Vinegar for your Taco Salad at dinner. Not recommended to mix with Guacamole and Salsa.
Of course, we went on as many rides as possibly, many of them one could deem "lame". But they kept us warm on a cold day and gave us some good laughs. We went on the Phantom Mansion ride, Pinnochio's ride, Pirates of the Caribbean (which has 0 reference to the popular cinematic adventures), and to complete the experience, It's a Small World. The highlight of this ride was us pointing out which country was which, and finally coming upon America which featured a football player and a fan eating a greasy snack. Hilarious.
It started to fall into nighttime and they lit up the place. Except for the Western Frontierland, which they kept extremely dark. I guess it was for the ambiance of being on the Frontier, but we could literally not see where we were walking. After taking the train to the Frontierland, we stumbled upon Woody's round-up here, where there were a few characters out and about. We saw Donald Duck and I got a picture with Jack from Nightmare Before X-Mas. And we took a photo with Stinky Pete.
We went on one more ride before the New Year, Buzz Lightyear's Laser Adventure, which was pretty cool. For those of you who have been to Silver Dollar City, it was like the Great Mine Shootout. Needless to say, I kicked Katie's butt. Then we made our way over to get a spot in front of the castle, and there was a "DJ party" going on. It basically consisted of loud European Techno, American 80s songs, and people getting there dance on. But the castle was magnificent and they put on a brilliant fireworks show (which I got a little video of). It was quite magical.
The train ride back, however, was not so magical, because we had to wait an hour to even get on a train and by the we were very tired. But we did make it back and finally went to bed after a long day.
So that's the magic of EuroDisney. Of course it doesn't compare to Disneyworld, but Americans just know how to do entertainment better than Europeans. There I said it.
A Bientot
Justin
Mixed reactions when this was the answer to the question other people posed to me as to what I was doing for my New Years Eve. It was either "Oh my gosh I'm so excited for you. That'll be so fun." or "Oh my gosh you're probably going to hate it. It's extremely lame."
That being said, I agree with both sides. It was extremely good fun, and it was also extremely lame fun. But it was fun nonetheless. Helps when you have good company too.
Katie and I started off the day early taking a train to just outside of Paris where Disneyland is located. It was cold and rainy/snowy when we got off the train and continued to be that way for the first two hours while we were there. However, while we were in line for our first ride, STAR TOURS, the precip let up and it was a bit more enjoyable. I can't say the same for Star Tours
though... not so enjoyable. First of all, I didn't know how the Fast Pass worked yet, so we waited in line for 90 minutes for a 5 minute "ride". I had a few problems with it. 1) The droid was talking in French, and it's very difficult to understand droid talk in French. 2) It was a simulated Star Wars virtual reality ride to Endor that took us to the Death Star where the rebellion was attempting to destroy the FIRST Death Star, which was located by the planet Yavin. Different sides of the galaxy. 4) In the simulation, some other pud blew up the Death Star instead of Luke Skywalker... seriously? -- It just didn't compare to the Star Wars ride that I went on at least 3 times when I did DisneyWorld. I was hoping it wasn't an indication for what was to come.It wasn't, because we figured out the Fast Pass system and got ours for Space Mountain. We came back and did it later in the day, and though it doesn't compare to American roller coasters, it was pretty fun.
But in between Star Tours and Space Mountain, we did a few other things. We looked around in some gift shops, wondered around and explored the park (which wasn't terribly large but still had plenty to see), and ate lunch. I had the Fish 'n Chips and Katie had the fish sandwich. Both were expensive, but good. They don't to a lot of catering to the American crowd since not a lot visit. Rather they take American cuisine and give it the European twist, whether it's Fish n Chips for lunch or Balsamic Vinegar for your Taco Salad at dinner. Not recommended to mix with Guacamole and Salsa.
Of course, we went on as many rides as possibly, many of them one could deem "lame". But they kept us warm on a cold day and gave us some good laughs. We went on the Phantom Mansion ride, Pinnochio's ride, Pirates of the Caribbean (which has 0 reference to the popular cinematic adventures), and to complete the experience, It's a Small World. The highlight of this ride was us pointing out which country was which, and finally coming upon America which featured a football player and a fan eating a greasy snack. Hilarious.
It started to fall into nighttime and they lit up the place. Except for the Western Frontierland, which they kept extremely dark. I guess it was for the ambiance of being on the Frontier, but we could literally not see where we were walking. After taking the train to the Frontierland, we stumbled upon Woody's round-up here, where there were a few characters out and about. We saw Donald Duck and I got a picture with Jack from Nightmare Before X-Mas. And we took a photo with Stinky Pete.
We went on one more ride before the New Year, Buzz Lightyear's Laser Adventure, which was pretty cool. For those of you who have been to Silver Dollar City, it was like the Great Mine Shootout. Needless to say, I kicked Katie's butt. Then we made our way over to get a spot in front of the castle, and there was a "DJ party" going on. It basically consisted of loud European Techno, American 80s songs, and people getting there dance on. But the castle was magnificent and they put on a brilliant fireworks show (which I got a little video of). It was quite magical.
The train ride back, however, was not so magical, because we had to wait an hour to even get on a train and by the we were very tired. But we did make it back and finally went to bed after a long day.
So that's the magic of EuroDisney. Of course it doesn't compare to Disneyworld, but Americans just know how to do entertainment better than Europeans. There I said it.
A Bientot
Justin
Aaaaaand it's back!
Hey everybody.
So, sorry I've been slacking on the blog posts. My last one was in November so you can imagine my month of December was pretty crazy. I learned and started giving tours, finished papers for school, and had Katie visit for 2 weeks, all while dealing with a psychotic, delusional roommate. I was a tid bit busy.
But here's the update:
Things have been going very well. I've started giving walking tours of Paris, of both the center ville and an area known as Montmartre which has the Red Light District and Sacre Coeur. I basically work off of tips, and so far, the tips have been good. People are very generous even when they are traveling, and though I was worried at first it wouldn't be enough to get me through the year, I just might pull it through. Of course, that means I won't be able to indulge in too much of the Affligem anymore, which is a wonderfully flavored Biere de Noel that comes out during the winter time.
However, I am planning on doing a bit of traveling. Next week I will be going to London and visitng a friend there and doing the New Europe tour there. In February, myself and Ryan Godke who is studying in Vienna are doing a EuroTrip, visiting Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, and Stockholm. I'll be taking lots of pictures for you all to see.
Of course, Katie came and visited me for Christmas. I was fortunate to get to talk to most of you on Christmas Day, but for those of you who haven't heard from me yet, here's the round-up:
Katie arrives in Paris a few days before Christmas. She comes on some tours with me, we go eat at some really good restaurants and some not so good restaurants, she takes advantage of the great shoe shopping in Paris, we spend Christmas Eve on the top of the Eiffel Tower and eat Tiramisu afterwards, we spend New Years Eve under Disney Castle watching brilliant fireworks, she gets more tours of Paris, and eventually (unfortunately) she flies back off to the real world.
I plan on giving you a post about Disneyland soon enough. Should be entertaining.
What has also been entertaining is the roommate situation that has played out in the past month. It's a horribly long story that I will share with you all sometime when I see you, but briefly:
-Roommate throws a fit about having to live with guys
-Decides she's going to keep 2 of the 4 mattresses in the apartment to herself because they "belong to her"
-Has a lock installed on her door and accuses me of picking her lock, breaking and entering, theft, slander, among other things.
-Has excluded me in the process for selecting my next roommate
However, on the bright side, she is leaving us all here in France to go back to the States (where you will unfortunately have to deal with her). Sorry, but good riddance.
Other than that: January should fly by. And soon if will be February, and that will also fly by. March will be long, but come April, I will be visiting for Easter and I'm very much looking forward to that.
Blog posts to come:
Disneyland
Stop by Stop of the Walking Tour of Paris
EuroTrip (in February)
We'll talk soon. ;-)
Justin
So, sorry I've been slacking on the blog posts. My last one was in November so you can imagine my month of December was pretty crazy. I learned and started giving tours, finished papers for school, and had Katie visit for 2 weeks, all while dealing with a psychotic, delusional roommate. I was a tid bit busy.
But here's the update:
Things have been going very well. I've started giving walking tours of Paris, of both the center ville and an area known as Montmartre which has the Red Light District and Sacre Coeur. I basically work off of tips, and so far, the tips have been good. People are very generous even when they are traveling, and though I was worried at first it wouldn't be enough to get me through the year, I just might pull it through. Of course, that means I won't be able to indulge in too much of the Affligem anymore, which is a wonderfully flavored Biere de Noel that comes out during the winter time.
However, I am planning on doing a bit of traveling. Next week I will be going to London and visitng a friend there and doing the New Europe tour there. In February, myself and Ryan Godke who is studying in Vienna are doing a EuroTrip, visiting Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, and Stockholm. I'll be taking lots of pictures for you all to see.
Of course, Katie came and visited me for Christmas. I was fortunate to get to talk to most of you on Christmas Day, but for those of you who haven't heard from me yet, here's the round-up:
Katie arrives in Paris a few days before Christmas. She comes on some tours with me, we go eat at some really good restaurants and some not so good restaurants, she takes advantage of the great shoe shopping in Paris, we spend Christmas Eve on the top of the Eiffel Tower and eat Tiramisu afterwards, we spend New Years Eve under Disney Castle watching brilliant fireworks, she gets more tours of Paris, and eventually (unfortunately) she flies back off to the real world.
I plan on giving you a post about Disneyland soon enough. Should be entertaining.
What has also been entertaining is the roommate situation that has played out in the past month. It's a horribly long story that I will share with you all sometime when I see you, but briefly:
-Roommate throws a fit about having to live with guys
-Decides she's going to keep 2 of the 4 mattresses in the apartment to herself because they "belong to her"
-Has a lock installed on her door and accuses me of picking her lock, breaking and entering, theft, slander, among other things.
-Has excluded me in the process for selecting my next roommate
However, on the bright side, she is leaving us all here in France to go back to the States (where you will unfortunately have to deal with her). Sorry, but good riddance.
Other than that: January should fly by. And soon if will be February, and that will also fly by. March will be long, but come April, I will be visiting for Easter and I'm very much looking forward to that.
Blog posts to come:
Disneyland
Stop by Stop of the Walking Tour of Paris
EuroTrip (in February)
We'll talk soon. ;-)
Justin
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