Lyon

Geneva

Alps

Strasbourg & Alsace

Loire Valley

New photos! Five new albums.

A la Fabo, "NICE"

June 28:

It is finally summer in France. Or it could be that I am on the Riviera. Nice, to be exact. Three days of relaxing. No sites to see. I've done the day trips already. I'm just gonna sit out by the beach and read. And then go to Wayne's at least once. (Fun times ay Rob?)

It's always great to find a cheap hostel, but chances are you will get what you pay for. The hostel in Nice where I wanted to stay was booked for yesterday so I found a cheap place for the night. Oh the Pink Lady. That place has "character." At 19 euros it served as nothing more than a place to lay my head for the night. And I didn't even lay my head on the pillow (I pack my own little pillow for such cases). I checked in at 11pm and checked out promptly at 9am. I didn't even bother taking a shower there. *backpacking at its finest* As the Pink Lady showed me to the room, guess who was walking out the front door. My roommate from Strasbourg. The girl from American University. Love it! We shared our train strike stories and agreed to make plans for Paris. *backpacking at its finest*

After I checked out, I did laundry and made my way to the next hostel, where I am now. Once these Spaniards leave for Monaco, I will wash and dress. While this hostel is much nicer, this room is tiny. I don't feel like maneuvering my way around six people as I get ready. I do wish they would pick up the pace though. Europeans. Never rushing anything.

Commentary:

Laundry day! I hate this chore back home but I have begun to look forward to it while traveling. Counting down the days until I spend a couple hours in a laundry mat. The laundry mats are no more exciting than they are in the States. The experience of waiting for the washer or dryer to finish is not any more interesting either. And folding is still as boring as ever. But after a month (actually I think it started after about 2 weeks) I feel like a constant layer of travel funk is ever attached to my presence. When I pull those clothes out of the industrial dryer, I feel a bit renewed. (And once I take this shower, I am sure I will feel even better.) It may also be a prudent investment to purchase some eau de toilette. Oh, speaking of...

Somebody has got to stop these French men from wearing Jean Paul Gaultier. It is ever so distracting. Every time a man walks by wearing it I have to stop. En fait, at a kabab shop in Lyon, I had just finished my meal when a man surrounded by the alluring aroma of Gaultier sat down at the table next to me. I made those last few sips of cherry coke last 15 minutes.

I realize that I have skipped Lyon. It is coming along with a picture upload. I just want to get to the beach ASAP and as the Spaniards have now departed, I can rid myself of travel funk and play in the Mediterranean.

Quite a few hours later:

I have reached my summer hue! Napping on the beach will do that to you. I'm heading out for dinner, mussels and frites. It is apparently a big deal here.

Even more reading enjoyment...

After this, you will be with me in Lyon, ready to see all that France's second largest city has to offer. The final installment...

Written 6/25

I hate Switzerland. To be fair, maybe I just hate Geneva. It is the most annoying, confusing, and expensive city I have ever had the pleasure (it was kinda a pleasure) of visiting. Let me tell you how I ended up in Switzerland...again.

June 24:

At the conclusion of my Alpine adventure, I decided that I would make a stop in Geneva on my way to Lyon. Just to get chocolate. I felt like I had cheated myself by not taking the unexpected opportunity that I was given when I accidentally ended up there. Since it was fairly close (and I knew the train went straight to Lyon from Geneva) I decided I would make a visit on purpose this time. I looked up trains at the chalet when I returned from my hike. The SNCF train site had some sort of news flash that said something about "supprime." Thanks to some help from Google translate, I figured out that the trains were on strike from 8pm Wednesday to 8am Friday...Just long enough to mess with my travel plans. I double checked to see that my trains were in fact not running. The one from Argentiére was not (it just wouldn't be right for me to actually use that train station would it?) but the train from Geneva to Lyon was. So I figured I could at least find a way to Geneva.

I got up on the 24th and proceeded as if there was no strike. I packed, put on my backpack and headed out to catch the 10:16 train that would put me in Geneva at 1pm, giving me four to six good hours of chocolate hunting before I would have to catch my train to Lyon. I trekked to the train station to find what I expected, there was indeed a strike. With little idea of what to do at this point, I headed back to the chalet. I stopped by the office de tourisme to ask about bus options. There was one at 4pm. Not optimum. I was hoping that the chalet owner may have an idea or two. He did. There is an airport shuttle to Geneva from the Chamonix area. 25 Euros. Cool. I call and schedule the first pick up they have at 1pm.

One comes. One goes. One thirty comes. One thirty goes. I call them back and it seems that the original driver did not follow directions so they would come and get me "straight away." And they did. I was in Geneva by 3:30. I would never make the 4:58 train with a chocolate hunt. I went to the ticket counter to make sure that the 6:58 train was an option. Turns out the SNCF site lied to me or the train workers changed their mind over night. The trains to Lyon were also canceled. Seems as if I will have plenty of time for a chocolate hunt.

As is the process in these unexpected cases, the first step is to find wifi. Conveniently the café next to the ticket counter had wifi. I bought a 3 euro coffee that granted me the relief that internet connection provides in stressful times. Hostelworld.com was not holding me down. But Mike's Let's Go Western Europe led me to Home de St. Pierre. After a quick skype call (that $10 credit was the best $10 ever spent), I had a place to lay my head for the night. Now I just had to get there.

Part I of why I hate Geneva - It is utterly confusing to a new comer. I am sure Geneva makes complete sense to its residents and probably to anyone who stays there for a couple days, but to me, completely and utterly confusing. The train station the shuttle dropped me off at was the airport train station, outside of the city. So I had to take a train to the train station in the city. Simple enough. But there is no direction as to where to buy ticket. And once a nice Swiss man helps you buy said ticket, there is no direction as to where to catch the train. And once on said train, you will realize that you wasted 3 euro on said ticket because the trip is 6 minutes and no one checks said ticket.

So at the city center train station, in accordance with procedure, I try to find an office de tourisme to secure a map and make my way to the hostel. There is no office of tourism here. There is not so much as a map of the city hung on the wall (OK I'm sure there was, I just couldn't find it). Let's Go once again proved its worth. The map of Geneva within this nifty guide lead me to the general vicinity of the hostel, right behind the cathedral, at the very top of the hill. This was no short walk (especially with sore quads and gluts). And finally, the weather had turned hot and sunny, which is great, unless you are lugging 40 pounds up a medieval street to the top of a hill. When I finally reached the hostel, I was completely out of breath, very frustrated, and very sweaty. I attempted to pay the reception lady who took a sideways glance at the euros in my hand.

Part II of why I hate Geneva - Why do you have your own currency?! You are not England. In fact, as you are situated right smack in the center of the EU. You of all countries should use the Euro. Not even France uses the Franc anymore. Stop making things difficult!

I was off to find an ATM to get Francs. There is a bright side to this. I got a little lost and ended up at a chocolatiere and had a couple samples. Cappuccino chocolate. mmmmmm.....

When I finally get things sorted and settle in, I meet my Aussie roommate who has suffered a travellers worst nightmare, her luggage was lost. We discussed this for a while over some Lay's (bolognaise flavored) and I tried to map out my chocolate hunt. I figured that as it was about 6, I would not be making it to many if any chocolate houses. I tucked the map away (this map was incredibly unhelpful as it was just about completely illegible. I did not use it once.) Off to explore the city.

I had no clue what anything was since I had not gone to the office of tourism and had not read more than a paragraph about Geneva so I literally just wandered through the city snapping pictures of things that looked cool or like they may be important. I only had two things to see on my list, the geyser (which I had peeped on my long walk to the hostel) and the cathedral (which was right by the hostel). Once I made my way walking around a good deal of the city center, I stopped at the Jardin Anglais and sat around. During my walk, I did add one additional item onto my list, the transit system. There is an intricate web of bus and light rail lines across the city. I had been given a pass with my hostel check in. I hopped on a bus and then a light rail, then another light rail, and a bus. Just riding around the city. *sidenote* IDK how the fare system works. No one pays or shows a pass when you get on. In fact, you don't get on through the front door. The fare is probably included in the astronomical taxes. *end note* When the sun threatened to set, I decided to end my tour in vieux ville (the old city) where the cathedral and hostel are. And once the sun set, I realized my hunger.

Part III of why I hate Geneva - It is the most expensive city I have ever visited. New York, Paris, Hong Kong have nothing on Geneva. In all those places you could find a kabab or hot dog to snack on for a few dollars. Oh no, not in Geneva. Only fancy and pricey places. It is possible that somewhere out of old town it is cheaper, but in all the day's journeys it seemed like Geneva is just overall over priced. I appreciate the golden arches as a symbol of home, but hate eating there. I had actually given in. I had surrendered to Ronald and found a McDonald's to provide me a cheap snack...12 Francs (something like $13/14) for a meal?! Not a chance. I marched right to a fancy Italian restaurant. If I'm gonna get ripped off, it's gonna be delicious. And it was. Veggie pizza dressed with thin curling slices of eggplant, zucchini, artichoke, and peppers of all colours (OMG I typed this on first instinct!!). Too bad I had the most atrocious waitress. She did not speak English, but I am sure she also did not speak French. There are some things I can say pretty well now, "Where is the bathroom?" and "I would just like a carafe of tap water." Niether of which she seemed to comprehend. In fact, she was so befuddled by my request for tap water that I just gave in and ordered a glass of wine. I am not buying a $8 bottle of still water when I can have a $7 glass of wine. Yeah that's right $7 glass of wine. And that was as cheap as it gets. My pizza was 21 francs so somewhere in the range of $25. The total bill ended up being the equivalent of 22 euros. That is about my budget for a full day. Reasons why I hate Geneva.

June 25:

Since I did not fulfill the purpose for my trip to Switzerland on the 24th, I got an early start today and hit the city to find chocolate. And I did, everywhere. For breakfast I had the most delicious pain au chocolat that I have ever had from one chocolatiere and and a muffin of orange cake in a cocoa shell topped with a dusting of cocoa powder from another. I stopped in numerous stores just to smell the potent aroma. le sigh. le yum. In the end, a bought a couple samples from one of the many stores (and also put an end to my supply of Francs). I grabbed a sandwich on the way back to the hostel to have for lunch on the train to Lyon. A 7 euro sandwich...

I gathered my stuff at the hostel, did a bit of FB'ing and skyping and then made my way to the train station around noon. A bit of a walk, and two buses later, I was walking through the train station, searching for somewhere to buy a water, with euros. It did not happen. So while sitting on this train, I am no longer hungry, but I cannot get to Lyon fast enough to moisten my parched throat.

Several hours later:

To ensure me that I am not in control, the train stopped. IDK why, I don't think the conductor ever explained. But I spent an hour at some obscure train station, just waiting. I arrived in Lyon about an hour and a half to two hours late. Luckily I was in no hurry (other than my impending death by thirst). It took a bit of sleuthing but I figured out the correct bus to get to the hostel. I checked in and went straight to the supermarket for water. I was also quite hungry and the hostel didn't have a map so I decided to head to the city center to find the office de tourisme and get a kabab *note on kababs* Kababs are the ultimate clutch meal. They are delicious, cheap, and come with frites. I try not to eat them too often because I am afraid I will get tired of them. But each time I have one I think I should have them more, maybe every night. Why don't we have kabab stands in the States? I will miss them so.*end note* The office de tourisme was closed (not too surprising since I arrived in the city fairly late) so I went straight for kababs. This task should not have been so difficult but somehow I ended up in Fendi, Prada, Gucci Land and there is no spinning meat in this fairy tale place. *another note* I first thought that I was just instinctively drawn to these stores but the more French cities I visit, the more I think they will put a Chanel store anywhere as long as it's not the "hood." *end note* I eventually find my delish dinner and end it with some nutella ice cream from a store along Boulevard de Victor Hugo. I sit in Place de Perrache for a while eating my ice cream and people watching before I decide to turn in early (8pm) for the night.

I am off to explore thee city of Lyon. Pictures will be uploaded soon enough.

More reading enjoyment...

Ready for the next installment?

Written 6/23

June 22 (Part III):

I ended up getting to St. Gervais around 10:30pm. Needless to say, there were no connecting trains. It was late and I was substantially panicked (on the inside of course, can't be in some odd place late at night all in a tizzy). I went to the first open bar/restaurant and asked them to call me a taxi. I had no idea how far Argetiére was from this train station. Turns out it is $90 far. I am still not completely over that stab to my budget but it was the only option at the time and I made it to the chalet safely and everything worked out in an acceptable manner.

June 23:

The chalet is so cute. It reminds me of the timeshares the family used to get in the Poconos except that it has a more personal feel with all of its little country decorations. The owner is British I believe, and the girl who runs it with him is an ex-Texan. They are very nice which also adds to the homey feel. The only draw back is there is no breakfast. So I this morning I made my way into town to find a petit-dejourner (breakfast) before my hike. No luck. I was starved by the time I finally settled into the chalet the last night so I woke up famished. I hit the first bakery I saw to get a snack just so that I wouldn't end up getting a cheeseburger for breakfast. I bought a brioche. It was a fluffy piece of buttery baked yum and it tasted very familiar. For my actual breakfast, I end up buying some groceries (a couple pieces of fruit, yogurt, a baguette, some jelly, and pineapple juice). I also bought a box of these delish meringue cookies and a sandwich for hiking snacks.

When I finished my petit-dejourner, I ventured out into the mighty Alps. I spoke to the lady at my favorite office (that would be the office of tourism) and I decided to attempt an ascent to Lac Blanc. It was no joke. It was incredibly difficult and tiring and at numerous points I wondered if I had bitten off more than I could chew for my first hike. Yes, I surely had. Nevermind that I chose the Alps for my first hike, I also had to choose an aggressive route. Despite my mental and physical conflicts during the adventure, I eventually made it to the lake...well it turns out that it was not the lake. I had been so excited to reach this lake and it had taken so long (I believe about four hours) and Lac Blanc was still quite far away and quite high up. I decided to call it a success and enjoyed some lunch and snacks at "The Invisible Lake."

Since I worked so hard getting up the mountain, I wanted to take the ski lift down. So I hiked another hour or so to the lift...It was closed. I had missed the last lift by an hour...Hike down the mountain? Really the only option. Two hours later I reached Chamonix. Cute little town but it was getting late so rather than explore, I wanted to make sure that I could get back to Argentiére. I read on the Chamonix website that a night bus runs to Argentiére...apparently that is not true in the summer off season. The train? IDK how my luck was so bad but I literally reached the platform to see the last train to Argentiére pull off. At this point I had completely had it. After a brief breakdown, I decided that I would just walk back. I had climbed the Alps another hour or two along a relatively flat street would be fine. I bought some ice cream to cheer myself up.

It was fine at first and I was making good time, but as the sun started to set, I began to question my original decision more and more. By the grace of God, I made it back to Argentiére along with the last hint of twilight. I stopped by the local bar (with everybody from the chalet it seemed) and had a dinner of frites and a salad before I finally called it a day.

For your reading enjoyment...

I do so apologize. I have blog post stored for days but have not had the chance to upload them. It has been a busy few days, as you will see. I'll post them separately, in the fashion that I had intended had I been able to post them as I intended.

Written 6/22

Long train rides are perfect for catching up on missed blog posts and uploading pictures. There is always the fear of running out of computer juice and needing it upon arrival when something hasn't quite worked out according to plan. Anyway, to conserve juice, I will get right to it.

June 19:

Last day in Tours and the Loire Valley. I was excited to go to Strasbourg, especially after my "German" dinner the night before. I decided to take the bus to the train station to avoid lugging my backpack around town. As there was no listing of stops in the bus, I ended up missing mine. This made the 15 minute bus ride into an hour long bus ride. Ever the optimist, I figure that I got the chance to see another part of Tours (the part from the last century). Once I finally got to the train station, I went through the regular procedures, waiting in line, reserving my seat, finding a sandwich for the road. This sandwich, at a low 2,70 euro, was one of the best I've had. Maybe deliciousness can be found under 5 euro. *another note on sandwiches* I love butter. Everything tastes better with butter. But that doesn't mean that it is an appropriate condiment for sandwiches. Or so I thought. The French, like Paula Dean, have invented new uses for butter. I have had at least three sandwiches smeared with it. Salami and butter. Ham, cheese, and butter. Ham, lettuce and butter. It is odd. It is also, of course, tasty. Everything is better with butter. I wonder if Subway will add some semi-doux to my BMT? *end note*

Scenic four hour train ride.

When I get to Strasbourg I am starved but I have to get to the hostel by six, plus I have my life on my back. I figure out how the bus works and hop on, this time I don't miss my stop. I find the hostel, check in, and am off to find food. While the hostel is a very nice, purposefully built place, it is far as crap (on an empty stomach) from food. I couldn't tell you how long I looked (could have been 10 minutes or 30. My hunger deceives me). I found a restaurant and ordered the suggestion which was boeuf émincé avec champignons. Now I don't like mushrooms (champignons) in most cases, but I will order a dish with mushrooms if I'm in the mood. And what I wanted was a real meal with beef as the main component. Out came a plate of stewy beef and mushrooms with rice. Yum. IDK that the picture does it justice. picture to come. I finished by meal with espresso. I have gotten into the French habit of ending a meal with coffee or dessert. I love it but fear that on a student budget, it will break the bank upon my return. Also the coffee won't be nearly as good. After my dinner, I strolled around the very cute, very German, very French Strasbourg.

I finally returned to my hostel to meet my roommate...from American University. We decided to go out that evening for a drink. We made our way towards the city center and as we got close, we heard drums and saw lights and smoke. Turns out there was quite an elaborate summer parade going on. Extravagant costumes and floats. Fire crackers, flame throwers, drummers, dancers, Obatman. It was quite the spectacle. pictures to come. We only caught the last 15 or 20 minutes of it but it was a lovely surprise. We continued to a hole in the wall microbrewery and had a drink.

June 20:

The next day I planned to do all the Strasbourg sites starting with the walking tour of the city center. I learned all about the history of the city. I had forgotten that Martin Luther nailed his theses to the doors of the catherdal here. And I learned that Gothenbourg invented the printing press here. And of course Strasbourg has much war time history. After the tour I climbed the MANY winding stairs to the cathedral platform. The cathedral itself is interesting with its sole spire but the view from the platform was also great. Then I went to the Palais Rohan and visited the Musee des Arts Decortifs. I have learned that museums are not really my thing. Well let me correct that, most museums with their endless paintings are not my thing. I.e. my favorite Smithsonean is Natural History. I love the gem exhibit. I can't get enough of shiny things. And I think that is why I keep choosing to go to these palais with their excessively decorated rooms full of exquisite furnishings. I had a choice of many museums to visit for free with the "Strasbourg Pass" and despite the fact that I had seen more opulence than one might be able to stand in Paris and Versailles, I still chose the Decorative Arts museum. My favorite part this time was not the furniture or the gold paneling, it was the clock room. Strasbourg is home to an astronomical clock and it the birth place of the grill pendulum, which was the mechanism that first allowed clocks the precision to determine time to the minute accurately.

When I left the museum, the clouds had finally parted (of course it was a gloomy day) and it was slightly warmer. I decided to put off my visit to the chocolate museum and rent a bike to explore the other side of town housing all the important EU buildings. On my way, I stopped at the botanic gardens and the huge Orangerie Park. When the clouds rolled back in I decided to head to the city center, return the bike, and get dinner.

As Strasbourg is so close to Germany and therefore so influenced, I thought it important to have a sausage. I love sausage. Some sort of sausage always resides in my freezer. I wanted to try the real thing. I bought a brat and 'craut for lunch today from a little cart vendor. Oh much was left to be desired. I actually would have preferred Hillshire Farms. IDK if it is just my American taste buds or what. But I thought I would try again for dinner. It was better. But still not the deliciousness that I would have expected. And it didn't help that both of these sausages looked a bit like undercooked hot dogs. It was not until the next day (that would be tomorrow the 21st), when after a long and difficult search for indigenous food that would not cost me 18 euro, I found these 3 euro sausages. Cooked on the grill they were slightly charred. They were spicy and tasted just as I thought a sausage should.

I topped off dinner (on the 20th) with a hot chocolate while I waited for the 9pm boat tour. After a relaxing hour on the Ill River, I returned to my hostel for the night.

June 21:

I decided to make a day trip to the Route du Vin. Since I had missed "wine country" in the Loire Valley, I hoped to get to see Alsatian wine territory. I wanted to make this trip during the latter part of the day so that I would be able to see the film presentation on the Astronomical Clock which they show everyday (except Sunday) at 12:00. It was free with my pass. To fill my morning, I ventured to the historic wine cellar of the Strasbourg Hospital. It was just lots of barrels of wine. Off to the clock. The movie didn't really cover what I had hoped. But then, most people would not have enjoyed the movie that I was hoping for, filled with the technical workings of the clock. Off to wine.

I caught the train to Obernai and wandered through the small town to the office of tourism. I was given a listing of wine "caves," or cellars, and went off to explore. One by one, I was told that they were not showing the cellars today or that I needed to come back in an hour or they just didn't answer at all. After having explored the whole of the town and it's surrounding area, and five unsuccessful attempts to visit a wine cellar, I reasoned with myself that the cellars probably are not much more exciting than the one that I saw earlier. I did want a wine tasting indigenous wine though. I went to a couple wine store in the city center but they did not offer tastings. So I went to the grocery store. I figured I could at least buy a bottle of Riesling or other Alsatian wine. Lucky me, they had two little bottles, one Riesling and one Gewürztraminer. I decided to call the day a success. I found the tasty sausage for dinner and got on the train back to Strasbourg. At the hostel, I popped open the Gewürztraminer to wash down the frites I had purchased on the walk from the train. Interesting wine. Sweet and floral. Reminds me a bit of moscato. I intended to go out and experience the Fête de Musique but I had to handle the business of booking my hostel in the alps. Not an easy task and I ended up missing the one group I wanted to see. To make up for it, I looked them up on Myspace. French rap should be in French. They (or he?) aren't bad but I don't think I missed anything amazing. I will gladly take peace of mind over Blockstop.

June 22 (Part I):

Business as usual. I checked out fairly early 1. because I had to since check out is at 9:30 and 2. because I wanted to make sure I could get a train to Argentiére, where the Apline "hostel" is located (plus breakfast was over at 9 anyway). I hopped on the bus to the train station. I went to the ticket office and the lady gave me a schedule for a train to St. Gervais at noon. Apparently no trains were going to Argentiére by the time I'd get in (or that is what I assumed she was saying since she didn't speak English). I would have to take a bus to Argentiére. I took the schedule since it was my only option at that point and I got back on the bus towards the hostel to use the wifi to make sure that I would be able to get to the "hostel."

There is a little café by the bus stop that sells 1 euro espresso and has free wifi. I decide to just use this rather than go all the way back to the hostel. I eventually found a bus and felt fairly certain that I would be able to get to the chalet (a chalet is kinda like a family home/ski lodge. This is what the "hostel" was). I decided to walk down to the city center to grab some food for the long train ride and also for lunch. I bought a couple sandwiches from Brioche Douche (I had purchased my lunch there the day before. A delish chicken breast sandwich.) Lunch today was a chicken breast panini with peppers and some sort of tasty sauce and I got a buttery ham sandwich for the ride. With food in hand, I got on the light rail to get back to the train station.

*addition* I was supposed to visit the chocolate museum on the 21st before I left for the Alps. That is, until I realized that the chocolate museum is not actually in Strasbourg and that getting to this museum would be an adventure that I could not accept in a limited time frame. Le sigh. *addition*

June 22 (Part II):

I thought I already had my, "What am I's gonna do" moment for the trip. I am currently on the train (still, at 10:00 pm). I have watched the sunset and am still not entirely sure how I am going to get to my hostel. I have been through a range of emotions and I am very close to panic. I am wondering why I didn't just decide to stay in Switzerland *side note* Yes, that's right, I ended up in Switzerland. The schedule the attendant printed out clearly noted that I had a transfer in Lyon but it failed to mention a second transfer at Bellegrade. When the train stopped at Genevé and I disembarked the train to find a customs desk, (albeit unattended) I was ever so confused. I eventually pieced together that I had indeed left France and was in the land of chocolate, cheese, and knives. I was so flustered that I didn't think of staying as an option. Instead, I found the next train and hoped that the additional time did not ruin my plans. *end note* I am so afraid that I will either be stuck in St. Gervais or make it to Argentiére and not be able to get in the hostel. Neither situation is to my liking. When things first went array and I realized that I had indeed ended up in Switzerland, once I got over the initial shock and found out how to get back on track, an odd peace rolled over me. I even found humor in the whole situation. Things do not always work out perfectly and I'm very used to things working out how I envision them. It was an acceptable wake up call. But at this moment I am wide awake and I'd love if things would work out in an acceptable manner.

Be Kind...

Written 6/18/10

June 18:

I'm so happy. Tres contente! I just got back from watching "Be Kind Rewind" on a pop up screen in Place de Victoire. (There is your "screen on the green" E. Shap. Well, more like on the asphalt). The movie was dubbed in French so I understood very little. Luckily(?) I had watch about a half hour of the movie on HBO during my packing week. I only watched a half hour because I didn't want to waste anymore of my life. Somehow it was much better in French. lol. Anyway, the movie is not at all what made me happy, it was how I ended up at the movie. *flashback sequence music and that fading effect*

This morning I decided to go to the Jardin Botanique before my afternoon chateaux tour. Nothing exceptional but I like parks and gardens. I grabbed a quick lunch and then went to meet the tour. Turns out it is fully booked. I was slightly disappointed but as I watched the older ladies and gentlemen climb into the van, I thought it might not be missing out on too much. There wasn't even a fun young Aussie couple like the last tour Rob and I went on. But I still wanted to see chateaux so I search for ways to make it happen. The looming rain cloud forbade a bike journey. I could have taken a bus but I was beginning to feel a bit down and not in the mood to make elaborate plans. After a spirit lifting chat with E. Shap, I decided to go to the Wine Museum and then to buy a bottle of indiginous wine and sip it in the common room whilst gaining the courage to spark a conversation. The Wine Museum left something to be desired but when I got to the common room the US Soccer match was on. There were only a few people watching and everyone was on Team Yank so I thought I might parle en francais. *sidebar* I was amused that everyone was cheering for the US when just yesterday, not everyone was cheering for France *end sidebar* I thought about it, tried to come up with some conversation starter and a follow up, rehearsed the lines in my head...and then I heard english behind me. I'm pretty sure my heart skipped a beat. I completely punked out. But it felt good to talk to someone without searching for some vocab word from Ms. Samela's class that doesn't even adequately conveys my sentiments. After the match and a bit of "Who Want to Be a Millionaire" en francais, I arranged to possibly meet the English speakers at a bar for the next match after I had dinner at this creperie I read about. *another sidebar* Can I also say how much more interesting soccer is when you are vested in a team. I enjoyed the one today so much better. *end sidebar*

After a half hour or so spent searching for this creperie, (it really should not have been as hard as I made it) I went in and asked for a seat for one. Complete. What? Not one available seat? Feeling rather defeated, I sarted heading towards the door and this nice family started some fast back and forth with the hostess. The mother, whose name is Stephanie!, didn't speak english but Christian did. He translated the round of speedy chatter and told me that they made reservations for a party of 6 but someone was not able to make it and invited me to join them for dinner. They were just waiting on two more people. It was such a nice gesture and I reallly wanted to eat at this place, especially after my search for it. I agreed to join and thought it might be a good opportunity to practice my French too.

Once Christian's brother arrived, we were brought to our table. This restaurant was like walking through someone's oddly decorated house. I loved it. Bathtubs for tables. Beds for chairs. Vaccuums for sinks. So cute. When we were seated, the family started chatting. I had gathered that they were orginially from Germany earlier and on the way to our table the couple that had just arrived told me that they live in Germany now and were visiting their brother (that would be Christian). Once we finally sit, They start speaking in French, but quickly switch to German...maybe I won't be practicing. lol. It was crazy the way they would switch between languages. The daughter Leylann was born in Tours and I think she may favor French but the brother and his wife favor German. I of course, have no option but to favor English and they were kind enough to switch to English sometimes to include me in the convo. I was so jealous. Especially after feeling very defeated about my inability to get French (part of the reason I was feeling down). It definately motivated me not to give up (as I was searching for the creperie I had pretty much decided that my brain was not wired to learn abother language and that it was foolish to believe I would ever speak French). They were so nice. And as I sat there all I could think was, "I'm happy. I'm glad I took this trip." Which is kinda a big deal because for the past few days I have been wondering if I was really gonna make it through two months. I think I am realizing that everyday won't be packed with amazing moments. There will be some cool ones, some that I'd rather forget, but then there will be these. The ones that I will look back on and say, "Did that really happen? That was pretty awesome."

Now onto the food...I had a hard time choosing my crepe but I ended up going for the Harry Potter (mainly because of the name). It was not what I was expecting but good nonetheless. It was sausage with carmalized apples. But nevermind that. The best part was the dessert, which I was far too stuffed for but Christian convinced me I had to get dessert. I agreed to get an expresso and they said that I should just get the cafe grinaund because it comes with a little mousse and creme brulee and apples. I agreed since it was just a small portion. It was not a small portion. They were sizable. But I'm glad they were because that mousse was DELISH!

It turned out that Leyann was going to a "Screen on the Green" after dinner and invited me. I wasn't going to go at first but by the end of dinner I felt much more at ease. And it was nice to have company (or be company). That is how I ended up watching a French version of "Be Kind Rewind" on a street inTours. It was a great evening. My joy has returned. I think I am recharged for my journey to Strasbourg tomorrow. Thank you so much Christian and family! I don't think you will ever know how much I truely enjoyed that meal.

GOOOOAAALLLLL!!!

June 17:

Once I could finally check in, I came back to the hostel. I settled in a bit. Skyped the 'rents. And hoped that hanging out in the common room would kindle some friendships. Not so much. Not only does EVERYONE speak French but they tend to have a high school lunch table thing going on. To be fair, I cannot tell if they are actually being exclusive or if it is just that I can't understand more than a couple words of their speedy French. Either way, I was intimidated enough to end my search for a new hostel friend to go with me for beer, kabobs and soccer.

I thought football was a long game. Soccer is forever. I was rather enjoying it for the first half hour or 45 minutes. I then realized that the excessively long commercial break was actually half time...another 45 minutes. Nope. Not gonna be able to do it. I got up and made my way back to the hostel. Of course as soon as I get out of range of the tv, someone finally scores a goal. I would miss the most exciting part. *question* Why do people clap when their team almost gets a goal? This is not social studies. No A's for effort. Your attempt is worthless unless it puts a score on the board. Maybe it's the ugly American in me. You get no praise you are on the one yard line and don't convert. If you shoot a brick you get boo'd by those cheering for your team. I don't get it. Much in the same way I don't understand how a game ends in a tie. *end question* I finished watching the game in the common room in hopes that maybe this time I would get the balls to chat. It was even worse. There were a ton of ppl and everyone was having one general and incomprehensible conversation. Oh well. maybe tomorrow.

In the news of sports that I don't have to force myself to like, Game 7 is on at 3 AM in France. Why? If only I were at St. Christopher's. I could have easily found some American/Canadian/ even Aussie who would have gotten some beers and stayed up watching it in the "chill room" but alas. It's quiet times in this hostel. I would like to be functioning tomorrow and staying up until 5 will make that impossible anyway. So no Game 7 for me. *tear*

À bientôt Paris

OK. First I will say that I am on no one's farm (disappointingly) but Tours is the cutest little medieval French town. Tomorrow I am planning on going to a chateaux/wine tour as long as it is in English. And I make this note because the only person who I head speak English all day is the reception lady that checked me in. In fact very little English has been spoken since my departure from Paris. And I would love to say that just hopped right on the opportunity to practice but when you are trying to get your life together, you do not feel like grappling for words in a second tongue that you do not yet possess. Getting ahead of myself. Let's go back to my last few day in Paris.

June 14:

My last two days in Paris were fairly bland. I had pretty much conquered all the neighborhoods I wanted to. *ode to the forgotten moments* I even explored the Bastille area. It appears that in my rush to tell you about the missed ice cream I forgot to mention my excursion to the site of the commencement of The Revolution. My favorite part of that area of town is actually the old railroad viaduct that they turned into a park and shopping area. Those Parisians, they know how to pretty up a city. *end ode* I couldn't come up with anything grand to do on the 14th so I decided to return to Montmartre and walk up and down the hills and through the little streets. I had petite dejourner, complete with expresso, at this lil cafe by the hostel and then traveled the few metro stops to Anvers at the foot of Sacre Coeur.

I remembered that one of my non-boring girl roommates (there turned out to be a total of 3 who were not lame) told me that she bought a shirt for 2 euro at this store not far from the Anvers metro stop. I saw the shop immediately. Imagine a store like Wet Seal, then take everything off the hangers and stuff it in bins. Voila! I tried to find a good deal but it was a bit too frustrating for me. I did buy a pair of leggings for 3 euro (so I can wear my shorts and not freeze. Had I known it wasn't actually summer in France I would have packed more jeans!) The leggings were actually hanging up on the wall as if they were in a civilized store so it caused me no annoyance. As soon as I walked out of that store, I came across the same store. Same name. Same type of goods. Except some of these clothes were on hangers. And a few steps up, another. I went into the third or fourth of these and actually came out with a rather cute shirt for 3 euro. Nothing else very eventful happened on this journey except that I got a nutella and banana crepe. When I got back to the hostel, I went to the chill room to have a glass of wine and read and I bumped into the fun people from the night before. They were going on the pub crawl and in search of preparty food. I had eaten earlier but decided to go with them because 1. they were looking for rotisserie chicken, the meal I wanted for dinner but could not find, 2. they were trying to convince me to come out with them and while I had already done the pub crawl, I really had nothing else to do, and 3. they were fun people so walking around with them was better than sitting in the chill room with my book. In the end, they didn't find chicken either and I had on my 3 euro shirt and was heading to the pub crawl with them (I doubt anybody will believe it but I did put up a pretty good fight). Of course the pub crawl was fun. No strippers this time but lots of dancing at O'Sullivan's. In fact, I realized that I have been to Paris twice, and to O'Sullivan's at least five times. I think it is safe to say it is my favorite bar in Paris. lol.

June 15:

I love making new hostel friends but they are the most ephemeral relationships ever. You hang out for a day or two max and then...facebook. You have so much fun and then they are gone. It was probably worse in Paris because they were leaving and I was staying. It takes a bit of a toll. But the prospect of new people who are just as much fun is a constant silver lining. I can't say that I did much of anything on the 15th. I did laundry first thing in the morning. Then I went down by the river to walk around. I got my ice cream (it was from the makers of the "best ice cream in Paris" but, in true French fashion, the shop not only closes early but is also closed random days of the week. Tuesday is one.) I wasn't amazed. Probably because I was in the mood for strawberry ice cream but they only had strawberry sorbet. Don't get me wrong though, it was tasty. And so was the dinner I got afterwards. I decided to head to the Latin Quarter to find another cheap menu and there it was, 10 euro menu, right next to a huge rotisserie. SOLD. French onion soup, grilled chicken and frites, and chocolate mousse. Stuffed, I went back to St. Christopher's one more time. I called it an early night and turned in at 10:30.

June 16th:

I had a pit in my stomach all day. I had been calling the farm where I was supposed to stay to no avail. I had her confirmation email. Venez! Come! But I never got confirmation that she got my train information. For an hour or so I debated just staying in Paris. I sent her another email (the second that day) to that effect and as my train was leaving in a hour and I made my way to the station, incredibly nervous. I figured at the worse, I would have to get a hotel and she could pick me up in the morning. Turns out she had no intent on picking me up. I get to the train station in rainy, podunk Saumur, France. The guy at the Office of Tourism lets me call the farm. Still no luck. After conveying to him in my broken French that I need to find some wifi (pronounced here wif-fee) he points me to a hotel across the bridge. The lady at the hotel spoke English, but even speaking at my slowest, she could not understand the situation I was explaining to her. She was nice and just let me use the hotel wifi. The first email I see is from the farm lady. "I will not be here on the 19th and 20th. It is better if you can come another time." WHAT?! Not only was this planned for weeks now but last week you said we were still good. Now I am in this small town with no appeal except that it is fairly close to Tours and you cancel?! I still haven't written her back. I don't know how to convey my feelings in French. Plus I only know one French swear. :-p

Running through my possible options I think of Tours. Let's go back to Tours. No hostels available. I know Paris is not an option at this point. Where else would I actually want to stay? Bordeaux? Ok. Found a hostel. Train...Next train is at 6am. I fought it for about another hour until I gave in and realized I would have to stay in Saumur for the night. I ended up in an over priced hotel room with no internet (although it did have a TV and some cop show with Shemar Moore was on. That at least made me laugh). *note* The nice hotel lady tried to get me to rent her 60 euro hotel room! She tried to convince me that everywhere else was booked. How do you know lady? I may be desperate and a bit out of luck, but I'm not a fool. I ended up finding the still over-priced room at 45. *end note* At this point, I had wasted a day and I had no clue what to do with the next five days. After quite a bit of brainstorming, aided by the French dubbed Shemar Moore, I decided I would go to Tour for two days and spend two days in the Alps. This way I still get the Loire Valley and I get a bonus gift. The fifth day? I decided to add an extra day to Strasbourg. They have a chocolate museum.

Once I accepted the fact that I was going to stay the night in the podunk town, I was not going to be working on a farm, and that my plans would have to change, I changed them. I wasn't very happy about this. I was rather looking forward to staying on the farm, mais c'est la vie, n'est pas. Things aren't always delicious, isn't that what I said.

June 17:

First thing in the morning, I called to booked the Tour hostel for two nights. I went to the train station (right across the street from the over-priced hotel) and sorted out my ticket. Turns out you don't need one from Saumur to Tours. Cosmic gift. By 11 I was in Tours, my bag checked. I would not be able to claim my room until 5 but that gave me plenty of time to explore the city. It continually rained all day but having a place to stay and a plan gave me a new lease. I walked around Tours. Very cute. But very small. Not in the least like Paris. When I first left the hostel I thought I would look for a place to have my lunch, maybe a little alcove tucked away from the rain. I started walking. Within an hour, I had made my way through the entire city center. This includes my stops to the grocer and alcove. Filling five hours walking around seemed as if it might be a difficult task. I opened the booklet that I picked up at the Office of Tourism this morning (thank you Rob for showing me the benefits of this office). The "Wandering 'Tours'" section started at the city center, I hoped that winding walking path it described around the city and my inevitable detours would last 5 hours. Four hours later, there was nothing more I wanted to see (if there was actually anything else to see). I returned to my favorite part of town (yes I have one already), Place Plum and had a cup of chocolat. It was delicious. I enjoyed my chocolate for about 5 minutes and my seat for about 60. It wasn't what I had planned but I enjoyed being in that moment. Maybe it was delicious, but it was definitely tasty.

Radio Star

Commentary (from 6/9/10):

My exploration of the Parisan arrondissments has been set to the soundtrack of 96.0 skyrock radio, "Heephop ay R 'en Bay." I think France has a different idea of what hip hop and R&B is. Yes, Ludacris is hip hop, but Taio Cruz is not. Maybe Ke$ha could be confused for the name of R&B artist but she is def pop. There was a time when Black Eye Peas was hip hop, but "Shut Up" is not. I love the station though (should not be surprising). I especially love the French rap. Désolé is my new jam. Another thing I love...that they play a disproportionate amount of 50 Cent. All eras of 50. From "What Up Gansta" to "Window Shopper." I think the French really like him. I distinctly remember in Nice on my last trip, walking behind a man who was carrying a boombox blasting "Get Rich or Die Trying."

Nothing is censored on the radio. Straight album versions. That's right, 50's "Poor Lil Rich" in all it's glory. I'm not the biggest fan of the Nword floating though the French airwaves. But they don't even censor curses in the French songs. I don't know all the French "bad words" but I def heard the Fbomb dropped in a French song.

*Addition* I did hear Amerie and Aaliyah as well as Nas and Method Man a day or two after I originally wrote this so I suppose skyrock is due a little more credit. *Addition*

How the other "half" lived

June 13:

I finally made it to Versailles yesterday. It was still not the beautiful day I was hoping for when I arrived in the Parisian suburb at 11am but by the afternoon, it was nice enough to walk in the gardens for hours. The palace is HUGE and the definition of opulent. But if I may quote my guidebook, the building itself is dwarfed by the grounds. Just acres and acres of manicured gardens, fountains and sculptures. It is incredibly difficult to imagine that people actually lived like that. And once you finally wrap your head around it, and compare the incredible grandeur of Versailles to the city of Paris at the time, you completely understand why there was a revolution.

I do have to admit though, I think in terms of the interior decorations, I like the Louvre as a palace better. Probably because the decor is so varied as it was decorated and continually built upon by so many kings. It is more interesting to me. Versailles is GRAND but each room has that guilded molding and silk wall covers. Boring! Com'on Louis! lol. Despite all the "boring" rooms (they really were spectacular) I ended up spending far too much time inside the palace. I started my garden walk not long before the fountains started their majestic display at 3:30. Before I knew it, the finale show started and I had an hour before the garden closed. I still had not made my way to see the special quarter's that Marie Antoinette and Napoleon took to. I managed to squeeze in a quick visit into the Grand Trianon (where Napoleon preferred to stay in Versailles) and managed to loose myself on the grounds. I ended up wandering around the Queen's Hamlet (Marie Antoinette's favorite area and I completely see why). Even now, I can't believe that all that land was part of the palace. I don't think I can explain the size and hauteur of this place adequately. It is definitely a must see if you are going to Paris. It will make you want to reinstate the monarchy, as long as you are a part of it. I was continually thinking, "If only I could find a Louis the XVI to marry." Really, I would have gladly been a handmaiden at Versailles. Even their quarters had guilded molding (and they didn't get beheaded)!

I am wondering if I should even bother with other palaces at this point. Can any other palace compare. Am I going to scoff at Buckingham now? You 'ave nu'zing on Versailles. Huh!

*note* I finished the photo sync. There are some more photos up now. Versailles pictures not included. *end note*

Girls just wanna have fun??

I don't have anything big plans for tomorrow so I suppose I will stay up and blog. Not quite ready to return to the boring room with my boring girl roommates. *sidenote* I thought rooming with girls would be more fun. I figured that girls traveling solo would be more likely to book all girl rooms. They do...but they are the boring girls who don't ask where you are from or what you are doing today. As much as I can help it, I'm booking mixed dorms. *sidenote*

June 12:

Marais is the old Jewish neighborhood of Paris...the 12th was Saturday. I obviously didn't put the two together. "The best falafel in Paris" was closed. I settled for "The best fafafel in the city" two doors down. (Anyone else reminded of Jumbo Slice??) Now I have never had falafel before but I would agree that this was the best in the city. It was delicious. picture to come. Oh but wait! I got ahead of myself. On the way to the yum, I came across this little "vintage" store. Just what I had been looking for. All tags read 5 or 10 euros. ($6 or $12!) I bought a big purple hobo bag and a striped button up dress. picture to come. So great! The museum was closed because it was Saturday and since it was late I missed another museum. In fact, my late start had another causality, ice cream! I planned to grab a cone of the best Parisian ice cream on my way home but it closed at 8pm. With this disappointment, I resigned to head back to the hostel. On the way to the metro, I stopped at Pont du Change and watched the sunset a bit. *le sigh* trés belle.

Ooo. There are some fun looking people on the next couch over. Much more interesting than what I have waiting for me upstairs. I think I will interlope on their fun. á la prochain fois! (until the next time!)

There is just something special about Paris

This morning I was feeling over Paris. I was ready to get on a train out of my favorite city in the world. Then I found myself crossing the Seine around sunset. I felt like I could never possibly have enough days here. The magic of the Seine.

Paris

Give the people what they want. Here are the pictures!

Rain. Rain...

Today was supposed to be Versailles but since it is cold and cloudy and will rain throughout the day, I have decided to postpone it once again. Sunday should be beautiful but Sunday is also one of Versailles busiest days. Oh well.

Pictures will be posted soon. I had some computer problems yesterday so the upload didn't happen. There are some 500 pictures so far so prepare yourself.

Onto the update...

June 9:

The dreary day when last we spoke. I went to Au Bon Marché. I bought nothing! It was like the Flambourg and Champs Elyssé spawned a mall. Chanel, Furla, Jimmy Choo and Longchamps boutiques. How Parisians afford to wear clothes is beyond me. I walked around but quickly grew tired and planned an escape. I decided to bypass the Grand Epicerie and find this vegetarian place not too far from the Louvre.

My plan was flawed and I ended up getting off at the wrong metro stop...or the right one. An H&M was on the corner and various other affordable stores lined the street. Turns out I was not too far from Les Halles, which is a mall (unlike Le Printemps and Au Bon Marché) where I could actually afford to purchase a shirt and still eat for the rest of the week. I stopped in a few stores on my way to the restaurant but around 4, when I finally reached my destination, I learned why it was called Foody's Brunch Café. It was closing up. With my heart set on a salad, I went from restaurant to café, scanning menus in search of a plate of veggies. I eventually found a little chain restaurant that had pre-made salads. This was a very sad substitute and left me very disappointed. Even the dessert that came with the menu was a let down. Mais c'est la vie (But such is life). Everything won't be delicious, especially if it only costs 7 euros.

On my walk to Le Louvre, I stopped at a couple jewelry stores. I am looking for a charm bracelet and these stores had no shortage of them. Each was unique and handmade. I decided against buying one at that point but I took their cards in case I desire to make a future purchase.

I finally made it to Le Louvre right around 6. I spent the entire evening exploring the wings that I missed last time, which included Napolean's apartment,

and I even doubled back to see the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and my favorite "Liberty Leading the People" again.

When I got back to the hostel, a package of french fries to make up for the disheartening salad, I met the new roommates. And as we chatted, more roommates came in. We ended up having roomy bonding all night. I was sad that I would be leaving in the morning.

June 10:

Dreary days are plaguing Paris. I spent the morning in St. Christopher's skyping and emailing since I knew check in at the new hostel could not be before noon. The new hostel was only a 15 minute walk down the canal. With the backpack and an umbrella in hand, it took a bit longer. I checked in but my room would not be ready until 2. I decided to grab lunch. The yummiest pizza I have had here. Thick crunchy crust, sharp tangy sauce, and how can you go wrong with bacon as a topping.

By the time I finished the slice of heaven, the sky had cleared and I decided I would walk to find the boutiques along the canal that my guidebook mentioned. A couple hours later, my strolling lead me to the Latin Quarter. *see map* My hostel is in the 19e by Saint-martin Canal. The Latin Quarter is down on the other side of the river, by Notre Dame. *see map* It was quite the walk but since I was there, I opened my guidebook so that I could complete the prescribed walking tour. It started by the Seine, included a great view of Notre Dame, led me through the Sorbonne and ended at the Panthéon.

All of this walking produced great hunger. And I was excited to see a Picard right by the Panthéon. Picard is basically the freezer section of a grocery store. Freezers upon freezers. I had seen signs for this store at the bus stops. They advertised these pasta boxes for 2 euros. IDK why that sounded appealing to me but I bought a frozen cheese pasta box. By the time I got back to the hostel, all I could think of was heating that sucker up. It was...interesting. If I were not so hungry, I am sure I would not have eaten it. lol.

Hunger at bay, I got my luggage so that I could move into my room for the night. *rant* When I checked in, I was given room six. I left my bags in the storage room and went on my Latin Quarter adventure. I returned, got my bags and climbed the FIVE flights of winding stairs to room six. A sigh of relief as I knock on the door (there is only one key per room). There are three guys in the room looking at me puzzled. Apparently, they were to have the room to themselves and there was a mix up...OK. As I had just struggled up all of those stairs, I was not into going back down just to come back up and I was not about to leave my bag with these shady Swedes. So one of the guys went down to sort it out and when he returned he said I was in room seven. OK. To room seven I go. This time the roomates welcome me in. I put my stuff away and start chatting with the roommate from Boston while the other unpacks. Another guy comes in. But there are three beds. To the desk we go. I am not in room seven...I am in room nine. To room nine I go. Three beds, two guys, once extra bed...but its unmade. Back to the desk. He gives me a sheet... So glad I was only there one night! *rant*

Boston and I plan to go out in the Latin Quarter that night and we do. We hang out by the river and Notre Dame and end up having quite the memorable night. *side note* I like gay men and apparently they like me too. Aside from the Lyonnnaise lady, all the people who I have gone out with at night have been gay men. lol. *side note*

June 11:

After a long night, I checked out of room nine and headed back to St. Christopher's. I spent most of the day trying to figure out what was wrong with my pc. Finally I gave up and went to Bois de Bologne. It is a beautiful park/wood on the west of the city. It was a perfect day for it, sunny and warm. I brought a picnic dinner, walked around the lakes and read in the grass. I came home around 9pm. My book was getting good so I sat in my bed and read, eventually falling asleep. When I woke up at 11. I changed into pjs and called it a night.

June 12:

The gloom crushed my original plans but it seems as if the sun is making an appearance now. I only have one more neighborhood walking tour...I think I will make my way to Marais.

Parlez-vous anglais?

Commentary:

I get frustrated sometimes. I just want to be able to speak French already. I need to get over my fear of speaking it. I have realized that whenever I struggle to start a conversation in French, people are open to trying to communicate with me. Very different than being in America. We all know how frustrated we get when someone can't communicate in English. My walk to the bus stop is an example (details below). As well as my conversation with the guard at the Petit Palais. Il a été trés sympa (He was very nice). I do see un peu progress. Particularly in comprehending. I still have three more weeks, and being out of Paris will definitely force me to speak French. Especially on the farm. I got confirmation two days ago. I'm very nervous. Something tells me very little, if any, English is spoken on this farm. All of our correspondence has been over email in French. I guess, it will be like going skydiving to get over your fear of heights. Geronimo?!

June 7:

Thanks to very noisy Brits, my sleep was interrupted last night, but somehow I still managed to wake up by 6:30! I know! I started my day early and spent the morning walking around Montmartre. As I was heading to lunch, I attempted to practice my self portrait skills with a photo shoot. I set up the camera and...it died. So I resolved to have my lunch and return to the hostel to recharge my camera. I stopped at little bohème café called the Monmartre Zebra. I had the yummiest omelet. a picture would follow if my camera hadn't died.

When I got back to the hostel I wanted to check out the Lonely Planet. (Shouts to Rob on having every Lonely Planet necessary for a trip within this galaxy on the laptop.) My roommate was of a similar mindset. We chatted a while and found out we were living parallel lives. Civil engineers, both WWOOFing (the farm stay) and both travelling solo. We decided to go on the Seine boat tour that night together.

Once my camera was charged, I explored the 19th arrondissment a bit and hung out at a park, reading and drinking wine. When the time came to head to the Eiffel Tower for our boat tour, I bought some picnic snacks and hopped a bus to the river. I met Daniel (that'd be my roommate) along with another solo traveler who was also at our hostel. We picnic'ed until the sun set a bit and then went to take our night cruise. It was BEAUTIFUL! something you will have to experience yourself b/c my camera doesn't like moving night shots. Daniel and I decided to hang out by the canal once we got back to the hostel and we did so, finishing our wine and picnic goods for a bit.

June 8:

I quickly grabbed breakfast. My early rising must have been a fluke yesterday because at quarter to ten I would have stayed in bed if breakfast didn't end in fifteen minutes. Since it was going to be a dreary day, I decided to visit the Opéra Granier, do some window shopping in "the Faubourg" and maybe do a couple museums. The opera house (setting of Phantom) was grand, the shopping district was even more grand. All the streets around the Opéra are lined with shops. It was overwhelming. I just wandered around, looking for a couple of the cheaper stores that were suggested to me. IDK where they were hidden but I eventually tired of looking into the windows of Dior and Cartier. I took a seat by Le Printemps, a large high-end mall, ate the sandwich I made for lunch. I then decided to find my way to the museums and gave up on the shopping adventure. I wanted to see the Gates of Hell and the Thinker at the Rodin museum courtyard. I was in for quite the walk but I there were a few sites I got to visite, or revisit. Pont Alexandre III is my favorite bridge.

I also walked by the Grand Palais and got to see Les Invalide close up. When I finally made it to the museum, it turned out that the courtyard was not free (I must have misread one of the many guidebooks back in Laurel). I didn't feel those two pieces were necessarily worth 6 euros so I decided to catch the free exhibits at the Petit Palais. Of course the building was beautiful, what else would you expect from a Parisian palace that was build especially for the World Fair?

I hopped a bus to the 11th arrondissment to meet Daniel for an aperitivo (I forget how they say it in French). They had incredibly cheap glasses of wine, 2 euros! But I didn't see Dan. I hung out for a bit, grabbed a slice of veggie pizza from a nearby bakery, and after a while decided to head back to the hostel. I was tired and still hadn't seen last week's Glee. lol. (Turns out I had the time wrong. It started at 7pm, which is when I got there, but they were not meeting until 8pm. I probably ended up just missing them because I didn't catch my bus back until 7:55.)

As you know, I have been taking the bus. Paris has an extensive bus network. I've enjoyed using it. The only downside is that the bus stops are so difficult to find. It is not that they aren't visible, they are just placed sporadically. I.e. I took a bus back to the hostel. I wanted to take that same bus in the opposite direction when I was going to Montmartre so I went to the stop where I was dropped off, looked across the street, where logic would place it...not there. Granted, it is a one way street. lol. So maybe a street over...not there. A side street? Nope. A nice Parisian must have seen the puzzled look on my face and explained to me (in French) where the stop was. We walked to the stop together, and I practiced my French, or at least comprehending French. I'm still so bad at speaking. Turns out it was about three blocks down. We arrived just as the bus was shutting it's doors. I shouted merci to the nice man and waved as I ran to the bus.

That was a complete digression. lol. Point is, bus stops are hard to find and I couldn't find the stop to my transfer on the way back from the aperitivo. I ended up just getting on the metro. The metro is very easy to use.

I spent the evening watching Glee and sipping wine.

June 9:

Another dreary day. I plan on shopping at the Bon Marché, maybe even buying something since the euro is doing so bad. Early dinner at Grand Epicerie and Le Louvre after 6. Then I will have to come back and pack up. I have to check out of St. Christopher's Hostel tomorrow and stay at Love & Peace for a day since St. Christopher's was completely booked tomorrow night. But then I return for the remainder of my time in Paris.

Fatigue...DE JA?!?!

Bon soir mon amis!

It's been a busy first couple of days. So busy in fact that I called it a night early today and made my way back to the hostel around six. But that at least gives me time to catch you up.

June 4th (that would be Day Deux):

Libre? As in I don't have to pay? But I get a walking tour? I knew I liked hostels. I spent my first full day following Alex around the city. It was AWESOME! I've seen the sights before but our tour guide (that would be Alex) was incredibly animated and has a passion for history so he knew all sorts of amazing facts. Turned out that he kinda runs things at NewEurope ("pay me for this song"). In addition to getting an incredible tour of all of Paris's top visited sites, I also met quite a few cool people, got to hang out at a fancy French restaurant and eat fancy viande et fromage (meat and cheese), and ended up getting tickets to a pub crawl. Second great idea of the day. I got to party (we all know how much I enjoy that :-P) and since the tickets were being sold by NewEurope(where's my money) a lot of the people from the tour came out too. And I met even more cool people on the pub crawl. One of the ladies I met that night lives in Lyon. Parfait! Lyon is one of the stops in my French adventure.

We all spent the night toasting to "Happy Travels" and "La Belle Paris." The most memorable part for me might have been at the last club, when three very cute, very toned men came out dressed in nothing more than flags...USA! Mr. America was FINE.

The night ended in the morning so my plans to follow Alex around Versailles were squashed...

June 5:

Especially since I didn't get up until 11:30. I decided to start my exploration of the city instead. Afterall, one of my goals for this trip is to know my way around Paris sans map. I spent a great deal of time sitting dans le soleil watching kids play in the Jardin Luxembourg.

Then I set off to explore the 6th arrondissment, St. Germain. Highlights? The Église Saint-Sulpice and window shopping at the high-end retailers. Around corner from the one of the oldest buildings in the country is Louis Vuitton. Gotta love Paris.

I ended my walk with dinner in the Latin Quarter. There was a menu for 10 euros! (menu = fix prix) I had a nice little French dinner: salade crudité, pan fried white fish covered in buttery goodness, and crème brûlée. As the garçon brings out my salad I look up and across a couple of tables I see some of the girls from the tour/pub crawl. Yes, out of all of the restaurants in Paris, we were at the same one! We had a quick chat after dinner and then I was off to meet the Lyonnaise at the Eiffel Tower to have a picnic and see the light show.

Tricky thing about meeting her, we made the plans at the pub crawl so neither one of us was at our sharpest point. I had a map she had drawn and was fairly confident I would be able to find her...until I got there. I knew she would be with her two blonde friends. Luckily (and kinda oddly also) there weren't many blondes hanging out in front of the Eiffel Tower, or at least not nearly as many as there would be if it were America. So I made a loop of the, let's call it a mall. It was a big loop, with a ton of people. I decided I would give her a ring on her cell. She had given me her number. I practiced my French by asking a couple of people where a pay phone could be found. Et voila! After a little more walking I was in a booth, staring at a phone with complex directions, all in French. OK maybe they weren't really complex, but I definitely couldn't figure out how to use it. During my final loop before I gave up and got my own bottle of wine to just chill by myself, one of the hustle men tried to get me to buy a bracelet. Since he made it known that he thought I was "sexy" I thought I would hustle him. After a few minutes, I was saying au revoir and walking away without a bracelet, but having called my Lyonnaise friend on his cell phone. Unfortunately, she didn't answer.

I finished my final loop and picked a spot to read until the light show. After about five minutes, I glanced to my right and saw the two blonde girls! I joined the group which was about 10 people deep. Turns out that two of the girls in the group were from Maryland...better yet, they went to Maryland! How much smaller can this world get? We enjoyed the remainder of the night watching the massive steel monument light up on every hour.

We met a few French guys (one of which was superbly cute. DIMPLES! lol) and around 2am we departed, primarily because the illumination of the Tower had ceased. After much ado in hailing a taxi, we cabbed it back to our respective hostels.

June 6:

Rain was beating against the hostel window this morning. I knew it wouldn't be a nice day but as luck would have it, today most of the museums were free (first Sunday of the month). I had planned to make it a museum day so after breakfast I set out for the city center. Luck would also have it that the rain stopped during breakfast. It would also be so kind as to allow the sun to break through the cloud at various times throughout the day. I thought I would check out the line at the Louvre, hoping that the rain might have scared people off. No such luck. The line was wrapped around the courtyard (if you haven't been yet, when you get to Paris, you will understand the insanity in this)! I quickly decided that I would make my way to the Musée du Vin. It wouldn't be free, but I also would not end up spending two or more hours in line to fight crowds around the Venus de Milo and the Mona Lisa.

I hopped a bus towards the Eiffel Tower (A clutch piece of advice I read before I came was to take the bus. It's not as quick as the Métro and it's a bit more complicated, but you get to see Paris. And it really is the most beautiful city in the world). On my way to the Musée du Vin, I decided that I would check to see if the Palais Tokyo was free today since it was on the way. It's allegedly full of contemporary art and it's always fun to stand in front of "art" and not be entirely sure what you are looking at. Too bad I got a little turned around (not my fault, I asked for directions to keep me from getting lost and the directions were incredibly wrong). I ended up at Musée du Quai Branly. I was glad I got lost. Outside they had a garden and a vertical garden

and inside was full of ancient art. And I loved how it was all broken down by continents. You could see the similarities and subtle differences between the art of the first culture on earth. I joined a French storytime but after about 10 minutes I realized that catching half the story (due to my uni-lingual-ism) would not be worth it. So I went to find lunch because I was starved (probably another reason I could not sit through storytime).

I wandered around the 16th arrondissment hoping that I would not be forced to eat at one of the fancy pants restaurants that were at every corner but that seemed to be all there was. I came to the conclusion that I was in the ritzy residential part of town, then I ended up at the Arc de Triomphe and realized why. I ran across what must have been the only épicerie (kinda like a convenience store) in the whole arrondissment, bought a little boxed sandwich and ate by the Arc. *Note on sandwiches*

I am in love with these sandwiches. They are cheap and the bread is so good! I especially love the paninis. The cheese that they use, it doesn't even matter what kind, is so good! I have had three of these delightful treats in the four days that I have been here. I was actually looking for heaven on a baguette on my lunch hunt but all the pâtisseries (bakeries) were closed. The boxed sandwich had nothing on the real thing. *End note on sandwiches*

Once I was no longer afraid of starvation, I sought out the Palais Tokyo again. This time I found it. Only one exhibit was open unfortunately but it was really cool. Ten photographers went to Georgia (the county, JIC there was confusion) for two weeks each. I quite enjoy photography exhibits and this one was particularly interesting. At this point I realized that I never made it to my intended destination so I headed for the Musée du Vin. It was 5:30...the museum closed at 6. I decided it should wait for another day. It seemed early to head back so I thought I may stop by Le Bon Marché, I was kinda tired so I knew I wouldn't really feel like shopping and that was my tactic for maintaining my budget. Paris had one up on me though. By 6pm on Sunday, I hope you have everything you need because the city center is closing down. I guess 6 was not too early to head home.

And there you have it. All caught up.

I had so much commentary but I can't remember it now. Maybe I need to carry a memo pad around so that when I finally get around to blogging, I remember.