Michelle covered most of our day very well, so I'll just fill in with a few of my thoughts.
I found these shoes (they look nicer in person) at the mall after we saw Star Wars (which I thought was good, better than the rest of the new ones, I loved the first light saber scene) and fell in love at first sight. They look better in person and cost a lot less online $75 vs. 100 euroes so I think I'll wait till I get home to buy them.
It was nice to finally see the Eiffel Tower up close and personal but somehow it was less impressive that I had imagined. Michelle thinks it is because we don't have a personal tie to it. We've only gone there to take pictures, not much of a memory, but we did have fun. But, the tower has been the symbol of Paris for me since I was a child, as it is for many others, and seeing it in all of its glory today just didn't warm my heart the way I thought it would. I liked it more the first day, peeking through the trees on the steps of the Sacre Couer.
Now when I think of Paris I will think of Montmartre and Sacre Couer, the metro and the beautiful countryside, the crowds and the heat and the friendly shop keepers. I will think of the amazing food and the architecture with its rich history and the artists both famous and unknown. And of course, when I think of my new Paris, I will think of the frenchman who melted my heart with one crinkly eyed smile.
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
View of Paris
Paris from the steps of Sacre Couer, the highest point of the city. We've climbed the steps there 6 times now. I think Michelle hates me.
I took this with my cellphone, that's why it is such poor quality. I can only upload my camera photos when someone in our group with a laptop signs on in the hotel lobby, and our new hotel charges outrageous prices...10 euro for 2 hours. At the cafe we get 1 hour for 2,50, but he usually only charges us 1,50 euro. (They use commas instead of periods to indicate cents).
These shoes were made for walking....
Remember when Julie and I were searching for the ultimate traveling shoes? Well, my shoes are holding up admirably, if I must say so! Keen's - Black Mary Janes
I've had no blisters (Julie has a tiny one on her foot) and although my feet are TIRED at the end of the day, they're ready to go by the next. May I say that Julie and I are walking noticably slower these days?
Today, we went on a Julie and Michelle pilgrimage. #1 thing to do: get pictures of the Eiffel Tower during the day.
Our day dawned bright and perfect - no clouds! I think that's a first for this trip and the weather was fabulous - 72F.
We bought a 3 day pass for the Metro - the woman at the train station spoke no English but we managed to get our point across and obtain tickets. We even managed to get ourselves to the correct colored train; Unfortunately, by the first stop we discovered we had gone the wrong way. Remedied.
Time: 8:25
Paris - Rush hour
Need I say more? We had to wait for a second train since we couldn't even get in the door of the first.
After we climbed the Metro steps, we searched the horizon for the tower. Unfortunately, it was behind a building so it took us a litle bit to figure out which way to go.
Time: 9:10 a.m.
Julie took many pictures (I used my last roll of film) in a variety of angles. I will say, the tower is prettier from farther away. We did not go up in the tower car; it costs about 10 Euro; Julie wants to go at night. I'm skipping it. I liked the skyline from Sacre Couer. There's a park between the Eiffel Tower and some sort of military building which we walked through. Nannies had children in tow and Parisians were walking their dogs. Very peaceful.
Time: 9:45 a.m.
Notre Dame is by far, the most awesome of all the churches we've seen. The interior was breathtaking. The craftsmanship awe-inspiring. What made the entire experience was the choir singing to the heavens. Their voices just soared in the space. The interior of the church is huge - wood carvings, statues, you name it, its in this church. There were silent prayer areas around the sides and back of the church. A woman was praying the rosary at the rear.
Time: 11:00 a.m.
Quilt Store - yes, they have these in Paris! And, you know, if they have one, I'll find it. The fabric was beautiful and Julie and I bought enough to make (small) quilts to preserve our memories.
Next stop: Movies
We managed to get to the movie metro stop with no problem but had a bit of a problem locating where the cinema was. We asked a fellow American (I thought she was American since she was reading a Patricia Cornwell book in English) and later a hotel clerk. Turns out we should have stayed in the underground since that's where the mall is.
Time: 2 p.m.
Revenge of the Sith - Cost: 9E
Fabulous; the beginning was a little slow but it felt good to sit down; my feet were worn out! The end made up for the slow beginning. Now we can say we've seen Star Wars in Paris.
After the movie, we stopped at Starbucks (gasp!) and got Mocha Frappacinos! They werre sooooooo good - nice and cold!
Julie is searching for the shoes that all the Amsterdam and Belgium women are wearing - a type of slipper sneakers. Puma makes quite a few styles but they're very expensive - 120E. She just looked them up on the web and it'll be cheaper to get them at home.
Time: 5 p.m.
Finally back to the hotel; we saved ourselves until we got back to our hotel for the bathroom. We tried to use the one at the mall even though they were charging 40 cents to use it. I thought it was no big deal until I saw that there were no toilet seats. Luckily, we could wait until we got "home."
Time: 6:35 p.m.
Ending this blog entry. We leave tomorrow at 9 a.m. for the Catycombs and all sorts of other things - we'll be back with the group.
Thank you to all of our wonderful readers - the answer is: yes, we will be happy to do a lunchtime brownbag for anyone who's interested once we get our pictures ready.
Au Revoir - Michelle
Time to eat....
I've had no blisters (Julie has a tiny one on her foot) and although my feet are TIRED at the end of the day, they're ready to go by the next. May I say that Julie and I are walking noticably slower these days?
Today, we went on a Julie and Michelle pilgrimage. #1 thing to do: get pictures of the Eiffel Tower during the day.
Our day dawned bright and perfect - no clouds! I think that's a first for this trip and the weather was fabulous - 72F.
We bought a 3 day pass for the Metro - the woman at the train station spoke no English but we managed to get our point across and obtain tickets. We even managed to get ourselves to the correct colored train; Unfortunately, by the first stop we discovered we had gone the wrong way. Remedied.
Time: 8:25
Paris - Rush hour
Need I say more? We had to wait for a second train since we couldn't even get in the door of the first.
After we climbed the Metro steps, we searched the horizon for the tower. Unfortunately, it was behind a building so it took us a litle bit to figure out which way to go.
Time: 9:10 a.m.
Julie took many pictures (I used my last roll of film) in a variety of angles. I will say, the tower is prettier from farther away. We did not go up in the tower car; it costs about 10 Euro; Julie wants to go at night. I'm skipping it. I liked the skyline from Sacre Couer. There's a park between the Eiffel Tower and some sort of military building which we walked through. Nannies had children in tow and Parisians were walking their dogs. Very peaceful.
Time: 9:45 a.m.
Notre Dame is by far, the most awesome of all the churches we've seen. The interior was breathtaking. The craftsmanship awe-inspiring. What made the entire experience was the choir singing to the heavens. Their voices just soared in the space. The interior of the church is huge - wood carvings, statues, you name it, its in this church. There were silent prayer areas around the sides and back of the church. A woman was praying the rosary at the rear.
Time: 11:00 a.m.
Quilt Store - yes, they have these in Paris! And, you know, if they have one, I'll find it. The fabric was beautiful and Julie and I bought enough to make (small) quilts to preserve our memories.
Next stop: Movies
We managed to get to the movie metro stop with no problem but had a bit of a problem locating where the cinema was. We asked a fellow American (I thought she was American since she was reading a Patricia Cornwell book in English) and later a hotel clerk. Turns out we should have stayed in the underground since that's where the mall is.
Time: 2 p.m.
Revenge of the Sith - Cost: 9E
Fabulous; the beginning was a little slow but it felt good to sit down; my feet were worn out! The end made up for the slow beginning. Now we can say we've seen Star Wars in Paris.
After the movie, we stopped at Starbucks (gasp!) and got Mocha Frappacinos! They werre sooooooo good - nice and cold!
Julie is searching for the shoes that all the Amsterdam and Belgium women are wearing - a type of slipper sneakers. Puma makes quite a few styles but they're very expensive - 120E. She just looked them up on the web and it'll be cheaper to get them at home.
Time: 5 p.m.
Finally back to the hotel; we saved ourselves until we got back to our hotel for the bathroom. We tried to use the one at the mall even though they were charging 40 cents to use it. I thought it was no big deal until I saw that there were no toilet seats. Luckily, we could wait until we got "home."
Time: 6:35 p.m.
Ending this blog entry. We leave tomorrow at 9 a.m. for the Catycombs and all sorts of other things - we'll be back with the group.
Thank you to all of our wonderful readers - the answer is: yes, we will be happy to do a lunchtime brownbag for anyone who's interested once we get our pictures ready.
Au Revoir - Michelle
Time to eat....
Comments
Terry just let us know that the commments were set up so that only registered Blogger members could comment. I've changed it now so that anyone can leave comments...sorry about that.
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
From Paris With Love
Michelle climbed the steps at the Sacre Couer again for me, she's so sweet. This time we took the ramp part way up instead of climbing the middle set of steps. As a side note, Sacre Couer is the highest point in the city. Your calves start to burn well before you reach the top. There's a cable car you can ride in but it costs money and we are cheap, so we walk it.
I found the scarf that I wanted and after waiting in line for what seemed like an eternity, it was officially mine. I looked for David, we had to pass by the spot where all the artists hang out to get to the shops, but he wasn't there. Secretly I was hoping I would run into him again, but I really did want the scarf. It wasn't just an excuse, I promise.
We decided to stop at a sandwich shop and get some food to take back and eat on steps of the Sacre Couer. We bought a fried ham and cheese sandwich to share, and two orders of fritz (fries), plus a water and Coke light for Michelle. On our way back to the steps who should we see but David and his artist friend. He kissed me hello, on the cheek, and whispered bonjour in my ear. He looked so nice. He was wearing nice jeans with a blue button down shirt, a white tee-shirt underneath and a black leather jacket on top. He had a pair of cute blue European style tennis shoes on like the one's Michelle and I have been drooling over.
I offered him some fries but he wouldn't take them. He said they were tourist food.
He asked me why I didn't call him last night and go out with him. I told him I thought I might run into him again, and I wanted to get to know him better before I went off alone with him. He joked with his friend about how I thought he was a serial killer.
His face lights up when he laughs. He has the best eyes, they crinkle when he smiles.
He pulled a Chicago bears hat from his back pocket and put it on. The way he said Chicago was so cute...she-cog-oooh.
He asked me how long I was staying and I told him until Sunday. He asked me what I was doing later and I told him I was going to spend time with Michelle but that I would be here until Sunday. I gave him the business card from our hotel and wrote my name on the back so that he could contact me. We'll see what happens.
Michelle and I decided we better go eat our food before it got cold. As I turned to leave David said Au Revoir Mon Cheri and I said good bye.
Michelle and I sat on the steps in the front of Sacre Couer and ate our cold fritz and sandwich, enjoying the lovely view of Paris with the other tourists. We walked back to the hotel when we were done talking about guys, relationships, and love along the way. She misses Chris a lot.
I'm so glad I decided to come on this trip. With the way everything fell into place and the wonderful time I'm having, I feel like it's fate that I'm here.
I found the scarf that I wanted and after waiting in line for what seemed like an eternity, it was officially mine. I looked for David, we had to pass by the spot where all the artists hang out to get to the shops, but he wasn't there. Secretly I was hoping I would run into him again, but I really did want the scarf. It wasn't just an excuse, I promise.
We decided to stop at a sandwich shop and get some food to take back and eat on steps of the Sacre Couer. We bought a fried ham and cheese sandwich to share, and two orders of fritz (fries), plus a water and Coke light for Michelle. On our way back to the steps who should we see but David and his artist friend. He kissed me hello, on the cheek, and whispered bonjour in my ear. He looked so nice. He was wearing nice jeans with a blue button down shirt, a white tee-shirt underneath and a black leather jacket on top. He had a pair of cute blue European style tennis shoes on like the one's Michelle and I have been drooling over.
I offered him some fries but he wouldn't take them. He said they were tourist food.
He asked me why I didn't call him last night and go out with him. I told him I thought I might run into him again, and I wanted to get to know him better before I went off alone with him. He joked with his friend about how I thought he was a serial killer.
His face lights up when he laughs. He has the best eyes, they crinkle when he smiles.
He pulled a Chicago bears hat from his back pocket and put it on. The way he said Chicago was so cute...she-cog-oooh.
He asked me how long I was staying and I told him until Sunday. He asked me what I was doing later and I told him I was going to spend time with Michelle but that I would be here until Sunday. I gave him the business card from our hotel and wrote my name on the back so that he could contact me. We'll see what happens.
Michelle and I decided we better go eat our food before it got cold. As I turned to leave David said Au Revoir Mon Cheri and I said good bye.
Michelle and I sat on the steps in the front of Sacre Couer and ate our cold fritz and sandwich, enjoying the lovely view of Paris with the other tourists. We walked back to the hotel when we were done talking about guys, relationships, and love along the way. She misses Chris a lot.
I'm so glad I decided to come on this trip. With the way everything fell into place and the wonderful time I'm having, I feel like it's fate that I'm here.
Raindrops and Irises
Today, we left the hotel bound for Giverny, Monet's home and garden. Here he painted many of his infamous paintings including the water lily panels. The young ones (trippers under the age of 25) are having a harder time making the bus in the mornings. I, of course, had no problem since I took it easy last night after climbing the Sacre Coer steps (some 240 one way) twice! My legs felt like old jelly by the time I made it up the final time! I took a shower and then watched Star Wars, the first one, in French.
We got to see the Arc de Triumph as we left the city - the traffic is way too scary to try and get closer for a picture so Julie and I are not attempting it. It started raining on the way there and continued for the duration of the trip about an hour. Julie remembered her umbrella. And, by the way, mom, I've used by umbrella at least 3 times now so thanks for getting it for me!
Giverny made my entire trip worthwhile. Seeing it in person was totally awesome! The colors, textures, and flowers - it was so much more than I ever imagined. I took 5 rolls of film -- just in the garden. Julie and I never made it in the house. Irises were the most dominant flower in yellow, white, black (deeep purple), peonies were just starting to bloom and there were several varieties of climbing roses that were blooming too - some in my favorite pale yellow color. It stopped raining as we entered the gardens so the flowers all had water droplets on them to add to the beauty.
The water lilies were not blooming yet; I think they bloom in July. We entered the gardens about 10 a.m. which left room for us to move around and get the shots we wanted. By 10:30 you could barely move since the crowds were so bad.
Crowds: I cannot believe the amount of people in Paris and at Giverny. It is a sea of humanity, everywhere you look. Yet, after 7:30 at night, everything quiets down and you can enjoy walking around.
Tomorrow, Julie and I are breaking free (gasp!) of the group and going out on our own. If we can conquer the metro, we can do anything. Our agenda for tomorrow is:
Eiffel tower (Julie will take 1,000 pictures, all of them great), Notre Dame,
French knitting store, and Star Wars, the Sith movie.
Now, here's some highlights of Europe that we might have missed mentioning:
Dogs don't necessarily have leashes as their owners cruise the city streets! I've seen several dogs just trotting along behind their loved ones, right at their heels, oblivious to the traffic, noise, garbage, and throng of people.
Bathrooms - sometimes they are unisex with the urinal in plain view.
When you order coffee, it is extremely strong and you have to add lots of sugar. And, yes, I haven't always been sucessful in finding diet coke so now I drink coffee!
McDonalds sells very strong coffee, in tiny, tiny cups - like solo cups, for one Euro. Terry encouraged Julie and I to try it. You absolutely have to add 2 packages of sugar to it.
Instead of having a handle for flushing on the toilet, there is a button to flush it located on the wall above the toilet, or right on the top of the tank. And, the women's stalls, all have a very secure door with a lock, rather like a very small closet once you're inside. And, they're called WCs (water closets!)
Julie's going to make me climb those terrible steps again, so this is it for tonight's entry.
We have 4 days left and yes, I am terribly homesick! mc
We got to see the Arc de Triumph as we left the city - the traffic is way too scary to try and get closer for a picture so Julie and I are not attempting it. It started raining on the way there and continued for the duration of the trip about an hour. Julie remembered her umbrella. And, by the way, mom, I've used by umbrella at least 3 times now so thanks for getting it for me!
Giverny made my entire trip worthwhile. Seeing it in person was totally awesome! The colors, textures, and flowers - it was so much more than I ever imagined. I took 5 rolls of film -- just in the garden. Julie and I never made it in the house. Irises were the most dominant flower in yellow, white, black (deeep purple), peonies were just starting to bloom and there were several varieties of climbing roses that were blooming too - some in my favorite pale yellow color. It stopped raining as we entered the gardens so the flowers all had water droplets on them to add to the beauty.
The water lilies were not blooming yet; I think they bloom in July. We entered the gardens about 10 a.m. which left room for us to move around and get the shots we wanted. By 10:30 you could barely move since the crowds were so bad.
Crowds: I cannot believe the amount of people in Paris and at Giverny. It is a sea of humanity, everywhere you look. Yet, after 7:30 at night, everything quiets down and you can enjoy walking around.
Tomorrow, Julie and I are breaking free (gasp!) of the group and going out on our own. If we can conquer the metro, we can do anything. Our agenda for tomorrow is:
Eiffel tower (Julie will take 1,000 pictures, all of them great), Notre Dame,
French knitting store, and Star Wars, the Sith movie.
Now, here's some highlights of Europe that we might have missed mentioning:
Dogs don't necessarily have leashes as their owners cruise the city streets! I've seen several dogs just trotting along behind their loved ones, right at their heels, oblivious to the traffic, noise, garbage, and throng of people.
Bathrooms - sometimes they are unisex with the urinal in plain view.
When you order coffee, it is extremely strong and you have to add lots of sugar. And, yes, I haven't always been sucessful in finding diet coke so now I drink coffee!
McDonalds sells very strong coffee, in tiny, tiny cups - like solo cups, for one Euro. Terry encouraged Julie and I to try it. You absolutely have to add 2 packages of sugar to it.
Instead of having a handle for flushing on the toilet, there is a button to flush it located on the wall above the toilet, or right on the top of the tank. And, the women's stalls, all have a very secure door with a lock, rather like a very small closet once you're inside. And, they're called WCs (water closets!)
Julie's going to make me climb those terrible steps again, so this is it for tonight's entry.
We have 4 days left and yes, I am terribly homesick! mc
Catching up with Monet and Van Gogh
Sacre Couer (from my cellphone)
I went back up to Sacre Couer last night with the group to listen to the music but apparently they weren't holding mass until 10:30. Most of the group wanted to go to dinner back by the hotel. Michelle left to go with them and I stayed up at Montmartre with Lee, Joanne, Larry and Nancy. We had chocolatyest chocolate crepes ever at a tiny cafe in the shopping district. They were very good.
I ran into one of the artists we met earlier in the day, we exchanged greetings. David wasn't there. C est la vie.
It took me quite a while to fall asleep with lingering thoughts of a lovely first day.
We took a bus to Giverney this morning. For those of you who don't know, Giverney, Monet's gardens, were the inspiration for several of his works.
The Paris country side along the way to the gardens is filled with green fields and farms with tiny houses and farm animals sprinkled throughout. This is the first time we've seen people driving larger cars, they still seem to prefer the itty bitty cars though. It was 14 degrees C (We all still have no clue how to translate C back to F), and it rained a bit in the morning. Michelle was worried that it might make for bad pictures, but actually they turned out great. Water droplets on all the petals made the flowers look lovely. Seeing the lily pads and bridge was great.
We had a four course meal at Le Havre for lunch. It started with salad (one lettuce leaf, corn, tomato, beets, boiled egg, all in separate piles), followed by chicken and rice, then Brie with bread and finished off with an apple tart. I've never eaten so well in all my life as I have on this trip. Wait till you see the pictures. A lot of care goes into presentation, even at the cheap cafes. The don't call it the art of eating for nothing.
We stopped off in Auver sur Oise, the town of Van Gogh's final resting place. We saw the church from one of his paintings and visited his grave. The houses there all had the cute painted shutters with flower boxes on the windowsills. I took a ton of pictures. I'll post them up as soon as I can.
I'm dragging Michelle back up to the steps of Sacre Couer so that we can go to Montmartre and I can buy the scarf that I wanted to buy yesterday but didn't. I'll have to bribe her forgiveness with a yummy chocolate crepe.
Au Revoir!
Monday, May 23, 2005
From Brussels to Paris in 1-Hour!
Today, we took the high-speed train from Brussels to Paris. It took about an hour. I couldn't watch the scenery too much since it sped by so quickly it made me feel train sick.
The funniest part of this mornings travel was seeing 34 people following Bob (tour leader) through the Paris train station, across an insanely busy French street, into our hotel pulling their suitcases along with various other assorted luggage. I wish I had time to take a picture.
We visited a cathedral today, but Julie will be posting our adventure there - or rather, hers!
Our hotel attendant directed us to an Internet cafe 2 blocks on the right, from the hotel. Julie and I set out, and... couldn't find it. We didn't want to go too far out of the way, so we decided to ask someone. However, people are rushing around like mad since its rush hour. Lucky for us, right there on the corner, is a water main break. Since I know that "all" water/sewer guys are wonderful, we asked them where the Internet cafe was. Unfortunately, they only spoke French but understood when we said Internet cafe (they call it cyber cafe). One of them took us, personally, across the street and right to the storefront. We thanked him profusely! Now you know that sewer guys are special everywhere and the French aren't so bad after all!
Tomorrow, Giverny!
The funniest part of this mornings travel was seeing 34 people following Bob (tour leader) through the Paris train station, across an insanely busy French street, into our hotel pulling their suitcases along with various other assorted luggage. I wish I had time to take a picture.
We visited a cathedral today, but Julie will be posting our adventure there - or rather, hers!
Our hotel attendant directed us to an Internet cafe 2 blocks on the right, from the hotel. Julie and I set out, and... couldn't find it. We didn't want to go too far out of the way, so we decided to ask someone. However, people are rushing around like mad since its rush hour. Lucky for us, right there on the corner, is a water main break. Since I know that "all" water/sewer guys are wonderful
Tomorrow, Giverny!
J'aime Paris
We took the high-speed train from Brussels to Paris this morning - backwards. It was hot and crowded and trying to get all of the groups' luggage aboard was quite an accomplishment. Luckily no one ended up wearing a 70lb suitcase for a hat.
The sky was beautiful, full of fluffy white clouds and as blue as blue can be.
I had butterflies again. Possibly in anticipation of the train ride, or maybe for Paris.
My first view of the Eiffel tower in Paris was on a postcard in the hotel lobby. I think somehow I had expected to see it there towering over me as I stepped out of the train station doors music swelling in the background.
We walked a short distance across the street to the most beautiful hotel of our entire trip. The room was simply lovely with its blue flowered wall paper, white cotton sheets and chair by the window. Perfect.
We spent the afternoon at MontMartre, which was different than I pictured it. It had several shops and a center section where artists painted and drew portraits of tourists. We stopped at the Sacre Coeur, possibly the most beautiful thing I've ever laid eyes on. There is a glass dome in the center of the ceiling flanked by stone angels. Amazingly detailed. It took my breath away. We saw the top of the Eiffel Tower peaking through the trees from the steps of the Sacre Coeur.
I can't believe I'm finally in Paris.
We had lunch in a cafe where the coke cost 6 euro per glass, the wine only 3.50. Guess which I chose. The ham and cheese crepes were much better than our omelets in Brussels.
Michelle and I split off from the group to do a little shopping. We ended up at the meeting spot a little early and started chatting with a couple of the portrait artists that hover in the streets. They were very friendly and gave up trying to get us to buy a portrait after a few minutes. One of them, a very attractive man with a lovely French accent, preyed on me for a little while, kissing my hand and flirting up a storm. He said something to Michelle about what beautiful children we would have because I'm so fair while he is so tan. Both of them had other jobs but come down to Montmartre to practice their skills and make some extra cash. When it started to rain the cute one invited me to sit with him in his rather nice car. I declined, choosing to stay with Michelle and the other artist. After the clouds dispersed he came back over and sat down almost on top of me then moved to sit in front of me putting his arms across my legs. He smelled very nice, he was oh so dreamy. We continued talking for a bit. Michelle asked them why we look like tourists, to which they couldn't reply in English but carried on a short conversation in French (I'm pretty sure it's the shoes).
They both got up when our tour group started to gather. When we were ready to leave I looked back and waved at the cute one who was standing across the road by that time. He called me over and when I got near him he grabbed my hand and kissed it again. He asked me if I would be back in the area later so that we could go off together alone. He said that he'd like to take me dancing, that he would be my tour guide in France and I could be his if he was ever in Chicago. He asked me for my number and when I said no he offered me his. I had him write it on a bag I got from a shop, he signed it "David". He asked me if I would call and I said I would try. As I turned he leaned in and gave me several soft kisses on my neck that made my knees go weak.
(David is on the left)
I have no plans of calling him, but we are planning on going back to Montmartre to listen to the music at Sacre Coeur later tonight. If I run into him there I'll chalk it up to fate and see where the night leads, if not, I've already had the best day ever.
One day in Paris and I'm already in love.
The sky was beautiful, full of fluffy white clouds and as blue as blue can be.
I had butterflies again. Possibly in anticipation of the train ride, or maybe for Paris.
My first view of the Eiffel tower in Paris was on a postcard in the hotel lobby. I think somehow I had expected to see it there towering over me as I stepped out of the train station doors music swelling in the background.
We walked a short distance across the street to the most beautiful hotel of our entire trip. The room was simply lovely with its blue flowered wall paper, white cotton sheets and chair by the window. Perfect.
We spent the afternoon at MontMartre, which was different than I pictured it. It had several shops and a center section where artists painted and drew portraits of tourists. We stopped at the Sacre Coeur, possibly the most beautiful thing I've ever laid eyes on. There is a glass dome in the center of the ceiling flanked by stone angels. Amazingly detailed. It took my breath away. We saw the top of the Eiffel Tower peaking through the trees from the steps of the Sacre Coeur.
I can't believe I'm finally in Paris.
We had lunch in a cafe where the coke cost 6 euro per glass, the wine only 3.50. Guess which I chose. The ham and cheese crepes were much better than our omelets in Brussels.
Michelle and I split off from the group to do a little shopping. We ended up at the meeting spot a little early and started chatting with a couple of the portrait artists that hover in the streets. They were very friendly and gave up trying to get us to buy a portrait after a few minutes. One of them, a very attractive man with a lovely French accent, preyed on me for a little while, kissing my hand and flirting up a storm. He said something to Michelle about what beautiful children we would have because I'm so fair while he is so tan. Both of them had other jobs but come down to Montmartre to practice their skills and make some extra cash. When it started to rain the cute one invited me to sit with him in his rather nice car. I declined, choosing to stay with Michelle and the other artist. After the clouds dispersed he came back over and sat down almost on top of me then moved to sit in front of me putting his arms across my legs. He smelled very nice, he was oh so dreamy. We continued talking for a bit. Michelle asked them why we look like tourists, to which they couldn't reply in English but carried on a short conversation in French (I'm pretty sure it's the shoes).
They both got up when our tour group started to gather. When we were ready to leave I looked back and waved at the cute one who was standing across the road by that time. He called me over and when I got near him he grabbed my hand and kissed it again. He asked me if I would be back in the area later so that we could go off together alone. He said that he'd like to take me dancing, that he would be my tour guide in France and I could be his if he was ever in Chicago. He asked me for my number and when I said no he offered me his. I had him write it on a bag I got from a shop, he signed it "David". He asked me if I would call and I said I would try. As I turned he leaned in and gave me several soft kisses on my neck that made my knees go weak.
(David is on the left)
I have no plans of calling him, but we are planning on going back to Montmartre to listen to the music at Sacre Coeur later tonight. If I run into him there I'll chalk it up to fate and see where the night leads, if not, I've already had the best day ever.
One day in Paris and I'm already in love.
Sunday, May 22, 2005
Beautiful Brugge
We took a bus into Brugge today. It is a cute little town on a canal. The trees, cobble stone paths and canal give it quite a romantic feeling. We took a walking tour which began at the Lake of Love, so named because couples like to meet there for a quiet getaway.
We visited a church in town that is said to have a napkin that contains the blood and sweat of Christ. It was very quiet inside and the statuary within gave it an ominous tone. It felt a little creepy and was my least favorite of the churches we have seem so far.
We took a canal cruise shortly after our walking tour. Our captain was quite a character. He had a heavy accent and loved to roll his 'r's'. He took every chance to use words containing them.
One of the banks of the canal was the home to the most swans I've ever seen in one place. It was an amazing sight. There were also several mother ducks and ducklings scattered throughout grassy areas of the town.
We had lunch at a Brewery called Huisbrouwerij De Halve Maan, with Bob, Nick, Lee, Joanne and Evelyn. Everyone seemed to like their meals. I had penne pasta with the most flavorful sundried tomatoes I've ever tasted, and pesto. It was great.
I also had a great ice cream cone on our walk back to the main square. It was tiramisu...yum!
It rained on our bus ride back to Brussels. Everything was so green.
On a side note, I finished my book, Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn. It's a fantasy set in Japan following the story of a young man who is the only survivor after his village is destroyed and a girl who is held hostage by a warlord. It's part one in a trilogy, I can't wait to read book two. Definitely a page turner. Highly recommended.
I also finally got some pictures uploaded and linked to the blog. So revisit some of the previous entries to take a look.
Tomorrow we're off to Paris!!!!!
We visited a church in town that is said to have a napkin that contains the blood and sweat of Christ. It was very quiet inside and the statuary within gave it an ominous tone. It felt a little creepy and was my least favorite of the churches we have seem so far.
We took a canal cruise shortly after our walking tour. Our captain was quite a character. He had a heavy accent and loved to roll his 'r's'. He took every chance to use words containing them.
One of the banks of the canal was the home to the most swans I've ever seen in one place. It was an amazing sight. There were also several mother ducks and ducklings scattered throughout grassy areas of the town.
We had lunch at a Brewery called Huisbrouwerij De Halve Maan, with Bob, Nick, Lee, Joanne and Evelyn. Everyone seemed to like their meals. I had penne pasta with the most flavorful sundried tomatoes I've ever tasted, and pesto. It was great.
I also had a great ice cream cone on our walk back to the main square. It was tiramisu...yum!
It rained on our bus ride back to Brussels. Everything was so green.
On a side note, I finished my book, Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn. It's a fantasy set in Japan following the story of a young man who is the only survivor after his village is destroyed and a girl who is held hostage by a warlord. It's part one in a trilogy, I can't wait to read book two. Definitely a page turner. Highly recommended.
I also finally got some pictures uploaded and linked to the blog. So revisit some of the previous entries to take a look.
Tomorrow we're off to Paris!!!!!
Saturday, May 21, 2005
Chocolate, chocolate everywhere!
We spent the day shopping in the Grand market in the center of town where we bought a ton of chocolate. We watched a man make the most gorgeous raspberry and white chocolate candies at the Godiva shop. Of course we had to stop in and sample a few pieces. We also stopped in at a wonderful scarf shop as well.
Part of the shopping area resembles a flea market, where various locals sell their wares, most of which look remarkably like the same as items available in on the streets of Amsterdam and Luxembourg. There is also a main street called the Rue nouve or new street which is a pedestrian walkway filled with shops and street vendors. It had much of the same feel as Amsterdam only it was louder and there were more tourists.
We only got a little lost trying to find our way back to the hotel but managed to find our way with a little help. One of the Americans who guided us was with a group who were surprised when we spoke English clearly. I suppose it is a rarity around here as most of the people you run into who can speak English do so with a heavy accent.
Laundry was quite challenging, but we managed to get it done. We also got to see an obscured view of a Turkish wedding celebration as we were guided outside as everyone in the area spilled out into the alley to watch. It was very loud. We managed to end up with clean clothes and a fun memory by the end of it all.
We ate at a little cafe near our favorite internet cafe. I had a ham and cheese omelet which wasn't the best I've ever had, but it made me feel a little more at home.
We went back to the hotel for a nightcap after dinner and had the worst time trying to order desert and coffee. The bar didn't want to serve us and the restaurant didn't want to waste a table on us if we weren't ordering a full meal. We finally managed to get a couple cups of coffee but never got around to being able to order desert.
As a side note, we are really not fond of this hotel. From the mildew in the bathroom to the poor service it is our least favorite on the trip so far. Michelle and I would both recommend against staying at the Mercurie Royal Crown if you are ever wandering through Brussels.
Part of the shopping area resembles a flea market, where various locals sell their wares, most of which look remarkably like the same as items available in on the streets of Amsterdam and Luxembourg. There is also a main street called the Rue nouve or new street which is a pedestrian walkway filled with shops and street vendors. It had much of the same feel as Amsterdam only it was louder and there were more tourists.
We only got a little lost trying to find our way back to the hotel but managed to find our way with a little help. One of the Americans who guided us was with a group who were surprised when we spoke English clearly. I suppose it is a rarity around here as most of the people you run into who can speak English do so with a heavy accent.
Laundry was quite challenging, but we managed to get it done. We also got to see an obscured view of a Turkish wedding celebration as we were guided outside as everyone in the area spilled out into the alley to watch. It was very loud. We managed to end up with clean clothes and a fun memory by the end of it all.
We ate at a little cafe near our favorite internet cafe. I had a ham and cheese omelet which wasn't the best I've ever had, but it made me feel a little more at home.
We went back to the hotel for a nightcap after dinner and had the worst time trying to order desert and coffee. The bar didn't want to serve us and the restaurant didn't want to waste a table on us if we weren't ordering a full meal. We finally managed to get a couple cups of coffee but never got around to being able to order desert.
As a side note, we are really not fond of this hotel. From the mildew in the bathroom to the poor service it is our least favorite on the trip so far. Michelle and I would both recommend against staying at the Mercurie Royal Crown if you are ever wandering through Brussels.
Laundry
Today we had a bus tour of the city of Brussels population 1 million!
We visited the Grand Place or Grote Markt; it is definitely one of the top 5 places of this trip. Absolutely beautiful! Of course, on the way back we had a little difficulty trying to locate our way back to the hotel.
First, I asked a woman first, she was American; then I asked a man with a baby, success! At the next intersection, street signs really are difficult to figure out, I asked a store clerk; she was able to confirm the name of the street but couldn't speak enough English to tell us which way to go. Success: I found an American exchange student; total time to walk back to the hotel: 1 hour Time spent trying to find out which way to go: priceless
Julie and I did some laundry today. What an experience. First, we had to get tokens for the washer. Luckily, an African gentleman was able to help with that since he spoke English. Once past that obstacle, a very kind Brussels woman tried to tell me that the washing machine I was trying to use didn't work. However, I didn't get it until I tried to put my detergent in. What a hoot! Then, another woman wanted us to watch a wedding down the street - she had to pantomine a ring slipping over her finger before I got it. While I didn't necessarily come off as having the most intelligence at least I wasn't an Ugly American!
Can you tell that we finally found English keyboards? Its so much easier to type!
Tomorrow we're off to Brugge. It's one of Nick Scheverra's favorite spots.
We visited the Grand Place or Grote Markt; it is definitely one of the top 5 places of this trip. Absolutely beautiful! Of course, on the way back we had a little difficulty trying to locate our way back to the hotel.
First, I asked a woman first, she was American; then I asked a man with a baby, success! At the next intersection, street signs really are difficult to figure out, I asked a store clerk; she was able to confirm the name of the street but couldn't speak enough English to tell us which way to go. Success: I found an American exchange student; total time to walk back to the hotel: 1 hour Time spent trying to find out which way to go: priceless
Julie and I did some laundry today. What an experience. First, we had to get tokens for the washer. Luckily, an African gentleman was able to help with that since he spoke English. Once past that obstacle, a very kind Brussels woman tried to tell me that the washing machine I was trying to use didn't work. However, I didn't get it until I tried to put my detergent in. What a hoot! Then, another woman wanted us to watch a wedding down the street - she had to pantomine a ring slipping over her finger before I got it. While I didn't necessarily come off as having the most intelligence at least I wasn't an Ugly American!
Can you tell that we finally found English keyboards? Its so much easier to type!
Tomorrow we're off to Brugge. It's one of Nick Scheverra's favorite spots.
Friday, May 20, 2005
Beaufort Castle
the group at beaufort castle
Beaufort Castle, now mostly in ruins, was built in the middle ages. Archaeologists believe it was initially founded as the castle for a family of Luxemburg vassals in the twelfth century as a protective fortification in an attempt to separate the lands of the Echternach monastery.
What remains of the castle really is beautiful. I loved all the moss and flowers growing out of the walls and the play of light on the stone. The Forrest was filled with tall dense trees that block out the sky when you stand beneath them.
Were still here.......
We havent written much - Internet access has been too expensive - 5 euros for 10 minutes!
Were in an Internet cafe with French keyboards so be nice about typos....... Cost: 1.50 euros for an hour
Weve seen so much in the past few days----
Amsterdam continued - Keukenhof gardens - what a delight! The flowers were a huge blast of color; everything arranged like an ikea catalog. it was also freezing - 50F!!
Rembrandts home - i like his paintings and etchings so much better in person; seeing the movie Girl with a pearl earring and being in Rembrandts house helped the history come alive
Julie and I and Maria went to see Kingdom of Heaven ) art nouveau theater - the movie was okay but the theatre was the main attraction
Luxembourg - Luxembourg is the banking center of the European union - very expensive stores - Evelyn really liked the Cartier store and the antiques looked the items from museums! We also visited a winery that was good and dinner was excellent - pork, quiche, salad, mousse - chocolate - and wine. Finally, the weather is getting warmer.... about 60F
Bastogne historical museum - WWII is very much alive in Europe; it still enters conversations and I think people are still very aware of it. In speaking with others, we think its due to being occupied. It could be because we also went to the Anne Frank house. At Bastogne; 100,000 Germans were killed and 80,000 Anericans died or were wounded. Now that Ive been here i want to watch band of brothers again since Easy Company was there too. When you leave the highway to enter the grounds, you pass a war memorial that is as large as many of the memorials in Washington. it was serene. I got brochures for Dad and Uncle Don.
Beaufort Castle - a ruin that you could climb around in and explor, i took quite a bit of pictures here - the light and shapes were so interesting -
Town - didnt get the name - visited the Cathedral of our Lady - so beautiful inside, quiet and contemplative
Brussels - a very large town, seems more industrial; tomorrow we have a city tour and then shopping for chocolate!!
Weve made it to the half way mark - Sunday we go to Brugge and then monday to paris!
Au Revoir - michelle
Were in an Internet cafe with French keyboards so be nice about typos....... Cost: 1.50 euros for an hour
Weve seen so much in the past few days----
Amsterdam continued - Keukenhof gardens - what a delight! The flowers were a huge blast of color; everything arranged like an ikea catalog. it was also freezing - 50F!!
Rembrandts home - i like his paintings and etchings so much better in person; seeing the movie Girl with a pearl earring and being in Rembrandts house helped the history come alive
Julie and I and Maria went to see Kingdom of Heaven ) art nouveau theater - the movie was okay but the theatre was the main attraction
Luxembourg - Luxembourg is the banking center of the European union - very expensive stores - Evelyn really liked the Cartier store and the antiques looked the items from museums! We also visited a winery that was good and dinner was excellent - pork, quiche, salad, mousse - chocolate - and wine. Finally, the weather is getting warmer.... about 60F
Bastogne historical museum - WWII is very much alive in Europe; it still enters conversations and I think people are still very aware of it. In speaking with others, we think its due to being occupied. It could be because we also went to the Anne Frank house. At Bastogne; 100,000 Germans were killed and 80,000 Anericans died or were wounded. Now that Ive been here i want to watch band of brothers again since Easy Company was there too. When you leave the highway to enter the grounds, you pass a war memorial that is as large as many of the memorials in Washington. it was serene. I got brochures for Dad and Uncle Don.
Beaufort Castle - a ruin that you could climb around in and explor, i took quite a bit of pictures here - the light and shapes were so interesting -
Town - didnt get the name - visited the Cathedral of our Lady - so beautiful inside, quiet and contemplative
Brussels - a very large town, seems more industrial; tomorrow we have a city tour and then shopping for chocolate!!
Weve made it to the half way mark - Sunday we go to Brugge and then monday to paris!
Au Revoir - michelle
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Maastricht, Bastonge, and Luxembourg
We stopped in Maastricht, the oldest town in the Netherlands, for lunch. I had an tomato, mozzarella and pesto sandwich, which is quickly becoming my new favorite food.
The town was very quaint. It looked a lot like the pedestrian streets in Amsterdam, lots of little shops and packed with people.
There was a fair traveling through town. It was quite a sight to see a ferris wheel in front of an ancient gothic style church.
We stopped off in Bastonge on the way to Luxembourg and visited a WWII museum and memorial monument. The museum was filled with various items the soldiers carried from weapons to matches and contained several mannequins dressed in all the uniforms of the war.
The land is beautiful, filled with patches of trees which open to huge meadows. Our tour guide said that Hitler chose to attack Luxembourg because he didn't think the Americans could fight is such a wooded area.
The monument is a huge stone structure that has a breathtaking view of the town from the top. It was very peaceful.
After the museum we drove to the Luxembourg American cemetery. It is a 50 acre plot of land surrounded by a Forrest, quite a breathtaking sight. It was liberated by the U.S. 5th Armored Division on September 10th, 1944. It contains 5,076 graves of American soldiers, including one military nurse, who lost their lives in the war. There are 101 headstones that mark the graves of unknown soldiers. General Patton, who wanted to remain with his men, is burred here as well.
On the ground near patting grave there is an inscription that reads:
"All who shall hereafter live in freedom will be here reminded that to these men and their comrades we owe a debt to be paid with grateful remembrance of their sacrifice and with the high resolve that the cause for which they died shall live eternally. Dwight D. Eisenhower"
I didn't think I was going to find it very interesting, seeing as I have done my best to remain oblivious to war, this one in particular. There is no escaping it here, you can feel it everywhere. It looms over everything. I find it all overwhelming but at the same time I am longing to learn more.
The town was very quaint. It looked a lot like the pedestrian streets in Amsterdam, lots of little shops and packed with people.
There was a fair traveling through town. It was quite a sight to see a ferris wheel in front of an ancient gothic style church.
We stopped off in Bastonge on the way to Luxembourg and visited a WWII museum and memorial monument. The museum was filled with various items the soldiers carried from weapons to matches and contained several mannequins dressed in all the uniforms of the war.
The land is beautiful, filled with patches of trees which open to huge meadows. Our tour guide said that Hitler chose to attack Luxembourg because he didn't think the Americans could fight is such a wooded area.
The monument is a huge stone structure that has a breathtaking view of the town from the top. It was very peaceful.
After the museum we drove to the Luxembourg American cemetery. It is a 50 acre plot of land surrounded by a Forrest, quite a breathtaking sight. It was liberated by the U.S. 5th Armored Division on September 10th, 1944. It contains 5,076 graves of American soldiers, including one military nurse, who lost their lives in the war. There are 101 headstones that mark the graves of unknown soldiers. General Patton, who wanted to remain with his men, is burred here as well.
On the ground near patting grave there is an inscription that reads:
"All who shall hereafter live in freedom will be here reminded that to these men and their comrades we owe a debt to be paid with grateful remembrance of their sacrifice and with the high resolve that the cause for which they died shall live eternally. Dwight D. Eisenhower"
I didn't think I was going to find it very interesting, seeing as I have done my best to remain oblivious to war, this one in particular. There is no escaping it here, you can feel it everywhere. It looms over everything. I find it all overwhelming but at the same time I am longing to learn more.
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Amsterdam is boats bikes and bier
I loved Amsterdam. The town is so people friendly, there were bike paths and pedristrian streets everywhere. The people had a really cool fashion sense, very hip grunge as one woman on the trip described it. Michelle and I loved the way they tie their scarves.
The history of Amsterdam is filled with amazing tales of facinating people who have left an impression on my soul. It is just the first stop on what I hope will be an amazing adventure.
The canal
The history of Amsterdam is filled with amazing tales of facinating people who have left an impression on my soul. It is just the first stop on what I hope will be an amazing adventure.
The canal
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
Rembrandts house
we visited the Rembrandt house this afternoon. I didnt think it would be much fun, but i really enjoyed it a lot. The house was filled with several pieces of furniture, paintings and other artifacts he colleted during his life. I found the beds particularly interesting. They were very small and located inside of cabinets. Aparantly they slept sitting up because they were afraid if they layed down to sleep the blood would rush to their heads killing them in the night. It seems funny now, but I suppose its no worse than some of the superstitions we hold on to today.
we saw a demonstration of the etching process he used, it was very complicated. The etchings themselves were amazing. Many of them were no larger than a playing card and most were no larger than an 8x10 print. The level of detail was incredible.
A few of us went to the red light district after returning to the hotel. It was still very light outside so we didn not get the full effect of seeing the streets bathed in a seductive red glow. It was quite disappointing actually. I only saw one woman. She was sitting in a window dressed in red lingere. She was quite old and fairly fat. Not exactly what I had invisioned.
As for the rest of the tale, what happens in Amsterdam...
we saw a demonstration of the etching process he used, it was very complicated. The etchings themselves were amazing. Many of them were no larger than a playing card and most were no larger than an 8x10 print. The level of detail was incredible.
A few of us went to the red light district after returning to the hotel. It was still very light outside so we didn not get the full effect of seeing the streets bathed in a seductive red glow. It was quite disappointing actually. I only saw one woman. She was sitting in a window dressed in red lingere. She was quite old and fairly fat. Not exactly what I had invisioned.
As for the rest of the tale, what happens in Amsterdam...
Monday, May 16, 2005
Flower Market
There is a flower market in Amsterdam on a pedestrian street along the canal. It was a treat for the eyes. Michelle was quite excited about the bulbs.
The sign that indicates the start of the flower market
My favorite stall
Very Pottery Barn
No, we didn't smuggle any home
The sign that indicates the start of the flower market
My favorite stall
Very Pottery Barn
No, we didn't smuggle any home
Butterflies
The flight was really a lot easier than I could have hoped for. I slept through most of it.
The plane had video screens on the back of each seat. You could choose from several stations to watch, one of which featured a map of the route that indicated where the plane was located, distance to the destination, air speed, and altitude. It was quite fascinating to watch.
I also watched bits and pieces of The Life Aquatic, Pirates of the Caribbean, and House of Flying Daggers.
I don't think it sunk in that I was going on this trip until I stepped through the doors of the airport onto the streets of Amsterdam where I proceeded to giggle and jump for joy.
I'm having a wonderful time, although I'm fairly exhausted. It feels like we've been here for a week already.
Seeing Anne Frank's hiding place today was depressing and enlightening at the same time. I got goosebumps when I walked through the door behind the bookcase which leads to the apartment where they stayed. It was rooms were all very small, even with the furniture removed (especially the room where Anne stayed). The stairs were so steep that I banged my knees and shins several times. I tried not to cry but couldn't help it, it was all very overwhelming.
Statue in front of the Anne Frank House
The Rijks museum was lovely. There was a man outside dressed as a silver angel who blew bubbles at people entering through the gates. I took his picture and he asked me to say 'thank you'. When I did, he said 'how did I know you were American'.
The Silver Angel Guy
Michelle and Julie in front of the Rijks Museum
A Delft Violin - Faience, 1705-1710
This earthenware ornament is unusual not only for its shape, but also for the distribution of the design over the surface and the virtuoso execution. The subject is appropriate: on the front a dance hall and on the back a violinist in front of an inn, together with a merry group of dancers. (From the museum description card)
I've started a photo-documentation on the tiny toilets.
I can't upload my pictures from this cafe. Hopefully I'll find one along the way that will work out. Otherwise it will have to wait until we return to the states.
Vaarwel!
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