We're home safe and sound now. Clothes are in the laundry, gifts are unpacked and waiting to be handed out. Grocery shopping is done for the week. We're back to our normal lives. Despite the home sickness that started to set in the last few days in London, I'm already nostalgic for our time spent in Europe. This was the "last big adventure of my 20's" and it, like my 20's, is over.
C'est la vie.
I had a fantastic time, and I wouldn't trade the time we spent in Europe for anything. I just miss it...
"Well", Sam said, "I'm back".
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Friday, October 1, 2010
Internet costs money in London
3.99 pounds per two hours means I'm not burning money uploading pictures. I'll put up the rest of them tomorrow and write a wrap up summary of the trip on a real keyboard.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Viva la Versailles!
So today was a bit of a challenge for us as Michael's cold has hit an all-time level of suck. The petrie dish and I set out after breakfast to Les Invalides metro station where we picked up the RER line out to Versailles. During our train ride we experienced Paris's version of metro entrepreneurs when a couple of accordion players got on to "entertain" us. I will admit that despite the early hour and the obviously disgruntled daily commuters that there was something sort of special about travelling through the french countryside while hearing a tango being played on the accordion in the background.
We arrived at Versailles Palace at 10:00am and entered through a gate that was gilded in gold. The first thoughts that come to mind as you walk towards the palace are opulence, prestige, and "let them eat cake!". As we walked through the halls and chambers that dripped with crystal chandeliers we really began to understand what the french peasants were so pissed off about. We fully expected to hear about the various artworks that were commissioned by Louis XIV but we had no idea that even the ornate designs of the walls were created by renowned artists! In one of many of the dauphine's chambers we learned that the paint on the wall was applied in 46 coats along with varnish so to obtain a lacquered look. In the adjacent room the walls were covered in silk wallpaper, on which the detailing was hand painted to match the designs of the draperies. We made our way to the Hall of Mirrors, a well-known sight of Versailles. The combination of chandeliers, the floor to ceiling mirrors, and the windows opening to the courtyard on the opposite side of the hall made the room radiate with light.
After a tour of the palace we moved out into the gardens. 1,000 acres of manicured lawns, pruned shrubbery, and countless fountains surround the palace. It's no wonder that the grounds are as magnificent as they are considering that it took approximately 50,000 workmen to construct the estate and to physically relocate the existing forest. Although the palace holds countless wonders the gardens of Versailles are equally spectacular.
It is now early evening in Paris and we've retreated to the hotel so Michael can get some much needed rest. His cold has worn him down faster than expected, but we're hopeful that french wine and some creme brulee will be the ultimate remedy. Tomorrow we head out for the train station for our train ride through the chunnel to London.
We arrived at Versailles Palace at 10:00am and entered through a gate that was gilded in gold. The first thoughts that come to mind as you walk towards the palace are opulence, prestige, and "let them eat cake!". As we walked through the halls and chambers that dripped with crystal chandeliers we really began to understand what the french peasants were so pissed off about. We fully expected to hear about the various artworks that were commissioned by Louis XIV but we had no idea that even the ornate designs of the walls were created by renowned artists! In one of many of the dauphine's chambers we learned that the paint on the wall was applied in 46 coats along with varnish so to obtain a lacquered look. In the adjacent room the walls were covered in silk wallpaper, on which the detailing was hand painted to match the designs of the draperies. We made our way to the Hall of Mirrors, a well-known sight of Versailles. The combination of chandeliers, the floor to ceiling mirrors, and the windows opening to the courtyard on the opposite side of the hall made the room radiate with light.
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After a tour of the palace we moved out into the gardens. 1,000 acres of manicured lawns, pruned shrubbery, and countless fountains surround the palace. It's no wonder that the grounds are as magnificent as they are considering that it took approximately 50,000 workmen to construct the estate and to physically relocate the existing forest. Although the palace holds countless wonders the gardens of Versailles are equally spectacular.
It is now early evening in Paris and we've retreated to the hotel so Michael can get some much needed rest. His cold has worn him down faster than expected, but we're hopeful that french wine and some creme brulee will be the ultimate remedy. Tomorrow we head out for the train station for our train ride through the chunnel to London.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Janice Duncan-style Touring
We began our day by mapping out our course over a breakfast of croissants and coffee. Little did we know that 7:30am would be the most relaxing part of our day. We headed out towards the Louvre in hopes of beating the crowds that seem to have followed us from Venice. We arrived at 9:30am and realized that everyone else had the same idea. Mike got in line for tickets while Steph channeled her Ansel Adams within.
We headed straight for the Mona Lisa after buying our tickets since we were on a mission to see it, spend time appreciating it, and move on. No such luck. We muscled through layer upon layer of tourists for a few shots of the portrait and reluctantly moved on. We decided then to just enjoy the many artifacts and displays that lay ahead of us.
The Louvre was quite amazing but we realized mid-way through the tour of the Egyptian collection that we actually could not see all that we wanted to see unless we'd planned on making it a 3 day excursion. We set off on foot for our next destination-Notre Dame.
Just before we approached the Notre Dame front entrance we realized that a bathroom break was in order. And since most French restaurants require that you pay to use their facilities we opted for Paris's version of the public bathroom. We expected something along the lines of a porta-potty yet what we encountered could be more accurately described as the Robo-cop of bathrooms. It closes, cleans itself, and then an indicator light lets you know when it's ready for use. Steph never knew she could love a bathroom facility so much!
We entered Notre Dame and quickly discovered that we got very lucky with our timing of this visit. Just as we began exploring we heard the faint sounds of a choir singing, indicating that mass had begun. The church hymns set the tone for our tour, the sounds reverberating off the walls and ceilings. The flying buttresses (woo hoo! something from European history class DID stick!)that we remember reading about in school were so incredible that it's hard to believe we ever forgot about them to begin with. Unfortunately we did not get to visit the upstairs to see the gargoyle statues (the tour groups followed us here as well) but we still got to spend time appreciating the splendor of this magnificent (and free to the public!) cathedral.
By this point we were exhausted and Michael's cold that he'd picked up was now presenting a new challenge to his stamina. Knowing that we wouldn't have many more days in Paris we dug down deep and hit our super sonic power buttons to keep us moving. We were determined to make it to the Arc di Triumph and as we headed up the never-ending hill of the shopping district (all kinds of obstacles thrown in our way!) we crossed our imaginary finish line at the arc's base. We explored the area near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, read the walls of names of men who had died fighting Napoleon's battles, and marveled at the sheer size and dimension of this monument. Then we watched in awe as cars and scooters competed for the same roadway around the arc, known to be one of the most dangerous traffic circles in world. In fact, the traffic circle is so dangerous that the arc is most easily accessible underground as to avoid the constant massacre of tourists darting across traffic towards the arch. Good thinking, French folk.
At this point we'd truly hit a wall. The hotel was a crap ton away (we decided today that that should be a new metric system based on our level of fatigue)and we were pretty hungry. Enter the crepe stand. As if it was meant to be, seemingly appearing out of nowhere was this marvelous stand where a variety of crepes are prepared fresh on request. Me, a crepe with nutella and banana and for Michael, a crepe with nutella and almonds. Oh. My. God. There's no way to successfully describe this fantastic concoction so we'll let the pictures speak for themselves:
A perfect end to a very eventful day. After an 8 1/2 mile walk around the city we had died and gone to Paris with crepes in hand...
We headed straight for the Mona Lisa after buying our tickets since we were on a mission to see it, spend time appreciating it, and move on. No such luck. We muscled through layer upon layer of tourists for a few shots of the portrait and reluctantly moved on. We decided then to just enjoy the many artifacts and displays that lay ahead of us.
The Louvre was quite amazing but we realized mid-way through the tour of the Egyptian collection that we actually could not see all that we wanted to see unless we'd planned on making it a 3 day excursion. We set off on foot for our next destination-Notre Dame.
Just before we approached the Notre Dame front entrance we realized that a bathroom break was in order. And since most French restaurants require that you pay to use their facilities we opted for Paris's version of the public bathroom. We expected something along the lines of a porta-potty yet what we encountered could be more accurately described as the Robo-cop of bathrooms. It closes, cleans itself, and then an indicator light lets you know when it's ready for use. Steph never knew she could love a bathroom facility so much!
We entered Notre Dame and quickly discovered that we got very lucky with our timing of this visit. Just as we began exploring we heard the faint sounds of a choir singing, indicating that mass had begun. The church hymns set the tone for our tour, the sounds reverberating off the walls and ceilings. The flying buttresses (woo hoo! something from European history class DID stick!)that we remember reading about in school were so incredible that it's hard to believe we ever forgot about them to begin with. Unfortunately we did not get to visit the upstairs to see the gargoyle statues (the tour groups followed us here as well) but we still got to spend time appreciating the splendor of this magnificent (and free to the public!) cathedral.
By this point we were exhausted and Michael's cold that he'd picked up was now presenting a new challenge to his stamina. Knowing that we wouldn't have many more days in Paris we dug down deep and hit our super sonic power buttons to keep us moving. We were determined to make it to the Arc di Triumph and as we headed up the never-ending hill of the shopping district (all kinds of obstacles thrown in our way!) we crossed our imaginary finish line at the arc's base. We explored the area near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, read the walls of names of men who had died fighting Napoleon's battles, and marveled at the sheer size and dimension of this monument. Then we watched in awe as cars and scooters competed for the same roadway around the arc, known to be one of the most dangerous traffic circles in world. In fact, the traffic circle is so dangerous that the arc is most easily accessible underground as to avoid the constant massacre of tourists darting across traffic towards the arch. Good thinking, French folk.
At this point we'd truly hit a wall. The hotel was a crap ton away (we decided today that that should be a new metric system based on our level of fatigue)and we were pretty hungry. Enter the crepe stand. As if it was meant to be, seemingly appearing out of nowhere was this marvelous stand where a variety of crepes are prepared fresh on request. Me, a crepe with nutella and banana and for Michael, a crepe with nutella and almonds. Oh. My. God. There's no way to successfully describe this fantastic concoction so we'll let the pictures speak for themselves:
A perfect end to a very eventful day. After an 8 1/2 mile walk around the city we had died and gone to Paris with crepes in hand...
Paris or Bust
After a wonderful week in Italy it was time to turn our attention to the city of light. We boarded our night train in hopes of an Orient Express experience. What we got was closer in comparison to a National Lampoon movie. We got to our "cabin" and quickly realized that we'd slept in hostels with more space than this! A tiny ladder, two bunk beds and just enough space for two bags of luggage was all the room we had. Since Steph had researched and discovered some potential safety issues on the overnight train she quickly activated her 'security' gene and McGuyvered the crap out of our room. A bike chain here, a luggage lock there and even we weren't getting out of that room alive!
We slept well and awoke to the sight of French countryside at around 8:15am local time. Mike navigated the metro map quickly so we were off the train and taking the subway within and hour of arriving in Paris. As we rolled our suitcases towards the hotel Steph announced to Michael that the Eiffel tower was on his left. "It's smaller than I thought it would be," he said. We rolled right into the hotel, dropped our bags off and headed out in the direction of the tower. At its base is when Michael realized the true scale of the structure and we both stopped to marvel at is enormity. We contemplated going to the top only for a moment, deciding that the long line and unusually cold weather were enough for us to forego that particular experience for now.
We walked along the parks leading away from the tower, noticing how similar the layout was to the mall in DC. Sandy walkways surrounded by stretches of grass with various trees and buildings on either side. This walk led to our next stop, Les Invalides. This sight houses a multitude of important artifacts in French history that includes a memorial to general Charles de Gaulle, a veteran hospital, and Napoleon's tomb. The tomb itself seemed to be quite an overcompensation for little-man syndrome with its gilded ceilings and a tomb that was easily 20 feet off the ground. Nonetheless, the tomb was magnificent and fit for a leader.
We closed this day by settling into our hotel room with an amazing, scenic surprise:
This is the view from our hotel room. We cannot begin to describe the view in real life and how lucky we feel to have this as our welcome to Paris. All we can say is that it's one hell of a night light...
We slept well and awoke to the sight of French countryside at around 8:15am local time. Mike navigated the metro map quickly so we were off the train and taking the subway within and hour of arriving in Paris. As we rolled our suitcases towards the hotel Steph announced to Michael that the Eiffel tower was on his left. "It's smaller than I thought it would be," he said. We rolled right into the hotel, dropped our bags off and headed out in the direction of the tower. At its base is when Michael realized the true scale of the structure and we both stopped to marvel at is enormity. We contemplated going to the top only for a moment, deciding that the long line and unusually cold weather were enough for us to forego that particular experience for now.
We walked along the parks leading away from the tower, noticing how similar the layout was to the mall in DC. Sandy walkways surrounded by stretches of grass with various trees and buildings on either side. This walk led to our next stop, Les Invalides. This sight houses a multitude of important artifacts in French history that includes a memorial to general Charles de Gaulle, a veteran hospital, and Napoleon's tomb. The tomb itself seemed to be quite an overcompensation for little-man syndrome with its gilded ceilings and a tomb that was easily 20 feet off the ground. Nonetheless, the tomb was magnificent and fit for a leader.
We closed this day by settling into our hotel room with an amazing, scenic surprise:
This is the view from our hotel room. We cannot begin to describe the view in real life and how lucky we feel to have this as our welcome to Paris. All we can say is that it's one hell of a night light...
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