Date: 4/27/08
I went to a neighborhood library with my computer the other day in search of internet access zones. Unfortunately, although at this point I'm not even surprised at the irony, the internet WiFi was down. Ugh. I walked around a bit and decided to sit and read the new Jane Austen book, Sense and Sensibility (which I LOVED!) At one point, I looked up to find the girl across from me dozing over her enormous research book...ahh memories of the good 'ole days spent snoozing in the library at UCSB. It donned on me that this was the first time that I had been in a library without the stress of a paper/report/test/project looming over my head like a dark, heavy cloud preparing to unleash the wrath of the storm rumbling within. It was quite a serene experience. Who knew libraries could be so peaceful and relaxing?
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
The Flowers are a bloomin' in Paris!
Date: 4/25/09
Mom made it to Paris for the sunniest week I’ve seen in Paris thus far. It was so great to have her here and we walked EVERYWHERE so I wasn’t even feeling bad about the chocolate mousse we ate with dinner almost every night! Luckily the Fromont children were still on vacation and I only had to work at my internship twice so that left a lot of time for mom and I to do some exploring. As busy as we were, it didn’t feel at all rushed because she came to visit Paris (and me) when I was studying here two years ago, so we didn’t feel the need to see every tourist attraction, instead we just meandered through the streets and stopped where something grabbed our interest.
She arrived on a Saturday morning and while she rested, I went to the market to buy us some fruit for breakfast. I can’t remember how our promenade began but eventually we were at the Place de la Concord in the center of Paris and visiting the Madeline Church. We continued our walk to the Opera Garnier, where we were going to take a tour, but we had just missed the cut off. It did rain on Saturday, so we popped into the Galleries Lafayette to feel the power of French fashion first hand and view the beautiful stained glass domed ceiling. After a quick Café Crème, we continued and discovered the Trinity Church. It is under some construction but still a beauty. Mom also got a kick (or maybe that’s not the right word to use in relation to a Church) out of the Chapel of Saint Rita (the namesake of a friend of hers). As we continued we realized that we weren’t far from Montmartre and her favorite monument in Paris, The Basilica of the Sacred Heart. So on we walked, and then we were climbing (because the Sacré Coeur is at the top of a very steep hill in Montmartre).
Oops! All of sudden, we found ourselves in the red light district and quite a few men wanted us to come inside and see a different part of Paris! Well at least we got to see the Moulin Rouge. We continued our ascent through Montmartre and got to the Sacré Coeur around dinner time, so we popped into one of the restaurants at the Artist’s Square for some yummy French grub. Not a bad start to Mom’s trip.
The next morning we went to the American Cathedral for church. It is very beautiful and of course, the services were in English. Mom and I realized that it wasn’t actually a Catholic Cathedral about half way through when a woman reverend gave the sermon. Mom thought it was just European but I knew something was up. Welp, Episcopal services aren’t THAT different from Catholic services, and they had a baptism, so we got to see babies! I figure we’re all praying to the same God, we are just going about it a little differently.
One thing mom really wanted to see this trip was Marie Antoinette’s Petit Trianon (a much smaller home behind the main chateau) and Hamlets at Versailles, so after church we made our way in that direction. Since it was Sunday, they also had music playing in the gardens and a water show with the many fountains. The music helps you feel somewhat transported in time. Mom got a real kick out of the Hamlets too! I have videos of the hamlets and the end of the water show, so I’ll try to get that up on Flickr, if I can ever get an internet connection on my computer for more than 20 minutes.
On our return to Paris, the weather was chilly but clear so we had a little snack of chocolate and banana crepes and made our way up the Eiffel Tower! It just never gets old to look out over Paris and see all the monuments embedded into the skyline of the neighborhoods.
Another good day, but boy were we tired.
Monday took me away from Mom to ICOM. It was an interesting day for me, as my boss was let go from her post, and mom spent her day with one of her walking tours of Paris, after which we retraced her steps so that I could see all the little nuances that I would never have known about otherwise. We stopped for a late afternoon glass of wine and plate of cheese, in a very French fashion, while we looked out over the street and did some people watching. There was a very friendly pup that came to visit us and mom got to see first hand the insanity of Parisian parking!
We decided to have a rest when we got back…rest is a bit of an understatement. It might also be dubbed the BIG sleep because we didn’t wake up til 9:30! We settled for eggs and potatoes for dinner and laughed that even in Paris we fall to old habits of breakfast for dinner. Also, Mom beat me in Scrabble after dinner…some things never change!
I spent Tuesday morning playing with the kids. Interestingly, their English was exorbitantly better than usual. If only I got to watch them in the morning, when they are fresh and not tired, more often!
Mom and I met up and travelled out to the Bois de Boulogne so that I could show her all the beautiful flowers I had discovered the week before. If only Dad could have been there to tell us what we were looking at, since that’s his specialty. Mom knew a good deal of the names of the flowers. My knowledge is near nil, but I think they all look pretty!
With our picnic in hand we strolled along the path and stopped at a bench to eat our sandwich and chocolate éclairs while we enjoyed the scenery. A peacock stalked us for a bit and I thought I was going to have to throw down! Luckily, he strutted his way to other unlikely victims and sweeter smelling goods, so mom and I could enjoy our delicious treats in peace.
Side note: Peacocks have a very strange call. It rather reminds me of the cry of Cosmo (that’s my cat). It’s quite noticeable at first and then it just gets on your nerves. The sound definitely does not match the beauty of their colorful tails.
Fearful that we would run into the scenario of the previous night after so much walking, we decided to stay out until dinner instead of heading back home. Though this was a good idea in theory, perhaps we would hit the Andy Warhol exhibit, except it was closed on Tuesdays. Ok, so perhaps we would go to the Musee D’Orsay and take in a few Impressionist paintings, nope that was closed too. Hmm, well it was only 7pm and rather early to dine in Paris, but whatever, haven’t the French heard of Early Bird specials? There must be plenty of restaurants near the Musee D’Orsay…oh those are all closed too? Is nothing open in Paris on Tuesdays?!?!?!
Finally we stumbled on a quaint Italian establishment (there were 7 of us in the joint for the entirety of our meal), and enjoyed a tasty pasta dish.
We took advantage of the ability to sleep in on Wednesday but made it down to the Street Market before it closed, so mom got to see all the vendors (fish, meat, clothing, toy, purse, jewelry, flower…they were all there). We each got a new French top, which we sported while we took in the flowers, a scoop of chocolate ice cream and the general sights in the alternate universe that is the Luxembourg Gardens on a sunny day. It really is to be experienced this alternate universe where nothing exists but pleasure in the company of others. Time has no meaning. Gentlemen bring their chess sets, playing cards, or Petanque balls to challenge each other in a game of wits and skill beneath the Chestnut trees. Children can enjoy one of many activities, be it, sailing miniature boats in the fountain, swinging around the large play structures, riding ponies, building sand castles, kicking around a soccer ball…you name it and it’s probably an activity within the gates of the Luxembourg gardens. The bee keepers were busy keeping their bees, lovers were entranced, some people were reading, others were drawing, a few snoozed in the sun, but most were just engaged in conversation with their companions. Truly, this place is like no other. How can you have a bad experience in a place which exudes such peace?
Eventually, we decided to see a bit of the city, so we took a stroll, similar to one that I wrote about earlier on this blog. We saw the Pantheon, La Sorbonne, La Musee de Cluny (think Roman vestiges), the skinny streets of the Latin Quarter, and finally Notre Dame Cathedral. We ended up in the Latin Quarter for dinner (pizza and calzones…we couldn’t seem to get away from the Italian influence!) One man had the sole post to call people into the restaurant, a Siren, of sorts, for Italian cuisine. Every so often he would clap his hands and say…rather sing, “Piiiiiiiizzzzzzzzza!” It worked on us anyway, and eventually he filled the restaurant. Once this task was completed, he cut out. People watching in the Latin Quarter offers some of the best in town during the evenings. It was such a lovely evening, I hated the idea of going underground to take the Metro home, so Mom and I took in a few street performances on our leisurely walk home along the Seine. It took us about an hour to get home because I didn’t realize how far we actually were from home…Mom is such a good sport!
I went to ICOM again on Thursday for part of the day, after which, Mom and I decided to trek back up (via metro) to Sacre Coeur to see the inside during the day. The sun sets against the stained glass windows so that it ignites the air with a red radiance which fills your soul with a warmth which I cannot fully express. It rises through a set of blue windows which I can only imagine begins the morning with a coolness likened to purity. Truly awesome.
For dinner we went to a café at La Place du Trocadero. Scrumptious steak, wonderful wine, decadent desserts and candid conversation…this dinner was a wonderful end to a wonderful week.
The taxi came to pick mom up the next morning at 7am. Must every goodbye be so abrupt? Thankfully, Mom’s travel home was much less stressful than Anne’s. I feel so blessed to have been joined first by my sister, then by my mom in Paris. They made for two amazing weeks (almost as if I’ve had two separate vacations within Paris with Annie and then Mom).
Mom must have packed the good weather in her suit case, because with her went the sun. It’s been warm and rainy…wainy, if that word doesn’t sound pleasant, it’s because it isn’t. Aw well, c’est la vie!
I find there is always something to look forward to in Paris, up next…my birthday! But how shall I celebrate??????
Mom made it to Paris for the sunniest week I’ve seen in Paris thus far. It was so great to have her here and we walked EVERYWHERE so I wasn’t even feeling bad about the chocolate mousse we ate with dinner almost every night! Luckily the Fromont children were still on vacation and I only had to work at my internship twice so that left a lot of time for mom and I to do some exploring. As busy as we were, it didn’t feel at all rushed because she came to visit Paris (and me) when I was studying here two years ago, so we didn’t feel the need to see every tourist attraction, instead we just meandered through the streets and stopped where something grabbed our interest.
She arrived on a Saturday morning and while she rested, I went to the market to buy us some fruit for breakfast. I can’t remember how our promenade began but eventually we were at the Place de la Concord in the center of Paris and visiting the Madeline Church. We continued our walk to the Opera Garnier, where we were going to take a tour, but we had just missed the cut off. It did rain on Saturday, so we popped into the Galleries Lafayette to feel the power of French fashion first hand and view the beautiful stained glass domed ceiling. After a quick Café Crème, we continued and discovered the Trinity Church. It is under some construction but still a beauty. Mom also got a kick (or maybe that’s not the right word to use in relation to a Church) out of the Chapel of Saint Rita (the namesake of a friend of hers). As we continued we realized that we weren’t far from Montmartre and her favorite monument in Paris, The Basilica of the Sacred Heart. So on we walked, and then we were climbing (because the Sacré Coeur is at the top of a very steep hill in Montmartre).
Oops! All of sudden, we found ourselves in the red light district and quite a few men wanted us to come inside and see a different part of Paris! Well at least we got to see the Moulin Rouge. We continued our ascent through Montmartre and got to the Sacré Coeur around dinner time, so we popped into one of the restaurants at the Artist’s Square for some yummy French grub. Not a bad start to Mom’s trip.
The next morning we went to the American Cathedral for church. It is very beautiful and of course, the services were in English. Mom and I realized that it wasn’t actually a Catholic Cathedral about half way through when a woman reverend gave the sermon. Mom thought it was just European but I knew something was up. Welp, Episcopal services aren’t THAT different from Catholic services, and they had a baptism, so we got to see babies! I figure we’re all praying to the same God, we are just going about it a little differently.
One thing mom really wanted to see this trip was Marie Antoinette’s Petit Trianon (a much smaller home behind the main chateau) and Hamlets at Versailles, so after church we made our way in that direction. Since it was Sunday, they also had music playing in the gardens and a water show with the many fountains. The music helps you feel somewhat transported in time. Mom got a real kick out of the Hamlets too! I have videos of the hamlets and the end of the water show, so I’ll try to get that up on Flickr, if I can ever get an internet connection on my computer for more than 20 minutes.
On our return to Paris, the weather was chilly but clear so we had a little snack of chocolate and banana crepes and made our way up the Eiffel Tower! It just never gets old to look out over Paris and see all the monuments embedded into the skyline of the neighborhoods.
Another good day, but boy were we tired.
Monday took me away from Mom to ICOM. It was an interesting day for me, as my boss was let go from her post, and mom spent her day with one of her walking tours of Paris, after which we retraced her steps so that I could see all the little nuances that I would never have known about otherwise. We stopped for a late afternoon glass of wine and plate of cheese, in a very French fashion, while we looked out over the street and did some people watching. There was a very friendly pup that came to visit us and mom got to see first hand the insanity of Parisian parking!
We decided to have a rest when we got back…rest is a bit of an understatement. It might also be dubbed the BIG sleep because we didn’t wake up til 9:30! We settled for eggs and potatoes for dinner and laughed that even in Paris we fall to old habits of breakfast for dinner. Also, Mom beat me in Scrabble after dinner…some things never change!
I spent Tuesday morning playing with the kids. Interestingly, their English was exorbitantly better than usual. If only I got to watch them in the morning, when they are fresh and not tired, more often!
Mom and I met up and travelled out to the Bois de Boulogne so that I could show her all the beautiful flowers I had discovered the week before. If only Dad could have been there to tell us what we were looking at, since that’s his specialty. Mom knew a good deal of the names of the flowers. My knowledge is near nil, but I think they all look pretty!
With our picnic in hand we strolled along the path and stopped at a bench to eat our sandwich and chocolate éclairs while we enjoyed the scenery. A peacock stalked us for a bit and I thought I was going to have to throw down! Luckily, he strutted his way to other unlikely victims and sweeter smelling goods, so mom and I could enjoy our delicious treats in peace.
Side note: Peacocks have a very strange call. It rather reminds me of the cry of Cosmo (that’s my cat). It’s quite noticeable at first and then it just gets on your nerves. The sound definitely does not match the beauty of their colorful tails.
Fearful that we would run into the scenario of the previous night after so much walking, we decided to stay out until dinner instead of heading back home. Though this was a good idea in theory, perhaps we would hit the Andy Warhol exhibit, except it was closed on Tuesdays. Ok, so perhaps we would go to the Musee D’Orsay and take in a few Impressionist paintings, nope that was closed too. Hmm, well it was only 7pm and rather early to dine in Paris, but whatever, haven’t the French heard of Early Bird specials? There must be plenty of restaurants near the Musee D’Orsay…oh those are all closed too? Is nothing open in Paris on Tuesdays?!?!?!
Finally we stumbled on a quaint Italian establishment (there were 7 of us in the joint for the entirety of our meal), and enjoyed a tasty pasta dish.
We took advantage of the ability to sleep in on Wednesday but made it down to the Street Market before it closed, so mom got to see all the vendors (fish, meat, clothing, toy, purse, jewelry, flower…they were all there). We each got a new French top, which we sported while we took in the flowers, a scoop of chocolate ice cream and the general sights in the alternate universe that is the Luxembourg Gardens on a sunny day. It really is to be experienced this alternate universe where nothing exists but pleasure in the company of others. Time has no meaning. Gentlemen bring their chess sets, playing cards, or Petanque balls to challenge each other in a game of wits and skill beneath the Chestnut trees. Children can enjoy one of many activities, be it, sailing miniature boats in the fountain, swinging around the large play structures, riding ponies, building sand castles, kicking around a soccer ball…you name it and it’s probably an activity within the gates of the Luxembourg gardens. The bee keepers were busy keeping their bees, lovers were entranced, some people were reading, others were drawing, a few snoozed in the sun, but most were just engaged in conversation with their companions. Truly, this place is like no other. How can you have a bad experience in a place which exudes such peace?
Eventually, we decided to see a bit of the city, so we took a stroll, similar to one that I wrote about earlier on this blog. We saw the Pantheon, La Sorbonne, La Musee de Cluny (think Roman vestiges), the skinny streets of the Latin Quarter, and finally Notre Dame Cathedral. We ended up in the Latin Quarter for dinner (pizza and calzones…we couldn’t seem to get away from the Italian influence!) One man had the sole post to call people into the restaurant, a Siren, of sorts, for Italian cuisine. Every so often he would clap his hands and say…rather sing, “Piiiiiiiizzzzzzzzza!” It worked on us anyway, and eventually he filled the restaurant. Once this task was completed, he cut out. People watching in the Latin Quarter offers some of the best in town during the evenings. It was such a lovely evening, I hated the idea of going underground to take the Metro home, so Mom and I took in a few street performances on our leisurely walk home along the Seine. It took us about an hour to get home because I didn’t realize how far we actually were from home…Mom is such a good sport!
I went to ICOM again on Thursday for part of the day, after which, Mom and I decided to trek back up (via metro) to Sacre Coeur to see the inside during the day. The sun sets against the stained glass windows so that it ignites the air with a red radiance which fills your soul with a warmth which I cannot fully express. It rises through a set of blue windows which I can only imagine begins the morning with a coolness likened to purity. Truly awesome.
For dinner we went to a café at La Place du Trocadero. Scrumptious steak, wonderful wine, decadent desserts and candid conversation…this dinner was a wonderful end to a wonderful week.
The taxi came to pick mom up the next morning at 7am. Must every goodbye be so abrupt? Thankfully, Mom’s travel home was much less stressful than Anne’s. I feel so blessed to have been joined first by my sister, then by my mom in Paris. They made for two amazing weeks (almost as if I’ve had two separate vacations within Paris with Annie and then Mom).
Mom must have packed the good weather in her suit case, because with her went the sun. It’s been warm and rainy…wainy, if that word doesn’t sound pleasant, it’s because it isn’t. Aw well, c’est la vie!
I find there is always something to look forward to in Paris, up next…my birthday! But how shall I celebrate??????
Sunday, April 26, 2009
London!
London April 11-15, 2009
That title might look odd considering the fact that I only have three months in Paris, why would I leave for any time at all? Honestly, I needed a break and familiar faces and it worked out that the kids would be off to the countryside with their grandparents for a week and Europeans take the Monday after Easter off work so nobody was going to miss me until Thursday. Ere go…London!
So let’s set up the scene a bit:
Destination – London
Dates – April 11-15th
Reason – Vacation!
Mode of Transportation - Eurolines (Read: European Greyhound Bus – probably an entire blog in itself, I’ll try to recap below)
Housing – A room at Jimmy and Sarah’s pad, complete with my own set of keys (which I never figured out how to use correctly, good thing I never actually needed them).
Soundtrack – Goldfrapp, the song Oh La La, in particular (Introduced to me by Jimmy and Sarah, check it out!)
Menu for the weekend: Endless cups of tea, pints of beer and 5 star meals cooked by Jimmy himself…glory be!
Introduction:
For those of you who don’t know Jimmy and Sarah, allow me to offer an introduction. Jimmy took a year to travel around the world and landed in Santa Barbara for a time, with the lucky opportunity to share a room with my big brother, Jeff. He and Sarah have been out to visit California a few times since, most recently (I think) to be a part of Jeff and Nika’s wedding. Jimmy and Sarah just recently got married this January…Yay! Congratulations!!
We calculated and it seems I met Jimmy about ten years ago. So in my eyes, I was visiting family, the fantastic sights of London came as icing on the cake!
The trip:
I found out that I would be able to take such a trip about a week before I left so Eurorail seemed an appropriate mode of transportation, as the TGV train takes about 2 hours to go from Paris to London. Unfortunately the late notice meant that my ticket would cost almost 300 Euro. Planes were equally expensive, despite all my searching through cheap airfare websites, so the 70 Euro bus ticket seemed like a GREAT idea. Plus I thought it would be a nice way to view the countryside of France and Britain. So I woke up and took the metro out to the Euroline station, accompanied by one mother and her child and another traveler who continued his slumber until he reached his destination…IT WAS EARLY. At the station I wandered aimlessly, ticket in hand, around the various busses for someone to tell me where to go, until I finally decided the long line at the bottom was probably my best bet to get any information. Luckily, I stood behind a few people speaking English and overheard that I needed to check in here, in this long line, before I get to the bus or they won’t let me on. Good, now I know I’m in the right place. I peeped my head into their conversation to double check and met a British couple, who have apparently frequented this journey many times, and a girl about my age who was actually from Venezuela but went to college in California, so her English was impeccable. We stuck together and got great seats at the front of the bus, 180 degree view for the entirety of the trip! It was nice to have a travel companion and we talked most of the trip away. Our driver was quite a character, with his tight black pants and goofy smile. I’m guessing this was his first trip because we made quite a few circles throughout the journey. Despite getting lost, we only arrived about 45 minutes late.
Although we were on a highway, I felt like I was looking through a time capsule at some of the villages we passed. Also, I got a pretty good kick out of the fact that every highway sign said we were on our way to Calais (just like in The Three Musketeers!!) Five hours (or so) into the journey we came to immigration and everyone on the bus had to get off, and take our bags through the offices. The guy really grilled me! I had no trouble getting into France, and then I let my guard down and all of a sudden, I needed to tell him what I was doing, who I was staying with, my weekly budgeted allowance, how I made that money…I was really sweating, but at least I could tell him in all honesty, that I was just visiting Great Britain. Had I been grilled like that on my way into France, I might have reddened under the pressure.
I’m not even sure how to describe the next step of my journey, but it includes a giant bus travelling underwater, so you might understand why it would be difficult. Our driver drove us into what I thought was a tunnel, but in reality it was a box. On we go and then all of the doors close around us and the box begins to move. From what I can imagine, the box is on a train and we are travelling in a tunnel (I assume) through the Chunnel. Claustrophobia aside, my thoughts went to the many sea creatures just outside, ready and willing to eat me at a moments notice, though I supposed the water would drown me first. Ok, so I’m embellishing a little bit. I wasn’t that scared and it only took about 20 minutes and then the doors opened to dry land and we drove off, on our merry way to London. Still, I think I would have preferred the ferry. (I’ll try to post pictures on flickr to better equip my storytelling.)
Day one (Saturday)
I arrive in London at the Victoria Bus Station and navigate my way through the Tube to Limehouse, where Sarah meets me to walk me to their place. A recap of their wedding and my stay in Paris and family news ensues followed by the necessity for me to shower off the grime of a seven hour windowless bus ride which I shared with 50 other people. Sarah had a cup of tea waiting for me when I finished This trips first cup of tea in London, and certainly not the last! That evening we went to an Argentinean Steakhouse for delicious steak, and all kinds of fun side dishes. YUM!
Day Two (Sunday)
Sunday began with breakfast at a locals spot by Columbia Road. Can’t tell you the name, because I’m not sure there was one. It was an outside barbeque where they made egg sandwiches and coffee. Now I’m sure you Yanks are picturing exactly what I would have pictured by this: frozen bacon strips from those yellow Oscar Meyer packages, but no. These were real sausage links and we enjoyed the sandwiches and coffee while sitting on the curb, listening to a band perform in the street. I was impressed. And this was an average Sunday morning for Jimmy and Sarah. Next we sauntered over to Columbia Road for a flower market. Crowd doesn’t begin to describe the mass of people standing corner to corner admiring the endless types of flowers, as the vendors shout “Let your eyes be your guide” and “5 pounds here, what a deal!” to get you to shop at their stall. Jimmy said it wasn’t even as busy as it usually is because of Easter Sunday, but I can’t imagine how one more person could have fit on that street. Still, I saw some beautiful flowers. Jimmy took my picture by one of those black British taxis and we were on our way for a driving tour of South East London (side note – the Brits call speed bumps Sleeping Policemen, because they lay in the road and keep you from speeding. I got a kick out of it so I’m sharing it here to see if it’ll catch!)
We went out to the flood gates (which I can’t remember the name of) but they are quite an architectural art form. London is built low so they have a constant worry about flooding. Again, I’ll try to post a picture soon. On our way I got to catch a glimpse of the concert venue which looks like a an alien’s cap. London is expecting Michael Jackson to perform for a packed stadium on a 20 (or is it 50?) day tour. After this stop we went over to Canary Wharf for the purpose of going to the grocery store, but I’m just glad I got to see it, because there is a great little park outside the massive bank building, which if I remember correctly is the tallest building in London. Sarah and I were going to walk around the mall while Jimmy did the grocery shopping for a Roast Chicken dinner, but everything was closed on account of it being Easter Sunday. We tried a few other stores, one out in Greenwich, and when none of those were open, we stopped at the local, smaller store and settled on, oh just pork chops with roasted potatoes, with a type of sweet onions in a homemade white sauce (that description does not do it close to justice, my apologies Jimmy). It was just something Jimmy whipped up, my mouth is salivating just thinking about how delicious it was. That evening we took a red double decker bus out to a little pub in the middle of a green field. It was built around the time that Elizabeth I was queen, is housed by a conglomeration of old and young, and whose lighting can best be described as yellow. Jimmy says it’s a weird lighting when you enter, but when you leave, it’s like you’re leaving a friend behind. It takes your eyes time to adjust, that’s for sure. The soundtrack for the evening was Frank Sinatra and Billie Holiday, sang by friends of theirs (most likely) from way back when. I could probably do a character study on each person at the bar, but it would take up the rest of this blog. Suffice it to say there were older men, with slicked back hair in pin stripped suits (they were the singers), along with an assemblage of college students, three Frenchmen huddling behind us, and a girl in a bicycle outfit. The bar tender looked a bit lost most of the time, although he’s the son of the bar owner and Sarah sees him there whenever she goes. It was quite an assortment, which made for fun people watching, and the pints were tasty too!
Day Three (Monday)
Jimmy and Sarah didn’t have to go to work on Monday because it was a bank holiday, so Jimmy took me on a brief tour to St. Paul’s Cathedral (where Princess Diana married Prince Charles) across to the Tate Modern, where I got a speedy yet informative view of the works within from Jimmy – to be honest I could probably have spent five hours within those walls and never have gotten as much information from it as Jimmy shared in five minutes. We walked by Shakespeare’s Globe Theater, which I skipped on this tour because it is one of the only places I saw when I was in London last. Then we took a boat out to Greenwich. Boy, Greenwich is beautiful. The boat brings you up to the Naval Academy, which is best described as both massive and calm. Standing in it’s presence is truly awe-inspiring. It was also the site of the original Tudor Castle, where King Henry VIII, Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth I were born. Talk about historic. You never hear about kings and queens as children, but everyone has to be born at some point, so I don’t know why it was so difficult to believe that baby King Henry cried his nights away at that very spot.
We meandered our way through the royal park up to the center of time, literally Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), did everybody catch that because it took a whole conversation before I caught on. What a GORGEOUS VIEW! I had no idea London had so much greenery and trees. They don’t talk much about the huge parks in the history books, but they should! After a pint on the water, we went back to Canary Wharf and Jimmy finally got to do his grocery shopping. While Jimmy cooked, Sarah potted her plants and I danced around to Goldfrapp in the living room. I felt so at home That evening we went up to the roof to watch the sunset over the city, I was having such a good time!
Day Four (Tuesday)
Over a lovely breakfast and cup of tea, Sarah and I began our morning. Then I left her to work on her Thesis while I took London on alone. I began at the Tower of London (more literally, a grouping of towers which form a Medieval castle, or fortress, or prison, or execution ground, depending on the era of history you are referencing…very old). My tour began at the beginning, with William the Conqueror’s private rooms (he built the palace) then I meandered past Traitor’s Gate, where William Wallace’s head once stood on a stick, through the garden where I stopped to watch a play which depicted Anne Boleyn’s wedding to King Henry VII, over to the Bloody Tower where King Edward IV’s sons were imprisoned by their uncle when their father died (they were never seen again…it’s a great mystery), and finally I went to see the highlight of this monument: The Crown Jewels! This is the official royal collection of crowns, scepters, orbs, swords and gowns used for coronations and state celebrations. One of these pieces, I think it was part of a scepter, is the largest cut diamond in the world and WOW does it sparkle! I am reminded of Abu’s face in Aladdin when he picks up the jewel and causes the wave of lava within the Cave of Wonder. (Yes, I did just quote Disney.) Funnily enough, you can view these pieces of elegance with your nose pressed to the glass as long as you stand on the people mover, so that you don’t become entranced and never move from your place. At first, I thought this was rather ridiculous, but in reality, whoever thought of this addition was a genius. I might never have left that spot without the help of a mechanical walkway beneath me.
Once I pried myself away from the jewels, I ate a quick sandwich at Subway and hopped on The Tube to continue my journey at Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. I was struck by the immensity and intricate architecture of the Palace of Westminster (where the houses of Parliament are located) connected to the Big Ben Clock Tower. Westminster Abbey had a special engagement that day, so I couldn’t go inside but it was quite impressive from the outside. I came up to the side thinking it was the main entrance and stammered in it’s presence, so you can imagine my reaction upon seeing it from the front. Since William I was crowned here in 1066, all but two British sovereigns have been coronated at Westminster Abbey.
There was a hunger strike being performed in the park adjacent to Westminster Abbey and Westminster Palace, with balloons and yelling, which kind of ruined the serenity of viewing this tremendous and historical church. I understand the utility of striking against the war, it gives citizens a sense of control at a time where they feel they have none and it shows the government that there is dissention which should be considered, however throughout Paris and London strikers pick the most picturesque places to voice their concerns, and it often ruins the experience. Take from that what you will, I rejoice their freedom of speech and expression but as an observer it gets a little tiresome, especially as they tend to leave the remarkable site trash ridden.
Back to my tour of London, I continued down Whitehall Street passed a tribute to women of WWII. This was an interesting monument to the 7 million women who picked up many different work roles during the war and silently hung up their hats at the end of the day to let the men take the credit when the war was over. I passed 10 Downing Street (the official residence of the Prime Minister), but couldn’t see much because it was all gated up. I checked out the red-coated soldiers on horses, who look like they could each be my younger brother, and by the way, they do blink, they just don’t move their head. I wonder at their thoughts as people walk up to take pictures with them. Moving on…I hit a bustling Trafalger Square for a great view of the National Gallery and Nelson’s Column (a tribute to Admiral Lord Nelson who died in a victorious fight over Napoleon). Then I veered down The Mall toward Buckingham Palace. The Royal Standard was not flying above the palace, so I guess Queen Elizabeth had prior engagements. The Palace, as a whole, looks more like a big house than many of the Chateaux de Paris. There isn’t much to its architecture, but it’s definitely something to experience. I’m glad I watched The Queen before I came to London, it gives me perspective. The monument to Queen Victoria is quite remarkable as well. I walked through Green Park which surrounds the palace. Again with the greenery of London, I was so impressed at its beauty and tranquility!
At this point, I had quite a few other monuments to hit before dinner with Johnny, a friend of mine from Santa Barbara, but I was pooped. So I got on The Tube and went back to the pad for a snooze. I slept for an hour and a half! I guess I had done more walking than I thought. Sarah had a cup of tea ready for me when I awoke and I spent the next hour watching my new favorite British television show, Dr. Who (at least I’m pretty sure that’s what it’s called). Newly rejuvenated, I went out to Notting Hill to meet up with Johnny for dinner at Churchill Arms, an interesting blend of English pub at one end and Thai restaurant on the other. It was a delicious experience. When I got home I enjoyed hot cocoa with Jimmy and Sarah as we watched an…intriguing show called Skallig, about a dirty and lost old man, befriended by a young boy, who was part bird and could heal people. It was more enjoyable than the description.
Day Five (Wednesday)
My bus back to Paris wasn’t until noon, so I went to work with Sarah to enjoy a nice cup of tea in an office meeting room with a great view of London. Unfortunately, it was overcast so I couldn’t see much, but I got a feel for what it probably looked like in the sunshine! I walked over to Trafalger Square to peek into the National Gallery which is impressive, I would have liked to spend more time there (guess I’ll just have to come back to London ;-) ). An interesting side note which enabled me to pop into the National Gallery and the Tate Modern the other day for a few minutes…most museums in London offer free admission! Special exhibits generally require a paid ticket and they do ask for a small donation of three pounds for the maintenance, but that is completely optional and anonymous. Why can’t Paris be like that?
My journey home was rather uneventful. The driver knew what he was doing, so we arrived to Paris an hour and a half early. Funny story…well looking back at least; at the time, it was somewhat traumatic. A few of the doors in my apartment do not have doorknobs, but can still close shut. When I got home I wheeled my suitcase back to my room and it caught on the door to the hallway and the door closed. I didn’t even realize there was a door there! So I was locked in the hallway, with nowhere to go but my bedroom. My cell phone was in the kitchen. The family whom I work for was in the countryside, so they wouldn’t be expecting me anytime soon. I was expected at ICOM for my internship the next day but they didn’t have my address, so it wouldn’t do much good for them to look for me. I spent the next two hours yelling out the window to the apartment that I thought Leticia, the aunt of the children I watch, lives. I even wrote a note, tucked it into the inside of a pen and threw it into the open window. Finally my neighbor came to the window (it was almost 11pm by this time) and I found out that Leticia’s family does not live there. My neighbor called the landlord who came up to find out my situation and called Phillip, Leticia’s husband, who came down with a key and eventually got the door opened. It was rather embarrassing, but I’m thankful that I was found. I’ve taped the latch on the door shut, but please pray that never happens again!
In summation, my trip to London was a wonderful vacation from Paris life. Although my French is getting exponentially better, it was nice to be able to walk up to an information kiosk and feel assured that the person would be able to understand me with little difficulty. Hangin’ out with Jimmy and Sarah was both casual and wonderful! I am so grateful because they really took me in and I felt at home in their world. It’s nice to have a home base when discovering a new city, it allows you to see it from a local’s perspective and hit the tiny wonders at the heart of the city. Plus, the tea was like a natural comfort in itself.
Next big thing…Mom is visiting for a week! I can’t wait to see her
That title might look odd considering the fact that I only have three months in Paris, why would I leave for any time at all? Honestly, I needed a break and familiar faces and it worked out that the kids would be off to the countryside with their grandparents for a week and Europeans take the Monday after Easter off work so nobody was going to miss me until Thursday. Ere go…London!
So let’s set up the scene a bit:
Destination – London
Dates – April 11-15th
Reason – Vacation!
Mode of Transportation - Eurolines (Read: European Greyhound Bus – probably an entire blog in itself, I’ll try to recap below)
Housing – A room at Jimmy and Sarah’s pad, complete with my own set of keys (which I never figured out how to use correctly, good thing I never actually needed them).
Soundtrack – Goldfrapp, the song Oh La La, in particular (Introduced to me by Jimmy and Sarah, check it out!)
Menu for the weekend: Endless cups of tea, pints of beer and 5 star meals cooked by Jimmy himself…glory be!
Introduction:
For those of you who don’t know Jimmy and Sarah, allow me to offer an introduction. Jimmy took a year to travel around the world and landed in Santa Barbara for a time, with the lucky opportunity to share a room with my big brother, Jeff. He and Sarah have been out to visit California a few times since, most recently (I think) to be a part of Jeff and Nika’s wedding. Jimmy and Sarah just recently got married this January…Yay! Congratulations!!
We calculated and it seems I met Jimmy about ten years ago. So in my eyes, I was visiting family, the fantastic sights of London came as icing on the cake!
The trip:
I found out that I would be able to take such a trip about a week before I left so Eurorail seemed an appropriate mode of transportation, as the TGV train takes about 2 hours to go from Paris to London. Unfortunately the late notice meant that my ticket would cost almost 300 Euro. Planes were equally expensive, despite all my searching through cheap airfare websites, so the 70 Euro bus ticket seemed like a GREAT idea. Plus I thought it would be a nice way to view the countryside of France and Britain. So I woke up and took the metro out to the Euroline station, accompanied by one mother and her child and another traveler who continued his slumber until he reached his destination…IT WAS EARLY. At the station I wandered aimlessly, ticket in hand, around the various busses for someone to tell me where to go, until I finally decided the long line at the bottom was probably my best bet to get any information. Luckily, I stood behind a few people speaking English and overheard that I needed to check in here, in this long line, before I get to the bus or they won’t let me on. Good, now I know I’m in the right place. I peeped my head into their conversation to double check and met a British couple, who have apparently frequented this journey many times, and a girl about my age who was actually from Venezuela but went to college in California, so her English was impeccable. We stuck together and got great seats at the front of the bus, 180 degree view for the entirety of the trip! It was nice to have a travel companion and we talked most of the trip away. Our driver was quite a character, with his tight black pants and goofy smile. I’m guessing this was his first trip because we made quite a few circles throughout the journey. Despite getting lost, we only arrived about 45 minutes late.
Although we were on a highway, I felt like I was looking through a time capsule at some of the villages we passed. Also, I got a pretty good kick out of the fact that every highway sign said we were on our way to Calais (just like in The Three Musketeers!!) Five hours (or so) into the journey we came to immigration and everyone on the bus had to get off, and take our bags through the offices. The guy really grilled me! I had no trouble getting into France, and then I let my guard down and all of a sudden, I needed to tell him what I was doing, who I was staying with, my weekly budgeted allowance, how I made that money…I was really sweating, but at least I could tell him in all honesty, that I was just visiting Great Britain. Had I been grilled like that on my way into France, I might have reddened under the pressure.
I’m not even sure how to describe the next step of my journey, but it includes a giant bus travelling underwater, so you might understand why it would be difficult. Our driver drove us into what I thought was a tunnel, but in reality it was a box. On we go and then all of the doors close around us and the box begins to move. From what I can imagine, the box is on a train and we are travelling in a tunnel (I assume) through the Chunnel. Claustrophobia aside, my thoughts went to the many sea creatures just outside, ready and willing to eat me at a moments notice, though I supposed the water would drown me first. Ok, so I’m embellishing a little bit. I wasn’t that scared and it only took about 20 minutes and then the doors opened to dry land and we drove off, on our merry way to London. Still, I think I would have preferred the ferry. (I’ll try to post pictures on flickr to better equip my storytelling.)
Day one (Saturday)
I arrive in London at the Victoria Bus Station and navigate my way through the Tube to Limehouse, where Sarah meets me to walk me to their place. A recap of their wedding and my stay in Paris and family news ensues followed by the necessity for me to shower off the grime of a seven hour windowless bus ride which I shared with 50 other people. Sarah had a cup of tea waiting for me when I finished This trips first cup of tea in London, and certainly not the last! That evening we went to an Argentinean Steakhouse for delicious steak, and all kinds of fun side dishes. YUM!
Day Two (Sunday)
Sunday began with breakfast at a locals spot by Columbia Road. Can’t tell you the name, because I’m not sure there was one. It was an outside barbeque where they made egg sandwiches and coffee. Now I’m sure you Yanks are picturing exactly what I would have pictured by this: frozen bacon strips from those yellow Oscar Meyer packages, but no. These were real sausage links and we enjoyed the sandwiches and coffee while sitting on the curb, listening to a band perform in the street. I was impressed. And this was an average Sunday morning for Jimmy and Sarah. Next we sauntered over to Columbia Road for a flower market. Crowd doesn’t begin to describe the mass of people standing corner to corner admiring the endless types of flowers, as the vendors shout “Let your eyes be your guide” and “5 pounds here, what a deal!” to get you to shop at their stall. Jimmy said it wasn’t even as busy as it usually is because of Easter Sunday, but I can’t imagine how one more person could have fit on that street. Still, I saw some beautiful flowers. Jimmy took my picture by one of those black British taxis and we were on our way for a driving tour of South East London (side note – the Brits call speed bumps Sleeping Policemen, because they lay in the road and keep you from speeding. I got a kick out of it so I’m sharing it here to see if it’ll catch!)
We went out to the flood gates (which I can’t remember the name of) but they are quite an architectural art form. London is built low so they have a constant worry about flooding. Again, I’ll try to post a picture soon. On our way I got to catch a glimpse of the concert venue which looks like a an alien’s cap. London is expecting Michael Jackson to perform for a packed stadium on a 20 (or is it 50?) day tour. After this stop we went over to Canary Wharf for the purpose of going to the grocery store, but I’m just glad I got to see it, because there is a great little park outside the massive bank building, which if I remember correctly is the tallest building in London. Sarah and I were going to walk around the mall while Jimmy did the grocery shopping for a Roast Chicken dinner, but everything was closed on account of it being Easter Sunday. We tried a few other stores, one out in Greenwich, and when none of those were open, we stopped at the local, smaller store and settled on, oh just pork chops with roasted potatoes, with a type of sweet onions in a homemade white sauce (that description does not do it close to justice, my apologies Jimmy). It was just something Jimmy whipped up, my mouth is salivating just thinking about how delicious it was. That evening we took a red double decker bus out to a little pub in the middle of a green field. It was built around the time that Elizabeth I was queen, is housed by a conglomeration of old and young, and whose lighting can best be described as yellow. Jimmy says it’s a weird lighting when you enter, but when you leave, it’s like you’re leaving a friend behind. It takes your eyes time to adjust, that’s for sure. The soundtrack for the evening was Frank Sinatra and Billie Holiday, sang by friends of theirs (most likely) from way back when. I could probably do a character study on each person at the bar, but it would take up the rest of this blog. Suffice it to say there were older men, with slicked back hair in pin stripped suits (they were the singers), along with an assemblage of college students, three Frenchmen huddling behind us, and a girl in a bicycle outfit. The bar tender looked a bit lost most of the time, although he’s the son of the bar owner and Sarah sees him there whenever she goes. It was quite an assortment, which made for fun people watching, and the pints were tasty too!
Day Three (Monday)
Jimmy and Sarah didn’t have to go to work on Monday because it was a bank holiday, so Jimmy took me on a brief tour to St. Paul’s Cathedral (where Princess Diana married Prince Charles) across to the Tate Modern, where I got a speedy yet informative view of the works within from Jimmy – to be honest I could probably have spent five hours within those walls and never have gotten as much information from it as Jimmy shared in five minutes. We walked by Shakespeare’s Globe Theater, which I skipped on this tour because it is one of the only places I saw when I was in London last. Then we took a boat out to Greenwich. Boy, Greenwich is beautiful. The boat brings you up to the Naval Academy, which is best described as both massive and calm. Standing in it’s presence is truly awe-inspiring. It was also the site of the original Tudor Castle, where King Henry VIII, Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth I were born. Talk about historic. You never hear about kings and queens as children, but everyone has to be born at some point, so I don’t know why it was so difficult to believe that baby King Henry cried his nights away at that very spot.
We meandered our way through the royal park up to the center of time, literally Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), did everybody catch that because it took a whole conversation before I caught on. What a GORGEOUS VIEW! I had no idea London had so much greenery and trees. They don’t talk much about the huge parks in the history books, but they should! After a pint on the water, we went back to Canary Wharf and Jimmy finally got to do his grocery shopping. While Jimmy cooked, Sarah potted her plants and I danced around to Goldfrapp in the living room. I felt so at home That evening we went up to the roof to watch the sunset over the city, I was having such a good time!
Day Four (Tuesday)
Over a lovely breakfast and cup of tea, Sarah and I began our morning. Then I left her to work on her Thesis while I took London on alone. I began at the Tower of London (more literally, a grouping of towers which form a Medieval castle, or fortress, or prison, or execution ground, depending on the era of history you are referencing…very old). My tour began at the beginning, with William the Conqueror’s private rooms (he built the palace) then I meandered past Traitor’s Gate, where William Wallace’s head once stood on a stick, through the garden where I stopped to watch a play which depicted Anne Boleyn’s wedding to King Henry VII, over to the Bloody Tower where King Edward IV’s sons were imprisoned by their uncle when their father died (they were never seen again…it’s a great mystery), and finally I went to see the highlight of this monument: The Crown Jewels! This is the official royal collection of crowns, scepters, orbs, swords and gowns used for coronations and state celebrations. One of these pieces, I think it was part of a scepter, is the largest cut diamond in the world and WOW does it sparkle! I am reminded of Abu’s face in Aladdin when he picks up the jewel and causes the wave of lava within the Cave of Wonder. (Yes, I did just quote Disney.) Funnily enough, you can view these pieces of elegance with your nose pressed to the glass as long as you stand on the people mover, so that you don’t become entranced and never move from your place. At first, I thought this was rather ridiculous, but in reality, whoever thought of this addition was a genius. I might never have left that spot without the help of a mechanical walkway beneath me.
Once I pried myself away from the jewels, I ate a quick sandwich at Subway and hopped on The Tube to continue my journey at Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. I was struck by the immensity and intricate architecture of the Palace of Westminster (where the houses of Parliament are located) connected to the Big Ben Clock Tower. Westminster Abbey had a special engagement that day, so I couldn’t go inside but it was quite impressive from the outside. I came up to the side thinking it was the main entrance and stammered in it’s presence, so you can imagine my reaction upon seeing it from the front. Since William I was crowned here in 1066, all but two British sovereigns have been coronated at Westminster Abbey.
There was a hunger strike being performed in the park adjacent to Westminster Abbey and Westminster Palace, with balloons and yelling, which kind of ruined the serenity of viewing this tremendous and historical church. I understand the utility of striking against the war, it gives citizens a sense of control at a time where they feel they have none and it shows the government that there is dissention which should be considered, however throughout Paris and London strikers pick the most picturesque places to voice their concerns, and it often ruins the experience. Take from that what you will, I rejoice their freedom of speech and expression but as an observer it gets a little tiresome, especially as they tend to leave the remarkable site trash ridden.
Back to my tour of London, I continued down Whitehall Street passed a tribute to women of WWII. This was an interesting monument to the 7 million women who picked up many different work roles during the war and silently hung up their hats at the end of the day to let the men take the credit when the war was over. I passed 10 Downing Street (the official residence of the Prime Minister), but couldn’t see much because it was all gated up. I checked out the red-coated soldiers on horses, who look like they could each be my younger brother, and by the way, they do blink, they just don’t move their head. I wonder at their thoughts as people walk up to take pictures with them. Moving on…I hit a bustling Trafalger Square for a great view of the National Gallery and Nelson’s Column (a tribute to Admiral Lord Nelson who died in a victorious fight over Napoleon). Then I veered down The Mall toward Buckingham Palace. The Royal Standard was not flying above the palace, so I guess Queen Elizabeth had prior engagements. The Palace, as a whole, looks more like a big house than many of the Chateaux de Paris. There isn’t much to its architecture, but it’s definitely something to experience. I’m glad I watched The Queen before I came to London, it gives me perspective. The monument to Queen Victoria is quite remarkable as well. I walked through Green Park which surrounds the palace. Again with the greenery of London, I was so impressed at its beauty and tranquility!
At this point, I had quite a few other monuments to hit before dinner with Johnny, a friend of mine from Santa Barbara, but I was pooped. So I got on The Tube and went back to the pad for a snooze. I slept for an hour and a half! I guess I had done more walking than I thought. Sarah had a cup of tea ready for me when I awoke and I spent the next hour watching my new favorite British television show, Dr. Who (at least I’m pretty sure that’s what it’s called). Newly rejuvenated, I went out to Notting Hill to meet up with Johnny for dinner at Churchill Arms, an interesting blend of English pub at one end and Thai restaurant on the other. It was a delicious experience. When I got home I enjoyed hot cocoa with Jimmy and Sarah as we watched an…intriguing show called Skallig, about a dirty and lost old man, befriended by a young boy, who was part bird and could heal people. It was more enjoyable than the description.
Day Five (Wednesday)
My bus back to Paris wasn’t until noon, so I went to work with Sarah to enjoy a nice cup of tea in an office meeting room with a great view of London. Unfortunately, it was overcast so I couldn’t see much, but I got a feel for what it probably looked like in the sunshine! I walked over to Trafalger Square to peek into the National Gallery which is impressive, I would have liked to spend more time there (guess I’ll just have to come back to London ;-) ). An interesting side note which enabled me to pop into the National Gallery and the Tate Modern the other day for a few minutes…most museums in London offer free admission! Special exhibits generally require a paid ticket and they do ask for a small donation of three pounds for the maintenance, but that is completely optional and anonymous. Why can’t Paris be like that?
My journey home was rather uneventful. The driver knew what he was doing, so we arrived to Paris an hour and a half early. Funny story…well looking back at least; at the time, it was somewhat traumatic. A few of the doors in my apartment do not have doorknobs, but can still close shut. When I got home I wheeled my suitcase back to my room and it caught on the door to the hallway and the door closed. I didn’t even realize there was a door there! So I was locked in the hallway, with nowhere to go but my bedroom. My cell phone was in the kitchen. The family whom I work for was in the countryside, so they wouldn’t be expecting me anytime soon. I was expected at ICOM for my internship the next day but they didn’t have my address, so it wouldn’t do much good for them to look for me. I spent the next two hours yelling out the window to the apartment that I thought Leticia, the aunt of the children I watch, lives. I even wrote a note, tucked it into the inside of a pen and threw it into the open window. Finally my neighbor came to the window (it was almost 11pm by this time) and I found out that Leticia’s family does not live there. My neighbor called the landlord who came up to find out my situation and called Phillip, Leticia’s husband, who came down with a key and eventually got the door opened. It was rather embarrassing, but I’m thankful that I was found. I’ve taped the latch on the door shut, but please pray that never happens again!
In summation, my trip to London was a wonderful vacation from Paris life. Although my French is getting exponentially better, it was nice to be able to walk up to an information kiosk and feel assured that the person would be able to understand me with little difficulty. Hangin’ out with Jimmy and Sarah was both casual and wonderful! I am so grateful because they really took me in and I felt at home in their world. It’s nice to have a home base when discovering a new city, it allows you to see it from a local’s perspective and hit the tiny wonders at the heart of the city. Plus, the tea was like a natural comfort in itself.
Next big thing…Mom is visiting for a week! I can’t wait to see her
Monday, April 20, 2009
Momentarily disconnected
My internet is no longer working at my apartment...bummer. Can't say when I'll be able to write next but I wanted to let you all know that I had a WONDERFUL time in London; Jimmy and Sarah took really good care of me :) It was a nice vacation from Parisian life. Back in France again and mom has arrived for a visit. We've been keeping ourselves busy with a trip to Versailles, an elevator ride up the Eiffel Tower and lots of walking, as only my mother and I know how to do :) I'm so happy to have her here til the end of the week!
That's all I can write for now, since I'm at work. Love to all!!
That's all I can write for now, since I'm at work. Love to all!!
Friday, April 10, 2009
Saint Vendredi
Today was Good Friday, or Saint Friday as it's referred in French. I found a little Roman Catholic Parish near my neighborhood called Saint Joseph's Church. It's an English congregation, which I wasn't actually looking to find, but since it was close I thought it might be nice. The priest has a great Irish accent and all of the lectures had a different accent from somewhere in the world. I recognized the American right away.
I had a strange epiphany, which might be difficult to explain, but I'll try: When I'm walking around town or on public transportation in Paris, I generally try to pass as Parisian (and wonder if I ever pull it off) so that if two people are talking, they might as well think I can understand them, even though most of the time I can't since French gossip can ramble a little bit and it's difficult for me to follow unless I get the full beginning, middle and end of a conversation. Anyway, sitting in this church surrounded by a room full of people who opted for an English service, I felt odd at first, because everywhere else I go, even though both of my jobs allow me to speak English on a regular basis, I am nervous that I won't be able to communicate. It was kind of unbelievable to me that I could (potentially) speak at my leisure and I would be understood. I felt like a kid with his hand caught in a cookie jar. I'm not supposed to be speaking English, but I can here and no one can fault me for it!
Ok, that said...moving on.
Darcy and I took French class together in high school. She studied abroad in college and then moved back for a masters program. Here's where I pay tribute to Facebook...Darcy noticed that I had a blog about living in Paris in the Springtime and sent me a message to grab dinner, so we did last Wednesday and then had lunch today. It was really great to catch up about where everyone is right now and what's changed at Notre Dame. It's just nice to have a friend in Paris that knows where I come from and where it feels like she genuinely likes having me around. It sounds strange but everyone I've met so far, it's been like I'll just go out and have fun and if nothing comes of it then it's no big deal, because it wasn't there before. But she cares that I text her when I get home, and that's a comfort that I hadn't realized I'd missed.
Now I need to get to bed because it's late and I'm off to London early tomorrow morning!
I had a strange epiphany, which might be difficult to explain, but I'll try: When I'm walking around town or on public transportation in Paris, I generally try to pass as Parisian (and wonder if I ever pull it off) so that if two people are talking, they might as well think I can understand them, even though most of the time I can't since French gossip can ramble a little bit and it's difficult for me to follow unless I get the full beginning, middle and end of a conversation. Anyway, sitting in this church surrounded by a room full of people who opted for an English service, I felt odd at first, because everywhere else I go, even though both of my jobs allow me to speak English on a regular basis, I am nervous that I won't be able to communicate. It was kind of unbelievable to me that I could (potentially) speak at my leisure and I would be understood. I felt like a kid with his hand caught in a cookie jar. I'm not supposed to be speaking English, but I can here and no one can fault me for it!
Ok, that said...moving on.
Darcy and I took French class together in high school. She studied abroad in college and then moved back for a masters program. Here's where I pay tribute to Facebook...Darcy noticed that I had a blog about living in Paris in the Springtime and sent me a message to grab dinner, so we did last Wednesday and then had lunch today. It was really great to catch up about where everyone is right now and what's changed at Notre Dame. It's just nice to have a friend in Paris that knows where I come from and where it feels like she genuinely likes having me around. It sounds strange but everyone I've met so far, it's been like I'll just go out and have fun and if nothing comes of it then it's no big deal, because it wasn't there before. But she cares that I text her when I get home, and that's a comfort that I hadn't realized I'd missed.
Now I need to get to bed because it's late and I'm off to London early tomorrow morning!
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
I found grass in Paris, that you can actually sit on!
So, in general, Paris has a few green areas, mostly around national monuments. There are parks all over with playgrounds for kids to play on but they are usually surrounded by sand. The grass that you do find is manicured to a "T" and beware of signs which read, "Pelouses Interdit!" because that means you can look at the grass, but please do not touch it (much less cop a squat).
There exists a place however where you can bring your children to run around on the grass, roll down grassy knolls and picnic near ponds with duck families and swans. This place is quite majestic actually. I found it in the travel book on Paris, which talks about glorious rose gardens that famously bloom to beauty in June. Currently in bloom are meadows full of tulips (which I quite enjoy) of all types, colors, and shapes. It's found within the Bois de Bologne (Bois means woods in French). More specifically, in the Parc de Bagatelle.
A brief history, courtesy of Let's Go Paris, Charles X bet his sister-in-law, Marie Antoinette (by whom I am become increasingly intrigued) that he could build the Chateau de Bagatelle in under 3 months. It actually only took him 64 days. You would never guess that the result you find today was the result of a game rich people play when they feel like throwing around some money and wasting necessary resources that the commoners most likely needed for more pressing needs such as building fountains to bring water to the people. The revolution came shortly after the completion of this game...no surprise there.
It made for a peaceful promenade around lakes, rock formations, and one (not very imposing) chateau. I wish I had thought to bring a picnic as so many others had, because the bus ride back to the metro was slow-going in bumper to bumper traffic down a two lane road. All in all, a pretty great find!
This weekend I'm off to London to spend some time with the newlyweds, Jimmy and Sarah, for, as Jimmy puts it, "Some good food, good wine and good conversation (in English woo hoo!) Ta-Ta for now!!
There exists a place however where you can bring your children to run around on the grass, roll down grassy knolls and picnic near ponds with duck families and swans. This place is quite majestic actually. I found it in the travel book on Paris, which talks about glorious rose gardens that famously bloom to beauty in June. Currently in bloom are meadows full of tulips (which I quite enjoy) of all types, colors, and shapes. It's found within the Bois de Bologne (Bois means woods in French). More specifically, in the Parc de Bagatelle.
A brief history, courtesy of Let's Go Paris, Charles X bet his sister-in-law, Marie Antoinette (by whom I am become increasingly intrigued) that he could build the Chateau de Bagatelle in under 3 months. It actually only took him 64 days. You would never guess that the result you find today was the result of a game rich people play when they feel like throwing around some money and wasting necessary resources that the commoners most likely needed for more pressing needs such as building fountains to bring water to the people. The revolution came shortly after the completion of this game...no surprise there.
It made for a peaceful promenade around lakes, rock formations, and one (not very imposing) chateau. I wish I had thought to bring a picnic as so many others had, because the bus ride back to the metro was slow-going in bumper to bumper traffic down a two lane road. All in all, a pretty great find!
This weekend I'm off to London to spend some time with the newlyweds, Jimmy and Sarah, for, as Jimmy puts it, "Some good food, good wine and good conversation (in English woo hoo!) Ta-Ta for now!!
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Seriously?
I continue to be shocked and astounded by the things I see while traveling through Paris. They are generally little things, but I find myself staring oftentimes as I watch and think to myself..."seriously?"
1.) Parisians park their cars in the most random (or creative) places. It's difficult even to explain, as they must just be driving down the street and think, "Well, sure. That looks like it will fit my car. I'll just stop here." Sometimes they completely block in another car, sometimes they get to the sidewalk and, instead of parking parallel as the title "Parallel parking" would imply, park perpendicular. At least it's technically parallel to A street somewhere in Paris, if you take out map of the streets of the city, perhaps you will find one.
2.) There was a dog on the bus, wearing a diamond studded barrette. Judging by the bling on this pup's owner, I wouldn't be surprised if it was real...and yet, it rode the bus, so perhaps HER jewels were the fake ones? This barrette was similar to one of my bobby pins, but silver and (as I mentioned) diamond studded. My thoughts after I took the appropriate time allotted to believe I was seeing such a thing was this, "Even dogs have better accessories than me in Paris." I get that dogs get chilly, and so why not get them a cute little sweater, but diamond studded barrette? Really?
3.) 5 o'clock (or 17 o'clock if you're speaking in Parisian/military terms)must be the official smoking break for the city. I often leave to go to the Fromont's around 5pm, and as I walk, I ascend through a cloud of smoke to get to my destination. It's as if each business is clocked to my footsteps so another person walks out of a building,cigarette in mouth, lighter in hand, as I pass each business door. I should mention that the smoking I notice honestly seems less, since that last time I was here, but at 5pm all bets are off...it's been a rough day and people need their nicotine.
4.) Connected to this thought is the age of the people I see smoking. A lot of the time, it's young people. And by young, I mean 10. Or at least that's how it seems sometimes. I have literally stopped to stare and decipher the age of some of the kids I see smoking around the city. Maybe it weirds them out, I hope it makes them feel awkward enough to put the cigarette out and give themselves a chance to grow to their full height potential. Apparently Paris must not have an age limit in order to be able to buy cigs. (This might have sounded harsh, but I feel strongly about it, so sue me).
5.) Then there are the things that make me pause and reflect in a different way. Like when I wake up in the morning and the sun rise has blasted the sky with pinks and oranges around the Eiffel Tower and I think to myself, "Wow, is this real, or has someone put a screen behind my window to make me feel like I'm dreaming."
6.) Or when I walk by the Palais Royale (Royal Palace) and there is a small orchestra playing music for the public. And I stop to listen and look around at the other people who have pushed pause on their seemingly busy days to appreciate art. So what if I arrive one minute late to my destination, if I can't allow myself to enjoy this then why am I even here?
Those are a few of the examples of the ways I am constantly stopping the general flow of my day to take stock in the abnormalities of Paris life. I'm sure it is this way in any city, so I advise you to stop and notice, you might be surprised at what you see.
1.) Parisians park their cars in the most random (or creative) places. It's difficult even to explain, as they must just be driving down the street and think, "Well, sure. That looks like it will fit my car. I'll just stop here." Sometimes they completely block in another car, sometimes they get to the sidewalk and, instead of parking parallel as the title "Parallel parking" would imply, park perpendicular. At least it's technically parallel to A street somewhere in Paris, if you take out map of the streets of the city, perhaps you will find one.
2.) There was a dog on the bus, wearing a diamond studded barrette. Judging by the bling on this pup's owner, I wouldn't be surprised if it was real...and yet, it rode the bus, so perhaps HER jewels were the fake ones? This barrette was similar to one of my bobby pins, but silver and (as I mentioned) diamond studded. My thoughts after I took the appropriate time allotted to believe I was seeing such a thing was this, "Even dogs have better accessories than me in Paris." I get that dogs get chilly, and so why not get them a cute little sweater, but diamond studded barrette? Really?
3.) 5 o'clock (or 17 o'clock if you're speaking in Parisian/military terms)must be the official smoking break for the city. I often leave to go to the Fromont's around 5pm, and as I walk, I ascend through a cloud of smoke to get to my destination. It's as if each business is clocked to my footsteps so another person walks out of a building,cigarette in mouth, lighter in hand, as I pass each business door. I should mention that the smoking I notice honestly seems less, since that last time I was here, but at 5pm all bets are off...it's been a rough day and people need their nicotine.
4.) Connected to this thought is the age of the people I see smoking. A lot of the time, it's young people. And by young, I mean 10. Or at least that's how it seems sometimes. I have literally stopped to stare and decipher the age of some of the kids I see smoking around the city. Maybe it weirds them out, I hope it makes them feel awkward enough to put the cigarette out and give themselves a chance to grow to their full height potential. Apparently Paris must not have an age limit in order to be able to buy cigs. (This might have sounded harsh, but I feel strongly about it, so sue me).
5.) Then there are the things that make me pause and reflect in a different way. Like when I wake up in the morning and the sun rise has blasted the sky with pinks and oranges around the Eiffel Tower and I think to myself, "Wow, is this real, or has someone put a screen behind my window to make me feel like I'm dreaming."
6.) Or when I walk by the Palais Royale (Royal Palace) and there is a small orchestra playing music for the public. And I stop to listen and look around at the other people who have pushed pause on their seemingly busy days to appreciate art. So what if I arrive one minute late to my destination, if I can't allow myself to enjoy this then why am I even here?
Those are a few of the examples of the ways I am constantly stopping the general flow of my day to take stock in the abnormalities of Paris life. I'm sure it is this way in any city, so I advise you to stop and notice, you might be surprised at what you see.
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