I finally typed it up... it might be too long...
European Adventure April 7-16, 2006
Friday, In The Sky
I am on a plane from New York to London. Our first flight out of SeaTac was five hours long. We sat next to a family going to the Virgin Islands for a sunny vacation. I slept most of the way because we had to be at the airport at 6am this morning! When our first flight landed at JFK in New York, Tessa and I had fun seeing Manhattan from our tiny airplane window!
Since our plane landed at JFK a little bit late, we had to run through the airport and through security to make it to our flight. The employees at JFK were not especially nice… maybe it’s just a strange New York sense of humor.
Once on board this plane, we were delighted to find that each seat had its own TV and remote! The TV had a map so you could tell where the plane was. It also has music stations and movie stations. I am watching “Cheaper By The Dozen, 2.” There are lots of people on this plane who are speaking with a London accent. One of the flight attendants lives in NYC, right next to a river. I’ll write more later.
Friday or Saturday (I’m not really sure)
We arrived in London at 6:13am on Saturday London Time (which is 10:13pm Friday in Seattle). I got kind of sick on the lane ride, which was seven hours long, so I’m glad to finally be in London.
At the airport, Tessa and I had to go through customs, where they stamped our passports! Then we exchanged US dollars for England’s “pounds.’ My $156 only got me 80 pounds and some change.
The next challenge was to figure out how to ride “The Tube” which is the subway system in London. We were supposed to meet Kelsey at the Green Park station. Thankfully we figured out how to buy tickets, get on the Picadilly Line, and get off at the right stop.
It was a happy reunion seeing Kelsey again! She took us on another tube line and then we walked to our hotel, the Thistle Westminster. Since it was only 8am, our room was not ready, but they let us check our baggage with the concierge. Then we were free to go explore London!
At first, we went to find a bathroom. In London, you have to pay to use the restroom. Then we just walked around the city a bit and took some pictures of charming houses, pretty gardens (most of which were private) and cool statues. I think it is weird that people in London drive on the left side of the road! I don’t know which way to look when crossing the street! Speaking of crossing the street… people in London do not follow traffic signals at all (watch out for your life)!
We found a café called Pret a manger, which means “ready to eat” (which we were) so we stopped in for breakfast. Now we are deciding where to go next.
Saturday Afternoon, 1pm, London (3am Seattle)
Well, we just got back from two places that I was hoping to visit: Portebello Road and Notting Hill (which are actually one and the same). We rode the tube to the Notting Hill station, got off, and followed the crowd (we didn’t really know where we were going). Notting Hill is an adorably colorful neighborhood with small streets. There were tons of people walking in one direction, so we followed them.
All of the signs led us to the famous Portabello Road (sing the song here). Wow! Portebello Road is incredible! It seems as if every little store and seller moved their store outside on the sides of the streets. (Fremont x 100) There were the most interesting and unusual things to buy! Oh, and the road went on and on for at least 10 blocks! It was a cheerful, sunny day with people strolling about the cobblestone roads just like in the movies! We went into some awesome shops and ate some yummy food (I had a hot dog). On our way out of Portebello Read, we bought fruit, bread, and cheese to take back to the hotel. It was a good thing we went early because the crowds were almost like sardines in a can by the time we left!
Now we are in our hotel room which is very nice. My mind is mixed up because of the time change. We’re going to take a much needed nap!
Saturday Evening, London
After taking a nap (and being very confused about what time it was), we decided to go out to the shopping district, Oxford Circus. I was ready to go quickly, but it took Tessa and Kelsey an hour to get ready (sing “You’re So Vain” here). Finally at 6pm we took the tube to Oxford Street. It was so crowded with people… and they were all moving fast! I think that Seattle, in comparison, is a lazy city.
Anyway, we shopped in lots of great clothing stores. London is a trendy city, and there are quite a few people who wear scarves and hats.
One thing we’re also seeing is lots of theatres showing musicals. The signs on the theatres are big and flashy… we took lots of pictures. I took a picture in front of Mary Poppins the Musical. We are planning to see a musical on Monday.
After shopping, we walked through Soho Square and then started walking the streets of Soho looking for a good place to eat. Almost an hour later (thanks mom), we settled on a pub called Devonshire Arms, which was cheap but totally authentic. A little too authentic for me. You see, most people in London smoke. A lot. They must not know that smoking causes cancer, even in people who breathe the secondhand smoke.
In the restaurant, there were three women from Spain who were smoking up a storm right next to us! So we moved to a different corner of the restaurant. This didn’t really help the smell, but at least we weren’t directly breathing smoke! We ate on the second floor of the restaurant, which is where the food is served.
After dinner, we took the tube back to our hotel. I think I’ve become familiar enough with the tube to find my way now!
Time for bed. Signing out at 9pm London time (1pm Seattle time).
Sunday, 9pm, London (1pm Seattle)
Today was a long day of culture! Unfortunately, Tessa has the flu, so she’s been in bed all day. But we took her camera so she’ll feel like she visited all of these amazing places.
I woke up at 9am today. I decided to go see if there was a Palm Sunday service at the famous Westminster Abbey. So while my sisters slept in, I got ready to go to church. With my trusty London map in hand, I set out to find Westminster, which is actually just a fifteen minute walk from our hotel. Westminster is beautiful and massive! There was a long line of people waiting to enter, so I figured I was on time. When I finally entered the church, I was amazed at the intricate architecture, lavish stained glass, and ornate statues. The pastor was having all the people just stand in the lobby. Then we sang an opening hymn and walked in a procession around the perimeter of the church, and then found our seats. There was no sermon during this service - it was mostly singing and chanting. The church is Anglican, so I was allowed to take communion, too.
After church, back at the hotel, Kelsey and I went out to the grocery store and to check the bus schedule. We took the bus to St. Paul’s Cathedral (from Mary Poppins… sing “Feed the Birds” here). Kelsey got a picture of me sitting “on the steps of St. Paul.” Inside the church, which is Catholic, was even more amazing architecture and stained glass than Westminster!
Right after we left St. Paul’s, it started to sprinkle, which was okay. But then it started to pour! And we still had to walk across the Thames river, via the modern and uncovered Millenium Bridge to get to our next destination! Sopping wet and cold, we finally reached the Tate Art Museum.
On the first floor of the art museum was a piece of art that was roughly 50’x50’x50’. You could actually walk through it (like a maze). From up high, it looked like a mountainous maze of sugar cubes. Each white, stacked cube felt a bit like soap. Interesting.
We went into another section of the museum called “material gestures” which was a collection of famous paintings by classic and expressionistic artists. I was in awe as I looked at actual paintings by some of my favorite artists (Monet, Mattise).
The other section of the museum we visited was a modern exhibit called “Poetry of Dreams.” I didn’t like this collection because I just didn’t “get it.”
We left the Tate Modern right when it stopped raining. About two minutes later, it started raining again. In fact, it was pouring down rain - and we were walking right next to the river, with no umbrella. I was NOT very happy. Suddenly, in the distance, I saw a glorious sanctuary - a familiar shelter from the rain: Starbucks! One hot cocoa later, Kelsey and I were re-energized and ready to trek back to the bus stop in the rain. The busses here in London are so much fun! They are double-decker busses, and sitting in the top “deck” gives you a wonderful view of London.
Back at the hotel, we checked on Tessa and then went out to dinner. We found a restaurant called Nandos, a Portugese restaurant specializing in hot spices and chicken. The atmosphere was fun and friendly, and the food was soooo tasty! Kelsey and I both ordered the minimum amount of spice possible, and it was still hot! We might go back tomorrow if Tessa is feeling better.
Anyway, we have a full schedule tomorrow, so we’re getting ready to go to bed now. Goodnight!
Monday Night, Just Past Midnight, London
Well I was supposed to wake up early this morning and do tourist stuff, but I woke up at 11am and was the first one of us sisters to waken! Tessa was still not feeling well, so Kelsey and I set off for our first activity: Hyde Park. On the way there, we stopped at Wellington Arch which had some cool statues and monuments. Then we crossed the street to Hyde Park. The gate had a lion and a unicorn on it and was called Queen Elizabeth II Gate. Hyde Park is way bigger than Greenlake in Seattle, so we couldn’t walk on every path… we had to pick and choose. The first walk we took was called “Lover’s Lane” which was lined with trees and ended with a fountain. Then we walked down to the pond to see the swans. Finally we strolled through the gardens which will be georgeous later in the spring!
Then we walked through another park called Green Park to get to Buckingham Palace. We didn’t see Prince William or the Queen, but the palace itself was large and ornate. It wasn’t quite as spectacular as I had imagined, but there were LOTS of tourists milling around.
On the way back to the hotel, we stopped at a café called Pronto a Mongia for lunch… yummy! I had a tomato, basil, and mozzarella sandwich. I also bought some postcards to send home.
Later today, Kelsey and I went out again. We started by walking through another park called St. James. We saw pelicans on a big rock in the middle of the lake/pond thing! This park was much more “in bloom” than the others we have visited. Then we accidentally ended up at the Horse Guard’s Parade and got to see the Changing of the Guard (which was not that interesting).
Then we went to Trafalger Square which had two HUGE fountains in the middle of it. There were LOTS of people there! Behind Trafalger Square was the National Gallery, a very large art museum. Kelsey and I only had one hour to spend in the museum, and we were SOOOO sad not to get to examine more of the art closely! We did get to briefly see works by DaVinci, Rounsiar, Van Gogh Monet, Gaugin, and many more. On our way back from the Gallery, we walked through St. James Park and past St. James Palace (which wasn’t very interesting).
So back at the hotel we got ready to go out to the theatre! We took the double-decker bus to the theatre district which has so many INCREDIBLE shows to choose from! Kelsey had purchased tickets to “The Producers” before hand, but (in typical Kelsey style) had purchased them for a week EARLIER. So I bailed her out and bought tickets for The Producers myself. Then we ate cake at the café for dinner because we didn’t have much time before the show started. The stage version of The Producers is WAY better than the movie! I just can’t get enough of singing and dancing on stage!!! It was fun leaving the theatre because we were walking down the streets with theatergoers who just got done watching Fame, Lion King, Chicago, Stop, or The Producers. So much fun!!!
Gotta go to bed… we leave for Paris tomorrow!
Tuesday, 3pm, London (7am Seattle)
We are on the plane, heading to Paris! There is quite a bit of turbulence, so hopefully my handwriting will be legible.
This morning we woke up at 7am. Tessa still wasn’t feeling well, so she booked another night at the hotel and just Kelsey and I would go to Paris for now. I spent the morning doing some shopping and last-minute sightseeing while Kelsey slept and then packed. We left and took the bus from London to Luton where there is a smaller airport for European flights. On the bus I got to see lots of the London countryside, including a moor (from The Secret Garden).
We arrived at the airport very early, but it turned out to be a blessing that we were crazy-early for our flight. Just as we had reached the baggage check desk, the fire alarm went off and the ENTIRE airport had to be evacuated! Imagine thousands of hurried travelers being told to leave the building, cross the airport parking lot, and stand in the freezing rain and wind! It was a nightmare. I found it funny that the security and airport officials couldn’t possibly sound mean or urgent while they pleaded with the passengers to evacuate the airport… to me they just sounded proper and polite with their British accents!
Thankfully there was just a tiny electrical smoke fire and everyone was allowed back inside about half an hour alter. It was like being in the middle of a British mosh pit trying to get back inside the airport - everyone had lost their precious places in line and were not in a double-hurry to catch their flights. It’s a good thing Kelsey has had extensive experience in mosh pits… she was skilled at elbowing people and knocking over old ladies to make it to the front of the line!
Thanks to Kelsey, we had plenty of time to get on our flight. The cool thing about a small airport is that you have to walk outside to get to your plane, and then you have to walk up the outside stairs to get into your plane (just like the president does). As I got to the top of the steps and was about to board the plane, I had a sudden urge to turn around and wave.
Anyway, we’re beginning our descent now, so I’ll stop writing. Our next challenge is to figure out how to ride the metro in a land that doesn’t speak English!
Tuesday, 11pm, Paris (4pm Seattle)
Whew! Lots of drama since the last entry.
Our plane landed and the airport took us by bus to the terminal (a one minute bus ride… so corny) and we got our baggage right away (yay). Then we had no clue what to do. I speak no French and every sign for directions is (of course) written in French! (I don’t know why it didn’t occur to me that it would be difficult to travel in a country where you do not know the language.) Thankfully, Kelsey took four years of French in high school so she could understand some of the words. We didn’t know how to get from the Charles de Gaulle airport into downtown Paris (where our apartment was). Kelsey asked someone what the best way to get into Paris was and they said “the Metro” which is an underground subway system similar to the Tube in London.
Next we had to figure out how to read the Metro map, whose legend was of course in French. Then we had to figure out what type of ticket we needed to buy. I kept on thinking “This would be SO much easier if people spoke English!”
Kelsey surprised herself (and me too) by remembering a LOT more high school French than she thought she remembered. She was able to speak fairly fluently with the ticket lady at the Metro. Thanks to Kelsey’s French, we boarded the correct Metro and got off at the correct stop.
When we emerged from underground, into Parisian life, we came face-to-face with: NOTRE DAME!!!! WOW!!! After a long day of transportation hassles, seeing Notre Dame (and knowing that our apartment was so near) was a welcome surprise.
I have noticed that Paris is a lot more crowded than London! It also is not as scary crossing the street in Paris (but it still isn’t safe like in the U.S.). Anyway, we dragged our luggage down cobblestone alleys lined with French cafes and filled with music. I was giddy. Finally we reached our apartment. We lugged our luggage up two flights of stairs only to find that the person who was supposed to meet us at the apartment to give us the keys didn’t show up!
Did you know that American cell phones don’t work in Europe? Kelsey’s European cell phone was out of minutes and we had no Euros yet, so we fought a bit over what we should do. We finally walked to the nearest familiar hotel (a Best Western) and booked a room for overnight. This would give us a place to sleep, free breakfast, and unlimited local calls so we could figure out the apartment mess. Now American Best Westerns are pretty icky, but Parisian Best Westerns are just lovely! We had a room with two beds, a bathroom, and a separate toilet room (totally weird), and two balcony windows that overlooked yet another adorable French street!
So Kelsey (using her mad-crazy French skills) called the apartment people and arranged to have the key delivered later in the evening. I turned on the TV and found only 2 out of 25 stations in English (BBC and CNN at that). So I watched a rerun of “What I Like About You” in French and could sort of follow the plot line!
We went out an hour alter, first to an internet café. We needed to update mom and dad with our location in case Tessa decides to join us later on. The café was REALLY smoky, and the words on the computer screen were all in French! But because I love the computer so much, I knew it well enough to know where to click (even if I didn’t know what the French words meant). Then I started to type… and it came out all wrong!!! Evidently French keyboards are different than American keyboards!!! So I slowly typed my e-mail… it felt like I was just learning to type again.
After the internet café, it was getting dark and we were getting hungry, so we went walking the streets of Paris looking for a yummy place to eat dinner. I could see why Paris is called “The City of Light” because down every cobblestone road (I am now obsessed with cobblestone), there were so many cafes and restaurants all lit up, with plenty of sidewalk seating, and TONS of people… it was amazing! It was at this point when Kelsey and I began belting “Paris Holds The Key” (from Anistasia) on the streets of Paris.
We finally chose a pizza place to eat at because the matri’d was actually standing outside encouraging us to eat there (evidently this was more common than I had thought). He was a very funny Italian guy. We sat outside next to a middle-aged couple from England! They were a lot of fun to talk to. I had a glorious time sitting outside an Italian café, on a narrow street in Paris, watching the nightlife stroll by, and straining to see a few stars through the old buildings.
We left the Italian café fat and happy! I can only wonder what tomorrow will bring…
Wednesday, 9:25am, Paris
This morning I woke up to the sounds of French birds chirping outside our French balcony overlooking the little French street.
Ahhh, France!
I think I could live here!
So they don’t have shower curtains in our bathroom! What’s up with that? But at least the water is hot (unlike London, where I only got cold showers).
I watched French Sesame Street this morning, which is called “5 Rue Sesame.”
Now off to eat a French breakfast! I feel like Samantha Brown.
Wednesday, 10pm, Paris
Well, today was a BUSY day!
We had breakfast at the hotel in a little buffet café - there were lots of pastries and cheeses to choose from! After breakfast we checked out of the hotel and walked to our Paris apartment! It’s on a street called “Rue Domat” which is a TINY cobblestone street near plenty of cafes (a couple of blocks off Boulevard St. Germain), and a two minute walk to Notre Dame! It is truly a cute apartment and it makes me feel even more Parisian to be in a real apartment, next to real Parisians!
We mapped out a walk to get us from our apartment to the Madeline area (which has all of the designer shops) and then to the Opera area which is the location of Paris’ most famous (and biggest) department store: Gallery Lafayette. On the way to the Gallery, we passed plenty of other stores… and the Lovure (we’ll go there on Friday). We were awed more than once by the people on the street actually wearing the designer clothes! I saw several people do the Paris greeting thing - a kiss on each cheek. (I sort of thought they just did that in the movies.)
I wore my cute shoes which turned out to be a big mistake. By the time we arrived, by feat were beginning to hurt from the 3-mile walk. When we got to the Gallery (Kelsey and I blew past the Opera House because we were excited to shop), we were so amazed to find one part of the department store that was seven stories high and a block wide AND long! Holy Cow, that’s a lot of shopping!!! I was overwhelmed with all the people and shopping going on. We also found lots of cafes inside the gallery - but they were pricy! I had an impossibly delicious crissont for three Euros (four dollars)! The view from the café was amazing - a trendy, chic department store on the inside, but centuries of history within the timeless buildings outside!
We shopped like mad, then went to the Gallery’s home store, too! By this time my feet were in pain, so we decided to head home via a bus! With the help of a nice French lady (gosh, people in France are friendly), we figured out what sort of tickets to buy and how to read the bus map. I like riding the bus because you can see a lot without using your feet!
Our bus let us off about two blocks to our apartment. During those two blocks, we found a fantastic bread shop! I got a “pain o au chocolate” which was a delicious crissont with chocolate inside! We also got some bread (the apartment has a kitchen in it).
Back at the apartment, I fell asleep… which is totally unlike me. All this Parisian excitement was taking a toll!
An hour later, we decided to go to Par Lachez, the oldest, most famous cemetery in France. We hopped a bus, traveled to the “shady” area, and walked to the cemetery, but couldn’t get in! Then a guy told us that the cemetery now closes at 6pm because a few years earlier, some people had stolen a gravestone for Jim Morrison! (I had no idea who Jim Morrison was and thought the French guy was crazy, but later Kelsey explained that Jim Morrison is a really famous rock-and-roll legend). We said “merci” and decided to just walk back to the apartment (another three miles, but I was now wearing smart shoes). We stopped at a grocery store on the way back… that was a real experience! I couldn’t even figure out what kind of milk I wanted because I can’t read the French labels! For all I know I could be buying cream or something! I bought lots of fruits and veggies instead… you don’t need French to know what a banana is!
On the way home we passed a very cool, chic part of town, but we decided to visit it more closely later on in the week.
Crossing the Seine River at sunset was so beautiful (belle), especially with Notre Dame in the distance and pretty riverbanks lined with old buildings!!!
Time for bed now… bonne nuit (good night).
Thursday, 6pm, Paris
Well this morning we were going to wake up at 7am and get a jump start on the day. Instead we woke up at 11am, still tired! We scolded ourselves for wasting Paris time asleep, then got ready for the day.
We took the bus to Gare du Nord which (according to the map) looked close to Montmartre (the fabulous art district). The area of Gare du Nord was icky, skuzzy, busy, and unpleasant. But as soon as we got near Montmartre, the world was looking up… literally! Montmartre sits up on a cute French hill overlooking the city. Our first stop was Sacre Coeur - a stunning Catholic church on Montmartre. We had to walk up 268 steps to get to the church! Some people were paying to take this tram up to the church, but we thought we could walk… and we made it! (Well, I had to stop and rest several times because I am in NO shape to climb that many stairs.) The 268 stairs were well worth it because the view of Paris from Sacre Coeur was unbelievable! Inside the church there were statues and candles and stained glass windows and a painted dome.
Touring the art district was joyous - everyone wanted to paint or sketch your picture - and of course get paid for it too! There were adorable shops and perfectly French homes and an endless supply of (you guessed it) cobblestone streets! Lovely! This area is what I imagine when I think of France.
We slowly made our way down the hill, stopping in plenty of shops along the way. At the bottom of the hill, we stopped near the Gallery Lafayette again, but this time for food. I had the most delicious hot dog with cheese on it. I ate my meal like a true Parisian - while walking down the street. We shopped a bit more and made sure to stop in Foucher, an upscale, ritzy chocolate shop (woohoo), where I spent forever deciding which kinds of chocolate to try.
Now we’re back at the apartment getting ready to go to a museum.
Thursday, 11:30pm, Paris
Well we just got back from a lot of walking! First we walked the Seine River to the Musee d’Orsay which is a humungous art gallery - and very popular. We waited in line for an HOUR and finally got in. The museum is one block long and five stories high with several cafes inside. I saw works by Monet, Munch, Degas, Rousseau, Gaugin, Matisse, Pissarro, Renoir, and my favorite: Van Gogh. There were many other famous paintings there, too.
We left at 9:45 and headed down Boulevard Saint Germain. Although the boutiques were closed, the restaurants, bars, and clubs were alive and exciting! We explored many “hoppin’” back alleys filled with popular eateries. We finally settled on a street called Huchette which was filled with people and outdoor seating. Walking down the street was like traveling the world! There was a restaurant from every country! We ate hot chocolate and chocolate crepes (yum) and met a girl from the US who was studying in Paris (yay for English speakers). Exhausted, we headed home at 11:15. Now time for some much needed rest!
Friday, Noon, Paris
We did it again. We slept in! I woke up just before 10am and was ready to hit the town at 10:45am, when Kelsey was still asleep. I was NOT waiting around for her, so I left on my own to explore the 6th and 7th Arrondissements which are famous for lots of boutiques in hidden roads and alleys. You know how we have ice cream parlors in the US and they’re sometimes decorated really fun???... well here in Paris, they actually have crissont parlors! I also saw my first Parisian Starbucks. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to eat pastries at an American Starbucks again - after tasting Parisian pastries I’ll never be able to go back to the icky American pastries! It is also sunny out, so I’m gonna change and then Kelsey and I will head out for another day of French Fun!
Friday, 9pm, Paris
Well my legs and feet are currently in excruciating pain, but we’re still gonna go out in a few minutes for our last night in Paris!
We started out day looking for a bus that would take us to the Eiffel Tower. We were just talking and enjoying France when we finally realized that we’d been walking quite a distance and still hadn’t seen a bus stop! Then we realized that the street we were walking down, hoping to catch a bus on, was actually a one-way street going in the opposite direction! So we just walked the rest of the way. We passed so many perfectly French streets and markets… then all of a sudden we could see the Eiffel Tower!!!!!
I think the Eiffel Tower is kind of like a mountain… it doesn’t really look that big until you get up close, and then it just keeps on getting bigger and bigger! There were probably near a thousand people packed underneath the tower! We did not go up the tower, but we did take a lot of pictures.
Next we walked from the Eiffel Tower to the Arch de Triomphe - a monument to the victories of Napoleon. I got tired on this walk so we stopped for a (nother) crissont. At the Arch, I’ve never seen so much traffic! It’s like a mass of cars going in one big circle with no real lanes and no order. An accident waiting to happen… yep, we did witness a small car wreck there!
From the Arch, we began the famous Champs Elysees walk filled to the brim with designer stores and overpriced restaurants. Oh, how we wished we were rich! We stopped along the way for Hagen Dazs ice cream. Then we went into lots of other shops.
The Champs Elysees ends where the Tuliaries begins. The Tuliaries is the name of the massive garden that leads to the Lovure. There are lots of monuments, statues, and people. We ended our walk at the Lovure.
We entered the Lobure through the Carrousel de Louvre, which is sort of like a shopping mall with restaurants. WE had a bite to eat, shopped, and then entered the Lobure itself at 6pm (18-26 year olds are free Fridays after 6pm). People say that you should spend 3 days in the Lovure… we were spending just over 3 hours - yikes!
I was so overwhelmed just looking at the map! (In Europe, they call a “map” a “plan.”) My feet already were in pain (wearing my most comfy shoes), we didn’t have a lot of time to look at an unbelievable amount of art, and I sooooo wanted to seize this cultural experience! We decided to be very selective in which places we went. Still, I felt terrible spending fractions of a second at so many pieces of art. The art deserved more of my time! As someone who loves maps and feels confident and even excited reading maps, I was shocked at what a true challenge it was for me to navigate through this immense museum.
We saw incredible sculptures, and then moved through Ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt. We briefly visited Greek Antiquities and spent most of our time in the Paintings sections of the museum which were generally divided by time and place. We did see the Mona Lisa (by accident and without waiting in line), but we found plenty of other paintings that were more interesting and impressive.
We actually left the Lovure before it closed because we were just too tired.
On the way back from the Lovure, we were in total pain… but the sunset was stunning and we realized that tonight is our LAST night in perfectly wonderful Paris, so we had better enjoy it! We went back to our apartment to change.
Now Kelsey is whining and doesn’t want to go out… I have some convincing to do!
Friday 11:40pm, Paris
Well I got Kelsey out of the apartment - thank goodness! We strolled the streets of Paris (feet still in pain, but happy as clams), looking for a perfect little restaurant. (I have realized that we have always eaten outdoors here in Paris.) (On another side note, I also noticed earlier that Paris does NOT have a “scoop your poop” law for dog owners… I’ve had many near-misses with doggie doo!)
We finally found a restaurant called Menhir in a really hoppin area. We sat outside. I ordered crusted cheese (called something else in French, but I can’t remember), and Kelsey ordered escargot (shails!) which grossed me out. When our meal came, the French couple sitting next to us started laughing because Kelsey didn’t know how to use the snail-eating utensil the water gave her. The nice French people told Kelsey how to eat her snails (which looked green) and Kelsey said it was tasty! My crusted cheese was yummy… four kinds of cheese gooped between, in, on, and around thin bread. In France, they expect you to take a LONG time eating (but as Americans we’re used to rushing), so our bill took forever to arrive!
After dinner we went to Hagen Dazs (again) in this crazy, crowded nightlife area. Then we strolled back to the apartment. Time to rest our feet!
Saturday, 6pm, Paris
This morning I got up at 7:30am and went out for breakfast while Kelsey slept. I’ve become fond of a bakery called “Paul’s” which sells amazing breads and pastries for cheap! I have eaten an unbelievable amount of crissonts while on this trip.
Anyway, I ate my crissont while strolling the street, just like a Parisian! Thankfully, Kelsey was ready by 10:30am and we headed out to see the inside of Notre Dame. It was truly incredible. The stained galss windows were immense and detailed. The arches and domes seemed to go on forever! It was very dark inside, lit mainly by candles. The artwork and sculptures were beautiful! We were kind of disappointed at how rude the tourists were to the cathedral and its worshippers. At one point I thought I saw Quasimoto!
After Notre Dame, we decided to explore the 3rd and 4th Arrondissements which we had passed through on Wednesday. There were funky shops and swanky boutiques. We made sure to stop at “Cacao Et Chocolat,” an upscale chocolate store with unique, pure chocolates from literally all over the world! I spent 13 Euros buying just chocolate!
After the chocolate shop, we did a bit more shopping and then headed to the Ile de la Cite, a tiny and charming Island in the middle of the Seine River. There was an accordion player on the corner - how cool! We had lunch at a quintessentially French café on the island. We sat outside again. Kelsey had a Norwegian salad and I had the most delicious French Onion Soup! Of course I had chocolat chard (hot chocolate) to drink!
We poked around the island for a bit, but then it started to rain! Our first Paris rain!!! What is the best thing to do when it rains? Shop, of course! So we bussed it to the shopping area once more and wore ourselves out with the massive crowds of people shopping and bustling about.
On our way back to the apartment, we stopped to buy some more crissonts and our last crepes. I had the most delicious warm crepe! We made sure the apartment was tidy and said “goodbye” (or “au rivoir”) to our Parisian home.
The next challenge was to figure out how to take the metro back to the airport! Thankfully we made it with only minor confusion and now we are waiting in the tiny Charles de Gaulle airport for our check-in time. We are also eating our 13 Euros of chocolate… it’s a good thing we did all that walking or our tummies would expand like balloons!
Saturday, 9:30pm, London
Well we sat in the airport for four hours and our flight was only 40 minutes! Now we know we can leave later for the airport. The Charles de Gaulle airport isn’t even interesting! The flight was fun, though. Easy Jet’s color is orange, and the flight attendants even wore orange scrunchies! Kelsey and I looked at the pictures from our trip on the plane.
After our plane landed in England, we of course had to go through customs yet again. This time the line took forever because there was a girl a few people before us and she was evidently from Brazil, here to study English, and her paperwork wasn’t in order. We talked with the guy in front of us, who was from the US and working at a legal firm in London. We chatted for a while… I decided that he looked like Ben Affleck.
Then, after a sad goodbye to Kelsey (not the Ben clone) I am on a train headed to Gatwick where I will stay the night at the Holiday Inn with Tessa for one last night in England. We leave tomorrow for home. I am very sad to be leaving this exciting adventure! I definitely could have stayed in Europe for a LOT longer!
Sunday, 10:30am, London
Okay, last night the Ben look-a-like showed up again at the train station waiting for the same train as me (yay), but was in a different car of the train (boo).
Thank goodness for friendly British people, or I probably would be in timbuktu now! A nice British guy with dreadlocks made sure I got off at the right stop. Then I took a taxi from Gatwick to the hotel, where I finally arrived at midnight. I decided that the next time I travel I’m gonna be rich, because I’d much rather take taxis and have people carry my luggage everywhere!
Anyway, the Holiday Inn at Gatwick was VERY nice, but there wasn’t really time to enjoy it. Tessa and I left the hotel at 9:30am, had the easiest check in and security check at the airport EVER, had a leisurely breakfast at an airport restaurant (ah, I miss French food already!), and are now just waiting to board the plane!
There is lots of shopping in the airport here! I realized that I’m a fool and never visited Harrods in London, so as a condolence, I went to the Harrods gift shop at the airport and bought some stuff.
Well, it’s been a grand adventure. I think I could have used a thesaurus on this trip because I struggled to find words that captured the amazing-ness of the whole trip. Hopefully the pictures will turn out well. And who knows… maybe someday I’ll get to write in this little journal again on another European Adventure!
Friday, In The Sky
I am on a plane from New York to London. Our first flight out of SeaTac was five hours long. We sat next to a family going to the Virgin Islands for a sunny vacation. I slept most of the way because we had to be at the airport at 6am this morning! When our first flight landed at JFK in New York, Tessa and I had fun seeing Manhattan from our tiny airplane window!
Since our plane landed at JFK a little bit late, we had to run through the airport and through security to make it to our flight. The employees at JFK were not especially nice… maybe it’s just a strange New York sense of humor.
Once on board this plane, we were delighted to find that each seat had its own TV and remote! The TV had a map so you could tell where the plane was. It also has music stations and movie stations. I am watching “Cheaper By The Dozen, 2.” There are lots of people on this plane who are speaking with a London accent. One of the flight attendants lives in NYC, right next to a river. I’ll write more later.
Friday or Saturday (I’m not really sure)
We arrived in London at 6:13am on Saturday London Time (which is 10:13pm Friday in Seattle). I got kind of sick on the lane ride, which was seven hours long, so I’m glad to finally be in London.
At the airport, Tessa and I had to go through customs, where they stamped our passports! Then we exchanged US dollars for England’s “pounds.’ My $156 only got me 80 pounds and some change.
The next challenge was to figure out how to ride “The Tube” which is the subway system in London. We were supposed to meet Kelsey at the Green Park station. Thankfully we figured out how to buy tickets, get on the Picadilly Line, and get off at the right stop.
It was a happy reunion seeing Kelsey again! She took us on another tube line and then we walked to our hotel, the Thistle Westminster. Since it was only 8am, our room was not ready, but they let us check our baggage with the concierge. Then we were free to go explore London!
At first, we went to find a bathroom. In London, you have to pay to use the restroom. Then we just walked around the city a bit and took some pictures of charming houses, pretty gardens (most of which were private) and cool statues. I think it is weird that people in London drive on the left side of the road! I don’t know which way to look when crossing the street! Speaking of crossing the street… people in London do not follow traffic signals at all (watch out for your life)!
We found a café called Pret a manger, which means “ready to eat” (which we were) so we stopped in for breakfast. Now we are deciding where to go next.
Saturday Afternoon, 1pm, London (3am Seattle)
Well, we just got back from two places that I was hoping to visit: Portebello Road and Notting Hill (which are actually one and the same). We rode the tube to the Notting Hill station, got off, and followed the crowd (we didn’t really know where we were going). Notting Hill is an adorably colorful neighborhood with small streets. There were tons of people walking in one direction, so we followed them.
All of the signs led us to the famous Portabello Road (sing the song here). Wow! Portebello Road is incredible! It seems as if every little store and seller moved their store outside on the sides of the streets. (Fremont x 100) There were the most interesting and unusual things to buy! Oh, and the road went on and on for at least 10 blocks! It was a cheerful, sunny day with people strolling about the cobblestone roads just like in the movies! We went into some awesome shops and ate some yummy food (I had a hot dog). On our way out of Portebello Read, we bought fruit, bread, and cheese to take back to the hotel. It was a good thing we went early because the crowds were almost like sardines in a can by the time we left!
Now we are in our hotel room which is very nice. My mind is mixed up because of the time change. We’re going to take a much needed nap!
Saturday Evening, London
After taking a nap (and being very confused about what time it was), we decided to go out to the shopping district, Oxford Circus. I was ready to go quickly, but it took Tessa and Kelsey an hour to get ready (sing “You’re So Vain” here). Finally at 6pm we took the tube to Oxford Street. It was so crowded with people… and they were all moving fast! I think that Seattle, in comparison, is a lazy city.
Anyway, we shopped in lots of great clothing stores. London is a trendy city, and there are quite a few people who wear scarves and hats.
One thing we’re also seeing is lots of theatres showing musicals. The signs on the theatres are big and flashy… we took lots of pictures. I took a picture in front of Mary Poppins the Musical. We are planning to see a musical on Monday.
After shopping, we walked through Soho Square and then started walking the streets of Soho looking for a good place to eat. Almost an hour later (thanks mom), we settled on a pub called Devonshire Arms, which was cheap but totally authentic. A little too authentic for me. You see, most people in London smoke. A lot. They must not know that smoking causes cancer, even in people who breathe the secondhand smoke.
In the restaurant, there were three women from Spain who were smoking up a storm right next to us! So we moved to a different corner of the restaurant. This didn’t really help the smell, but at least we weren’t directly breathing smoke! We ate on the second floor of the restaurant, which is where the food is served.
After dinner, we took the tube back to our hotel. I think I’ve become familiar enough with the tube to find my way now!
Time for bed. Signing out at 9pm London time (1pm Seattle time).
Sunday, 9pm, London (1pm Seattle)
Today was a long day of culture! Unfortunately, Tessa has the flu, so she’s been in bed all day. But we took her camera so she’ll feel like she visited all of these amazing places.
I woke up at 9am today. I decided to go see if there was a Palm Sunday service at the famous Westminster Abbey. So while my sisters slept in, I got ready to go to church. With my trusty London map in hand, I set out to find Westminster, which is actually just a fifteen minute walk from our hotel. Westminster is beautiful and massive! There was a long line of people waiting to enter, so I figured I was on time. When I finally entered the church, I was amazed at the intricate architecture, lavish stained glass, and ornate statues. The pastor was having all the people just stand in the lobby. Then we sang an opening hymn and walked in a procession around the perimeter of the church, and then found our seats. There was no sermon during this service - it was mostly singing and chanting. The church is Anglican, so I was allowed to take communion, too.
After church, back at the hotel, Kelsey and I went out to the grocery store and to check the bus schedule. We took the bus to St. Paul’s Cathedral (from Mary Poppins… sing “Feed the Birds” here). Kelsey got a picture of me sitting “on the steps of St. Paul.” Inside the church, which is Catholic, was even more amazing architecture and stained glass than Westminster!
Right after we left St. Paul’s, it started to sprinkle, which was okay. But then it started to pour! And we still had to walk across the Thames river, via the modern and uncovered Millenium Bridge to get to our next destination! Sopping wet and cold, we finally reached the Tate Art Museum.
On the first floor of the art museum was a piece of art that was roughly 50’x50’x50’. You could actually walk through it (like a maze). From up high, it looked like a mountainous maze of sugar cubes. Each white, stacked cube felt a bit like soap. Interesting.
We went into another section of the museum called “material gestures” which was a collection of famous paintings by classic and expressionistic artists. I was in awe as I looked at actual paintings by some of my favorite artists (Monet, Mattise).
The other section of the museum we visited was a modern exhibit called “Poetry of Dreams.” I didn’t like this collection because I just didn’t “get it.”
We left the Tate Modern right when it stopped raining. About two minutes later, it started raining again. In fact, it was pouring down rain - and we were walking right next to the river, with no umbrella. I was NOT very happy. Suddenly, in the distance, I saw a glorious sanctuary - a familiar shelter from the rain: Starbucks! One hot cocoa later, Kelsey and I were re-energized and ready to trek back to the bus stop in the rain. The busses here in London are so much fun! They are double-decker busses, and sitting in the top “deck” gives you a wonderful view of London.
Back at the hotel, we checked on Tessa and then went out to dinner. We found a restaurant called Nandos, a Portugese restaurant specializing in hot spices and chicken. The atmosphere was fun and friendly, and the food was soooo tasty! Kelsey and I both ordered the minimum amount of spice possible, and it was still hot! We might go back tomorrow if Tessa is feeling better.
Anyway, we have a full schedule tomorrow, so we’re getting ready to go to bed now. Goodnight!
Monday Night, Just Past Midnight, London
Well I was supposed to wake up early this morning and do tourist stuff, but I woke up at 11am and was the first one of us sisters to waken! Tessa was still not feeling well, so Kelsey and I set off for our first activity: Hyde Park. On the way there, we stopped at Wellington Arch which had some cool statues and monuments. Then we crossed the street to Hyde Park. The gate had a lion and a unicorn on it and was called Queen Elizabeth II Gate. Hyde Park is way bigger than Greenlake in Seattle, so we couldn’t walk on every path… we had to pick and choose. The first walk we took was called “Lover’s Lane” which was lined with trees and ended with a fountain. Then we walked down to the pond to see the swans. Finally we strolled through the gardens which will be georgeous later in the spring!
Then we walked through another park called Green Park to get to Buckingham Palace. We didn’t see Prince William or the Queen, but the palace itself was large and ornate. It wasn’t quite as spectacular as I had imagined, but there were LOTS of tourists milling around.
On the way back to the hotel, we stopped at a café called Pronto a Mongia for lunch… yummy! I had a tomato, basil, and mozzarella sandwich. I also bought some postcards to send home.
Later today, Kelsey and I went out again. We started by walking through another park called St. James. We saw pelicans on a big rock in the middle of the lake/pond thing! This park was much more “in bloom” than the others we have visited. Then we accidentally ended up at the Horse Guard’s Parade and got to see the Changing of the Guard (which was not that interesting).
Then we went to Trafalger Square which had two HUGE fountains in the middle of it. There were LOTS of people there! Behind Trafalger Square was the National Gallery, a very large art museum. Kelsey and I only had one hour to spend in the museum, and we were SOOOO sad not to get to examine more of the art closely! We did get to briefly see works by DaVinci, Rounsiar, Van Gogh Monet, Gaugin, and many more. On our way back from the Gallery, we walked through St. James Park and past St. James Palace (which wasn’t very interesting).
So back at the hotel we got ready to go out to the theatre! We took the double-decker bus to the theatre district which has so many INCREDIBLE shows to choose from! Kelsey had purchased tickets to “The Producers” before hand, but (in typical Kelsey style) had purchased them for a week EARLIER. So I bailed her out and bought tickets for The Producers myself. Then we ate cake at the café for dinner because we didn’t have much time before the show started. The stage version of The Producers is WAY better than the movie! I just can’t get enough of singing and dancing on stage!!! It was fun leaving the theatre because we were walking down the streets with theatergoers who just got done watching Fame, Lion King, Chicago, Stop, or The Producers. So much fun!!!
Gotta go to bed… we leave for Paris tomorrow!
Tuesday, 3pm, London (7am Seattle)
We are on the plane, heading to Paris! There is quite a bit of turbulence, so hopefully my handwriting will be legible.
This morning we woke up at 7am. Tessa still wasn’t feeling well, so she booked another night at the hotel and just Kelsey and I would go to Paris for now. I spent the morning doing some shopping and last-minute sightseeing while Kelsey slept and then packed. We left and took the bus from London to Luton where there is a smaller airport for European flights. On the bus I got to see lots of the London countryside, including a moor (from The Secret Garden).
We arrived at the airport very early, but it turned out to be a blessing that we were crazy-early for our flight. Just as we had reached the baggage check desk, the fire alarm went off and the ENTIRE airport had to be evacuated! Imagine thousands of hurried travelers being told to leave the building, cross the airport parking lot, and stand in the freezing rain and wind! It was a nightmare. I found it funny that the security and airport officials couldn’t possibly sound mean or urgent while they pleaded with the passengers to evacuate the airport… to me they just sounded proper and polite with their British accents!
Thankfully there was just a tiny electrical smoke fire and everyone was allowed back inside about half an hour alter. It was like being in the middle of a British mosh pit trying to get back inside the airport - everyone had lost their precious places in line and were not in a double-hurry to catch their flights. It’s a good thing Kelsey has had extensive experience in mosh pits… she was skilled at elbowing people and knocking over old ladies to make it to the front of the line!
Thanks to Kelsey, we had plenty of time to get on our flight. The cool thing about a small airport is that you have to walk outside to get to your plane, and then you have to walk up the outside stairs to get into your plane (just like the president does). As I got to the top of the steps and was about to board the plane, I had a sudden urge to turn around and wave.
Anyway, we’re beginning our descent now, so I’ll stop writing. Our next challenge is to figure out how to ride the metro in a land that doesn’t speak English!
Tuesday, 11pm, Paris (4pm Seattle)
Whew! Lots of drama since the last entry.
Our plane landed and the airport took us by bus to the terminal (a one minute bus ride… so corny) and we got our baggage right away (yay). Then we had no clue what to do. I speak no French and every sign for directions is (of course) written in French! (I don’t know why it didn’t occur to me that it would be difficult to travel in a country where you do not know the language.) Thankfully, Kelsey took four years of French in high school so she could understand some of the words. We didn’t know how to get from the Charles de Gaulle airport into downtown Paris (where our apartment was). Kelsey asked someone what the best way to get into Paris was and they said “the Metro” which is an underground subway system similar to the Tube in London.
Next we had to figure out how to read the Metro map, whose legend was of course in French. Then we had to figure out what type of ticket we needed to buy. I kept on thinking “This would be SO much easier if people spoke English!”
Kelsey surprised herself (and me too) by remembering a LOT more high school French than she thought she remembered. She was able to speak fairly fluently with the ticket lady at the Metro. Thanks to Kelsey’s French, we boarded the correct Metro and got off at the correct stop.
When we emerged from underground, into Parisian life, we came face-to-face with: NOTRE DAME!!!! WOW!!! After a long day of transportation hassles, seeing Notre Dame (and knowing that our apartment was so near) was a welcome surprise.
I have noticed that Paris is a lot more crowded than London! It also is not as scary crossing the street in Paris (but it still isn’t safe like in the U.S.). Anyway, we dragged our luggage down cobblestone alleys lined with French cafes and filled with music. I was giddy. Finally we reached our apartment. We lugged our luggage up two flights of stairs only to find that the person who was supposed to meet us at the apartment to give us the keys didn’t show up!
Did you know that American cell phones don’t work in Europe? Kelsey’s European cell phone was out of minutes and we had no Euros yet, so we fought a bit over what we should do. We finally walked to the nearest familiar hotel (a Best Western) and booked a room for overnight. This would give us a place to sleep, free breakfast, and unlimited local calls so we could figure out the apartment mess. Now American Best Westerns are pretty icky, but Parisian Best Westerns are just lovely! We had a room with two beds, a bathroom, and a separate toilet room (totally weird), and two balcony windows that overlooked yet another adorable French street!
So Kelsey (using her mad-crazy French skills) called the apartment people and arranged to have the key delivered later in the evening. I turned on the TV and found only 2 out of 25 stations in English (BBC and CNN at that). So I watched a rerun of “What I Like About You” in French and could sort of follow the plot line!
We went out an hour alter, first to an internet café. We needed to update mom and dad with our location in case Tessa decides to join us later on. The café was REALLY smoky, and the words on the computer screen were all in French! But because I love the computer so much, I knew it well enough to know where to click (even if I didn’t know what the French words meant). Then I started to type… and it came out all wrong!!! Evidently French keyboards are different than American keyboards!!! So I slowly typed my e-mail… it felt like I was just learning to type again.
After the internet café, it was getting dark and we were getting hungry, so we went walking the streets of Paris looking for a yummy place to eat dinner. I could see why Paris is called “The City of Light” because down every cobblestone road (I am now obsessed with cobblestone), there were so many cafes and restaurants all lit up, with plenty of sidewalk seating, and TONS of people… it was amazing! It was at this point when Kelsey and I began belting “Paris Holds The Key” (from Anistasia) on the streets of Paris.
We finally chose a pizza place to eat at because the matri’d was actually standing outside encouraging us to eat there (evidently this was more common than I had thought). He was a very funny Italian guy. We sat outside next to a middle-aged couple from England! They were a lot of fun to talk to. I had a glorious time sitting outside an Italian café, on a narrow street in Paris, watching the nightlife stroll by, and straining to see a few stars through the old buildings.
We left the Italian café fat and happy! I can only wonder what tomorrow will bring…
Wednesday, 9:25am, Paris
This morning I woke up to the sounds of French birds chirping outside our French balcony overlooking the little French street.
Ahhh, France!
I think I could live here!
So they don’t have shower curtains in our bathroom! What’s up with that? But at least the water is hot (unlike London, where I only got cold showers).
I watched French Sesame Street this morning, which is called “5 Rue Sesame.”
Now off to eat a French breakfast! I feel like Samantha Brown.
Wednesday, 10pm, Paris
Well, today was a BUSY day!
We had breakfast at the hotel in a little buffet café - there were lots of pastries and cheeses to choose from! After breakfast we checked out of the hotel and walked to our Paris apartment! It’s on a street called “Rue Domat” which is a TINY cobblestone street near plenty of cafes (a couple of blocks off Boulevard St. Germain), and a two minute walk to Notre Dame! It is truly a cute apartment and it makes me feel even more Parisian to be in a real apartment, next to real Parisians!
We mapped out a walk to get us from our apartment to the Madeline area (which has all of the designer shops) and then to the Opera area which is the location of Paris’ most famous (and biggest) department store: Gallery Lafayette. On the way to the Gallery, we passed plenty of other stores… and the Lovure (we’ll go there on Friday). We were awed more than once by the people on the street actually wearing the designer clothes! I saw several people do the Paris greeting thing - a kiss on each cheek. (I sort of thought they just did that in the movies.)
I wore my cute shoes which turned out to be a big mistake. By the time we arrived, by feat were beginning to hurt from the 3-mile walk. When we got to the Gallery (Kelsey and I blew past the Opera House because we were excited to shop), we were so amazed to find one part of the department store that was seven stories high and a block wide AND long! Holy Cow, that’s a lot of shopping!!! I was overwhelmed with all the people and shopping going on. We also found lots of cafes inside the gallery - but they were pricy! I had an impossibly delicious crissont for three Euros (four dollars)! The view from the café was amazing - a trendy, chic department store on the inside, but centuries of history within the timeless buildings outside!
We shopped like mad, then went to the Gallery’s home store, too! By this time my feet were in pain, so we decided to head home via a bus! With the help of a nice French lady (gosh, people in France are friendly), we figured out what sort of tickets to buy and how to read the bus map. I like riding the bus because you can see a lot without using your feet!
Our bus let us off about two blocks to our apartment. During those two blocks, we found a fantastic bread shop! I got a “pain o au chocolate” which was a delicious crissont with chocolate inside! We also got some bread (the apartment has a kitchen in it).
Back at the apartment, I fell asleep… which is totally unlike me. All this Parisian excitement was taking a toll!
An hour later, we decided to go to Par Lachez, the oldest, most famous cemetery in France. We hopped a bus, traveled to the “shady” area, and walked to the cemetery, but couldn’t get in! Then a guy told us that the cemetery now closes at 6pm because a few years earlier, some people had stolen a gravestone for Jim Morrison! (I had no idea who Jim Morrison was and thought the French guy was crazy, but later Kelsey explained that Jim Morrison is a really famous rock-and-roll legend). We said “merci” and decided to just walk back to the apartment (another three miles, but I was now wearing smart shoes). We stopped at a grocery store on the way back… that was a real experience! I couldn’t even figure out what kind of milk I wanted because I can’t read the French labels! For all I know I could be buying cream or something! I bought lots of fruits and veggies instead… you don’t need French to know what a banana is!
On the way home we passed a very cool, chic part of town, but we decided to visit it more closely later on in the week.
Crossing the Seine River at sunset was so beautiful (belle), especially with Notre Dame in the distance and pretty riverbanks lined with old buildings!!!
Time for bed now… bonne nuit (good night).
Thursday, 6pm, Paris
Well this morning we were going to wake up at 7am and get a jump start on the day. Instead we woke up at 11am, still tired! We scolded ourselves for wasting Paris time asleep, then got ready for the day.
We took the bus to Gare du Nord which (according to the map) looked close to Montmartre (the fabulous art district). The area of Gare du Nord was icky, skuzzy, busy, and unpleasant. But as soon as we got near Montmartre, the world was looking up… literally! Montmartre sits up on a cute French hill overlooking the city. Our first stop was Sacre Coeur - a stunning Catholic church on Montmartre. We had to walk up 268 steps to get to the church! Some people were paying to take this tram up to the church, but we thought we could walk… and we made it! (Well, I had to stop and rest several times because I am in NO shape to climb that many stairs.) The 268 stairs were well worth it because the view of Paris from Sacre Coeur was unbelievable! Inside the church there were statues and candles and stained glass windows and a painted dome.
Touring the art district was joyous - everyone wanted to paint or sketch your picture - and of course get paid for it too! There were adorable shops and perfectly French homes and an endless supply of (you guessed it) cobblestone streets! Lovely! This area is what I imagine when I think of France.
We slowly made our way down the hill, stopping in plenty of shops along the way. At the bottom of the hill, we stopped near the Gallery Lafayette again, but this time for food. I had the most delicious hot dog with cheese on it. I ate my meal like a true Parisian - while walking down the street. We shopped a bit more and made sure to stop in Foucher, an upscale, ritzy chocolate shop (woohoo), where I spent forever deciding which kinds of chocolate to try.
Now we’re back at the apartment getting ready to go to a museum.
Thursday, 11:30pm, Paris
Well we just got back from a lot of walking! First we walked the Seine River to the Musee d’Orsay which is a humungous art gallery - and very popular. We waited in line for an HOUR and finally got in. The museum is one block long and five stories high with several cafes inside. I saw works by Monet, Munch, Degas, Rousseau, Gaugin, Matisse, Pissarro, Renoir, and my favorite: Van Gogh. There were many other famous paintings there, too.
We left at 9:45 and headed down Boulevard Saint Germain. Although the boutiques were closed, the restaurants, bars, and clubs were alive and exciting! We explored many “hoppin’” back alleys filled with popular eateries. We finally settled on a street called Huchette which was filled with people and outdoor seating. Walking down the street was like traveling the world! There was a restaurant from every country! We ate hot chocolate and chocolate crepes (yum) and met a girl from the US who was studying in Paris (yay for English speakers). Exhausted, we headed home at 11:15. Now time for some much needed rest!
Friday, Noon, Paris
We did it again. We slept in! I woke up just before 10am and was ready to hit the town at 10:45am, when Kelsey was still asleep. I was NOT waiting around for her, so I left on my own to explore the 6th and 7th Arrondissements which are famous for lots of boutiques in hidden roads and alleys. You know how we have ice cream parlors in the US and they’re sometimes decorated really fun???... well here in Paris, they actually have crissont parlors! I also saw my first Parisian Starbucks. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to eat pastries at an American Starbucks again - after tasting Parisian pastries I’ll never be able to go back to the icky American pastries! It is also sunny out, so I’m gonna change and then Kelsey and I will head out for another day of French Fun!
Friday, 9pm, Paris
Well my legs and feet are currently in excruciating pain, but we’re still gonna go out in a few minutes for our last night in Paris!
We started out day looking for a bus that would take us to the Eiffel Tower. We were just talking and enjoying France when we finally realized that we’d been walking quite a distance and still hadn’t seen a bus stop! Then we realized that the street we were walking down, hoping to catch a bus on, was actually a one-way street going in the opposite direction! So we just walked the rest of the way. We passed so many perfectly French streets and markets… then all of a sudden we could see the Eiffel Tower!!!!!
I think the Eiffel Tower is kind of like a mountain… it doesn’t really look that big until you get up close, and then it just keeps on getting bigger and bigger! There were probably near a thousand people packed underneath the tower! We did not go up the tower, but we did take a lot of pictures.
Next we walked from the Eiffel Tower to the Arch de Triomphe - a monument to the victories of Napoleon. I got tired on this walk so we stopped for a (nother) crissont. At the Arch, I’ve never seen so much traffic! It’s like a mass of cars going in one big circle with no real lanes and no order. An accident waiting to happen… yep, we did witness a small car wreck there!
From the Arch, we began the famous Champs Elysees walk filled to the brim with designer stores and overpriced restaurants. Oh, how we wished we were rich! We stopped along the way for Hagen Dazs ice cream. Then we went into lots of other shops.
The Champs Elysees ends where the Tuliaries begins. The Tuliaries is the name of the massive garden that leads to the Lovure. There are lots of monuments, statues, and people. We ended our walk at the Lovure.
We entered the Lobure through the Carrousel de Louvre, which is sort of like a shopping mall with restaurants. WE had a bite to eat, shopped, and then entered the Lobure itself at 6pm (18-26 year olds are free Fridays after 6pm). People say that you should spend 3 days in the Lovure… we were spending just over 3 hours - yikes!
I was so overwhelmed just looking at the map! (In Europe, they call a “map” a “plan.”) My feet already were in pain (wearing my most comfy shoes), we didn’t have a lot of time to look at an unbelievable amount of art, and I sooooo wanted to seize this cultural experience! We decided to be very selective in which places we went. Still, I felt terrible spending fractions of a second at so many pieces of art. The art deserved more of my time! As someone who loves maps and feels confident and even excited reading maps, I was shocked at what a true challenge it was for me to navigate through this immense museum.
We saw incredible sculptures, and then moved through Ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt. We briefly visited Greek Antiquities and spent most of our time in the Paintings sections of the museum which were generally divided by time and place. We did see the Mona Lisa (by accident and without waiting in line), but we found plenty of other paintings that were more interesting and impressive.
We actually left the Lovure before it closed because we were just too tired.
On the way back from the Lovure, we were in total pain… but the sunset was stunning and we realized that tonight is our LAST night in perfectly wonderful Paris, so we had better enjoy it! We went back to our apartment to change.
Now Kelsey is whining and doesn’t want to go out… I have some convincing to do!
Friday 11:40pm, Paris
Well I got Kelsey out of the apartment - thank goodness! We strolled the streets of Paris (feet still in pain, but happy as clams), looking for a perfect little restaurant. (I have realized that we have always eaten outdoors here in Paris.) (On another side note, I also noticed earlier that Paris does NOT have a “scoop your poop” law for dog owners… I’ve had many near-misses with doggie doo!)
We finally found a restaurant called Menhir in a really hoppin area. We sat outside. I ordered crusted cheese (called something else in French, but I can’t remember), and Kelsey ordered escargot (shails!) which grossed me out. When our meal came, the French couple sitting next to us started laughing because Kelsey didn’t know how to use the snail-eating utensil the water gave her. The nice French people told Kelsey how to eat her snails (which looked green) and Kelsey said it was tasty! My crusted cheese was yummy… four kinds of cheese gooped between, in, on, and around thin bread. In France, they expect you to take a LONG time eating (but as Americans we’re used to rushing), so our bill took forever to arrive!
After dinner we went to Hagen Dazs (again) in this crazy, crowded nightlife area. Then we strolled back to the apartment. Time to rest our feet!
Saturday, 6pm, Paris
This morning I got up at 7:30am and went out for breakfast while Kelsey slept. I’ve become fond of a bakery called “Paul’s” which sells amazing breads and pastries for cheap! I have eaten an unbelievable amount of crissonts while on this trip.
Anyway, I ate my crissont while strolling the street, just like a Parisian! Thankfully, Kelsey was ready by 10:30am and we headed out to see the inside of Notre Dame. It was truly incredible. The stained galss windows were immense and detailed. The arches and domes seemed to go on forever! It was very dark inside, lit mainly by candles. The artwork and sculptures were beautiful! We were kind of disappointed at how rude the tourists were to the cathedral and its worshippers. At one point I thought I saw Quasimoto!
After Notre Dame, we decided to explore the 3rd and 4th Arrondissements which we had passed through on Wednesday. There were funky shops and swanky boutiques. We made sure to stop at “Cacao Et Chocolat,” an upscale chocolate store with unique, pure chocolates from literally all over the world! I spent 13 Euros buying just chocolate!
After the chocolate shop, we did a bit more shopping and then headed to the Ile de la Cite, a tiny and charming Island in the middle of the Seine River. There was an accordion player on the corner - how cool! We had lunch at a quintessentially French café on the island. We sat outside again. Kelsey had a Norwegian salad and I had the most delicious French Onion Soup! Of course I had chocolat chard (hot chocolate) to drink!
We poked around the island for a bit, but then it started to rain! Our first Paris rain!!! What is the best thing to do when it rains? Shop, of course! So we bussed it to the shopping area once more and wore ourselves out with the massive crowds of people shopping and bustling about.
On our way back to the apartment, we stopped to buy some more crissonts and our last crepes. I had the most delicious warm crepe! We made sure the apartment was tidy and said “goodbye” (or “au rivoir”) to our Parisian home.
The next challenge was to figure out how to take the metro back to the airport! Thankfully we made it with only minor confusion and now we are waiting in the tiny Charles de Gaulle airport for our check-in time. We are also eating our 13 Euros of chocolate… it’s a good thing we did all that walking or our tummies would expand like balloons!
Saturday, 9:30pm, London
Well we sat in the airport for four hours and our flight was only 40 minutes! Now we know we can leave later for the airport. The Charles de Gaulle airport isn’t even interesting! The flight was fun, though. Easy Jet’s color is orange, and the flight attendants even wore orange scrunchies! Kelsey and I looked at the pictures from our trip on the plane.
After our plane landed in England, we of course had to go through customs yet again. This time the line took forever because there was a girl a few people before us and she was evidently from Brazil, here to study English, and her paperwork wasn’t in order. We talked with the guy in front of us, who was from the US and working at a legal firm in London. We chatted for a while… I decided that he looked like Ben Affleck.
Then, after a sad goodbye to Kelsey (not the Ben clone) I am on a train headed to Gatwick where I will stay the night at the Holiday Inn with Tessa for one last night in England. We leave tomorrow for home. I am very sad to be leaving this exciting adventure! I definitely could have stayed in Europe for a LOT longer!
Sunday, 10:30am, London
Okay, last night the Ben look-a-like showed up again at the train station waiting for the same train as me (yay), but was in a different car of the train (boo).
Thank goodness for friendly British people, or I probably would be in timbuktu now! A nice British guy with dreadlocks made sure I got off at the right stop. Then I took a taxi from Gatwick to the hotel, where I finally arrived at midnight. I decided that the next time I travel I’m gonna be rich, because I’d much rather take taxis and have people carry my luggage everywhere!
Anyway, the Holiday Inn at Gatwick was VERY nice, but there wasn’t really time to enjoy it. Tessa and I left the hotel at 9:30am, had the easiest check in and security check at the airport EVER, had a leisurely breakfast at an airport restaurant (ah, I miss French food already!), and are now just waiting to board the plane!
There is lots of shopping in the airport here! I realized that I’m a fool and never visited Harrods in London, so as a condolence, I went to the Harrods gift shop at the airport and bought some stuff.
Well, it’s been a grand adventure. I think I could have used a thesaurus on this trip because I struggled to find words that captured the amazing-ness of the whole trip. Hopefully the pictures will turn out well. And who knows… maybe someday I’ll get to write in this little journal again on another European Adventure!