Lisboa !
So today was the last morning in Paris. Scott & Alli took their bags over to the bag check lockers at Gare d’Austerlitz, and then over to the Louvre. I finished packing up my room and loaded up my enormous duffel bags and then dropped them off at the « Consigne », the bag check in my building for the next week or so (that is, until I come home). Then it was time to say goodbye- which sucked. We had a great time last night : we went to this really chic restaurant called « Bollywood Lounge » for Indian food and drinks. That was really fun. After that, we went over to a market, picked up some beers and sat along the banks of the Seine looking over Notre Dame and Hôtel de Ville- until there was a murder ! Further down the river, somebody was pushed off the bridge and drowned in the river- so needless to say the cop action was out of control. From there, we hopped on the metro and went over to Oberkampf, in the 11th to this really great bar called « Café Charbon » - it had this great decor/theme and we had a good time, despite their Sangria being terrible. From Oberkampf, the metro was already closed, so we grabbed cabs and went over to Les Halles, the center of Paris, and to the bar we went to the first night we were in Paris – O’Sullivans. It was closed ! Luckily, we know the bouncers, bartenders and owner, so they let us in- even though they were closed- it was fun ! I walked over to the left bank and picked up a bike and biked home.
This morning, as I said, we said our goodbyes. I got on the RER and went over to the airport for my flight this morning to Lisbon- on EasyJet- interesting name for this airline. Nothing about it was really “easy”. If anything, it should be ‘Stand-and-wait-foreverJet’. The lines were out of control! And since there are no assigned seats, everybody rushes the gate to try and get the seat that they would like. The plane was new, but the seats don’t recline! A bit difficult to sleep, thank God it was only a 2 hour flight to Lisbon!
I’m staying at this nice Bed & breakfast/Hostel in Lisbon- very small and really nice. Today I did some great exploring. My first impressions of Lisbon- a beautifully colorful city that has three huge problems, a. DRUGS! I was approached ALL day being asked if I wanted to buy pot, etc. etc. b. Tons of homeless people, many missing all sorts of body parts and c. I forgot the third- but I’ll remember later.
The sites were really pretty, but my favorite was the Estacião Rossio- a train station! It was gorgeous! Later, I had a great dinner- it was kind of like a Portuguese paella- but better! Spicier and fresher rice and seafood. I did more exploring seeing the Coloseu (a theater), the Palacio do Justicio (Palace of Justice), three special praçais (plazas) and a really cool church! I tried to find another famous theater, but the map wasn’t so great- so I couldn’t find it.
But what I did read about, and see signs all over, and when I get the password for the wifi here, I’m going to find out about Rock in Rio- a huge concert where Amy Winehouse and I forget who else- but a bunch of other big names- are performing on 30, 31 May and 1, 5 and 6 June- of which I’ll be here 30, 31 and 1st. I’m really excited to go to that! I hope I can get tickets or figure it out!
Lisbon doesn’t have a billion things to do, but the city is nice to walk around in (minus the aforementioned)- but there are a few art museums, an aquarium, some cool bridges and towers and shopping too! Great things and they’re so cheap! I was shocked!
Well, I’m going to sign off and go relax a bit, I was up last night until 4AM and got up this morning at 8AM, so I’m a bit exhausted- the hour long nap on the plane didn’t suffice.
Be home one week from today!
Bisous
Friday, May 30, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Last day in France
So I don't know if anybody is still reading, but I'll post, I guess.
Today is my last day in Paris (with the entire group here)- it's so sad. I can't believe the semester is already over and it's summer! Where did it all go? Jeez! I wish I could live it all over again, the exact same way.
It's been great having the gang in Paris: Alli, Scott, Meg and her mom (Kelly). Today, I had to ditch them to, dare I say it, pack. So while they were out all day, I packed. I have so much shit! But like the good Pole that I am, I put all of the space bags inside one of them and squeezed all of the air out to make room. Haha- didn't need them- it's better to have the clothes as cushion.
Tonight, we're going to this place called Bollywood Lounge- a cool lounge in the Latin Quarter (that is, my study abroad group of friends)- my friends from home are going to Montmartre to see Sacre Coeur and the Moulin Rouge, and eat at our favorite fondue place. So we'll be dining separately, but then after, we are all going to meet up and go out one last time in Paris (though I'll be back in Paris on June 5th, 6th, and 7th).
Tomorrow morning, I leave for Portugal. I'm very excited to visit Lisbon and then Madrid- but most excited to come back to Paris again, that is, before coming to NY. Though it may sound that I'm not excited to come home- I am. I can't wait to see my family and friends (especially you Callie!) but I'll miss my friends that I made here, I'll miss France, the language- the culture- the place itself! I wish I could just come home for a good 3 week or so vacation, and then come back to France. I loved it so much and I'm so grateful for this opportunity of a lifetime that my parents worked so hard to afford me. I love you!
Hope everything is going well with everybody back in the US- I miss you all- I think about you all the time. See you soon!
Au revoir!
Today is my last day in Paris (with the entire group here)- it's so sad. I can't believe the semester is already over and it's summer! Where did it all go? Jeez! I wish I could live it all over again, the exact same way.
It's been great having the gang in Paris: Alli, Scott, Meg and her mom (Kelly). Today, I had to ditch them to, dare I say it, pack. So while they were out all day, I packed. I have so much shit! But like the good Pole that I am, I put all of the space bags inside one of them and squeezed all of the air out to make room. Haha- didn't need them- it's better to have the clothes as cushion.
Tonight, we're going to this place called Bollywood Lounge- a cool lounge in the Latin Quarter (that is, my study abroad group of friends)- my friends from home are going to Montmartre to see Sacre Coeur and the Moulin Rouge, and eat at our favorite fondue place. So we'll be dining separately, but then after, we are all going to meet up and go out one last time in Paris (though I'll be back in Paris on June 5th, 6th, and 7th).
Tomorrow morning, I leave for Portugal. I'm very excited to visit Lisbon and then Madrid- but most excited to come back to Paris again, that is, before coming to NY. Though it may sound that I'm not excited to come home- I am. I can't wait to see my family and friends (especially you Callie!) but I'll miss my friends that I made here, I'll miss France, the language- the culture- the place itself! I wish I could just come home for a good 3 week or so vacation, and then come back to France. I loved it so much and I'm so grateful for this opportunity of a lifetime that my parents worked so hard to afford me. I love you!
Hope everything is going well with everybody back in the US- I miss you all- I think about you all the time. See you soon!
Au revoir!
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Summer!
Summer has taken Paris by storm.
By the way, sorry for not putting the Italy pictures links up! Here they are:
Pictures #1
Pictures #2
Pictures #3
So as for summer, it means, traveling by metro, at least during rush hour, is not only torturous, but you need a respirator. Just imagine all of those French people, sweating, in an un-airconditioned metro train.. Not good.
Thank God for Velib'. Vélo means bike in French, and libre means free, so they have Vélib'! It's so great. They're public bikes.. part of the public transportation system. So you swipe your card (Navigo), like a metro card, and the bike unlocks. You ride it wherever, obviously carefully, and following all of the road signs/traffic lights, under penalty of fines- which I almost got because I'm an ass - and it's great. When you're done, you dock it. Or if there is no dock, you can lock it up, and you take the key with you. It's so great. Plus, it's awesome exercise! Now I can get cardio in. A good hour per day..
Unfortunately, there are hardly any hills in Paris, except one- which I have to take to get home from class, it's about 1 km long. It's quite a workout. So I really love Vélib', especially since there is a docking station across the street from me.
What else? Well I'm certainly sad that this semester has FLOWNNNN by. But at the same time, very excited to see everybody at home. Ideally, I can come home for a month vacation, and come back- but I can't... I'm just very grateful for this opportunity. *If you knew how many times I had to retype grateful- French has screwed up my English....
Finals are next week.. I have one in Art History, one in "Actuality" (News), one in Paris, one for Grammar and one for Culture- so I'll be working, finally, unfortunately. But I will be done, with the exception of a 15 minute oral examination on Saturday the 24th, then all of my friends (and Kelly!) are coming to Paris on May 25th!
I leave for Lisbon on May 30th, then to Madrid on June 2nd, then I think back to Paris to say a tearful good bye, then back to NY on June 7th. Then Welcome Home Party on June 8th!
Can't wait to see you all. Miss you so much!
June 7th will be a very very bittersweet day for me.
OK- dinner and homework time
Love you all
Au revoir!
By the way, sorry for not putting the Italy pictures links up! Here they are:
Pictures #1
Pictures #2
Pictures #3
So as for summer, it means, traveling by metro, at least during rush hour, is not only torturous, but you need a respirator. Just imagine all of those French people, sweating, in an un-airconditioned metro train.. Not good.
Thank God for Velib'. Vélo means bike in French, and libre means free, so they have Vélib'! It's so great. They're public bikes.. part of the public transportation system. So you swipe your card (Navigo), like a metro card, and the bike unlocks. You ride it wherever, obviously carefully, and following all of the road signs/traffic lights, under penalty of fines- which I almost got because I'm an ass - and it's great. When you're done, you dock it. Or if there is no dock, you can lock it up, and you take the key with you. It's so great. Plus, it's awesome exercise! Now I can get cardio in. A good hour per day..
Unfortunately, there are hardly any hills in Paris, except one- which I have to take to get home from class, it's about 1 km long. It's quite a workout. So I really love Vélib', especially since there is a docking station across the street from me.
What else? Well I'm certainly sad that this semester has FLOWNNNN by. But at the same time, very excited to see everybody at home. Ideally, I can come home for a month vacation, and come back- but I can't... I'm just very grateful for this opportunity. *If you knew how many times I had to retype grateful- French has screwed up my English....
Finals are next week.. I have one in Art History, one in "Actuality" (News), one in Paris, one for Grammar and one for Culture- so I'll be working, finally, unfortunately. But I will be done, with the exception of a 15 minute oral examination on Saturday the 24th, then all of my friends (and Kelly!) are coming to Paris on May 25th!
I leave for Lisbon on May 30th, then to Madrid on June 2nd, then I think back to Paris to say a tearful good bye, then back to NY on June 7th. Then Welcome Home Party on June 8th!
Can't wait to see you all. Miss you so much!
June 7th will be a very very bittersweet day for me.
OK- dinner and homework time
Love you all
Au revoir!
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
May is here! So is summer!
So, way too much was done in Italy for me to sum it up other than what I already wrote and what I'm about to write. Pictures, I took over 600 there, are helpful, check out the 180 of them that I'm uploading.
Milan was OK. The Duomo, second largest church in the world, was the most incredible thing I've ever seen. See pictures (I'll be doing that A LOT).
I only spent the afternoon in Milan, and that was enough. I didn't have that love for Milan that some have- but that's OK, I hear that from lots of people.
The next morning, we took the train to Venice to see Scott. The girls (Meg, Alli and Kelly) were in Venice visiting, so they all picked us up at the train station. It was very close to our hotel and Scott's apartment. Venice was the most incredible and unique city. The weather was perfect our entire vacation, first off- so that's always good. Sun and warm- just how I like it. There wasn't one thing that made me love Venice, it was the ambiance in general that made me fall in love. I can't wait to go back. But not only were the sites great, it was the tour guide that made it! Scott, no surprise, is an excellent tour guide. His way with words ("They slapped shit on the buildings, see!"- of course not LITERALLY shit.) and his overwhelming knowledge of one city is remarkable. I'm so glad he took the time out of his days to tour us around. It would've been much more difficult and less enjoyable without him. He also cooked us a delicious dinner of chicken, pasta, vegetables and plenty of Prosecco (bubbly Italian white wine). We certainly ate very well while in Italy. I didn't skimp on gelato at all- I averaged 3 gelatoes per day, I think. (Seriously) Thank G-d we did so much walking!
After Venice, we went to Florence to stay with Meg, Kelly and Betty in their awesome apartment. Florence was so beautiful. I loved the stones in the streets and the Duomo there too! It almost looked fake! So much marble (not like Venice, since it's too heavy and would sink into the Lagoon) but the inside was pretty plainly decorated- but just check out the pictures of the outside! The Ponte Vecchio was cool, but not as special as the Duomo or the Piazzale Michelangiolo, this place higher up overlooking all of Florence and Tuscany- breathtaking. Meg and Alli did such a great job taking us around- Thanks! We went to the Academia to see the David, which was really impressive. We tried to go to the Uffizi, the other wildly famous museum of Florence, but in Italy (don't even get me started!) they have some stupid ass rule where you need a reservation to see a museum- great for tourism, the next reservation was not until Saturday- so needless to say, we had to skip it. But we didn't skip the markets!!
After Florence, we went to Rome. Rome was SO cool! I loved how the Ancient was right next to the modern (or "modern", 1700's). The ancient ruins were the coolest thing to me! We took a bus tour and saw all of the sights. See Pictures. The next day, we went to the Vatican City. We paid for a tour, and waited 3 hours to get in! The tour was supposed to SKIP the lines! We were not happy. But the Vatican was the most incredible place! The wealth of the Roman Catholic Church is quite stunning. The "Musei Vaticani" (Vatican museums) hold some amazing artwork. The museums themselves are spectacular, the way they are decorated and painted. But, the Sistine Chapel, out of this world. No pictures allowed, so google it to see why it's the most amazing thing ever. The talent required for that, just awe inspiring. After that was the Basilica of St Peter. Also amazing- see pictures. The next day we did the Colosseum and ancient Roman ruins. Those were one of my favorites too. All in all, I just loved Rome and Italy too. The one thing I can't STAND about Italy is their "customer service" or lack thereof. I yelled at waiters (in Italian) twice, in one week. Ridiculous. (AND LOST! That would never happen in France of the US). Anyway- the last day, the girls had an earlier flight, so I sat outside by the pool at our hotel and soaked up the sun- which was very nice. Then I flew back to Paris (with a layover in London). I must say, British AIrways really impressed me! They were really really super. Can't wait to fly with them again!
Anyway, I'm starving and it's time for dinner- so check out the pictures!
I'll write more when I get back from Valencia; I'll be there from tomorrow (8 May) to Monday, 12 May. Keep your fingers crossed for me that the weather is good there!
Love you all! Ciao!
Milan was OK. The Duomo, second largest church in the world, was the most incredible thing I've ever seen. See pictures (I'll be doing that A LOT).
I only spent the afternoon in Milan, and that was enough. I didn't have that love for Milan that some have- but that's OK, I hear that from lots of people.
The next morning, we took the train to Venice to see Scott. The girls (Meg, Alli and Kelly) were in Venice visiting, so they all picked us up at the train station. It was very close to our hotel and Scott's apartment. Venice was the most incredible and unique city. The weather was perfect our entire vacation, first off- so that's always good. Sun and warm- just how I like it. There wasn't one thing that made me love Venice, it was the ambiance in general that made me fall in love. I can't wait to go back. But not only were the sites great, it was the tour guide that made it! Scott, no surprise, is an excellent tour guide. His way with words ("They slapped shit on the buildings, see!"- of course not LITERALLY shit.) and his overwhelming knowledge of one city is remarkable. I'm so glad he took the time out of his days to tour us around. It would've been much more difficult and less enjoyable without him. He also cooked us a delicious dinner of chicken, pasta, vegetables and plenty of Prosecco (bubbly Italian white wine). We certainly ate very well while in Italy. I didn't skimp on gelato at all- I averaged 3 gelatoes per day, I think. (Seriously) Thank G-d we did so much walking!
After Venice, we went to Florence to stay with Meg, Kelly and Betty in their awesome apartment. Florence was so beautiful. I loved the stones in the streets and the Duomo there too! It almost looked fake! So much marble (not like Venice, since it's too heavy and would sink into the Lagoon) but the inside was pretty plainly decorated- but just check out the pictures of the outside! The Ponte Vecchio was cool, but not as special as the Duomo or the Piazzale Michelangiolo, this place higher up overlooking all of Florence and Tuscany- breathtaking. Meg and Alli did such a great job taking us around- Thanks! We went to the Academia to see the David, which was really impressive. We tried to go to the Uffizi, the other wildly famous museum of Florence, but in Italy (don't even get me started!) they have some stupid ass rule where you need a reservation to see a museum- great for tourism, the next reservation was not until Saturday- so needless to say, we had to skip it. But we didn't skip the markets!!
After Florence, we went to Rome. Rome was SO cool! I loved how the Ancient was right next to the modern (or "modern", 1700's). The ancient ruins were the coolest thing to me! We took a bus tour and saw all of the sights. See Pictures. The next day, we went to the Vatican City. We paid for a tour, and waited 3 hours to get in! The tour was supposed to SKIP the lines! We were not happy. But the Vatican was the most incredible place! The wealth of the Roman Catholic Church is quite stunning. The "Musei Vaticani" (Vatican museums) hold some amazing artwork. The museums themselves are spectacular, the way they are decorated and painted. But, the Sistine Chapel, out of this world. No pictures allowed, so google it to see why it's the most amazing thing ever. The talent required for that, just awe inspiring. After that was the Basilica of St Peter. Also amazing- see pictures. The next day we did the Colosseum and ancient Roman ruins. Those were one of my favorites too. All in all, I just loved Rome and Italy too. The one thing I can't STAND about Italy is their "customer service" or lack thereof. I yelled at waiters (in Italian) twice, in one week. Ridiculous. (AND LOST! That would never happen in France of the US). Anyway- the last day, the girls had an earlier flight, so I sat outside by the pool at our hotel and soaked up the sun- which was very nice. Then I flew back to Paris (with a layover in London). I must say, British AIrways really impressed me! They were really really super. Can't wait to fly with them again!
Anyway, I'm starving and it's time for dinner- so check out the pictures!
I'll write more when I get back from Valencia; I'll be there from tomorrow (8 May) to Monday, 12 May. Keep your fingers crossed for me that the weather is good there!
Love you all! Ciao!
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Italia!
So just a quick update post from Rome!
Last week, I spent it on vacation in France with my family. It was the best week of my life. We did Paris, the Chateaux of the Loire Valley, Provence and the French Riviera (including Monaco).
The left from Nice :( but I continued to Milan for the day. The Duomo was exceptional but Milan was not. It was nice, but I didn't love it.
Then we went over to Venice. One of the most spectacular and unique cities in Europe, for sure. It was so nice to see Scott- I hadn't seen him since January! Meg, Alli and Kelly (Meg's Roommate) were in Venice for the day and we saw some great things. I'll elaborate more when back in Paris.
After Venice, we took the train to Florence. Another cool city. The markets were fun, and the Duomo was beautiful. Tuscany is such an incredible place. Check back for pictures!
I am now in Rome and it is so great. It is so ancient and modern at the same time. I love it. Italy is such a great place, but I could never live here. They have a work ethic that can only be described as Italian. God forbid you need change of a twenty or you want to pay with your credit card!
Oh Italians, flashy as they may be, make me feel good about myself when I am wearing my sunglasses indoors! Haha.
Gotta run though
Miss you all and I will update you more when I get back to Paris, this Sunday night (Pictures, and more details)
Ciao!
Last week, I spent it on vacation in France with my family. It was the best week of my life. We did Paris, the Chateaux of the Loire Valley, Provence and the French Riviera (including Monaco).
The left from Nice :( but I continued to Milan for the day. The Duomo was exceptional but Milan was not. It was nice, but I didn't love it.
Then we went over to Venice. One of the most spectacular and unique cities in Europe, for sure. It was so nice to see Scott- I hadn't seen him since January! Meg, Alli and Kelly (Meg's Roommate) were in Venice for the day and we saw some great things. I'll elaborate more when back in Paris.
After Venice, we took the train to Florence. Another cool city. The markets were fun, and the Duomo was beautiful. Tuscany is such an incredible place. Check back for pictures!
I am now in Rome and it is so great. It is so ancient and modern at the same time. I love it. Italy is such a great place, but I could never live here. They have a work ethic that can only be described as Italian. God forbid you need change of a twenty or you want to pay with your credit card!
Oh Italians, flashy as they may be, make me feel good about myself when I am wearing my sunglasses indoors! Haha.
Gotta run though
Miss you all and I will update you more when I get back to Paris, this Sunday night (Pictures, and more details)
Ciao!
Monday, April 14, 2008
Eastern Europe!
So, Friday night- we went to the Ballet at the modern Opera House (Opéra Bastille) in Paris. It was my first time and it was really cool! The dancers were so talented, and so were the choreographers, and the costume designers and the lighting designers (for certain ones)- there were three Ballet schools: Noureev, Balanchine and Forsythe (two of them are from NY- represent!). It was really nice, even though our seats were SO high up!
We went back home instead of going out because Jess and I had to get up at 4:30 on Saturday to catch our flight from de Gaulle to Vienna, it left at 7:15 and by 9:30 we were in the city. We hopped on a tour at first and they brought us to all of the great places in Vienna, including the Schonbrunn (Beautiful Fountain, in German) Palace- which is a copy of Versailles (smaller) but more beautiful. It was incredible. After that, Jess and I grabbed fresh Apple Strudels and coffee and went back on the bus to finish the tour. After the tour, they dropped us off in front of the Opera house (Statsopera). From there we wandered around some of the parks/gardens to the Nationalbibliotek (National Library), Shmetterlinghaus (Butterfly house), Parlament (Parliament), the Rathaus (Town Hall) and some great churches- notably, Votivkirche. We were sooo tired after that (it was only 3PM)- so we went back to our hotel, on the main shopping street in Wien (Vienna, in German) and relaxed for a bit. Then, like we had already gotten married, lived our lives and retired, we went for a nice ITALIAN dinner at 5pm. By 5:45, we were done. We headed over the ferris wheel to get a good view of the city. It's really beautiful and baroque- I liked that a lot (see pictures).
We headed back to the hotel like a pair of AARP members and I was in bed doing some homework (like the nerds we are) by 8 and by 8:45, I was sleeping. How cool.
We had an excuse though- we got up at 6:30 on Sunday to take a bus to Bratislava, only 60km away- the capital of Slovakia (used to be part of Czechoslovakia, now it's Czech Republic and Slovakia). It took about an hour to get there, then our tour guide met us at the bus. He took us to this old castle/fortress on the Danube- but it was undergoing renovations, so we could only walk around the grounds. It was still so beautiful and quaint. It was interesting, since Czechoslovakia used to be part of the USSR, to see the communist architecture, aka Co-op cities on the other side of the Danube river. It was very communist- oil refineries (due to the 4000km long pipeline that sends crude oil from Russia) and housing- live and work. The other side of the river (traversed by this ultra-modern bridge that looks like a mutation of the Space Needle in Seattle) is the old city- it's so charming! Adorable churches, some famous- one where many (11 kings, 8 queens) royal family members were crowned during the reign of the Hapsburgs (the ruling family of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, for like 600 years!)
Since the city is so small, and it is a capital, the majority of the buildings we saw were old palaces that were converted into Embassies. It was an adorable city. We had some time to kill before our bus back to Vienna- so we sat outside in the square in front of the Opera and the Bratislava Philharmonic soaking up the sun- it was a gorgeous day!
We sunned for about an hour and a half then headed over to the bus station, and took the bus back- through the Austrian countryside. It was gorgeous. I was so impressed by the number of windmills for electricity generation! The windmill farms stretched out as far as my eye could see, in all directions. Rows and rows and rows of them. They're huge, and they look so cool on the green countryside with hills and mountains in the distance (the Alps are on the other side of Austria, these are the Capetians).
The bus actually stopped at the Airport, so we got off there instead of going into the city and then coming back. We were early, but it was ok. Thank God our flight back was much better than the way there. We were on Air France from de Gaulle to Vienna and our plane was so old it still had ash trays in it. The seats were so close to each other, I think I need to have my knees replaced. On the way home, the flight was code shared with Austrian Airlines, and this was much better! New plane- but the seats were all teal green with red or yellow headrests. A bit bizarre, I'd say. Especially since the flight attendants uniform is a red blazer, red skirt, red stockings, red shoes and a little light blue scarf around their neck. Quite the sight.
Overall, it was a great weekend. I enjoyed myself very much, and despite not understanding any sign anywhere, everybody spoke English or French and I really look forward to going back and exploring more of Eastern Europe- which is "Europe's undiscovered gem".
One a side note, I'm SO incredibly excited for my family to come visit! As of now, 3 days and 17 hours left until I see them- it's UNREAL! I'm also very excited for our vacation together and my spring break in Italy too- I'm especially excited to see Scott (who I haven't seen since January!) and Meg, Alli and their friends too (who I saw recently).
Alright, I should run to class now- since I'm late (due to online signup for courses next semester- 8AM EST is 2PM CET!) Next semester, oh boy. Not going to be fun, let's just say it now.
But here are the links for pictures from Vienna and from Bratislava. I hope you enjoy!
A toute à l'heure!
-Josh
We went back home instead of going out because Jess and I had to get up at 4:30 on Saturday to catch our flight from de Gaulle to Vienna, it left at 7:15 and by 9:30 we were in the city. We hopped on a tour at first and they brought us to all of the great places in Vienna, including the Schonbrunn (Beautiful Fountain, in German) Palace- which is a copy of Versailles (smaller) but more beautiful. It was incredible. After that, Jess and I grabbed fresh Apple Strudels and coffee and went back on the bus to finish the tour. After the tour, they dropped us off in front of the Opera house (Statsopera). From there we wandered around some of the parks/gardens to the Nationalbibliotek (National Library), Shmetterlinghaus (Butterfly house), Parlament (Parliament), the Rathaus (Town Hall) and some great churches- notably, Votivkirche. We were sooo tired after that (it was only 3PM)- so we went back to our hotel, on the main shopping street in Wien (Vienna, in German) and relaxed for a bit. Then, like we had already gotten married, lived our lives and retired, we went for a nice ITALIAN dinner at 5pm. By 5:45, we were done. We headed over the ferris wheel to get a good view of the city. It's really beautiful and baroque- I liked that a lot (see pictures).
We headed back to the hotel like a pair of AARP members and I was in bed doing some homework (like the nerds we are) by 8 and by 8:45, I was sleeping. How cool.
We had an excuse though- we got up at 6:30 on Sunday to take a bus to Bratislava, only 60km away- the capital of Slovakia (used to be part of Czechoslovakia, now it's Czech Republic and Slovakia). It took about an hour to get there, then our tour guide met us at the bus. He took us to this old castle/fortress on the Danube- but it was undergoing renovations, so we could only walk around the grounds. It was still so beautiful and quaint. It was interesting, since Czechoslovakia used to be part of the USSR, to see the communist architecture, aka Co-op cities on the other side of the Danube river. It was very communist- oil refineries (due to the 4000km long pipeline that sends crude oil from Russia) and housing- live and work. The other side of the river (traversed by this ultra-modern bridge that looks like a mutation of the Space Needle in Seattle) is the old city- it's so charming! Adorable churches, some famous- one where many (11 kings, 8 queens) royal family members were crowned during the reign of the Hapsburgs (the ruling family of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, for like 600 years!)
Since the city is so small, and it is a capital, the majority of the buildings we saw were old palaces that were converted into Embassies. It was an adorable city. We had some time to kill before our bus back to Vienna- so we sat outside in the square in front of the Opera and the Bratislava Philharmonic soaking up the sun- it was a gorgeous day!
We sunned for about an hour and a half then headed over to the bus station, and took the bus back- through the Austrian countryside. It was gorgeous. I was so impressed by the number of windmills for electricity generation! The windmill farms stretched out as far as my eye could see, in all directions. Rows and rows and rows of them. They're huge, and they look so cool on the green countryside with hills and mountains in the distance (the Alps are on the other side of Austria, these are the Capetians).
The bus actually stopped at the Airport, so we got off there instead of going into the city and then coming back. We were early, but it was ok. Thank God our flight back was much better than the way there. We were on Air France from de Gaulle to Vienna and our plane was so old it still had ash trays in it. The seats were so close to each other, I think I need to have my knees replaced. On the way home, the flight was code shared with Austrian Airlines, and this was much better! New plane- but the seats were all teal green with red or yellow headrests. A bit bizarre, I'd say. Especially since the flight attendants uniform is a red blazer, red skirt, red stockings, red shoes and a little light blue scarf around their neck. Quite the sight.
Overall, it was a great weekend. I enjoyed myself very much, and despite not understanding any sign anywhere, everybody spoke English or French and I really look forward to going back and exploring more of Eastern Europe- which is "Europe's undiscovered gem".
One a side note, I'm SO incredibly excited for my family to come visit! As of now, 3 days and 17 hours left until I see them- it's UNREAL! I'm also very excited for our vacation together and my spring break in Italy too- I'm especially excited to see Scott (who I haven't seen since January!) and Meg, Alli and their friends too (who I saw recently).
Alright, I should run to class now- since I'm late (due to online signup for courses next semester- 8AM EST is 2PM CET!) Next semester, oh boy. Not going to be fun, let's just say it now.
But here are the links for pictures from Vienna and from Bratislava. I hope you enjoy!
A toute à l'heure!
-Josh
Monday, April 7, 2008
Turkey! Parte deux
So unfortunately, I still don't really have time to write so much more about Istanbul- but a picture is worth a thousand words and I posted about 100 pictures, so that's plenty of writing. Today, the Olympic torch went through Paris (down my street!) so we went after class to see it. There were tons of people and even more "Gendarmes" (Cops) and CRS agents (basically the French FBI/Riot police) all over. The procession came through where we were standing, but evidently, due to I guess other attempts, like the London one yesterday (to put out the flame with a Fire Extinguisher) during its route today, they changed it, so the flame didn't pass right in front of us, unfortunately. But check out the pictures nonetheless, it was a cool experience!
Miss you all so much!
-j-
*I tried to upload the video of the Blue mosque, but I guess the internet was bad (surprise) and it wouldn't let me. Here are the links (two photo albums on Facebook) to the pictures I took in Turkey- they're only a fraction, since I took almost 300, in 2 days. I'm going to try and load the video here again once more, if not- I'll put it on Youtube and give you the link.
<3 To my mini-fan club
Thanks for reading my long posts- I hope you're enjoying the pictures and stories half as much as I am.
A good anecdote (at least for Kelly- and nan too), a man in the grand bazaar offered to buy Megan for 50 camels- but I had to refuse, saying that I already had 50 camels- lol Just Kidding- But he really did ask, and then I offered Jessica (my other friend with me) for 30 camels :P
Tchao!
Pictures #1
Pictures #2, suite
Miss you all so much!
-j-
*I tried to upload the video of the Blue mosque, but I guess the internet was bad (surprise) and it wouldn't let me. Here are the links (two photo albums on Facebook) to the pictures I took in Turkey- they're only a fraction, since I took almost 300, in 2 days. I'm going to try and load the video here again once more, if not- I'll put it on Youtube and give you the link.
<3 To my mini-fan club
Thanks for reading my long posts- I hope you're enjoying the pictures and stories half as much as I am.
A good anecdote (at least for Kelly- and nan too), a man in the grand bazaar offered to buy Megan for 50 camels- but I had to refuse, saying that I already had 50 camels- lol Just Kidding- But he really did ask, and then I offered Jessica (my other friend with me) for 30 camels :P
Tchao!
Pictures #1
Pictures #2, suite
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Turkey!
Wow- so, without a doubt, Istanbul is the most amazing city I've ever visited. Friday was our day of transit. Lufthansa was a great airline, minus both flights being delayed. We met Meg in Istanbul after getting our Visas, stamps and bags. We found a shuttle (which we ended up not paying for) to bring us to our hotel, across the street from the Blue Mosque and the Aya Sofia (and the Mediterranean) in the area called Sultanahmet. That night, we had dinner at a rooftop restaurant (very nice restaurant) with great views of everything. We walked around the area and then went to bed.
Saturday morning, we got up early (well at least I was woken up at 5:30AM by the Imam's (Islamic prayer leaders) announcing prayers (as they do 5 times daily, from loudspeakers on the top of towers called minarets)- so needless to say, aside from the uncomfortable mattress, I got up, showered (at 615ish) and went upstairs to read and enjoy the view- incredible (see photos). We then paid 46 Lira (23 Euros) for a tour that brought us to the Egyptian Spice Market, a bus tour through some important areas- where we got to see the tomb of Barbarosa, the Orient Express train station, Dolmabahçe Palace and then to the marina where we took a 1.5 hour cruise of the Bosporus. It was magnificent- truly spectacular- to be in between Europe and Asia- the most unique place ever. The weather was impeccable and we loved the cruise. After, we did some more bus sites then went to the Grand Bazaar- which is absolutely enormous. They sell tons of knock off bags and wallets- some at authentic prices, and tons of other goods- including these incredibly beautiful hanging lanterns that are hand made with glass pieces (I ended up buying one for 70 Lira, 35 Euros- you only go to Turkey once- right? Well maybe not!)
After the cruise and the Grand Bazaar, we took a taxi (or in Turkish, taksi) to the Aya Sofia (which ended up being down the street- 3 Lira cab fare) to go into the underground Cisterns- which used to hold the water for the city of Constantinople. It was very cool (see pictures). My descriptions are brief because there will be more information with the pictures- they explain themselves a lot as well. After the cisterns, we dropped some things off at the hotel (down the street) and went in to the Blue Mosque- which is by far, the most impressive thing I've ever seen in my entire life. Other than it smelling like a horrible mixture of Moth Balls and Feet (you have to take your shoes off to go inside)- I fell in love. It's so gorgeous. (See pictures and VIDEO! - I'll be trying to post that here later, It's hard to understand with so many pictures, the video makes it more clear- since it's so huge!). It's an active mosque and they pray there 5 times daily (in accordance with the 5 Pillars of Islam). A cool fact about the Blue Mosque is that when the Sultan was building it, he wanted 6 minarets, but the mosque in Mecca (holyland for Muslims) has 6- and he didn't want to rival the holiest place for Muslims, so he built an extra minaret in Mecca (now there are 7) so that he could have 6 in Istanbul. Cool!
After the amazing Blue Mosque, we stopped at a street vendor for a Turkish specialty- Sesame Bagels- So good! Only missing some cream cheese from David's. We enjoyed the snack and then went to see the Aya Sofia- once a church, then converted to mosque after the Ottomans conquered Constantinople in 1453, and now a museum (since 1939- Atatürk). It's over 1400 years old and looks it- it was also nice, but not as impressive as the Blue mosque.
After the Aya Sofia, we went back to the Grand Bazaar for more shopping- great success. We walked back down the hill away from the Golden Horn (an inlet of the Bosporus on the European side) and towards the Mediterranean and Sultanahmet (see a map of Istanbul, you'll get it then) and had dinner at this other great restaurant where I made sure to have plenty of Turkish wine- it was delicious. We were planning on going out to some clubs/bars but we were practically falling asleep at the table- so we went home.
This morning (well, yesterday- since it's 122AM in Paris), we woke up later, around 8- showered and had breakfast (which consists of packaged rolls, nutella, jam and butter) and then walked down to the Topkapi Palace (pronounced- Toe-pkah-pah)- which is on the Mediterranean, Golden Horn and Bosporus (see map- most ideal location ever) - and it was very nice too. The gardens were beautiful with views on the crystal clear water. We took a tour using the headsets of the Sultan's private harem and then had lunch at the restaurant at the Palace. After, we took a cap to Taksim Square (which we thought was on the Asia side, to our disappointment) to find that there was nothing there to see. We went into some building, but left because it was not for us. We took the metro to go find the Galata tower, and in one of the underground tunnels were vendors of Electronics, etc. and oh yeah, Guns. Not cap guns- but we liked to think of them that way to feel better. We took this other metro thing up a huge hill and tried to find the Galata tower, but Starbucks found us instead. We stopped for Starbucks to refuel then continued to find the Galata tower, until it began to POUR- unfortunately for Jess and Meg, they didn't have umbrellas, so the Galata Tower plans were cancelled and we headed back to the hotel to do some shopping in Sultanahmet and get our bags and head to the airport. The flight home was also late, no surprise, since they start checking in 1 hour before takeoff- oh Europeans.
I had a spectacular time and I look forward to the day when I return to Turkey. The Turkish people were so incredibly hospitable. They have the nicest manners, are delighted to talk to you (not to get you to buy anything, just to make you feel welcome). They offer you their specialty Apple Flavored Tea and a candy called Turkish Delight in every store (as a Westerner, my first reaction was, they're trying to drug you! But what every guide book [and guide] says is not to refuse- it's part of their culture. The turks were very warm and most everyone spoke English. We found a few people who didn't and I tried asking them Français Español Italiano and they looked at me like I had 5 heads. We asked other people.
Overall, I had an excellently amazing trip, but I'm glad to be back. This Friday, I'm going with my school to the Ballet, then Saturday morning (EARLY!), Jess and I are going to Vienna for Saturday and Sunday- which I'm very excited for. Then the Friday after that, mom, dad and Brett are coming! Can't wait.
Check back for pictures! I'll post them tomorrow! Love love love.
-jd-
Saturday morning, we got up early (well at least I was woken up at 5:30AM by the Imam's (Islamic prayer leaders) announcing prayers (as they do 5 times daily, from loudspeakers on the top of towers called minarets)- so needless to say, aside from the uncomfortable mattress, I got up, showered (at 615ish) and went upstairs to read and enjoy the view- incredible (see photos). We then paid 46 Lira (23 Euros) for a tour that brought us to the Egyptian Spice Market, a bus tour through some important areas- where we got to see the tomb of Barbarosa, the Orient Express train station, Dolmabahçe Palace and then to the marina where we took a 1.5 hour cruise of the Bosporus. It was magnificent- truly spectacular- to be in between Europe and Asia- the most unique place ever. The weather was impeccable and we loved the cruise. After, we did some more bus sites then went to the Grand Bazaar- which is absolutely enormous. They sell tons of knock off bags and wallets- some at authentic prices, and tons of other goods- including these incredibly beautiful hanging lanterns that are hand made with glass pieces (I ended up buying one for 70 Lira, 35 Euros- you only go to Turkey once- right? Well maybe not!)
After the cruise and the Grand Bazaar, we took a taxi (or in Turkish, taksi) to the Aya Sofia (which ended up being down the street- 3 Lira cab fare) to go into the underground Cisterns- which used to hold the water for the city of Constantinople. It was very cool (see pictures). My descriptions are brief because there will be more information with the pictures- they explain themselves a lot as well. After the cisterns, we dropped some things off at the hotel (down the street) and went in to the Blue Mosque- which is by far, the most impressive thing I've ever seen in my entire life. Other than it smelling like a horrible mixture of Moth Balls and Feet (you have to take your shoes off to go inside)- I fell in love. It's so gorgeous. (See pictures and VIDEO! - I'll be trying to post that here later, It's hard to understand with so many pictures, the video makes it more clear- since it's so huge!). It's an active mosque and they pray there 5 times daily (in accordance with the 5 Pillars of Islam). A cool fact about the Blue Mosque is that when the Sultan was building it, he wanted 6 minarets, but the mosque in Mecca (holyland for Muslims) has 6- and he didn't want to rival the holiest place for Muslims, so he built an extra minaret in Mecca (now there are 7) so that he could have 6 in Istanbul. Cool!
After the amazing Blue Mosque, we stopped at a street vendor for a Turkish specialty- Sesame Bagels- So good! Only missing some cream cheese from David's. We enjoyed the snack and then went to see the Aya Sofia- once a church, then converted to mosque after the Ottomans conquered Constantinople in 1453, and now a museum (since 1939- Atatürk). It's over 1400 years old and looks it- it was also nice, but not as impressive as the Blue mosque.
After the Aya Sofia, we went back to the Grand Bazaar for more shopping- great success. We walked back down the hill away from the Golden Horn (an inlet of the Bosporus on the European side) and towards the Mediterranean and Sultanahmet (see a map of Istanbul, you'll get it then) and had dinner at this other great restaurant where I made sure to have plenty of Turkish wine- it was delicious. We were planning on going out to some clubs/bars but we were practically falling asleep at the table- so we went home.
This morning (well, yesterday- since it's 122AM in Paris), we woke up later, around 8- showered and had breakfast (which consists of packaged rolls, nutella, jam and butter) and then walked down to the Topkapi Palace (pronounced- Toe-pkah-pah)- which is on the Mediterranean, Golden Horn and Bosporus (see map- most ideal location ever) - and it was very nice too. The gardens were beautiful with views on the crystal clear water. We took a tour using the headsets of the Sultan's private harem and then had lunch at the restaurant at the Palace. After, we took a cap to Taksim Square (which we thought was on the Asia side, to our disappointment) to find that there was nothing there to see. We went into some building, but left because it was not for us. We took the metro to go find the Galata tower, and in one of the underground tunnels were vendors of Electronics, etc. and oh yeah, Guns. Not cap guns- but we liked to think of them that way to feel better. We took this other metro thing up a huge hill and tried to find the Galata tower, but Starbucks found us instead. We stopped for Starbucks to refuel then continued to find the Galata tower, until it began to POUR- unfortunately for Jess and Meg, they didn't have umbrellas, so the Galata Tower plans were cancelled and we headed back to the hotel to do some shopping in Sultanahmet and get our bags and head to the airport. The flight home was also late, no surprise, since they start checking in 1 hour before takeoff- oh Europeans.
I had a spectacular time and I look forward to the day when I return to Turkey. The Turkish people were so incredibly hospitable. They have the nicest manners, are delighted to talk to you (not to get you to buy anything, just to make you feel welcome). They offer you their specialty Apple Flavored Tea and a candy called Turkish Delight in every store (as a Westerner, my first reaction was, they're trying to drug you! But what every guide book [and guide] says is not to refuse- it's part of their culture. The turks were very warm and most everyone spoke English. We found a few people who didn't and I tried asking them Français Español Italiano and they looked at me like I had 5 heads. We asked other people.
Overall, I had an excellently amazing trip, but I'm glad to be back. This Friday, I'm going with my school to the Ballet, then Saturday morning (EARLY!), Jess and I are going to Vienna for Saturday and Sunday- which I'm very excited for. Then the Friday after that, mom, dad and Brett are coming! Can't wait.
Check back for pictures! I'll post them tomorrow! Love love love.
-jd-
Monday, March 31, 2008
Spring has arrived in Paris, France!
Before I forget, check out these pictures- I took them this weekend when I went to Champagne!
Ok, so just got back from class- it's finally beautiful out! Spring has sprung in Paris as the weather forecast (excepting tomorrow) is 16 (57F) and sunny! A great way to start April- for all those readers out there who know me (how pathetic- hi mom, that's about all of my readers - anyway :P) I did some spring cleaning today - hardly sufficient though. Laundry was CERTAINLY in order- that's in the machines now. New sheets, food shopping- cleaned my VERY mini-fridge and my "quarter bathroom" (only a sink- quarter or third?).
So I'm just realizing some frightening things: a. It's April (well, tomorrow)- and that means I'm so close to the end of this wonderfully amazingly ethereal euphoric (sephoric!) experience - which makes me very sad (though I am very happy to see my family and friends) - this friday morning, Jess and I are leaving Roissy (Charles de Gaulle airport, it's what "we" Parisians call it) for a stopover in Francfort (as it's spelled in French) and then landing in Istanbul, Turkey- to meet Meg! I can't wait! Unfortunately, the last weather forecast I checked said rain- but I'm keeping my fingers crossed- Istanbul is an incredibly beautiful and historicc city- and yes, don't worry Mom, Nan, etc. I went on the US State Dep't website and read all of the warnings about traveling in Turkey- and specifically Istanbul, I'm practically half way to a J.D. in Turkish law- so we'll be fine! Be right back, laundry! Not that you're going anywhere...
Never-mind, wasn't done yet. So yes Turkey, then the Ballet on the night of Fri, 11 April, then the next morning Jess and I are going to Vienna (to discover some of my heritage and origins.. ? ). The week after Mom, Dad and Brett are coming (can't wait!!) - then Italy for 11 days, then Valencia, Spain for 5 days - studying for finals and a week in June before I come home. That's fast! So we're not allowed to look forward to anything other than "le maintenant" (what's happening now- that's our rule so as not to help the time fly by faster)
and b. I have two-10 page papers due 16 April that I just got the topics for today- So this week is going to be, yeah (and next week too)- and God knows, with the way the internet works here- I might just commit su. (Now I'm in the laundry room- FYI** ["Eff you FYI, guests should never wear more jewelry than their hosts!" lol for those of you who get that Brenda Dickson reference]). One paper is for art history- it's on the shock of Impressionism at the time, it's immediate rejection and it's later adoration. My other paper is on the euro, the unification of Europe and the new European identity (since the 70's). Then in May I have a 10 minute presentation on the big literary movements of French literature (SEE! I actually do have work!!)
So needless to say, I'm going to get cracking on those. (Sorry for the long post, it's been a while, with 3 weeks of visitors- so I'm catching you up on my life!) This past Saturday, we took a day trip to the region of France called Champagne (2 hours east)- the only place in the world that Champagne is made- otherwise it's Sparkling Wine, Spumante, Shit, etc. We first went to the town of Reims (pronounced "Rahnns)- Oh boy these dryers better finish soon, I don't like a pile of wet laundry..... - Anyway, focus. So Reims is the town in France, capital of the region Champagne- with the largest, most beautiful gothic cathedral. It's like twice is big and decorated as Notre Dame de Paris. Due to the bombing during WW II, many of the beautiful stained glass windows (henceforth to be referred to as the French word "vitraux" because it's WAY shorter) were destroyed. So the famous artist Chagalle replaced a section of the vitraux and they're incredible. The rose windows (see pictures above) are nothing short of breathtaking. This cathedal (C. de Reims, I'll call it) is where the first (Catholic) king of France, Clovis, was baptized. In fact, since then- every King of France was crowned there. Down the street is the Basilica of St. Rémy, which is even older and dates back to the years 500- so it's way different looking- older, obviously, but Romanesque style- also quite impressive. St. Rémy is buried there.
We then had lunch on the main pedestrian street in Reims where they were having an outdoor fair (the weather was perfect) for the French organisation "SIDAction" (in French, AIDS is translated to SIDA)- so AIDS Action- concerts, etc. and we had lunch (with Céline and her daughter, Laetitia) at a sidewalk café - mind you all drinking beers together (not Laetitia, though it wouldn't shock me- she's 5). From there, we went to a town called Hautvillers (where all of the huge Champagne "houses" are - Moet, Taitigner, Mercier, etc. We went to this small church where Dom Perignon is buried - he was the monk that invented Champagne. The view from his church is spectacular- see pictures above. In that church are some ridiculously old relics- bones of Saints (that don't decay- since they're saints- so them Catholics say...) dating to the year 300! (In a gold/glass case- pretty cool - random people though, the mother of St. Rémy, etc.)
The views were great, but we had had enough of the educational part, we were ready to hit the Mercier Champagne cellars hard. We took this cool tour on a train through the cellars and learned about the history of Eugène Mercier, a real advertising genius- during the World's Fair of 1889 (the debut of the Eiffel Tower) the rival of visitors was Mercier's champagne and the Hot Air Balloon tours of Paris, while drinking Mercier. Cool.
The tour was great and all, but then we got a glass of champagne (only one! "Not nearly effective" {another great reference for those who get it}). But I bought a bottle to enjoy with my family when they come here- if I don't drink it before then. They're coming in 10 minutes.
What else? Then bus ride home.
Due to my S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder), I'm in a phenomenal mood- and will tentatively be for a while! Wonderful (as long as these papers and the lack of adequate internet don't make me hurt someone).
I miss you all very much and love to hear from you- so if you see I'm online, but not there- please leave me a message or send me a quick e-mail! I miss you guys so very much!
Here's a shoutout to KCavs and Kelly who I know always read my blog- my mom reads Meg and Laura's blogs all the time too.
Love Love Love
Bisous
Ok, so just got back from class- it's finally beautiful out! Spring has sprung in Paris as the weather forecast (excepting tomorrow) is 16 (57F) and sunny! A great way to start April- for all those readers out there who know me (how pathetic- hi mom, that's about all of my readers - anyway :P) I did some spring cleaning today - hardly sufficient though. Laundry was CERTAINLY in order- that's in the machines now. New sheets, food shopping- cleaned my VERY mini-fridge and my "quarter bathroom" (only a sink- quarter or third?).
So I'm just realizing some frightening things: a. It's April (well, tomorrow)- and that means I'm so close to the end of this wonderfully amazingly ethereal euphoric (sephoric!) experience - which makes me very sad (though I am very happy to see my family and friends) - this friday morning, Jess and I are leaving Roissy (Charles de Gaulle airport, it's what "we" Parisians call it) for a stopover in Francfort (as it's spelled in French) and then landing in Istanbul, Turkey- to meet Meg! I can't wait! Unfortunately, the last weather forecast I checked said rain- but I'm keeping my fingers crossed- Istanbul is an incredibly beautiful and historicc city- and yes, don't worry Mom, Nan, etc. I went on the US State Dep't website and read all of the warnings about traveling in Turkey- and specifically Istanbul, I'm practically half way to a J.D. in Turkish law- so we'll be fine! Be right back, laundry! Not that you're going anywhere...
Never-mind, wasn't done yet. So yes Turkey, then the Ballet on the night of Fri, 11 April, then the next morning Jess and I are going to Vienna (to discover some of my heritage and origins.. ? ). The week after Mom, Dad and Brett are coming (can't wait!!) - then Italy for 11 days, then Valencia, Spain for 5 days - studying for finals and a week in June before I come home. That's fast! So we're not allowed to look forward to anything other than "le maintenant" (what's happening now- that's our rule so as not to help the time fly by faster)
and b. I have two-10 page papers due 16 April that I just got the topics for today- So this week is going to be, yeah (and next week too)- and God knows, with the way the internet works here- I might just commit su. (Now I'm in the laundry room- FYI** ["Eff you FYI, guests should never wear more jewelry than their hosts!" lol for those of you who get that Brenda Dickson reference]). One paper is for art history- it's on the shock of Impressionism at the time, it's immediate rejection and it's later adoration. My other paper is on the euro, the unification of Europe and the new European identity (since the 70's). Then in May I have a 10 minute presentation on the big literary movements of French literature (SEE! I actually do have work!!)
So needless to say, I'm going to get cracking on those. (Sorry for the long post, it's been a while, with 3 weeks of visitors- so I'm catching you up on my life!) This past Saturday, we took a day trip to the region of France called Champagne (2 hours east)- the only place in the world that Champagne is made- otherwise it's Sparkling Wine, Spumante, Shit, etc. We first went to the town of Reims (pronounced "Rahnns)- Oh boy these dryers better finish soon, I don't like a pile of wet laundry..... - Anyway, focus. So Reims is the town in France, capital of the region Champagne- with the largest, most beautiful gothic cathedral. It's like twice is big and decorated as Notre Dame de Paris. Due to the bombing during WW II, many of the beautiful stained glass windows (henceforth to be referred to as the French word "vitraux" because it's WAY shorter) were destroyed. So the famous artist Chagalle replaced a section of the vitraux and they're incredible. The rose windows (see pictures above) are nothing short of breathtaking. This cathedal (C. de Reims, I'll call it) is where the first (Catholic) king of France, Clovis, was baptized. In fact, since then- every King of France was crowned there. Down the street is the Basilica of St. Rémy, which is even older and dates back to the years 500- so it's way different looking- older, obviously, but Romanesque style- also quite impressive. St. Rémy is buried there.
We then had lunch on the main pedestrian street in Reims where they were having an outdoor fair (the weather was perfect) for the French organisation "SIDAction" (in French, AIDS is translated to SIDA)- so AIDS Action- concerts, etc. and we had lunch (with Céline and her daughter, Laetitia) at a sidewalk café - mind you all drinking beers together (not Laetitia, though it wouldn't shock me- she's 5). From there, we went to a town called Hautvillers (where all of the huge Champagne "houses" are - Moet, Taitigner, Mercier, etc. We went to this small church where Dom Perignon is buried - he was the monk that invented Champagne. The view from his church is spectacular- see pictures above. In that church are some ridiculously old relics- bones of Saints (that don't decay- since they're saints- so them Catholics say...) dating to the year 300! (In a gold/glass case- pretty cool - random people though, the mother of St. Rémy, etc.)
The views were great, but we had had enough of the educational part, we were ready to hit the Mercier Champagne cellars hard. We took this cool tour on a train through the cellars and learned about the history of Eugène Mercier, a real advertising genius- during the World's Fair of 1889 (the debut of the Eiffel Tower) the rival of visitors was Mercier's champagne and the Hot Air Balloon tours of Paris, while drinking Mercier. Cool.
The tour was great and all, but then we got a glass of champagne (only one! "Not nearly effective" {another great reference for those who get it}). But I bought a bottle to enjoy with my family when they come here- if I don't drink it before then. They're coming in 10 minutes.
What else? Then bus ride home.
Due to my S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder), I'm in a phenomenal mood- and will tentatively be for a while! Wonderful (as long as these papers and the lack of adequate internet don't make me hurt someone).
I miss you all very much and love to hear from you- so if you see I'm online, but not there- please leave me a message or send me a quick e-mail! I miss you guys so very much!
Here's a shoutout to KCavs and Kelly who I know always read my blog- my mom reads Meg and Laura's blogs all the time too.
Love Love Love
Bisous
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Tchao!
Hey.
I guess the Fondation is like a hotel- Callie left, and now Isa and Laura are here with me for the week. It's SO nice having guests!! People should come more often. It's even nicer since, you know, we've already seen Paris before- we don't have to do cheesey tourist things. So we're enjoying our time (or at least I know I am...)
Classes are good and um - yeah- same old same old here in Paris. The weather has gotten a bit cold, and as QUITE unusual, we have snow predicted for later in this week- it NEVER snows in Paris! Global warming for you-
But we're still making the best of it, I don't mind the temperature, just as long as it doesn't rain!! It always rains in Paris in March, but thankfully, March will soon be over- and with April comes the nice flowers and sun!
That's all from Paris now- no news is good news.
Love you all very much
Bisous
Josh
I guess the Fondation is like a hotel- Callie left, and now Isa and Laura are here with me for the week. It's SO nice having guests!! People should come more often. It's even nicer since, you know, we've already seen Paris before- we don't have to do cheesey tourist things. So we're enjoying our time (or at least I know I am...)
Classes are good and um - yeah- same old same old here in Paris. The weather has gotten a bit cold, and as QUITE unusual, we have snow predicted for later in this week- it NEVER snows in Paris! Global warming for you-
But we're still making the best of it, I don't mind the temperature, just as long as it doesn't rain!! It always rains in Paris in March, but thankfully, March will soon be over- and with April comes the nice flowers and sun!
That's all from Paris now- no news is good news.
Love you all very much
Bisous
Josh
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Shoutout!
This short post is a shoutout for Kelly, sine I promised her one and didn't follow through!
It was great to see your daughter- and the rest of my friends too this weekend
I hope you and Wendy have a great trip to Italy!
Buon Viaggio!!
Bisous-
Josh
It was great to see your daughter- and the rest of my friends too this weekend
I hope you and Wendy have a great trip to Italy!
Buon Viaggio!!
Bisous-
Josh
Monday, March 10, 2008
Visitors! Finally!
What an amazing weekend! Thursday night, I went down to Orly Airport, which only took 25 minutes (how convenient!) to pick up Alli and Meg- it was so nice to see them! Meg got her hair cut in Italy, and she looks so great! It's a bit shorter, but it frames her face and she looks so pretty! It was great to see the two of them- they strutted off the plane like two Italian models, dressed to the nines. We took the Orlybus back to Paris, and it was great, it took 15 minutes! They came back to my place, we hung out for a bit, then went to their hotel and stayed up talking.
The next morning, I had phonetics, but after class, I picked up some fresh pain au chocolate for Alli, Meg, Norah and Laura and we to go meet Laura and Norah at Denfert- Rochereau, where Orlybus drops off. We dropped their stuff off at the hotel and hit the town. We did major site seeing at the Pantheon, which was decorated in honor of Women's day. We checked out the necropolis (greek for "City of the Dead" - enjoy that Big Fat Greek Wedding reference, that's all you're getting Nan!) Seth, Norah's boyfriend (studying abroad in London), met us (after finishing up his spring break in Rome). We did tons of site-seeing from there. We went to Trocadéro, the Eiffel Tower in daylight, dusk and night- then headed over to Notre Dame to have dinner at Hippo- a great chain restaurant in France- with AMAZING sangria! We had a nice dinner, went for Gelato and Hot Chocolate, then headed back over to the Eiffel Tower, to see it again- and then head up to the Arc de Triomphe.
We were pretty beat after that, so we headed home. The next morning, I woke up, did some food shopping for my guests- then headed over to Charles de Gaulle- the largest, most confusing airport in Europe. I found Callie, which was so nice- even though her flight was a bit late. We came back, she freshened up and we hit the ground running, again. We went to meet everyone else at the Louvre and we walked down rue de Rivoli to see the Vendôme, Concorde and then a bit of the Champs Elysées, over the the Grand and Petit Palais, pont Alexandre III, the banks of the Seine, the Invalides, a cute garden- then took the metro up to Montmartre. We walked around admiring the artists paintings, then walked the corner to see the greatest views of Paris. We also enjoyed the beautiful Sacre Coeur basilica before going to a Fondu restaurant- where they pack you in like sardines (Brett would hate it- no leg room)- and drink wine out of a baby bottle. Of course, me like an idiot, never having gone there- dipped the raw beef in the cheese and continued to eat it until the guy who works there came over and called me an idiot (basically) and gave us oil to cook the beef in- oups. Luckily, I am salmonella free.
After that, we walked around Montmartre and had desserts and after-dinner drinks at this bar where they decided to play the Sax and piano extremely loud- nice. We left there. Walked around the Faubourg Pigalle (sex district) and saw Moulin Rouge and Folies Bergeres - before coming home wiped and tipsy.
The next morning, we woke up to go have these great pastries for breakfast, but the Patisserie was closed! Pas de soucis- we went to Crêpes à Gogo for the best French Onion soup in Paris (or as we call it - Onion soup)! Meg and Alli had to return to Italy so we said our "au revoirs". After, we headed over to the Impressionism museum - Musée d'Orsay (a former train station,n converted) for a few hours, before grabbing a quick lunch and sending Laura and Norah back to Spain. Seth later went back to London, around dinner time.
I was sure to stuff them with amazingly delicious Parisian food. I gave them quite the tour, spitting out endless facts about the sites. I really enjoyed being a tour guide of Paris! But even more so, being with my friends.
Now, I'm so lucky- I get one-on-one time with Callie for the REST OF THE WEEK! I'm so happy! Tonight I cooked us dinner, and we had tacos- yum!
Today, Callie and I did the Louvre in the morning. I hate the Louvre for so many reasons- mostly being the fact that it's always crowded and it's poorly organized (you always have to backtrack to get out! and it's impossible to find what you want to see too!). So after getting quite frustrated- but still seeing the sites like Napoleon III's apartment, the old fortress of the Louvre, the Jaconde (Monda Lisa), Coronation of Napoleon, Venus de Milo, Winged Victory and the Cheater- I headed over for class- and Callie chilled out in Subway- right across the street (They have self-serve soda fountains- so I load up on ice, a luxury in France!). After class, and in between the bouts of rain, we checked out Notre Dame, which Callie really liked, the Hôtel de Ville (Town Hall) and the modern art museum of the Centre Georges Pompidou.
It's so nice having this company here! I missed her (and the rest of my friends) so much!
After Callie leaves, Laura and Isa will be visiting for a few days too- it should be great.
Anyway, Callie and I are going to go watch some Will & Grace.
Hope all is well with all of you- I'd love to hear from you!
Miss you!
Bisous
<3 Josh
The next morning, I had phonetics, but after class, I picked up some fresh pain au chocolate for Alli, Meg, Norah and Laura and we to go meet Laura and Norah at Denfert- Rochereau, where Orlybus drops off. We dropped their stuff off at the hotel and hit the town. We did major site seeing at the Pantheon, which was decorated in honor of Women's day. We checked out the necropolis (greek for "City of the Dead" - enjoy that Big Fat Greek Wedding reference, that's all you're getting Nan!) Seth, Norah's boyfriend (studying abroad in London), met us (after finishing up his spring break in Rome). We did tons of site-seeing from there. We went to Trocadéro, the Eiffel Tower in daylight, dusk and night- then headed over to Notre Dame to have dinner at Hippo- a great chain restaurant in France- with AMAZING sangria! We had a nice dinner, went for Gelato and Hot Chocolate, then headed back over to the Eiffel Tower, to see it again- and then head up to the Arc de Triomphe.
We were pretty beat after that, so we headed home. The next morning, I woke up, did some food shopping for my guests- then headed over to Charles de Gaulle- the largest, most confusing airport in Europe. I found Callie, which was so nice- even though her flight was a bit late. We came back, she freshened up and we hit the ground running, again. We went to meet everyone else at the Louvre and we walked down rue de Rivoli to see the Vendôme, Concorde and then a bit of the Champs Elysées, over the the Grand and Petit Palais, pont Alexandre III, the banks of the Seine, the Invalides, a cute garden- then took the metro up to Montmartre. We walked around admiring the artists paintings, then walked the corner to see the greatest views of Paris. We also enjoyed the beautiful Sacre Coeur basilica before going to a Fondu restaurant- where they pack you in like sardines (Brett would hate it- no leg room)- and drink wine out of a baby bottle. Of course, me like an idiot, never having gone there- dipped the raw beef in the cheese and continued to eat it until the guy who works there came over and called me an idiot (basically) and gave us oil to cook the beef in- oups. Luckily, I am salmonella free.
After that, we walked around Montmartre and had desserts and after-dinner drinks at this bar where they decided to play the Sax and piano extremely loud- nice. We left there. Walked around the Faubourg Pigalle (sex district) and saw Moulin Rouge and Folies Bergeres - before coming home wiped and tipsy.
The next morning, we woke up to go have these great pastries for breakfast, but the Patisserie was closed! Pas de soucis- we went to Crêpes à Gogo for the best French Onion soup in Paris (or as we call it - Onion soup)! Meg and Alli had to return to Italy so we said our "au revoirs". After, we headed over to the Impressionism museum - Musée d'Orsay (a former train station,n converted) for a few hours, before grabbing a quick lunch and sending Laura and Norah back to Spain. Seth later went back to London, around dinner time.
I was sure to stuff them with amazingly delicious Parisian food. I gave them quite the tour, spitting out endless facts about the sites. I really enjoyed being a tour guide of Paris! But even more so, being with my friends.
Now, I'm so lucky- I get one-on-one time with Callie for the REST OF THE WEEK! I'm so happy! Tonight I cooked us dinner, and we had tacos- yum!
Today, Callie and I did the Louvre in the morning. I hate the Louvre for so many reasons- mostly being the fact that it's always crowded and it's poorly organized (you always have to backtrack to get out! and it's impossible to find what you want to see too!). So after getting quite frustrated- but still seeing the sites like Napoleon III's apartment, the old fortress of the Louvre, the Jaconde (Monda Lisa), Coronation of Napoleon, Venus de Milo, Winged Victory and the Cheater- I headed over for class- and Callie chilled out in Subway- right across the street (They have self-serve soda fountains- so I load up on ice, a luxury in France!). After class, and in between the bouts of rain, we checked out Notre Dame, which Callie really liked, the Hôtel de Ville (Town Hall) and the modern art museum of the Centre Georges Pompidou.
It's so nice having this company here! I missed her (and the rest of my friends) so much!
After Callie leaves, Laura and Isa will be visiting for a few days too- it should be great.
Anyway, Callie and I are going to go watch some Will & Grace.
Hope all is well with all of you- I'd love to hear from you!
Miss you!
Bisous
<3 Josh
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Fashion week!
Paris is amazing to begin with! Fashion week in Paris, or as we say in French, "Fashionweeeek"- is phenomenal!
Last night, we were on the VIP list at the most exclusive club in Paris, "Le Cab". It was amazing! Not only did we get in, for free (there's 20 € right there!) Drinks were 13 €, which roughly equals 20$- yikes- even worse, I had two- oh well. They were well mixed- if you know what I mean. With or without those drinks, the club was awesome- we had so much fun!
We were out quite late- so I slept late today, until around 12:30. Lauren and I went over to rue de Rivoli- the really ritzy street of Paris, that makes the Champs Elysée look like route 59, or a collection of Wal-Marts. We had lunch outside on the sidewalk dressed for the fashion show, divalicious, with our sunglasses (as it was so beautiful out!) lol!
After the worst server in all of France, we left. We walked across rue de Rivoli to the Tuileries Gardens- the gardens of Catherine de Medici, at the Louvre. There was an accessories show where we entered, but that's not what we wanted. We walked through the gardens to the other side, obviously enjoying our location "Le berceau de Paris" (the cradle of Paris). The Vendôme, the Concorde, the Champs Elysées, the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower. We went to the Chloé Sevigny fashion show. Amazing.
There were so many models and rich élites- it was cool. As we were enjoying the beautiful weather and warming sun (after two days of grey, rain), the paparazzi began going crazy- no, not taking pictures of me- they did that when we walked in- but of who? Kanye West! Very cool. I kept my cool, I don't really get star struck, but gotta love Lauren, whipped out her camera to snap any possible picture- embarrassed, she explained to me, "I can't help it, I'm from Binghamton!" It was funny.
After all of the fashion show-ness, we walked down the Champs Elysées a bit to the metro and came back home. I consequently passed out on my bed for three hours. Great success.
Now, it's 22h19 (10:20PM my time, 4:20PM in NY) and I'm still debating going out again- though I probably will.
So at that, I'm going to go shower and get ready!
Check out fashion show pictures on my Facebook!
a+
Last night, we were on the VIP list at the most exclusive club in Paris, "Le Cab". It was amazing! Not only did we get in, for free (there's 20 € right there!) Drinks were 13 €, which roughly equals 20$- yikes- even worse, I had two- oh well. They were well mixed- if you know what I mean. With or without those drinks, the club was awesome- we had so much fun!
We were out quite late- so I slept late today, until around 12:30. Lauren and I went over to rue de Rivoli- the really ritzy street of Paris, that makes the Champs Elysée look like route 59, or a collection of Wal-Marts. We had lunch outside on the sidewalk dressed for the fashion show, divalicious, with our sunglasses (as it was so beautiful out!) lol!
After the worst server in all of France, we left. We walked across rue de Rivoli to the Tuileries Gardens- the gardens of Catherine de Medici, at the Louvre. There was an accessories show where we entered, but that's not what we wanted. We walked through the gardens to the other side, obviously enjoying our location "Le berceau de Paris" (the cradle of Paris). The Vendôme, the Concorde, the Champs Elysées, the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower. We went to the Chloé Sevigny fashion show. Amazing.
There were so many models and rich élites- it was cool. As we were enjoying the beautiful weather and warming sun (after two days of grey, rain), the paparazzi began going crazy- no, not taking pictures of me- they did that when we walked in- but of who? Kanye West! Very cool. I kept my cool, I don't really get star struck, but gotta love Lauren, whipped out her camera to snap any possible picture- embarrassed, she explained to me, "I can't help it, I'm from Binghamton!" It was funny.
After all of the fashion show-ness, we walked down the Champs Elysées a bit to the metro and came back home. I consequently passed out on my bed for three hours. Great success.
Now, it's 22h19 (10:20PM my time, 4:20PM in NY) and I'm still debating going out again- though I probably will.
So at that, I'm going to go shower and get ready!
Check out fashion show pictures on my Facebook!
a+
Monday, February 25, 2008
Suburbs!!
Salut!
I'm glad to report that my cold is getting better! French medicine is very different, and SO effective!! I'm importing medications from now on.
This weekend, my friend Jessica had friends (studying abroad in Rome) visit us. They were really, really cool and we had a lot of fun together! It makes me even more excited to go to Rome, we'll get to see them too! I went with them to see Versailles on Sunday. I decided that I'm never doing any tourist things on Sunday, ever again. I hate crowds! We waited 1 hour just to buy our tickets to get in. Then we waited another 30 minutes to get into the Chateau, which to be honest, I was disappointed with. The lack of information was disappointing me. There were hundreds of pieces of classical art with NO information about them! No artist, No title, No date, No nothing! It was frustrating. The chateau was nice, but to be honest, I thought that the Hôtel de Ville (Town Hall) of Paris was nicer!
The gardens however, even though it's winter, are really spectacular. That was one thing I did enjoy- and I look forward to going back there when everything is in bloom. So that was our trip on Sunday to the "suburbs". Sometime this week, I'd like to go to this exposition at Porte de Versailles, it's basically a giant County Fair, except for all of France- and French. Inebriation and overeating, guaranteed. So sounds like fun.
Today, I went with my friend Lauren to another Parisian suburb, Neuilly-sur-Seine, to the American hospital. She tripped this weekend and hurt her foot badly. It was very swollen and bruised and she was afraid she broke it- so I went with her to the American hospital- they work the same way as in the US, thank God- we waited for 2 hours. Nice. But everything was OK, and we had a really pretty bus ride back to the city- we passed the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Invalides and the Luxembourg Gardens. Not a total bust- plus, she owes me now...
It's a bit grey out today, but it was GORGEOUS this weekend- 60+ degrees and sunny. Today, it's warm, but not so sunny. Rain tomorrow, then sun and warm for the rest of the week. Whoever told me to expect crappy weather every day until spring was either a liar, doesn't know shit, or both! It's been so nice- we couldn't be any luckier.
My friend Lauren told me today that our program is 1/4 over- that's extremely depressing. Paris is such an amazing city that takes a lifetime to know- and 5 months is hardly enough. I feel so at home here- I didn't experience an ounce of culture shock nor home sickness. I miss everyone from home, don't get me wrong- I miss my friends and family so much- but I found a solution- everybody will just move to Paris and then we can all be happy here- Give me your feedback on that thought lol!
I'll put pictures of Versailles up sometime, they're not that great- but there are a few great ones. Check back for those later!
Bisous-
<3>
PS- I'm so excited for the weekend of March 6 to 9- Callie, Megan, Alli, Laura and Norah are all going to be in Paris! Callie's going to be here until the 15th! And then Laura Donald and Isa are coming to Paris until the 23rd also! It's going to be fun!
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Quoi de neuf?
So the European germs caught up to me- I've got a bit of a cold- the sniffles. But as I try to do with everything, I'm putting it in a positive light. As with my credit card, it's not that my bill is, say, exorbitant, I'm accumulating miles! And as for the cold, I'm not sick, I'm building an immunity!
Anyway, I booked a trip to Istanbul, I'm going there from 4-6 April (I don't know if I already told you). We're looking at booking our trips for our spring break in Italy (I'll be there from 25 April to 4 May), then our second spring break (gotta love the French!) from 8-12 May (before our final exams)- possibly going to Ibiza (Eivissa), or somewhere on the Costa del Sol (Spanish coast along the Mediterranean).
All of the booking for the rest of the semester needs to get done now to avoid high costs.. So I'm working on that. Class is good, I like my professor a lot. He's cool, and tries to make it fun. What's even cooler is that I hear the bells of Notre- Dame toll when I sit in class- that's way cool.
I'm going out for coffee now with a friend and his French friends. I'll talk to you soon!
Bisous
Monday, February 18, 2008
Home!
This weekend, me and seven of my friends went to Amsterdam- the real sin city. It makes Las Vegas look like Sesame Place. While we were there, we went to the Anne Frank house, took a cruise on the canals, attempted to go to the "Heineken Experience" (basically the Hershey tour but for beer) but it was closed until the Summer [and ended up wasting 3 € on a disgusting and cheesey sex museum - in the Red Light District). The next day we went to the van Gogh museum in "Museumplein" and walked around the dutch version of "5th Avenue."
Amsterdam was a cute, quaint "faux-tropolis." No big sites to go see, just enjoy the billions of bikes, narrow canals, narrow houses with detailed façades and hoisting beams. The canal cruise really highlighted that well. As for the night life.... The area called "Leidesplein" (Dutch is such a weird language!!!) is the going out area, with bars, clubs, restaurants and "Coffee Shops" (where they coincidentally don't sell coffee- you figure that out).
We had a nice weekend trip (our first independently organized one), but it was wonderful to be back home, for two reasons- first being, home, second being, Paris = home?! Ver nice.
There aren't really any stunning pictures, but here is the link anyway. The weather was sunny but freezing! Those crazy Dutch people- speaking English and eating Hamburgers and Hotdogs EVERYWHERE. They hardly have their own culture! (That's a lie, but really..)
Tonight, we cooked- rather, Lauren and I cooked. We had fresh salad with avocado and chopped peppers (thanks Lauren) and ravioli and tortelloni with red sauce and fresh baguettes and brie cheese. It was good- I did the cooking and Kim and Jessica did the cleaning- just how I like it- lol.
Anyway- it's wonderful to be back home in Paris, yes. Classes aren't bad- well, I only have one- grammar, every day from 14h to 16h (2pm to 4pm, for those of you who don't speak French). I have the 'director's course' on Monday and Wednesday from 9h to 10h30 (9am to 10:30am- again, translated) and that's taught by the program director, Céline, whose hair is shaped like France- after it's been properly blown out. When it's wet, not so much. Her class is basically "Contemporary France".
My lectures, "conferences" as they're called, begin on 25 February. I'm taking a course on Paris, on Current Events in Europe/France and French Art History- they meet once a week for two hours. Every other week, I have phoenetics for the week, one hour per day (so one week on, one off-). Kind of confusing, but I'm getting into a rhythm which is good. I like that.
Can't think of anything else going on here- having a great time, I'm truly in love with this place!
Bisous!
Josh
Sunday, February 10, 2008
First weekend trip!
So this weekend was "très bousculé!" (very hustle-and-bustle). We woke up SO early on Saturday morning to take a 7h15 bus to the town of Arromanches, to visit the D-Day Museum. It paid a great hommage to the so many soldiers who lost their lives liberating Europe. The French, no matter what my grandfather ever says, are so infinitely grateful for the British, Canadian and American efforts during the war, even 65 years later- it's really moving.
After the museum and some lunch in Arromanches, we boarded the bus again and headed to the American Cemetery at Omaha beach. The cemetery has over 9900 buried soldiers- with mostly crosses, but stars of David all over. It seems to continue forever. The soldiers graves face the direction of the United States, since they gave their lives fighting for their country. It's a beautiful place to "réposer" ("rest") for eternity- the grasses and trees are perfectly maintained, even in February!
The beach of Omaha (not its original name- its code name) is down a long, steep hill. The views from the top are spectacular. We descended to the beach after strolling through the cemetery, enjoying the absolutely perfect weather (see pictures..). The beach was perfectly calm- it's so bizarre to think that so many people lost their lives in the most famous and important battle in modern history- it was eerie and serene at the same time. We strolled around the beach, took some nice pictures and picked some stones to take back.
After that (yes, all in one day!), we went to a small, very old fishing village called St. Malo. It's old city walls are still there and it's quite impressive. We stayed at this quaint hotel called "Hotel L'Univers." We had this amazing dinner, we drank Kirs to start off (Champagne and peach liqeur- traditional French celebratory drink) and enjoyed salads, amazingly fresh "Moules Provençales" (Provincial style Mussels) with french fries and then had some crème brûlée and "Fruits de Soleil" (Sun fruits- mango, pomegranate and passionfruit) flavored ice cream for like 23€ - great success, gypsie.
We hung out in the hotel that night and enjoyed watching TV after strolling around the small town (since there was basically no night life, unfortunately). The next morning (today) we woke up early, again- thanks Céline- and walked around the city walls and enjoyed the gorgeous views of the "Côte d'Emeraud" (Emerald coast)- the waters are really Emerald colored, it's breathtaking, especially at "l'aube" (dawn). We hoped on the bus and took our 1.5 hour trip to le Mt. St. Michel- this amazing abbey that was originally built in 708! Many additions were made to this abbey and it's really stupendous. It's enormous and can be seen from like 25 km away (we enjoyed it through sunset the night before on the autoroute). We climbed up to the top and again, enjoyed more views.
The tides here (les marées) are extreme. They rise and fall a few meters, and they're even greater during the winter equinoxes. The gardens and architecture were "jolis" (I can't keep repeating beautiful, etc. in English- I'll just go with the French equivalents). After climbing so many stairs up and down, we went back down to the village area (the abbey is on the very top of the mountain island) for lunch. We had made a reservation at the world famous "La Mère Poulain" for a Mt. St. Michel style omelet- (they whip the batter so it's extremely fluffy), but after a long story, we realized the price of an omelet was 38€ (and that celebrities from Catherine DeNeuve to Eva Longoria to President Sarkozy) had eaten there and it was out of our price range. We went to the next restaurant down and had a three course meal that was just as great for 15€.
We then headed back to the bus for our 4.5 hour bus ride back to Paris. The total trip measured over 1000 km! The ride back home was basically a few naps, 100+ pages of classic French literature (Molière's play, "Le malade imaginaire" [The imaginary sick-person]) which I really enjoyed- and also playing games with Céline's 5-year-old daughter Laetitia, who came on the trip. We all enjoyed reading French children's books and playing with her- we never see kids!! It was a luxury too.
Finally, we arrived back in Paris- which seemed like a dirty, messy, urban jungle in comparison to the quaint, peaceful, simple countryside in lower Normandy and Brittany that we enjoyed this weekend. It was nice and relaxing, though it was so busy! The weather was perfect and it's going to continue to be for the next week- sunny and in the mid-50's (or lower teens lol)
Next weekend we are going to Amsterdam- I'm looking forward to that very much to. Soon, Callie will be visiting- and I'm even more excited for that too!
Check out the 100+ pictures in two photo albums on facebook. The captions are below most of them, explaining what they are. Amusez-vous!
Bisous à tous-
Friday, February 8, 2008
Le jour bousculé!
So today was majorly touristic! This morning, our group of students met our program director, Céline (whose hair is ironically shaped like France, or at least we think so...) at the Hôtel de Ville (which, is not a hotel- it comes from the latin word "hospitus", where we got hospital- but that's not what it really means in Latin- anyway, I wont bore you with any of that nonsense [or dipthongs, etc. lol]). This building is phenomenal- especially to think that it's a replication! In the 1870's during one of the many revolutions (after France lost the Franco-Prussian war) it was burnt down. The reconstruction is larger, but modeled just like the old one, which dated back to the 16th Century! And that's young when you think that Notre Dame dates to the 12th Century!
It was spectacular. Then we had lunch on the famed rue de Rivoli. We came back to our foyer (the French equivalent of a dorm) and napped for a few hours, finished booking our trip to Amsterdam for next weekend and then headed out to see the Eiffel Tower at sunset.
We took the Métro 6 to Trocadéro to get that special view of the Eiffel Tower over the Pont d'Iéna. Check out the pictures. Since it was a Friday, every tourist that just landed at Charles de Gaulle went straight to the Eiffel Tower (since it was also so incredibly beautiful out), so we had to wait for an hour and a half or so to get to the top of the Eiffel tower- thus, we missed sunset. But it's still beautiful at night.
Also- at night, every hour on the hour, for ten minutes, strobe lights covering the Eiffel tower flash- really cool. One last factoid, then it's time for bed- the "lighthouse" light that is on the top of the tower that spins around at night is not one light! It's four lights that work in synchronization!! How cool. Next time you look at it (whenever that is,) look for it!
Well, I have to get up at 6h15 tomorrow to leave for Normandy for the weekend. We are going to see the Normandy beaches, the American Cemetery, the D-Day (or as we say in french, "deh-dayhe") Museum, then over to the fishing village of St. Malo for the night, and then out to Mt. St. Michel, a famed château on the English channel.
Alors, bonne soirée! (Well it's night time here!)
Bisous-
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Musée Rodin
Today, it was a gorgeous day in Paris! Sunny, clear and high-50's (or as we say in France, inthe low-teens..., 12C). After a very long class about the history of many streets of Paris, we went to the Musée Rodin, near the Hôtel des Invalides (built by Louis XIV, and where Napoleon is buried). As we exited the metro at "Invalides", on the Seine, at the bridge "Pont Alexandre III", famous for it's golden markers, we watched the end of a photo shoot and a model hurried away. It was cool! Glamorous Paris!
We then walked down the boulevard Rodin to the Rodin Museum (the famous sculptor, "The Thinker"). The gardens are nice, even in mid-winter. The sculptures are fascinating, but the views of the Invalides and the Eiffel tower along with the sculptures was really picturesque. It's a really pretty place to go sit and relax (at the cost of 4 €). Here are the pictures from our outing at the Musée Rodin.
The weather is going to be beautiful for the next week, sunny and in the mid-50's. This weekend, we are taking a trip to Normandy, St. Malo and Mt. St. Michel. We are leaving Paris at 7h15 in the morning on Saturday- ouch, and are coming back on Sunday night around 16h or 18h (yes, French times!).
Well, it's time to go get ready to go to Club Mix, in Montparnasse. À tout à l'heure!
-jd-
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Pictures
Hey.. I'm not sure why Blog spot didn't put the pictures I uploaded on my page, but check out this link to my pictures on Facebook.
Enjoy as I did!
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Internet, part deux
So the wifi works now... And I am skype-able. And I don't have any crazy keyboards.
So the scoop- I love Paris more than I ever thought humanly possible. It's nice to be able to say that it's my city and that I live here now! The group of people on my trip are amazing and we've been having so much fun. Yesterday, in addition to a few hours of "orientation" each day, we took a tour on "Vedettes de Paris", a boat tour down the Seine of Paris. The weather was typical Paris winter, grey sky, a bit of rain and chilly but I still took some pictures, check them out.
Today, we had our orientation and went for crêpes and café- so delicious. My program director, Céline, is really nice and approachable. After we went to the crêperie (crêpe restaurant), we walked over to the Louvre, through the Jardins des Tuileries (Tuilerie Gardens, built by Catherine de Medicis when she was queen of France), through the Place de la Concorde, where there is a giant obelisk with a gold top that was stolen by Napoleon from Egypt and brought to the center of Paris, then down the Champs Elysées towards the Arc de Triomphe. It was really nice.
The sales going on in Paris are world famous and people from all over Europe flock- they are going on until the next week-- I'm sure I'll find something great to buy.
My room, (see posted pictures) is very.. bare. Cement floor (for which I need to buy a carpet), a low bed with a thin mattress, a table instead of a desk, and a closet with two shelves. And a shelf that is on two walls of my room- and a sink/mirror also. I'm coping, don't worry about me. Anytime I get annoyed with my room (seldom), I a. remember that I'm in Paris or b. look out my window onto the Parc Montsouris (Park of Mt. Mouse) and listen to the tramway rumble by. It's awesome.
I'm so incredibly happy here and have been living it up- going out to the bars is expensive, so usually we opt for the bottle of wine for 1,80 euros instead : )
I'll post again later, but enjoy the pictures. A camera could never come close to capturing the extreme beauty of this awe-inspiring city. It's truly unique.
PS. Today, at sunset, we stood at the Arc de Triomphe and watched the Eiffel Tower sparkle. It's something that no video camera or digital camera could ever capture, but it is something that will forever be apart of my memory. Sorry no pictures can do it justice- you'll have to imagine.
Bisous!!
INTERNET
Please excuse any typos now... I am in a computer lab now since the wifi internet is not set up yet slash is shitty so the French keyboards are different.
Paris is the most amazing city in the world. I love it so much more than I expected. Just fantastic. My room is very minimalist. Very. But I am in Paris!!
I will post some pictures when the wifi is fixed and I am on my co^mputer because this keyboard makes me want to scream!!
All is very very well and I miss you all!! Will write again soon
Bon soirée
Paris is the most amazing city in the world. I love it so much more than I expected. Just fantastic. My room is very minimalist. Very. But I am in Paris!!
I will post some pictures when the wifi is fixed and I am on my co^mputer because this keyboard makes me want to scream!!
All is very very well and I miss you all!! Will write again soon
Bon soirée
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Bonjour!
Hey everyone and welcome to my blog!
First off, props to Scott- this was his idea, and yes, I'm copying!
I'm going to use this blog to help communicate with everyone while I'm abroad (or basically so I just don't have to repeat myself a billion times). While I'm in Paris, I'll be writing and posting pictures up here too- so check this site out!
If you'd like to contact me while I'm abroad (which I'd appreciate)- my cell phone number is +33 6 32.65.55.82 (if you're in the US, dial 011 first), but I'll still have AIM. Skype is another good way- just search jdswimncars for me...
I'll be leaving New York JFK on 28 January at around 6PM and I won't be back until 7 June, 8PM. I'll miss you all while I'm abroad, but I hope we'll keep in touch.
Check back at this site (paryorker.blogspot.com) for updates often.
Au revoir!
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About Me
- Josh in the 14th
- I'm Josh and I'm finally back in Paris!! I'm studying languages at the Sorbonne and will be traveling all over Europe this semester.
