Guest Post from Dad/Larry Schmidt/Hondo

Here is my Dad's post word for word. Way to go Dad!

Larry’s Guest Blog

Caroline has been after me to do a guest blog and after a week back home and catching up all around I finally had time to do it. I’ll concentrate about our day in Normandy but first a word about Paris. In a single word, it was (as Caroline would say) “awesome”. Several things particularly surprised me about the city. First, it is huge, yet clean. Much better than most American cities I have visited. Second, it is quite impressive in terms of things to do and see. The history and art are simply astounding. Finally, the food and people were terrific. The food was what I expected and more. As to the people, Caroline is right, if you offer a smile or greeting (even in fractured French); they respond with a smile and usually in English. Particular highlights include the Eiffel Tower (much taller and grander than I imagined), the Church known St. Chapel (magnificent stained glass windows) and Les Invalids (originally a hospital for Napoleon’s soldiers but now a military museum with an impressive collection). Linda and I enjoyed the trip immensely. We loved all the sites and the entire experience. I also had a great time with daughter number 3; who has matured (in part, I think, due to her experience abroad) into an inquisitive, confident and worldly young woman. We know she has enjoyed the experience immensely and we are so proud of her. In any event, more about Normandy.

Unlike our bus tour earlier that week to Mont St. Michael, the Normandy tour was on a smaller scale. We were picked up at our hotel in a min-van by Pierre, our driver and guide. We then went to another hotel to pick up two more guests, but were advised that they were ill and cancelled. We then picked up Kim and Kimmie, an aunt/niece combo. Aunt Kimmie lives in Paris for a year while her husband is assigned overseas as part of his job at Johnson and Johnson. Niece Kimmie was from California, a college sophomore, visiting as a birthday present. Thus, the five of us (plus Pierre) took off early in the morning for the slightly less than three hour drive to Normandy. I tried not to bore our new found friends with insignificant trivia about World War II, but failed miserably. As usual, I couldn’t shut up.

For you non-historians out there, Normandy is in western France and abuts the English Channel. It is largely an agricultural area, dotted with small towns and villages. By 1944, World War II had raged in Europe for nearly five years. After early success, the tide against Germany and Hitler’s war machine had turned. The Russians had stopped the German invasion of the then Soviet Union and were beginning an advance that would ultimately end with the capture of Berlin and Hitler’s suicide in late April, 1945. The British and American armies has reclaimed and expelled Hitler’s legions from Africa, conquered Sicily in the Mediterranean and had invaded and were moving up the boot of Italy. Stalin (the Russian leader) demanded that the Americans and British open a second front in Europe to take the pressure off of his armies and it was clear that the time had come for the Allies to invade France and begin the liberation of Western Europe.

The Germans knew an invasion of France was coming; it was just a question of when and where. Much of England had been transformed into a huge military base, with men and supplies accumulated for the invasion. Hitler and his generals anticipated that the invasion would come near the French town of Calais; as that was at the narrowest point of the Channel and also had nearby facilities (deep water harbor) which, once captured, could be used for the unloading of more men and material. The Allies, however, planned to land on the beaches of Normandy, south of Calais.

The invasion was planned for early June 1944. Conditions for the first week of the month were ideal, given that the tides would allow for landing craft to better access the beach and the moon was in full phase to assist the paratroopers who would parachute at night into France. Unfortunately, on the day the invasion was planned (June 5) the weather was rotten and the invasion postponed. There promised to be a slight window of better weather for approximately 36 hours starting on June 6 and General Eisenhower (the Allied commander and future president) made the fateful decision to “go”. The invasion started in the early morning hours when paratroopers and airborne troops on gliders landed behind the German beach head positions to capture key bridges and towns so as to disrupt the German defenses. The main invasion began at dawn, when the main body of troops landed at five code named beaches; Omaha, Utah, Sword, Gold and Juno. The Americans landed at Utah and Omaha and the British/Canadians/Free French landed at the others. My dad participated as a member of the US Navy on a LST (Landing Ship, Tank) off of Utah beach.

Our trip to Normandy was both thrilling and emotional. Having just lost my dad last September, he was often on my mind as I looked out over the windswept beaches and rough surf where a climatic battle in history raged nearly 66 years ago.

We first visited Point de Hoc, a beach area in between Omaha and Utah beaches. Here, 255 Army Rangers were among the first troops to come ashore. Their mission was to scale a 100 foot cliff in order to capture certain German gun emplacements that could have reined a murderous fire on the troops landing at Utah and Omaha. Using fireman’s ladders and ropes dangling from grappling hooks that had been fired to the top of the cliff by mortars, the Rangers ultimately scaled the cliff even while the German defenders fired down on them. We visited the still in place German gun emplacements and pill boxes. After getting to the top of the cliff, the Rangers discovered that the guns that they were to neutralize had been moved inland. They therefore continued their advance inland and ultimately captured the guns. More than two-thirds of the Rangers were casualties.

Next we visited “bloody Omaha”. Of the five beaches, Omaha was the most stiffly defended. This was, in part, because an experienced German division had been stationed there just weeks before the invasion for rest and training after action on the Russian front. This division offered stiff resistance. If you haven’t seen the first one-half hour of “Saving Private Ryan”, the horrors of war were on full display at Omaha beach. We saw German gun emplacements, the actual guns still surviving after all these years and other German fortifications. Perhaps most amazing to me were the shell craters from the Naval bombardment; nearly 6 feet deep and 10-15 feet across which still litter the landscape. Although now grass covered, the pot marked terrain reminds you of the ferocity of the combat that occurred here.

After a brief lunch, we saw remains of the “Mulberries” offshore. The Allied Army created their own harbors, by towing and sinking two enormous concrete structures (code named Mulberries) several hundred yards off shore. These were then used to unload supplies and men after the beaches were secured.

Any trip to Normandy is incomplete without a visit to the American cemetery, which is located just yards off of Omaha Beach. There is a visitor museum full of displays and memorabilia. There is also a brief movie which largely consists of the reminisces of family of some of the soldiers who were killed. I couldn’t help but think of my uncles (Uncle Warren, killed at sea; Uncle John, wounded in the Pacific; and of course my Dad/ Caroline’s Pepa). These brave men helped save a world and keep the freedom that we all too often take for granted. We then walked the immaculate grounds which feature a large memorial and rows upon rows of pristine white crosses (and an occasional Jewish Star of David). Supposedly, when the Americans were asked by the French what could they give for liberating their country; the Americans responded that they only wanted a place of honor to bury their dead. The American cemetery at Omaha beach is indeed a place of beauty and honor.

On the way back to Paris, we stopped at a major museum in Caen, one of the first cities liberated. This museum commemorates not just the Normandy landings but much of World War II, and has numerous exhibits and artifacts. We started our tour here by viewing a 20 minute movie about the invasion. The film was shown on a large screen and the first several minutes were a split screen format. On the one side, there were movies of the Allies preparing for the invasion; ships being loaded, men training, etc. On the other side, was film of the German defenders readying their defenses. While I was distracted by the German film on the right side of the screen, Caroline and Linda swore that they saw on the American film a skinny, curly haired young Navy signalman using semaphore to communicate to another ship. In the instant that the scene appeared, it disappeared and moved to another image. Was it Pepa? It certainly looked like him and reflected his duties. We are going to see if that video is available. Even if we never find out; I’m assuming it’s him.

All in all, a moving and worthwhile day for the three of us. The weather was chilly and blustery, probably not unlike that day many years ago when so many paid the ultimate sacrifice. Caroline’s blog often starts that her latest visit was “THE BEST YET.” I will remember much about our trip to Paris, but perhaps nothing made me prouder to be an American than to see first hand where so many brave men gave their lives to free a continent.

Nice is so Nice!

Hi all! I am sitting in an airport in a random Polish town (the name begins with K and then is followed by a bunch of consanents- that’s all I know!) about to head back to Luxembourg after 17 straight days of traveling! Wow. I have never traveled in a row this much in my life, and it was a great experience! I am really glad I divided my days up into three very different trips, it really worked out perfectly and I feel like each one was unique and for the perfect amount of time for its purpose. Paris (as you know from my blog) was a great time for sightseeing and catching up with my parents! My next leg was a girly weekend in the South of France that was really relaxing and a nice break between too jammed pack trips. My last leg was my study tour, I visited Prague, Auschwitz, and Krakow with my history class “The Rise and Fall of Hitler.” I cant even begin to tell you how much I learned; this class was one of the main reasons I chose the program I am in, and I can report that I am so happy with my decision. Ah as excellent as all of this was, I have so much blogging and picture posting to do, please be patient with me! I am determined to blog about Nice and the study tour tonight and tomorrow and I figure there is no time better than the present to begin. So although I am bursting with stuff to say about my study tour, first things first, I will begin with my adventures in Nice!

Overall, Nice is very, very nice (just a note for those non-French speakers, Nice is pronounced niece- like my sisters cute little daughter Gabby). I know I say this about everything (my Mom informed me of this habit), but Nice is one of my favorite places in Europe. It is a beach town/city, the fifth biggest city in France actually, in the South, and its location on the Riveria makes it have a very Italian feel. The beaches, which are stone, not sand, are gorgeous, the water is an amazing tealish/blue color that I love and the actually town just has a very relaxed, cultured feel to it. It is obviously beachy, but it is just a tad more classy, European feeling than my other favorite beach town, OC, Maryland of course. As I mentioned, this trip was relaxing. Nice’s main draw is its beach and old town, so unlike a lot of other cities with tons of history and museums, there was not the pressure to sightsee nonstop. We could just take in the atmosphere, enjoy each others company, and veg. Because of this, I decided it would be boring to recount what we did day by day. We really did a lot of the same stuff each day because we enjoyed it so much! So here are some trip highlights/my favorite things…

• Jillian Scott! I went with my sisters roommate/bridesmaid/bff, Jill, who hails from the great town of Eugene, Oregon. Jill and my sis Jackie have been friends for about 2 years, when craigslist magically united these two souls who have led eerily parallel lives on different coasts. Like Jackie, Jill is the middle child in a family of 3 sisters who are spaced exactly like the Schmidt girls. Also, Jill dates a slim boy who enjoys running and jokes, just like Jackie’s dear Tom. But, while Jay studied abroad in college, Jill is in Europe now, she is in her last semester in public health grad school at GWU and she got a fellowship to intern in Geneva, Switzerland for the World Health Organization so she has been abroad in a nearby neutral country like my own. Anyway, we met up for the long weekend in Nice, and got along great! Hanging out with Jill is kind of like hanging out with Jay really, except we aren’t blood related. Its funny because although we have met several times, we really didn’t know each other that well before Nice, but we really were quite compatible travel partners. We had the same eating, sleeping, drinking habits and were both looking for a relaxing, carefree weekend! Jill is super interesting and I am so glad I got to know her better in lovely Nice. We talked and laughed a ton, I felt so comfortable with her! Also, her spontaneity and laid back vibe rubbed off on me, and I had the chance to just be totally myself without a care. Jill is awesome and made my trip so great woo!!

• Hotel Meyerbeer: Living in Sketchy Luxury. Jill and I stayed in a hotel/hostel type deal that we booked on hostelworld.com after days of emailing back and forth different suggestions that all seemed to be booked. After a week at the swanky Hilton in Paris, I will admit it wasn’t exactly “luxury” but it was fine, just had a few quirks. We shared a double bed (that was all that was available), but really it was comfy. The room was semi spacious and the best part of the place was its location, it was about 2 minutes from the beach, 5 minutes from old town, and 1 minute from the main tourist drag, all walking! The two oddities that really gave the place character were the shower and the elevator. When we arrived Friday morning after very early flights and a walk from the bus stop where we got quite lost (we were too chatty and just completely missed our street, when we asked for directions the man we asked had no idea what street we were asking for, my French accent is that horrible haha) we made it and tried to head up the reception on the first floor. We jammed all of our stuff in a teeny, tiny old fashioned lift, and almost were trapped. Then, suddenly like a rocketship in Cape Canaveral, we were off and although we pushed floor 1, we showed no signs of stopping and kept going until we suddenly slammed to a halt at the fourth floor. A lady who resided in the same building as our hotel (their were apartments above) was waiting, and looked quite disgusted at the mess (i.e. the two frazzled American girls) that was in her lift. We got out as quick as we could with all our bags (reminder- I was carrying all my stuff for 17 days of travel) and made the struggle down three steps of stairs. Needless to say, we took the stairs the rest of the trip. Another funny story comes from our shower, which lacked a sufficient curtain and tended the turn out bathroom floor into a flood zone resembling Florida coast in hurricane season. The first time I stepped out to dry off, I stepped into about an inch of water! After a few attempts, we realized the trick to keeping water in (trying to seal the curtain to the wall), but it made for many laughs trying to steal sketchy towels from the lobby to mop up the flood zone. Despite these mishaps, our hotel was fine and provided a comic backdrop for our adventures.

• Sharing a bottle of wine on the beach during sunset: we did this two times and it really does not need much explanation! It was as wonderful as it sounds!

• Culinary Delights: Ok, so I realize that I talk about food a lot on this blog and I am beginning to worry I sound a tad like like a gluttonous fatso. But the truth is, I LOVE food and I think eating is a really important part of traveling! Anyway, since Nice is very Italian, its cuisine is reminiscent of that boot shaped country, and I loved it! Jill and I seriously had the best pizza of our lives at this place called “La Pizza” on Friday night. What the restaurant lacked in title creativity, it sure made up for in taste. The pizza was made in a brick oven, and covered with incredible sauce and cheese. I got the 4 cheese pizza, and it was not kidding, in addition to the regular pizza cheese there were hunks of what I think was goat, blue, brie, and perhaps gouda mixed in. So excellent. La Pizza was so good that on Easter Sunday, after breakfast kept us full and we didn’t eat lunch and then randomly were starved around 4pm, we headed back to La Pizza to indulge again! It was divine once more. Also, I may have had the best gelato of my life once again in Nice. There was a place in the old town square called Fennochio that was literally written up in every single guidebook or website Jill and I read about the town! It has 92 gelato flavors including some pretty odd flavors like beer and tomatoe basil! Jill and I stuck to more sweet flavors, and they were seriously delectable. We went to Fennochs (as we nicknamed it) probably too many times in 4 days than I care to admit and tried a bunch :Speculous-(inspired by this really cool Belgian spread kind of like PB that is very popular in Luxembourg), Cannelle (cinnamon), Confiture du Lait (vanialla cream swirled with something like butterscotch) and Mocha were favorites. Jill and I became such regulars that on our last night there when we decided we just had to have Fennochs one last time (I think the somewhat excessive amount of wine we had drunk contributed to this decision), two of the workers recognized us and said “man you girls really like ice cream!” They even gave us samples, because we were that cool. Coming from a place that is infamous in guidebooks for a strict no sample policy, this was pretty sweet (pun intended). So overall, food was great in Nice. Other memorable eats include some good sandwiches from street vendors, an egg and toast American breakfast on Easter that made us feel at home, yummy coffee, and a great pasta dinner our last night!

• Strolls through old town Nice, which is so cute. The buildings are all gorgeous, sun soaked colors (think deep yellows, oranges, pinks) and they are surrounded by narrow cobblestone streets and alleys. The old town has a daily flower, food, and spice market that is wonderful and so pretty, we strolled through several days and just took in the smells and sights.

• Shopping! Nice is a beach town, so of course they have the shops that often accompany sun bathing and tourists. There was an eclectic mix of high end boutiques, chains, and cheaper beach wear stores for clothing, as well as tons of cute soap, spice, and tacky souvenir shops. Jill and I both found cute pairs of shoes in Nice, as well as sunglasses, and sundresses! Successful shopping for sure! But don’t worry, I had to be careful to not buy too much since I had to cart it around Europe and meet the strict luggage regulations of the various budget airlines I flew!

• Sleeping in some days! No elaboration needed…we were both tired girls, and catching up on rest and sometimes just lounging was just what the doctor ordered!

• Biking on Blue Velos! We weren’t complete bums and did actually do more than eat and sleep in Nice! Two of the days we rented these bikes that are all around the city. Anyone with a phone and credit card can rent them for a really cheap price, and you can return them to any station, there is seriously a stand almost every block! We had a blast biking around town and exploring on them! The Old Town of Nice ends at this sort of very high cliff/park area that protrudes out into the ocean. On our bikes, we went around this region to the other side of the city, where we found a whole new area with a huge port (where yachts and cruise ships were parked), restaurants, and little beaches/cliffs that would be great for sunbathing/cliff diving. One day, we explored the cliff area and took great pictures down in this little cave that was right on the water. It is hard to explain, but check out the pics when I post them! We really wanted to cliff dive, and even went back another day in our bathing suits ready to jump, but in the end it was just a tad too cold. The weather was in the low 60s, but it was quite windy and the water freezing. Jill is very brave and adventurous, so when she said we would likely die of hypothermia if we jumped in, I knew she was right. We were still able to sunbathe a little on the cliffs though and enjoy the gorgeous blue sea and sky! It was all thanks to our bikes that we were able to find this spot though! They were a great idea and I highly recommend biking in a city as a really unique way to get a feel for it!

• Easter. It was kind of strange to be away from our families on this holiday, and I think there were parts of the day when we both felt a little bit homesick. But in the end, we still managed to make it a great day! We had gone out the night before, so we slept in and had an American style breakfast of eggs and toast that was super comforting at a little café. Then we strolled throughout the old and new town and did some shopping/browsing for several hours. Then we biked a bit, but since it was getting a little rainy, this plan did not last too long. We were pondering what to do next when we were struck by an enormous craving for La Pizza, so we went there and had a great Easter Linner of pizza! In a food coma after that, we headed back to our hotel and watched a movie we rented on Itunes. It was so nice to just relax and watch a chick flick in bed on a rainy day, that is something I had not done in Europe at all and I totally missed! We even let ourselves nap a bit after the movie, then got up and went out to the beach right as it cleared up and we could watch the sunset. We then went to a bar in Old Town and found the area to be quite crowded, I guess the French like the celebrate Easter with a few drinks! When we went back to the hotel later, we were able to call and skype our families and bfs, and this felt great! A nontraditional, but quite nice Easter that I won’t soon forget!

• The weather- Friday and Monday were absolutely great, in the 60s and perfect blue skies. Although Saturday and Sunday were a little cooler and had a few rain showers, it didn’t prevent us from doing anything and was still a great deal warmer than what we both have been used to! I even got a little color on my face! It was too early for bathing suits (although we tried) and swimming, but it was lots of sunshine and I loved that after too many months of clouds, snow, and rain in Lux.

• Hiking to the top of Le Chateau/the cliff thing that separates the two sides of Nice. I am doing a really bad job of explaining this piece of land, but it is essentially a big, raised park, that you can walk up to the very top of through various stairwells and hills. It is very green and has a gorgeous waterfall, Roman ruins, and great views of Nice from the top! We did this the first day right after we arrived and it was such a nice welcome to the city! Beautiful, beautiful views, some of the best I have seen in Europe!

• Adventures in Monaco: Ok so I obviously left the best story for last, for those devoted fans who really read all the way through my blog! Nice is about a 30 minute train ride from the principality of Monaco (I think the world’s smallest country), so Jill and I knew we had to go and visit its famed casino, the Monte Carlo, one night. Saturday, we got all dolled up in our best dresses and heels, had some pre-adventure drinks, and then boarded the train to head to the land of luxury. When we arrived, the sun was beginning to set and we wandered around until we found the main harbor and casino! It was so, so pretty, the yachts in the harbor were incredible and although the outside of the casino was a bit smaller/less Vegasy than I expected (basically no flashing lights), it is gorgeous and just exudes class and wealth (really the whole country gives you the feeling of major money). We headed into the famed casino and were immediately checked for security, apparently no cameras are even allowed, so I had to hand mine over to be checked. Jill, ever the cunning one, kept hers in her bag secretly. Then we had to buy our tickets, which we knew were a little steep, but you don’t go to Monaco without going to the Monte Carlo, so we decided to just do it! This is when the trouble began. I had only brought a little clutch with me with some cash, a credit card, and my International Student Identity Card which I use to enter all museums, sites, etc across Europe and have never had a problem with. Unfortunately, this card was not good enough for the MC, and the ticket lady informed me I needed a passport or drivers license just to get in! Ahh I thought, I had them both, but back in the Hotel in Nice! We had come all the way on the train, and both knew it wouldn’t be possible to go back and forth again that night. But Jill, again always calm and collected, stayed cool and very politely said to the lady, “Ok I have my drivers license, but my friend left her passport in the hotel, can I buy my ticket now and then we will go get her passport, we are staying right next door?” They lady said sure, and Jill got her ticket, which was printed with her name on it and made only after the lady entered her info into the computer. We walked out, and immediately begin hatching a plan. I was scared, but knew what Jill had in mind. Essentially, we became James Bond, and pulled off a heist at one of the world’s biggest casinos. I’m sure you can see where this is going, but Jill had her passport on her too, so I used hers! Don’t worry, we were extremely stealth and considered all the risks involved. Jill had to talk me into the scheme, I was quite nervous and panicky, but she assured me it was fine- she is a bad ass. I kept imagining calling my Dad on a collect call from the Monaco Prison, but I just tried to keep those thoughts to myself. We even went in the very fancy hotel next door, rode up to the 5^th floor and pretended to go in a room to truly pull off our plan. We had an alibi, that we were rich sisters whose Dad was in oil and had dragged us here on business, we were staying at the hotel we went in right across from the casino. If the lady suspected anything, we planned to grab Jills passport and pretend we had just taken the wrong one by mistake! After we pretended to go pick up “my” passport, we went back in and I shakily handed over Jills. Jill played it cool (I just was awkward again) and even made a witty comment to the lady about the architecture to divert her attention. In the end, after a brief second when she called over a security man and we both almost died, I got my ticket no problem!! It turned out she was calling over the man for something else. We both had tickets that said Jillian Scott, but I guess the lady was just dumb or didn’t care enough to call us out! We were gleeful and headed into the casino! Sadly, we found out upon entrance that the workers were on strike, and the bar was closed, so we couldn’t even get a drink to calm our nerves! We did have quite a fun time though, and watched a lot of high rollers play at the big stakes tables and even bet a little ourselves in the less expensive slot machines. The people watching were fabulous and we entertained ourselves a great deal making up funny stories about the ritzy clientele. Finally, thirst caught up to us, and we headed to another bar for a drink. I had a Monaco Grand Prix (named after the famous car race) at the casino next door, and then we found a fun, Havana type bar with a lot of young people, to enjoy our last Monocan cocktail. We went back to the MC one last time to take it all in, the building was incredible, the closest I have seen to it is the interior of Versailles to be honest, and to sneak one picture of the interior that turned out blurry but is ok! We made it back to Nice on the last train at midnight and after some late night Turkish Kabobs (don’t ask) we hit the sack successful criminals! It was such a fun night!!

Whew, I thought this method of highlights would make for a shorter blog, but clearly I was wrong. What a fun, fun weekend Nice was! Love you Jill and thanks for going with me! Maybe we should move Jackie’s bachelorette party to the Monte Carlo?! We know how to get in!

Haha, look for a massive study tour blog soon! History buffs, get excited!

Care

PARIS WITH THE PARENTS!

Hi everyone!! Ah I have so much to say! Right now I am in the airport in Nice, France with my sisters roommate and also my friend, Jillian Scott. We had a great trip and I can honestly say it was one of my best weekends of traveling I have had over here, I love Nice and Jill! Jill’s plane leaves in a few minutes and mine in about an hour, so I thought I would try to blog a little bit, I have so much updating to do! Today I have a full day of traveling and should arrive in Prague by about 5 pm (it is 7am now), then my class field trip starts at 8pm! Should be so fun, just hope I can get there in one piece.

But more on Nice and Prague and all of that later, now I want to tell you all about my trip to Paris with my parents, which was wonderful!!

It all started last Friday, which seems like an age ago. I had one class in the morning and was just so eager to get going, the morning seemed to drag on. I was carrying a ton of stuff (enough for 2 weeks of travel plus some things to give to my parents to take home plus a few gifts for them) and I was a hot mess when I had to run to catch the train from my house to Lux city. In the end I made it though and in Lux City boarded the fast TGV train to Paris. I was so eager and somewhat anxious that I couldn’t get myself to focus on reading (shocking I know), so I just listened to music and thought about the upcoming week on the two hour train ride. I got to Gare De L’est in Paris around 3:15 and got in line for a cab. Finally, around 4 I was dropped off at the Hilton Arc De Triomphe (which was so much nicer than any place I have stayed in Europe by far) and there they were waiting for me, Mom and Dad! I was so excited to see them, it was a great reunion!! We exchanged hugs and then headed upstairs to deposit my stuff. They told me that their flight had been good, but the journey from the airport to the hotel had been long and somewhat sketchy, they went with a cabby who turned out to not be official and he got pretty lost taking another couple to their hotel. In the end though, they arrived, took short naps, and grabbed a bite to eat near our hotel and then waited for me! I think the long journey had tired them out somewhat, and just being in the huge city made, as my Mom said, them feel slightly “overwhelmed.” They were really excited though, and all of us just were so happy to see each other!! In the room, I gave them some gifts I had gotten them in Italy (a tie for Dad, leather gloves for Mom, and a Venetian glass clock for the beach house for them both) and they loved them so that was nice! We then decided to venture out into the City of Lights!

We were staying about a 5-10 minute walk from one of Paris’ greatest landmarks, the Arc De Triomphe, a grand arch built by Napoleon in the early 19th century to honor the victories of his army. We headed in that direction and just drank in the scenery of the cute neighborhood/area we were in, as I chatted my head off about every and anything (pretty much did this the whole trip). Seeing the Arc for the first time is a really cool thing and I think my parents loved it! It is surprising how huge it is!! We were lucky enough to get there right at 5pm when the daily ceremony to honor the unknown soldier buried under the Arc is happening! We were able to watch and get some pictures which was cool! From the Arc, we walked down one of the most famous avenues in the world, Champs D’Elysee, which I think is just beautiful and probably one of my favorite places in the world. It is great for people watching and just has such a vibrant, beautiful feel. We walked quite a long way down, stopping at Concorde Place, the plaza with a 3,300 year old Egyptian Obelisk in the center, and the Tuliers gardens. Beautiful of course! Also, I should note the weather was beautiful on this day, blue skies and no rain in sight! I was so happy we got to take this nice walk and not get wet or too cold even!

In the end, we began to approach the Louvre (we really walked a long way!) and since it is open late and free for students on Fridays, we decided to visit right then!
The Louvre is so huge and has an enormous collection, I think the statistic is if you looked at every piece of art in there for 30 seconds, it would take something like 3 months to see it all! Obviously, we did not have that kind of time, but we saw the highlights in the wing that houses Greek and Roman sculpture, Italian Renaissance paintings, and the best of French art. To me, the building of the Louvre is the greatest masterpiece (in all honesty, I much prefer impressionist and modernist art), and the fact that the actually building used to be a palace is just astounding. I think Mom and Dad really liked seeing the building as well, and of course it was so neat for them to see the Mona Lisa and other famous works (Dad liked the Coronation of Napoleon painting which is quite well known). We spent about an hour and a half in the museum, and then the tiredness and jet lag began to set in, and Mom and Dad (as well as me) were ready to go relax.

We tried to get a cab back home, but quickly discovered getting a taxi in Paris on a Friday night is essentially impossible, and our attempt failed miserable. I think Mom and Dad were slightly hesitant to jump on the metro, but in the end we decided it was the best bet! They were amazed how easy and user friendly it was, it quickly became our preferred mode of transport in the city (in addition to walking of course which we did a ton of)! It was great and really shows what public transportation can be, too bad Baltimore is severely lacking in that department!
We thought of going to a neighborhood restaurant in our area, but were just too tired to try to locate one and still didn’t really have the bearings in our region, so in the end decided to eat in the hotel bar. Its funny because we all agreed later this was probably the worst (and also most expensive, how weird) meal of our trip! The Hilton was great and super nice, but the food was just overpriced and not the best (I guess that is what you get for eating in a hotel that caters to international tourists), at the time though, we were all starving and just wolfed down our food! We had some nice wine as well, and I did get a tart for dessert that I liked a lot!
We caught up a lot over dinner and I filled my parents in on my friends abroad, my roommates/host family, and my classes! So good to catch up for longer than 10 minutes on the phone or skype! After dinner we were exhausted though, and hit the hay pretty early!

Saturday morning we woke up and although Mom and Dad were still thrown off on the time, they felt somewhat rested and ready for a big day! We had breakfast each morning in the Hilton, and after months of surviving on lame hostel breakfasts on weekends and a meager portion of white bread from my host family during the week, I was greatly impressed by the spread the Hilton offered! My parents laughed at me when I filled up my plate with eggs, bacon, cereals, pastries, etc each day, but I knew I had to take advantage when I could, it was all delicious! I ate better this week, for all meals, then I had in forever, and it was so nice to just enjoy great food with my parents! I am so thankful for them for all they did!
Anyway, I stuffed my face, and Mom had her precious Coke-a-Cola Light (French for Diet Coke, sadly no Tab) and then we headed out!

In the morning, we went to Notre Dame and St. Chapelle Cathedrals. Notre Dame is of course very impressive and just one of those landmarks you have to see, I had not been inside on my previous trip so I was excited to enter the massive cathedral and check out all the ornate décor. Mom thought it was a little too dark for her style, but really enjoyed the pink toilet paper in the bathroom (haha this is a joke, she liked it of course and dad just made fun of her a lot for commenting on the tp’s color). There were some really weird street performers out in front of the plaza that made our experience unique, so weird! Also, mom fell for the old gypsy trick and when one asked her if she spoke English she said Yes, but was then smart enough to get away before the real con began, I was proud! Inside Notre Dame was really neat and I was glad to have seen it!

From there, we went to a much smaller and lesser known church my godfather Uncle Tom had recommended. It is called St. Chapelle and is located on the Ile de City (literally the island Paris originally started as) along with Notre Dame but inside the Palais De Justice complex where the Supreme Court of France resides. When we first got inside, we thought the little room we entered was the main one, and we were all a bit underwhelmed. Then we realized we had to walk up the stairs to enter the main chapel and it was just like a movie, as we all walked in and caught our first glimpse, we literally gasped, this was one of the only times I can recall a sight actually taking my breathe away! The chapel is completely covered in gorgeous stain glass windows, that are enormous and just beautiful! I really can’t describe how neat it is, except to say it was one of the favorite things all of us saw the whole week (and for me of all my travels). The stain glass tells the story of the Bible, and we were able to pick up info cards that told us what we were looking at on each panel, we walked through and tried to decipher each one, it was really cool. We stayed for awhile just taking it all in and taking as many pictures as possible. Then we bought an obscene amount of post cards from the gift shop, haha! Thanks, Uncle Tom, for the recommendation, I would pass it along to anyone- if you go to Paris, you must go to Saint Chapelle!

From there, we were getting hungry and decided to cross the Seine and visit the Left Bank, specifically the Latin Quarter, one of the traditionally younger, more hip and bohemian areas of Paris, for lunch. We grabbed a bite at a chain type bakery place called Paul, we had sandwiches and pastries which was delicious, the chocolate éclair we shared was to die for! We had to order completely in French, so that was interesting, I did it and was proud! After lunch, we strolled more around the Latin Quarter and just took it in, it is a really fun and pretty area, one of my favorite parts of the city I think. We saw one of the oldest and best Universities in France, La Sorbonne and then went to the Pantheon, a huge building designed like a Roman Temple that has been past back and forth between secular and religious purposes over its long history. Our tour book, “Top Ten Paris,” said it was one of the Top Ten Sites in the city, but we didn’t think it was that amazing. It had Foucault’s pendulum hanging all the way from the dome top to the floor, which swings and in doing so confirms the rotation of the Earth. Its sort of difficult to understand why this is (even more so to explain on a breezy travel blog so I wont try), but it was cool to see. We also saw the graves of lots of famous Parisian intellectuals including Voltaire, Rousseau, and Marie and Pierre Curie. We had wanted to go to the top, where there we supposedly great views of Paris, but the viewing room wasn’t open until April 1st. Overall, the Pantheon was interesting, but just ok. Dad liked it more than Mom, haha!

From there, we had to decide what to do with the rest of the day. We had a debate, Dad wanted to go the Hotel Des Invalides, which houses Napoleon’s tomb and an army museum, but Mom wanted a more relaxing option, a boat ride down the Seine. In the end, Mom won out! We headed to the Eiffel Tour (first we stopped in a cute store where mom bought a very fashionable scarf to go with her rain coat), took a few pics at its base, and then hopped on a shuttle which took us to the dock to board the boat. I have to say, I think we were all glad Mom had pushed for the boat ride, the weather held out and it was really clear and beautiful! It was one of our favorite activities for sure. You can get a really different perspective of the city from the water, and it opens up new viewpoints that you can get no where else. We saw all the main sites and just took it in on the hour and ten minute ride. I have great pictures that I promise to put up soon. We also had the honor of riding with a group of giggly American preteens wearing sweet “Paris Trip 2010” bright sweatshirts that I know Dad was really jealous of. Every time we went under a bridge, and Paris has a lot of bridges, they cheered. It was funny and provided comic relief (at least to me). The end of the boat ride got a little chilly, and afterwards it was getting pretty late, so we headed back to the hotel, although we did stop for a drink in a little café along the Champs D’Elysee! It was great people watching and Dad overheard a strange conversation about books that was weird!

That night began a series of wonderful dinners that were delicious and quite luxurious for me. Its not that I haven’t eaten well over here, but traveling on a student budget does limit my options to some degree and it had been quite sometime since I had a salad before a meal, or dessert after, or both, enjoyed fine wine, and didn’t check out the prices with great concern at a nicer place! It was great, thanks so much Mom and Dad!

Saturday, we went to a bistro near the L’Arc called La Lorraine (named after the region of France that is right next to Luxembourg) that was really good! Mom and I got quiche Lorraine, Dad had French onion soup, and then we all got steak and frites which was delicious! For dessert, I had the first of many of my new favorite- profiteroles- a French specialty that is essentially little pastries filled with vanilla ice cream, and then the whole thing is dunked in warm chocolate sauce! So good!
The wait staff was very nice at La Lorraine, and when they saw me translating the menu for Mom and Dad, they brought us English ones. The restaurant was super crowded when we were finishing up, around 10 pm probably- Mom and Dad got to see that it is true, Europeans eat quite late! At dinner, we talked a lot about my Hitler class and I learned a lot about WWII from Mom and Dad. They were, after all, both history majors and are quite the buffs!

Sunday
Sunday turned out to be quite a girl’s day, or at least morning and afternoon, but luckily Dad was a good sport about it! It started with the Musee D’Orsay, probably the second most famous museum in Paris, which houses works from 1850-1914 in an old converted railway station. I have been to a lot of museums over in Europe, and I have to say this was hands down my favorite. It was a combination of the actual art (the place has a huge collection of impressionists and post-impressionists like Monet, Manet, Renoir, and Van Goh) and the setting (the converted RR station makes it so unique and interesting), that made me love it so much! It was so cool to see some extremely famous pictures in real life, like Van Goh’s self portrait, Monet’s water lilies, and Renoir’s pictures of Paris. I just stared at it all in awe and took it in. Mom really liked it a lot as well, and Dad, who admits to being more of an ESPN buff than an art history one, enjoyed it even though it wasn’t his favorite! I picked up several prints of my favorite pieces that I am really looking forward to displaying when I return home!

After the museum, we had reservations for lunch/brunch at a very well known Parisian bakery and restaurant, Laduree. I had heard a lot about it from various friends and my French teacher, their macaroons are world famous and everyone raves about them, so I really wanted to go. Unfortunately, the line to get in Orsay made us behind schedule and I loved it so much I didn’t want to rush, so we ended up being late to our reservation by 45 minutes. (Strange side note, on the way we saw a statue to Thomas Jefferson right on the Seine, he was French Ambassador before being Pres and founding UVA! Pretty Cool huh?! We took some pics). We probably should of taken the metro or a cab, but we walked and it was rainy, so when they told us they had given our table up, we weren’t in the most excited mood. Since I really wanted to eat there, Mom and Dad were very nice and said we could wait. Finally, another 45 minutes later of observing a very strange seating system, we got a table!

I went for the big one and ordered the brunch, which came with a ton of food including fruit, macaroons, pastries, and scrambled eggs! It was so good! I got a lemon, rose, and pistachio macaroon and I would have to say pistachio was the best, although lemon was good (the rose flavor was a little too life like, who wants to eat a flower?) Mom got a nice salad and Dad a big omlette. It was funny because I was flustered when ordering and got a glass of wine and water without realizing my meal came with coffee and juice, I had quite a large amount of beverages to choose from!

Anyway, I really liked the setting of Lauderee, it was very girl and like eating in the Plazza or a very fancy, girly treehouse! For me, it was a great morning and I think the rents liked it too!

We spent Saturday afternoon in the bohemian quarter of Paris that is in the North part of the city, Montemart. I had stayed there when I was with my friends, so I knew my way around to some extent! We trecked up the enormous stair case and hills to the top of the hill and saw the very impressive church Sacre Couer, as well as the spectacular view it offers of the city. We also went in the Church, it was interesting, it was Palm Sunday and mass was going on, but they still allowed visitors to walk along the edge.
From Church, we wandered around the streets of Montemarte and spent time in the main artist’s square which was bustling with people and artists drawing and painting and selling their work. Mom and I knew we wanted something authentic, and she got three little pieces from this really cute artist for the house. I kept going back to a really pretty picture of the Eiffel Tower in spring, and as I was debating buying it, Dad whipped out his wallet and paid the lady on the spot as a gift for me! It was so sweet and I know I will have it forever as a great memento! We also saw a café called Chez Eugene, and though of our Peeps! I took a pic of it for Nana!

After a glass of wine at a little outdoor café, we headed down to Pigalle, the area below the hill of Montemarte, otherwise known as the Red Light District. Dad wanted to check it out (haha awk I know, he was kidding) and since we had such a girly day before Mom and I agreed. Some parts were really gross and Dad even got propositioned to go in a club with a sketchy lady- ICK! Mom was shocked and appalled and wanted to get out of the area quick. We took pics in front of Moulin Rouge, which really I think is quite tacky, and then headed back up to Montemarte. We were so full from brunch that we just had a crepe (or for Dad an ice cream) from a street vendor. Of course I got banana nutella and it was awesome.
We headed back to the hotel and had a drink at the bar before retiring for the night! It was another great day in Paris!

Monday
On Monday, we went on an all day excursion to Mont St. Michel, which it turns out is the second most popular attraction in France, behind only the Eiffel Tower. We had to get up quite early, but a bus picked us up and took us to the meeting point. While we waited there for the bigger bus, we grabbed a croissant at a little café, which turned out to be one of the best pastries we had in Paris! It was a small consolation for the early hour I guess. We boarded the bus, which was quite big and comfortable and were off. We had thought the ride, Mont St Michel is off the coast of the border between the regions of Normandy and Brittany, was about 3.5 hours, but when we boarded we were told it was closer to 4-4.5. The ride was uneventful, but beautiful for awhile, until we hit an accident about halfway there. In the end the ride was close to six hours, and honestly it was not exactly fun! That is a long time to ride in a bus, and we just wanted to get there. Most who know my Dad know he is not exactly the most patient driver, but I thought he did a good job at not freaking out! Eventually though, we made it and went to our first stop, a restaurant that overlooks the Mont. Check out my pictures (when I put them up haha soon I promise) or google image it if you aren’t sure what it looks like, but it is basically an abbey and village on an island out at sea. It really looks like a fairy tale castle. When the tide comes up each day, the strip of road leading to the Mont is covered, and the only access is by boat! At the restaurant, we had a nice lunch overlooking the Mont which was cool! We sat with some interesting people, some Australian girls, and a couple from San Francisco with their little 2nd grade daughter, and had good conversation. One nice thing about these organized trips are the people you meet!

After lunch, we boarded the bus again for a short trip over to the actual island. We then had an about 1.5 walking tour, through the small village and then up to the top of the Mont to the abbey. The village was cute but a little bit touristy, I guess it makes sense though since they have so many visitors! The abbey was really interesting and despite the long day and the very tough climb to the top, I think we all three really enjoyed it. We saw the oldest chapel that existed in the Abbey which is normally closed but was somehow luckily unlocked for the day, it was built in 900! I also really liked the garden courtyard we saw that was very pretty and had a nice view of the sea. Our guide had a somewhat strange voice, but she did a good job informing us and I felt like I learned a lot! We didn’t have a ton of free time after the tour, but we were able to take walk around a little more, Dad and I explored and got some great pics. After an awkward encounter in a shop, when the lady got mad we didn’t buy 2 drinks so two of us could use the restroom, we boarded the bus and headed back. The drive was not as long (no accidents) but still quite a treck, we kept awake with some peanut MMs and salt and vinegar chips we picked up at a rest stop (so French I know).

Eventually, we got dropped off at the Arc and just wanted dinner! We were craving pizza and pasta, and were so hungry we just went in the first Italian place we saw, a cute place called Cesar’s nearby La Lorraine. It turned out to be one of our favorite meals! We had a really nice waiter who we chatted with quite a bit, and the food was divine, Dad had pizza and Mom and I pasta that was as good as any I had in Italy. Overall, it was just what we needed after a long day! Funny story, I have learned by now that everywhere in Europe, even the smallest, most random places, play American music, but Mom and Dad were still getting used to it! At Cesar’s Michael Jackson hits were just playing like crazy and we were all in the mood to grove. Haha, actually no but Dad did ask our waiter why that particular selection was playing and he told us the boss wasn’t there that night so he and the other waiters could play their music, and they of course picked MJ! He is huge over here, its so funny!



Tuesday
The next morning we were quite tired, and ended up sleeping in which was great! We made it out of the hotel around 11 with a plan to head to Versailles. On the way, I stopped in a cheesy souvenir shop to buy a memory card (I took so many pictures its crazy) and Dad almost got tricked into the classic Gold Ring Scam. Basically, a man picked up a ring in front of him, pretending he had just found it, and showed it to Dad to examine. Dad, being curious, was intrigued and looked at it with the man. Then the man tried to give Dad the ring and walk away, but only goes a few steps away before coming back and deciding he wants something in exchange for the ring! I think they also try to steal your wallet if you get it out! In the end, it was awkward and Mom and I only saw the second part, Dad was just having a puzzled look but realizing the man was sketch. In the end, I grabbed the ring from Dad, threw it on the ground, and said hurry and we quickly walked away. I was a hero! Haha ok, not really but Mom and I did joke with Dad for the rest of the trip about his love for gold rings. He may resign Gildea and Schmidt soon and try to start the scam in Towson. We later saw a women try to do the exact same trick in the same exact spot, it really is a business and if you lose your job you should look into it!

After avoiding the scam, we took the regional train to Versailles which was not too far at all, about half hour. Unfortunately, we tried to buy our tickets from the Conceirge, but he only had 2 and he assured us the line wouldn’t be too long and we could just get them there. Turns out, he was majorly wrong! We had to wait about an 1.5 hours to get our tickets. It wasn’t rainy, but it was sort of cold and the wait was kind of annoying. I was reading a good book Mom had brought me, so I was in my own world, but I know it was tedious for Mom and Dad with nothing to do! In the end though, we made it in to Louis XIV’s palace! It was so cool! Really, it was better than I expected. Every room was more ornate and over the top than the next, I cannot imagine how much gold and fine materials were used in the construction! Highlights included the Hall of Mirrors, which was super beautiful, and the King and Queen’s apartments. One lady what was going through near us was likely from New Jersey and at every single room or sight she would talk so loudly and almost be moaning about how great it is “OH MAH GAWD!!” she said. Dad later nicknamed her ‘orgasm lady’ and I thought it was pretty appropriate. She did provide comic relief though!

After touring through the chateau, we wanted to go to the world renowed gardens, but unfortunately it began to rain. This part of the day was perhaps our lowest point, I think we were all just frustrated with the weather, crowds, and lines. In the end, we waited it out a bit, did some shopping, and saw a bit of the gardens before calling it a day. We headed into the little town around the castle and warmed up with a hot chocolate and frites at a German themed café. We all relaxed a little and calmed down! Then we boarded the train to head home and had trouble with the ticket machine, but Mom saved the day and got it to work. On the walk up some stairs in the metro home Mom said the words that we teased her with the rest of the trip, “my legs are like lead!” She had to run up to catch the train with lead legs, but she made it! Dad and I were proud! Not the best conditions, but overall Versailles was great and I think we were all happy we went!

After we got back to the city, we changed at our hotel and then decided to go to dinner. On the way, I really pushed to go to the top of the Arc. I really wanted to go to the top of a monument at night and have a view of the city, and I knew the next day after Normandy we would be too tired. Mom with lead legs, and Dad with great hunger, were not too enthused but in the end decided it was the best idea to go right then before dinner. It was so cool though and turned out to be one of our highlights (I know I say that about everything but its true). The inside was really neat and had a cool exhibit, and the view from the top was amazing. We saw the Eiffel Tower all lit up and were even there on the hour when it flashed! Looking down Champs D’Elysee is also incredible and seeing all the cars and lights really makes you get Paris’ nickname! The 294 step climb to the top, which Mom and Dad both rocked, was so worth it! Sadly, I forgot my camera that night, but I was able to play around with mom’s settings and get some really nice pictures!

We then went to dinner at a place the concierge recommended called Chez Andre. It was a farther walk then expected, but was a cozy place that seemed very authentic. Our waitress was a very sweet older lady who only spoke French. When I asked her if the roast chicken or hamburger was better, she said the haammburgeeeer (with a great French accent) was tres tres bien, so we all three ordered it! It was very good and different than a US burger but the meat so fresh and delicious. We also got yummy desserts and wine, the waitress even split the profiteroles on two plates for Mom and I! We also chatted to a nice man sitting next to us (tables are often very close in France), he was a businessman from Lyon! We met a lot of great people on the trip, and I think Mom and Dad agreed with my idea that the French are very nice and friendly despite their stereotype! You just have to be friendly and respectful as well, and make some effort to respect their culture and language. If you do, they will open up and be quite welcoming. After dessert, we said enchante to the waitress and Lyon man and were off! Another great French meal and day.

Wednesday

Wednesday was another full day excursion and I am actually going to hold off on telling you all the details, in fact my Dad is going to do a guest post and fill you in! We went to the Normandy beaches and saw where our very own Pepa took part in the battle that freed France. It was one of my favorite days of the trip (probably of being abroad so far) and was both educational and moving. We went on a small tour in a minivan with only 2 other people, Kim and Kim, an aunt and niece pair from the US. The drive was a lot shorter and our guide, Pierre, was very knowledgeable, although Dad probably told us just as much or more than him! We saw the Pont de Hoc, Omaha Beach, the American Cemetary and Museum and the Caen memorial and museum. It was just overall a great day, but Ill let Dad tell you more of the details soon!

After the tour, we got back to Paris relatively early and went to dinner at a little restaurant we just stumbled upon in our neighborhood called Riva. The food was great and it had a nice atmosphere, we found out from the waitress the region we were in had a lot of offices, especially of avocats (French for lawyers), and many came to the place after work for a drink or bite! It was obviously good for Dad, he fit right in. Mom and I had roast chicken with mashed potatoes and salad and it was simple but so fresh and yummy. We talked a lot about our day at Normandy and made sure to toast Peeps (we used the line Nana said he used 'heres looking at you kid') both at dinner and when we had one last drink in the hotel bar before bed. We thought of getting Beefeter martinis, but decided we couldn’t stomach it, Mom and I had baileys instead!

Thursday was our last day in Paris and one of the nicest, weather and activity wise! It had been somewhat drizzly and sometimes windy during the week, although there were lots of patches of sunshine. Thursday, the sky was cloudless and so blue, it was perfect! We started off the day with our last Hilton breakfast and then spent the morning walking along the Champs D’Elysee and doing some shopping. Mom had some souvenirs she wanted to get, and we were able to find lots of nice gifts.
Then we went to the Hotel Invalides, what Dad had lost out on Saturday. Its an old military hospital that now houses Napoleon’s tomb and an army museum. Mom and I weren’t exactly excited, but Dad had been a good shopper so we went along with it. It actually turned out to be really cool and I know a highlight for Dad! The museum’s collection was pretty incredible, like the Louvre, you could of spent months in there. We visited the armor collections from the Middle Ages, as well as the WWI and WWII exhibits. We saw a ton of fascinating stuff, it was amazing how well preserved a lot of the pieces are. We also saw Napoleon’s tomb, which lies directly below a huge gold dome that can be seen throughout Paris. It is clear that even in death, he is a huge hero and symbol for many French. After the Invalides, we had lunch at a nice little café and then just explored the area between the Invalide and the Eiffel, which we had reservations to go to the top of at 5pm. We shopped some and ended up sitting in the Champs De Mars, the big tour below the Eiffel for awhile. Mom bought 30 Eiffel tour key chains from a lucky vendor (there are millions of them) to give to her class, I hope they liked them! Dad had the highlight of the trip when he watched a huge game of bocce ball being played by some cute old French men, Mom and I decided he wants to move to France and become one of them (maybe he could split his time between this and the gold ring scam). I strolled a little and found a perfect gift for my niece Gabby and my host family that I had been looking for, it was great! Then, we went to the top of the Eiffel at 5! We used the elevator (that’s what you can reserve) and although we still had to wait, it as only half hour instead of the 3 it would take without a reservation. It was really cool and the beautiful weather made it great. I had done it before with my friends, but being with my parents and being able to see a lot farther with the clear sky, made this time a lot more special! I was just a nice way to end our trip and we pointed out lots of things we had visited. Dad also proposed to Mom at the top which was pretty cute! In the end, we took the stairs down because the elevator system had a glitch and was very slow. Mom was a little hesitant (it is really high and scary) but she did fine and we all made it down! That night, we had dinner at an Italian place near our hotel, that was tasty and exactly what we needed, pretty quick and low key. The pasta was great, and we all got one last dessert, Dad had profiteroles and fell in love!
From there, we walked back to the hotel, got our stuff, and headed to the Hilton near the airport. I had a really early flight the next morning, and my parents was around noon, so it just made sense to stay closer. In bed, we recapped our trip, I used my notes as a basis for this blog.

Overall, the trip was amazing and just so special for me. I know I will always remember the week I spent in Paris with my parents, even when I am old and gray!!
We saw and did SO MUCH, it was amazing! We also just bonded and I feel like I learned a lot about both Mom and Dad as people! I love you guys and thank you so so so much!!

Ok, I am in Paris now waiting for my second flight to Prague! Ill do a post about Nice soon!

Hope everyone is well!

Care

Excitement!!

Hi guys!!
Just wanted to do a quick post before I depart for 2 full weeks of traveling, 16 days actually! I don't think I have ever been on a trip for this long and I am super excited. Most of all, I am excited, thrilled, ecstatic to see my parents. Obviously, they are really cool people and although I don't see them much when I am at school for a semester, I have missed them more when I am abroad than ever! I also am just so glad they get this chance to come to Europe and see the most wonderful city ever- Paris! I hope they fall in love with it like I did! After they leave, the fun doesn't end....I go to the south of France to meet my sister Jackie's bff and roommate- Jill, who is doing a grad school fellowship in Geneva. We are going to spend Easter weekend together soaking up the sun in Nice and taking day trips to Monaco and other fabulous little cities. Then I head to my base course study trip for my Hitler class- we will be going to Prague, Auschwitz, and Crakow! Should be super informative and amazing. I can't really believe these next two weeks- is my life real?!
My train departs for Paris in about 2 hours- ahh! I think I am all packed and ready- hopefully I didn't forget anything!

This week has mainly been devoted to tying up lose ends and getting everything together. It has been beautiful in Differdange, so I have taken several nice walks and runs which has been great. Yesterday, I discovered a glorious bike trail- I literally ran through the Lux countryside passing by villages, farms, and sheep on the way, it was so cool. I was quite stressed mid week about some passport/laundry issues- basically Wed morning I thought I wouldn't have my passport back (from the Lux gov who is doing visa stuff) or my laundry clean by Friday and I was freaking out. In the end though, Crici, our housing director worked miracles and I got both in time, hooray!

One sad thing, it is rainy today in Lux and the forecast for Paris does not look so good- basically calling for light rain every day!! I really hope light rain just means some drizzle and that we at least get a day or two of sunshine! Either way though, I know Paris will be great and we just have to look on the bright side and tough it out.

I'm going to try to keep up with the blog to some extent while away, so look for posts. I may even try to convince my Pops to write a guest post, which I am sure would be quite amusing for all. Have a fantastic two weeks everyone, I miss you!!

Care

Tres Francais in Lyon!

Hi! Wow! I cant believe another weekend of traveling has come and gone. What a great weekend it was. I was in Lyon, where I stayed with my friend from UVA Clare, and also met up with my second cousin Meredith. I had such a nice time! Clare was a great tour guide and hostess, and I feel like I had my most authentic weekend abroad so far, I really got to see what it was like to live, rather than just be a tourist, in a city I was visiting. Lyon is a really beautiful, lively city that I think a lot of travelers overlook, and I am so glad I got to enjoy it from an insiders perspective. Here goes the recap…

I was traveling alone again this weekend, but my train did not leave Luxembourg until about 4pm. It was nice being able to go running, shower, and pack before my departure and not feel rushed. When I did arrive in Lux City to catch the first train of my journey (I thought I would be taking a train from Lux to Metz, then getting a connection from Metz to Lyon), I was surprised to find half of MUDEC (for those who don’t know MUDEC is the abbreviation for where I study- Miami University Dolbois’ European Center) would be on the first leg of my journey as well. A huge group- like over 40 kids no joke (too big for my taste)- was going to Interlaken and riding my first train for a few hours to get to Basel. I was happy to be able to go with other people I knew, and I sat with some friends for what was supposed to be the quick forty-minute train to Metz. This is when trouble struck however, and the beginning of my train fiasco- an experience I am not likely to soon forget- began!

I was supposed to have 25 minutes to transfer between trains in Metz, which I had thought would be plenty of time. Since I was using my Eurorail pass, and the trains I was going on didn’t require seat reservations, I didn’t actually have a ticket for them, rather just my Eurorail and the printout with the times the ticket office had suggested for me. Anyway, 25 minutes is apparently not enough time and the train that had been suggested for me is apparently notoriously late. It took its sweet time getting to Metz, and it seriously stopped in one station for 20 minutes. I began to freak out at about 4:45, I was supposed to arrive in Metz at 4:50 and board a train to Lyon at 5:13, but at 4:45 we were no where close. I started sweating, and my friends I were with tried to convince me it would be ok. As the minutes ticked, and our train moved very slowly along, I knew I was in trouble. Finally, an older man near us who could clearly understand English and my panic said there was no way I was going to make it and since trains didn’t leave from Metz to Lyon more than once or twice a day, I better find the conductor quick. At this point, I was in a panic and all kinds of things were rushing through my head. I started quickly walking through compartments looking for a man in a blue suit. At this point, it was 5:13 and although we were close to the station, I knew I wasn’t going to make it (trains take awhile to slow down, park, open doors etc). I couldn’t find a conductor anywhere, until finally the very last compartment there he stood. I quickly said “”parlez vous Anglais?” (I knew I couldn’t explain my conundrum in rapid French) and he said “Non.” I almost cried right then (I seriously considered staying on the train and just going to Switzerland with the big group even though I had no place to stay) but then the conductor pointed to the young girl next to him, who was probably a few years older than me, and said she spoke English. I cried out, I am trying to go to Lyon and I am going to miss my connection, and she said I was supposed to be on that train too, I am going to Dijon. Then she said the words that changed my life (ok I am exaggerating, but its true also- it was scary because I was really alone on this trip and possibly stranded in Metz) “Don’t worry, come with me.” In the end, the girl, whose name was Chloe, was my savoir. Those who think French people are mean and rude obviously haven’t met her. She took me with me as we tried to figure out the best way to get to Lyon and jumped through many hurdles along the way. We stopped in two ticket offices in Metz (they were giving us the run around I think according to my French translation) before one guy finally stamped her ticket and wrote on Eurorail that we could take the TGV (the fastest trains, pronounced tay-jay-vay) that was delayed and therefore coming soon and going to Paris, and then another TGV from Paris to Lyon. We found the platform, and eventually boarded the first one to Paris, but then had to find another conductor, who could give us info on our connection. He was unavailable for quite some time, and we stood in a crammed, very sweat compartment with other frustrated travelers for quite a while. Eventually, he talked to us and told us since we didn’t have reservations, we may not get a seat on the train. He was quite nice though and told us which times and from which station trains were running from Paris to Lyon and Dijon. The funniest part came in the middle of him and Chloe’s French conversation when his cell phone rang and the ringtone was the Police’s “Losing My Religion.” It was so random I almost burst out laughing! At this point since I had Chloe with me, I was calming down, and could see the humor in this strange situation. In the end, we luckily found free seats and made our way to Paris which was a quick ride- less than 90 minutes. On the way I found out Chloe was going to her belated graduation ceremony from business school and she was missing an important dinner because of the train confusion! She had finished classes last year and was now working from KPMG in Lux, she is originally from near Nancy, France. She was so nice and I really enjoyed talking with her. Anyway, we got to Paris so quickly that it was possible for me to maybe make the 7:54 train to Lyon instead of the 8:54 that the conductor had said was a safe bet. It was close though, because we had to use the Paris Metro to get to a totally different train station. Luckily, Chloe was thinking and we bought tickets for the metro on the train (weird how you can do that- in gratitude, I paid the 2 Euros for hers- it was the least I could do). We ran through the metro, and after lots of sprinting and 2 changes, we made it to Gare Lyon, where Chloe walked me to the departing train for Lyon before even finding hers. We said goodbye, and I said many, many thanks to her! I seriously don’t know what I would have done if she was not there! My last step was asking the conductor if I could ride with a Eurorail, this time he was very nice and jokingly told me I could not only ride, but even sit first class if I wanted! I made it on, and breathed a sigh of relief- at last I was on a train headed directly to Lyon. Turns out, because I was riding TGVS and had caught the 7:54, I would be arriving in Lyon half hour earlier than expected! Funny how some things can just work out for the best, even when you think all hope is lost. I arrived in Lyon before 10, where Clare was waiting for me! It was so good to see her and I recounted all my adventures to her as we walked to her apartment! She was impressed by Chloe’s kindness too, and so glad I had figured it out! Our lovely Lyon weekend could begin!

Clare is doing a UVA program in Lyon, and she lives in an apartment with two roommates- one from a school in California and one from UVA. Their place is in a great location right on the Rhone River, one of the two rivers that runs through Lyon (the other is the Saone). Her apartment is smallish, but very cute and in an excellent location! She has her own room, and they have a fold out couch in the main room that I slept on. On Friday night, some girls in her program were using her kitchen to make dinner, and when we got back we snacked on some of the left overs, had some wine, and caught up on our trips home from Dublin and our weeks. I was able to meet some of the girls in her program, as well as her two closest friends, although just for a sec- they were going to a techno concert. After hanging out for awhile, we decided to go out for a bit, even though we were tired Clare want to show me vieux Lyon (old Lyon), an area on the other side of the Saone with cute cobblestone streets and lots of bars. We ended up reliving our Dublin weekend in an Irish pub called the James Joyce that was a lot of fun. We met some American guys who were there watching the NCAA tournament, it turned out they were on the Lyon basketball team and had played in the US in college- one played for UConn (I think this is maybe a big deal) so they must have been semi-decent. They were characters and gave us some laughs. It was a fun, relaxed night and a good introduction to Lyon!

The next morning, we arose pretty early and made it out of Clare’s apartment before 10 am. We went to a really cute café near her house, it was all decorated in purple and green and had the nicest embroidered chairs, and had a petite dejeuner classique (classic breakfast) that consisted of a pastry, bread with jam and butter, and coffee. It was tres francais (this was a theme of our weekend I think, everything just felt so authentic) and delicious. Then we headed to presqu’ile (this literally means almost island, it is a peninsula with rivers on both sides), the center part of Lyon. The two rivers really make Lyon a unique place, and this center part is the focal point of town and just a gorgeous area. The two rivers also made (and still make) Lyon a major trading center, the city was actually a former Roman capital, as well as one of the leading producers of silk in early Europe. Today, it is the 5th biggest city in France, and the major commerce center in the Rhone-Alps region. But anyway, in the morning we headed to Presque Ile, and for the next several hours Clare played the role of tour guide and did an excellent job. We saw several of Lyon’s major squares including the Place Bellecour and Place de Terraux. We also went into the courtyard of the Musee des Beaux Arts, where blooming flowers hinted at the beginning of spring! Clare had a guidebook, as well as a head bursting with knowledge about the place she has lived for the past three months- and at all the sights she would read to me about what we were looking at and fill in with her own tidbits. It was tres bien! We also just wandered and took in the streets, being sure to window shop in the many, many tempting chocolate shops and bakeries, as well as some cute boutiques. After presqu’ile, we headed over to vieux Lyon again (where we had been the night before) and explored.

Next, we climbed one of the two major hills in Lyon- the fourviere. This is where the Roman ruins - including a really neat amphitheatre that was slightly more impressive than UVAs- are, so we explored that area. At the top of the hill is the Basilica de Notre Damn (do you know the difference between a Basilica and a Cathedral??- my brilliant guide Clare told me- turns out a Basilica is blessed by the pope and therefore more important). It is very beautiful on the outside, and the inside honestly took my breathe away. I have seen a lot of churches since being in Europe, and this one was probably my favorite (ok, maybe second but only to St. Peters). The inside ceilings were decorated with incredible detail, and the main color scheme was gold and a tealish blue green that is my favorite color in the world. The décor was so unusual and ornate that it just had a beautiful effect. Clare, who is quite well traveled, is very good at picking up on details, and she pointed out a lot of beautiful decorations that I probably would not have noticed. We also went down below the main room to the crypt, which had a very different feel but was nonetheless beautiful.

Outside the Basilica was a really nice viewpoint of the city- we were quite high up- the climb, which sloped along the hill and took us a decent amount of time- was really challenging- we def got out work out of the day in on that! It was really neat to see the city from this bird’s eye view, it was a little cloudy that day but we were still able to see a lot. Clare pointed out her apartment, her school, and many of the sights we had visited before. If I was just a regular tourist I don’t think I would have been able to locate all of these things, but with Clare pointing it out I really felt like I was able to get my bearings and get a pretty good understanding of the city even though I was there for a short time. Lyon is a big city, but not huge like Paris or Berlin, and it was a nice change to be in a place that felt manageable to see in a weekend. Everything was in walking distance, and we saw most main parts of the city on foot.

After that, we headed back down the hill and had lunch at a nice place in vieux Lyon, I had a crepe with ratatouille and it was yummy! Then we headed to a gourmet food market on Clare’s side of the river called Les Halles (you don’t pronounce the h) that was super cool! Clare and I both share a love for food, and Lyon is very well known for its many gourmet options. This market really showed that off! There were tons of little shops selling all kinds of delicious specialties and we just enjoyed walking through and drooling over all the delicacies. I picked up some unusual tea in one shop and we also just had to try a macaroon from the most impressive patisserie/chocolaterie there. My macaroon was actually pink metallic, it was so cool! Macaroons are all the rage in France right now, and I promise to bring some back for you guys. I actually just made reservations for Sunday brunch with my parents in Paris at the mecca of all macaroon shops Laduree in Paris, and I cant wait! The one I had in Lyon was delicious though, I don’t know how Laduree can top it! Anyway, Les Halles was great, and another one of those things I do not think I would have seen if I wasn’t with a Lyon insider.

From Les Halles, we headed to Clare’s favorite coffee shop, a really funky, almost underground place that had a cozy and warm vibe. I had a latte with nutella that was to die for, and it was nice to just relax for a little after walking around so much! We didn’t stay too long though, and then headed out for another walk- this time with one of Clare’s best friends to the major parc in Lyon Parc Tete Or (literally means head of gold). It was beautiful and nice to get to know one of Clare’s friends. Clare and her 2 closest friends are very assimilated in French culture, their accents are marvelous and they often speak French amongst themselves. They are also just chic and have many French friends. While I love Lux, being in a big American program does not make this level of immersion possible, so it was neat to see another study abroad program’s experience. Again, tres francais.

After freshening up at Clare’s apartment, we headed to meet my second (or maybe third it is confusing) cousin Meredith for dinner on one of the main streets of presqu’il. We ate at a restaurant called the Winch, and I had a tres francais meal of a salade with egg and meat (I think it was duck actually), frites (French fries) and a chocolate gateau (cake) for dessert! We also shared some lovely white wine. Meredith is a bit older than me, and we had not seen much of each other in the past except perhaps when I was little. It was really nice to get to know her better over dinner, and I am so glad we met up. She is studying contemporary dance in an intense ten-month program in Lyon, and she has such an interesting story. I really admire her passion for dance and the way she is dedicated to doing what she loves no matter where it takes her! We talked a lot about her life in Lyon (her and Clare exchanged notes), as well as my experience abroad, and our loving and sometimes crazy family! It was so nice to chat, and I hope we can catch up! Also, it was the first time I saw any family since being here, so that was a nice feeling.

That night after dinner, Clare, some of her friends and I went bar hopping a bit. We started on the other hill in Lyon Croix Russe at a small place called Atmosphere and then went back to pubs in vieux Lyon. It was so fun to be with Clare, and meet her friends (I practiced my French a bit), and as always we had a blast.

The next morning we woke up early again and headed out to meet another one of Clare’s friends at a market by the river. We shopped and got a ton of delicious tres francais food- including 2 types of cheeses (random fact I learned in Politics, France produces 375 types of cheeses, the most in the world), bread, fruit, and eggs! The market was so fresh and yummy- totally beats the Towson or Cville farmers market I must say. We took the stuff back to Clare’s apartment and made a delicious brunch complete with scrambled eggs and fizzy peach mimosas. It was such a fun and relaxing way to end my trip. The food was great and we all just stuffed our faces and chatted until I had to go to the train station at 2pm. I did buy some cheese and fruit to take back to Lux, and I can’t wait to enjoy it this week. My train ride back was far less eventful than my one there, I had no problems and was able to catch up on some reading. In a funny twist, I saw Chloe on the train back, she sat like 2 seats ahead of me! I thanked her again and we both exchanged stories about the weekend! Crazy how that all worked out!!

Overall, my trip was one of my favorites of all my travels. It was relaxed, but I saw a ton and got to really immerse myself in a cool part of France. I feel like Lyon is definitely overlooked by most tourists (I think I am the only person from my program to visit) and I really recommend it to any traveler! Thanks to Clare and Meredith for making my weekend awesome!!

This week is a pretty busy one at the Chateua, but I hope to write one more post before Friday when…..MY PARENTS COME!! I don’t think caps, bolds, or italics can express how excited I am to see them and spend time together in the coolest place every- Paris!! I want Friday to hurry up and get here soon. Have a good week all!

Care

A Pensive Post

Hello all. I am currently on the train headed home from school, its Friday afternoon and my train to Lyon isn’t until four, so I have a couple of hours before boarding. I am going to go home and pack but I thought I would just write a little bit of a reflection before heading off on another weekend away. I have been so busy that most of my posts really have been recaps of everything going on and sometimes I think I should be reflecting more- its just hard to take a minute and do it. But I just went for a run and it was gorgeous, I have been discovering areas around Differdange that are so pretty and green, today the sky is a cloudless blue, and it just got me in a thinking, pensive type of mood. So here are some thoughts on what I have learned so far in Lux…

-I can do a lot more than I knew I was capable of. I can travel alone, read a map, speak French in foreign cities, make friends when I know no one, and live with people – both roommates and a family- who are completely different then me. When I thought about all the changes I was going to go through before I came and all the challenges I would face, it was overwhelming, and I freaked out my far share of times anticipating it. Now that I am here, however, I realize you really can learn to adjust to anything. You just have to be a little brave…

-Don’t worry! Before I came here, I was seriously a stress ball. Especially last semester, I would get sick before tests and freak out when small things went wrong. Sure, I am still sometimes anxious or worried over here, but it is remarkable how much my stress levels have gone down. Part of it is that my classes are easier and more laid back, but part of it I think just has come from an eternal recognition that there is more in the world than tests and papers, and in the end losing something or being late just is not that important. I have come to realize what I value and truly care about in this world, and to put those things first. I love this feeling and I feel like it is the best thing I have gotten from my experience so far. Of course, I am still working on not stressing out about some things and I am by no stretch of the imagination am I a laid back, hippy, surfer girl with no cares (my name is Care after all). One area I am still struggling with a little bit is eating/exercising/weight. Traveling a ton and not having time to work out, eating cafeteria lunches, and indulging in delicious foreign food has made me somewhat concerned about gaining weight over here, but I am trying so hard to not stress. In the end, I do not want to obsess if I gain a few pounds over here, but for someone who has been quite health conscious for the past few years, it can be hard. I’m trying my best to not worry, I promise!

-Traveling is totally different experience than most other things in life, and it can take awhile to get used to it. Traveling with people- especially for over a week- is totally different than just being friends with them. Sometimes traveling can bring out the best in people, other times the worst. It is so important to have a positive attitude while traveling, and be open to having new, sometimes crazy experiences. This sounds super cliché, but it is true. Not to bash on Miami, but lots of people here are negative Nancies, and I hate it! I realize my favorite people to travel with are optimists like me, who realize we are on this great adventure and want to take advantage of everything that comes our way. Yesterday, I decided sort of last minute to spend the day in Trier, Germany with one of my best friends here- Allie. We had lunch in Lux City, boarded a forty minute train, and then shopped around Trier for the afternoon. The shopping wasn’t as great as we expected (more aimed at people older or younger than us), we sort of got lost, and we could of complained. But we just enjoyed it and took in the city and the beautiful weather, it is such a nice place to just enjoy and people watch, what got off to a rough start turned out to be one of my favorite days here! I love how Allie is positive too and just up for anything, I think it is why we click so well. Also, traveling in a huge group can have advantages, but overall is not ideal. 3 or 4 people is best I think. Even 2 is nice. And though it can be lonely, I think being alone- even for a few hours- can be good for you. You really learn what you like when it is just you alone, and it teaches you to trust yourself and go with my instincts. In a way, it makes you have more confidence when you make a decision- like when I went to the Writer’s Museum in Dublin alone- and it turns out well. You feel proud of yourself and just more capable in some way.

-You can’t control other people and you just have to let them make their own choices. I don’t want to go into too much detail, but this has to do a bit with my roommates here, who have struggled with relations with my host family and just don’t seem to be enjoying their stay in Lux. For a few weeks I was quite worried about them, and tried really hard to encourage them to have fun, take advantage of their time here, communicate with our family etc. In the end though, I am realizing it just isn’t my responsibility. All I can do it be a good friend and roommate, and they have to figure out the rest. I shouldn’t spend all my time worrying about others who control their own fate.

Hope this post is not too boring, just wanted to get these thoughts out!

Have a good weekend guys!!

Care

Hi friends! I know I have been MIA for a bit, what a crazy past week it has been! I seriously feel like the past few weeks I have completely gotten in the groove of being over here and I just want to say that I love it! I feel like time is flying so quickly and I cant believe I will be home in less than two months. I am just trying to soak in everything and take advantage of all the opportunities before me . I am using a piece of advice someone once told me before- “JUST GO” whenever anyone asks you to go somewhere, attend an event, do whatever (within legal and moral bounds of course) and I’ll tell you it works! I just went bowling-ok its different its called Jus de Quai over here- in Differdange using this motto, and it was so fun, I am so glad I went. But anyway, let me recap my last weekend trip, which was absolutely fabulous.

My weekend began on Thursday because I decided to be a rebel and skip Friday classes. After a lot of debates and scheduling out different possible routes, I decided to leave on Thursday evening for my very early Friday morning flight to the land of the green. I had plans to go to the cooking class that was being offered in Lux City, so I did that for the 2 hours before I had to catch my bus. It was a wonderful experience, let me tell you! A former teacher at Miami in Luxembourg and her husband, both who are retired and the nicest people you will ever meet, opened there home to a group of 8 of us and taught us the secrets of French cooking. We had a glass of wine and appetizers when we first arrived, and over quiche, brie, roasted duck, and veggies, we learned a little about French dining traditions and one another. I also volunteered to learn how to properly open a champagne bottle- so watch out, now I have the skills! Then we moved to the kitchen, where we prepared our first course- a smoked salmon salad. We used a cookie cutter circle type thing to stack seasoned fresh tomatoes, raw and smoked salmon, and rice mixture together, and placed the tower on a bed of greens. I was a little hesitant about the raw salmon, but when we got to enjoy the fruits of our labor, I was pleasantly surprised! Yum, I will have to make this salad for you all when I get home. Next, we began to prepare the main course- potatoes au gratin and veal with mushrooms, but since I had to leave, I actually got served first. Our instructor’s husband, Felix, an adorable Italian guy, was super kind to me and helped me prepare my veal on my own and then served me my own plate. He also gave me a cup of chocolate mousse with all of the fixings that the girls would be preparing later on for my bus ride, and it was so good! The night was such a treat, and even though I had to leave early, they were so accommodating it didn’t feel like I missed out! One of the coolest parts was hearing about our teacher’s life in Luxembourg. Her first experience with Americans was when she was 5 years old and the American soldiers liberated Lux City (it was 1945) from the Nazi invasion. She still remembers the sweet American named Jamie who rented a room from her parents and gave her an orange as a gift, a sweet treat she will never forget.

Extremely full and content from the cooking class, I then had to switch into independent travel girl mode and head back to the central train station. I made it and caught my bus to the airport without a problem. It had only a few other passengers, so after eating my chocolate mousse, I easily laid out and got a few zzzs. I didn’t sleep great (I was so full of wine and food!) but it was ok. When I arrived at Frankfurt Hahn airport, a shuttle was supposed to take me to my hotel, but I couldn’t find it and the number I was supposed to call just kept ringing (thanks a lot to Kyle who got online for me and tried to help) so I ended up getting a cab which was just a few Euro. I checked in the hotel and slept for a few hours, before rising quite early to head back to the airport and catch my flight. Finally, by 9 am, I was in Dublin! I know this sounds extremely intense, but it actually was totally fine! I was proud for navigating the plans on my own, and really had only a few minor problems. I am getting a lot better at not sweating the small stuff, and I really just went with the flow and it all worked out!

At the Dublin airport I had to wait an hour or so for my friend Clare, who is studying in Lyon, to arrive. I grabbed a scone (I love scones, so good) and coffee at a restaurant (actually it was more of a bar I guess) and enjoyed getting a quick glimpse at what awaited me in Dublin- everywhere I looked very friendly people were downing Guinesses, and it was 9am! They know how to have drink, that is for sure! After awhile, Clare arrived and it was so exciting to see her walk through the arrival gate! We hugged and squealed like the sorority girls we are, and headed to catch a bus to the city center. On the ride, we chatted our heads off and caught up on oru lives for the past few months and exchanged notes about our different programs. It is so interesting to hear about Clare’s experience abroad, and I really want to write about that at some point but it will have to wait a little bit I think. When we got off of the bus, we made our way to O’Connell Bridge, where our hotel was. We had been walking for about 5 minutes however, when Clare suddenly covered her face with her hands and said “AH, MY BAG!” She had left her duffle bag underneath the bus in the luggage compartment! She still had her purse with all her valuables, but all her clothes were gone! This was the one major downer of the trip, even though Clare called the company right then and many times after, her bag was never found! It was sad and I felt really bad, it was my fault as well, we were both so caught up in talking and just so excited to see each other that we completely forgot. Luckily, Clare is one of the most down to earth and laid back people ever, and she really did not let the lost bag ruin our trip. She was obviously a little bummed, but she really took it in stride and just focused on enjoying the weekend! Yay Clare for being awesome.

But anyway, after a few moments of stress, we made it to the hotel, which was lovely! Clare’s Dad had heard we were thinking of going to Dublin and were struggling to find a hostel, and he surprised Clare by booking us a room in a super nice hotel in a great location right near the city center!! I am so thankful to him, it was awesome! The hotel was extremely accommodating to us, and the room was like a palace compared to some hostels I have been in! We were able to check in upon our arrival, and put our stuff down and freshened up a bit. We then headed out to explore the city!

We first walked down O’Connell Street to another main road, Grafton Street, which runs right by Trinity College. We took in the lively atmosphere, the streets were bustling already in anticipation of the weekends activities- it was both the beginning of St. Patricks Day celebrations and a huge rugby match- Wales v. Ireland- and Dublin was packed! We window shopped and people watched and continued our chatting session. We made our way to St. Stephen’s Green, an enormous and beautiful park and walked around a little. One of the things I loved about Dublin was just walking through it and exploring. Unlike other cities with tons of tourist sites that you feel compelled to visit, Dublin is more about just taking in the atmosphere and vibe of the city and people. It was really refreshing to visit a place like that, especially with a close friend, and I felt a lot more relaxed on this trip than I have on others! It was great.

After walking for awhile, we realized we were hungry and thirsty. We started walking towards the Guiness Factory- I know I just said Dublin doesn’t have a ton of super touristy attractions and its true but this was one- where we had heard the tour was great. We stopped for lunch detour on the way at a really cute place in a red building called Queen of Tarts that had been recommended by both our guidebooks. We got a leisurely lunch of sandwiches and coffee and split two lovely baked goods for dessert- a cupcake and carrot cake, both treats that reminded us of home! After lunch, we were full but still thirsty and continued our quest for refreshement in the form of beer at The Guiness Factory at St. James Gate! The tour was mostly self guided, but really neat and interactive! Although it was mostly one big advertisement- or perhaps more of a temple that literally worships Guiness- it was fun to see and experience. The building is shaped like an enormous pint of beer, and you slowly make your way to the top of the beverage as you go. Our least favorite part was the section on transportation and keg building, which dragged a bit. Our favorite part was at the Gravity Bar at the very top and end of the tour when you are treated to a pint of the gold itself! I have to say, I thought I hated Guiness, but it is not too bad, really it reminds me of coffee. I can’t drink a lot of it, but the taste can be nice at times. The lady who poured our pints did so using the double pour which is standard in Dublin and supposedly gives you the best possible glass of the stuff. She even made a shamrock in the foam which took a great deal of skill! The Gravity Bar is a glass circular room that offers great views of the city and had a really fun atmosphere. I especially liked how quotes from classic Dublin literature was written on the glass and helped point out the sites in the distance. Nice touch, Guiness, you really know how to reward visitors after a tour!

In a random twist that again shows what a small world we live in, Clare ran into a friend from high school (she is from Houston, TX) at the beginning of our tour!! He is studying abroad in Spain and was visiting Dublin for the weekend as well. We actually met up with him and some friends later that evening for a pub crawl which turned out quite fun. Before that though, we took brief naps at the hotel- both of us had begun to feel the effects of traveling all night- and showered and freshened up. Then we headed to the Temple Bar Area, basically the place where all the pubs are concentrated and there are major ragers in the street- and grabbed dinner at an Irish style restaurant. Both of us had cravings for meat and had juicy burgers and chips which really hit the spot! Then we joined up with the pub crawl Clare’s friend was on and visited 3 more pubs and one nightclub in the Temple Bar region. All were a blast and so full of energy and people! We especially had fun dancing at the club where they played a ton of American music that we jammed too! Twas a lovely night out with a good friend.

The next morning, we rose and enjoyed a hot breakfast at our hotel before venturing out for the day. The big rugby match that was being held at the large stadium Corke Park was starting in a few hours and literally everyone in the streets was wearing Green (Irish) or Red (Welsh). They were clearly pumped for the game, and even though we didn’t have tickets (they were sold out and super expensive), so were we! We spent the morning walking around- we explored Marrion Square a bit where a carnival was being set up- and shopping, I was surprised by the great quality of stores in Dublin! Clare picked up some items to get her through the weekend, and I know this may be shocking to some, but I did not buy much. I guess I just didn’t find anything I loved and also knew I literally could not fit anything more into my one bag on the plane haha. I did buy an Ireland rugby shirt however so I could fit in with the crowd and support the home team! Clare and I had been told if we wanted to watch the match in a pub we would need to get there a few hours before kickoff, and after debating a few other options like taking a tour, we decided to have a really authentic experience and just go for it. It took a few tries to find a good pub, one we walked in was full of drunk Welshe men and just too intense, but we ended up getting bar stools with a great view of the tv at one. We sat for several hours, sipped beers, and watched the game with a packed bar of fans. It was so fuN! I don’t know much about the rules of rugby, but we picked up some stuff and it was easy enough to follow! It is so rough and makes American football players with all their pads look like sissies. Favorite parts of the afternoon included the older lady next to me who kept whispering to me about the “dishy” quality of Ireland’s players and the barmen, as well as the one time when a player’s shorts got pulled down and we saw a full moon (the lady told me then that was definitely her favorite part of the games haha).

After the match was over, we grabbed a snack at Dublin’s major chocolate shop and walked around and browsed some more. We hit up a souvenir shop where I got a funny gift for my niece, and explored the streets on our side of the bridge.

We were pretty exhausted after our day (the few pints in the afternoon probably didn’t help) but we still managed to have a nice night together! After showers and a little downtime we went out to dinner in a nice area nearby our hotel that we had found on a previous walk. We chose an Italian restaurant that had great food even though our waiter was slightly strange. We had a long, leisurely kind of meal that included an appetizer, wine, and pasta, and it was nice to just unwind and catch up more. We then headed back to Temple Bar to join in the celebrations that were taking place- I forgot to write that Ireland won the match! We went to several bars, in one of my favorites we got Irish Coffees and watched tons of funny drunk people dance, at another we had some serious talks with a few Welshmen. An older Welsh farmer bought us Guinesses- sounds creepy but it wasn’t like that, people in Ireland are just super friendly and love to talk- and we talked all about the UK’s role in the EU. I had just been tested on this info in my politics class and was able to really have an educated conversation which him about the advantages of the Euro and Britain’s governances of its provinces that was quite fascinating! We talked to another Welsh guy who was unfortunately far less friendly- he was some type of extreme nationalist and basically believed everyone in Whales should speak Welsh or leave and Americans had no culture because there is diversity! Kind of a whack job and not exactly pleasant, but we exited the conversation with ease and made our way to the next bar. I guess in a way it is also interesting and eye opening to meet these types of people- they exist! When we got back to the hotel we were exhausted and I fell right asleep!

The next morning, we sort of had an alarm mishap. I had forgotten that Ireland was an hour behind Lux and still set my phone for 8am like we planned. Clare’s blackberry automatically did daylight savings time, so both our alarms went off at the same time and we slowly got out of bed. Only after I had showered, we had gotten ready, and eaten breakfast downstairs did we realize it was 8am and we had woken up at 7 on accident!! Ooops! It was pretty fun how both of our alarms were mixed up. Anyway, we decided to just take advantage of our early rise and walk around a bit. We headed to Marrion Square- we had walked on one side before but wanted to go around the whole thing. It is a really cute area- all the homes have bright colored doors- and it was a nice walk. We saw they were setting up for a market/festival that was starting at noon and I made a mental note to head back later. Clare had to leave at 10:30 or so because her flight was at 12. I, courtesy of Ryan Air’s weird flight times, wasn’t leaving til 7pm so I had time on my own in the afternoon. After the walk in Marrion Square and a stop in the uber nice and pretty Marrion Hotel, we headed back down Grafton street and Clare caught a bus to the airport. It was sad to say goodbye, for a sec I thought I might cry! But it was ok because I get to see Clare again this weekend- I am going to Lyon to visit her!

I was bummed to see Clare go, but I thought the day could be interesting. I never have really traveled- like besides getting somewhere- completely alone so I was trying to think of it as an adventure. I decided to keep myself busy and right after Clare left I went on an 11am tour given by the company that I have done tours with in other cities. I was in a relatively small group with a guy named Richard who was from Dublin and was in school studying law. He was really knowledgable and it was nice to learn some of the history of Ireland, which I was a little hazy on. We started at the Dublin Castle, where the 1916 rebellion took place and which isn’t really much of a castle anymore. Ireland’s history is marked by a pattern of invasion, foreign rule, and rebellion, which is sad but also interesting. We also saw the birthplace of Jonathon Switft- who wrote A Modest Proposal- the satire which suggests to eat babies in order to solve the problem of Irish poverty. Then we walked through the Trinity Bar area, which was still raging even at noon on a Sunday, and saw the place U2 had one of their first successful gigs. They wanted to celebrate after and get a drink at the hotel across the street but were unfortunately denied entrace. They vowed to buy the place when they were rich and famous, and that is exactly what they did! Now they have lots of events there and our guide said you can see Bono walking in and out. He also said most Irish think Bono is the most egotistical man on the planet, but they still love him and U2 concerts sell out in minutes. Kind of like America’s relationship with Oprah or Tom Cruise perhaps?

From there, we walked to Trinity College, which Clare and I had somehow missed, and it was really beautiful! What a cool and historic place to study that would be. I learned a bit about the admissions process from our guide and found out admission is based on a point system and college in Ireland is free (I’m jealous). We ended our tour by St. Stephen’s green and the Irish Parliament, where we heard more about the 1916 rebellion which eventually lead to independence in 1922. We also saw the house where the writer of Dracula, Bram Stoker, lived and wrote. Most people don’t’ know that lots of the ideas about the famous vampire are of Irish origin! A trivia fact for you- Dracula comes from the old Irish words for bad blood.

After the tour, I decided to head to the festival at Marrion Square that was being set up earlier. It was so cute! It was geared towards kids, and I saw a ton of adorable little ones dressed up for St. Patricks day and with their faces painted. I wandered around for awhile and just people watched. I grabbed lunch- a delicious baked potatoe and later a cupcake with green frosting and just took it in. I realized at this point that traveling alone can be quite lonely, especially at a thing like that which was full of families and couples. I decided to do something that would keep me more preoccupied and went in a few shops in the area that Clare and I had missed. I checked out some bookstores and browsed, and then decided to spend my last couple hours at a museum- I looked on the map and saw the Dublin Writer’s Museum was nearby – and made a spur of the minute decision to go in. I am really glad I did! It was really cool and interesting- Dublin has produced a ton of famous writers included Joyce, Yeats, Shaw, and Wilde- and it was nice to learn more about them. The free audio guide gave you an informative synopsis of their lives and works and also read you an excerpt from one of their pieces in an in character voice. The museum was housed in a gorgeous old town house that really complimented the contents well. The time flew by in there, and before I knew it, it was time to go. Being alone had its advantages when I caught the bus to the airport, there was only one space left and I grabbed it since I was solo. Flying home and getting the bus and taxi to my house all worked out with only one glitch. I had a reservation for a 10:15 bus to Lux and our flight was supposed to land at 9:45 but was late. I had 15 minutes to depart the plane, go through passport control, and run (and I mean sprint) to the bus terminal after there was a problem with my passport (we don’t really have visas so the guy was giving me a hard time), and it was close! I made it right at 10:15, and was breathing very heavily! After about 10 minutes of calming down and getting my heart to stop racing, I fell asleep for the 1.5 hour trip. I was home and in bed by midnight!!

Overall it was just a very nice weekend and I am so thankful I could go!

Now to finish the St. Patricks celebration I am headed to the local bar- Dass Boot. Yes it is 8am, but Miami has this tradition of celebrating Green Beer Day back in Ohio, and they are taking the tradition here. They are extremely serious about it (almost as serious as the Irish are about Guiness and sports) and everyone will be getting there early. Call me crazy, but its part of my “just go” policy!

Happy St. Patricks Day to you!

Care

PS- that test I was studying for last week on the way home from Berlin- I got an A+! Woohoo!