There! I'm finally done putting all of Patrick's and my Europe adventures on here. (Sorry, again, if the proofreading isn't superb--it got kind of tiring.) I hope all of you who were waiting for this enjoy the last installment. :) It was an amazing trip and sometimes I think it might have been a dream or that it happened to someone else... but then I look at pictures or read this blog and I remember how amazing it was. And how thrilling it was to experience all that I saw and did...
I traveled to five different countries. I have a huge stack of programs from the dozens of plays I saw, as well as memories of seeing some of the greatest actors and actresses ever perform. I got to walk right in the midst of history and see and touch things that previously I had only been able to imagine. I discovered that I can survive (even without a wallet) in another country--and enjoy it so much that I cannot wait to go back. I tasted delicious food, such as pizza and nutella in Italy, croissants and french bread in Paris, and--of course--pub food. I got to not only learn about, but engage in another culture and perspective. And learn from a few of the many intelligent minds who have come from it. I got to feel what it is like to be an outsider; the odd one out in a crowd. I also got to feel the warmth of being invited to learn about and share with another culture. I found out that I could cope with being so far away from everything familiar to me and take pleasure in the new, different adventures offered to me.
I've done a lot. I've walked through gusting wind in Edinburgh, squeezed my way into sweltering tubes in London, shivered in the snow in Italy, and squelched through pouring rain in Paris. I've slept in the sun in Cambridge, seen London at a standstill in the snow, sung along to folk songs in Ireland, smelled the flowers of Stratford, and walked the very streets of Dickens' characters. I've fought the crowds walking along Oxford Circus, consumed copious amounts of chocolate, stood before Shakespeare's bones, felt the magic of Salisbury, kissed the love of my life in front of the Eiffel Tower, and much, much more. For a little over three months, I absorbed a portion of Europe. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. And I'm so glad to have had it.
Thursday 27 August 2009
Going home.
After packing up all our stuff, Patrick and I took the tube out to my host family's house to get the rest of my belongings (which they had so generously agreed to hold for me!). I re-packed some things, then we checked email and waited for our airport car to come pick us up--there was no way we could have taken the tube with all my luggage!
We got to the airport VERY early, so we were able to have some lunch and weigh our bags (good thing, too, because one was too heavy and I had to shuffle things around a bit) before we checked in. Unfortunately, I had just started to get sick, so an eleven hour flight was not so nice (even more so than usual). We had seats right in the middle of a row, but one of the aisle seats ended up being empty, so I got to sit there instead--which was good because I made a lot of bathroom trips and used up a lot of Kleenex (a.k.a. toilet paper) on my runny nose. Sorry if that's TMI! :P
Anyway, after a looooong time, we landed and then had to get our luggage and make our way through customs. That took a while--the bags took forever and the custom's line was a mile long! Finally, we made it through and got outside and saw Hanna and James waiting for us! Eventually, we got to the car (with a tired Dad and Emma and Noah inside) and started home. After a quick bathroom stop (it was necessary), we finally got home. And (for some reason) instead of going straight to bed, I dealt out (with Patrick's help) most of the souvenirs I had brought home for our families. Then we went to bed. WHEW! (and because it had been so long since I'd actually slept, my body got back on track pretty easily!)
At the airport. Our last picture!
We got to the airport VERY early, so we were able to have some lunch and weigh our bags (good thing, too, because one was too heavy and I had to shuffle things around a bit) before we checked in. Unfortunately, I had just started to get sick, so an eleven hour flight was not so nice (even more so than usual). We had seats right in the middle of a row, but one of the aisle seats ended up being empty, so I got to sit there instead--which was good because I made a lot of bathroom trips and used up a lot of Kleenex (a.k.a. toilet paper) on my runny nose. Sorry if that's TMI! :P
Anyway, after a looooong time, we landed and then had to get our luggage and make our way through customs. That took a while--the bags took forever and the custom's line was a mile long! Finally, we made it through and got outside and saw Hanna and James waiting for us! Eventually, we got to the car (with a tired Dad and Emma and Noah inside) and started home. After a quick bathroom stop (it was necessary), we finally got home. And (for some reason) instead of going straight to bed, I dealt out (with Patrick's help) most of the souvenirs I had brought home for our families. Then we went to bed. WHEW! (and because it had been so long since I'd actually slept, my body got back on track pretty easily!)
At the airport. Our last picture! On this day (May 18th) we went to beautiful, mystical Salisbury...
Our day began, by checking out of our room only to be told that we could check into it again (for whatever reason--we didn't ask). Strange. Anyway, then went to the Waterloo station and caught the 8:20am train to get into Salisbury at about 9:40am. Once there, we hoped on the tour bus and went to... STONEHENGE! woohoo! It was pretty cool (although I can see why some people are taken aback by it being a bit smaller than expected in person). Still, we thought it was awesome--very surreal.
It was very cold and windy!
Listening to the audio guide.
Sheep on a burial mound.
Then on, our way back to Salisbury, we stopped at Old Sarum, which was sooo cool. Old Sarum is the remains of a Norman castle, but the area had been used as a sheltered village from pre-Roman Britain until the cathedral was moved to Salisbury (around the 1200s). On top of being really neat to see the grounds/blueprints, Old Sarum was gorgeous and the view was great. It was also VERY windy. I almost got blown over into the grassy moat while we walked along the "ramparts." Scary! As we left, we looked back to see a group of young school girls receiving a lecture by one of the Old Sarum caretakers. Patrick was highly amused when she handed out a bunch of shields and spears to some of the girls and began to organize them to attack the castle!
We LOVED Salisbury. We only wish we could have taken more pictures! (Our camera's storage space was running low by that time.) Aren't the colors lovely?
A view of Old Sarum.
Up there is where I was almost blown over by the wind!
Patrick in the kitchen!
Little girls with swords and shields!
After this we went back into town and went over to see the Salisbury Cathedral (officially: the Cathedral of Saint Mary). I believe it has the tallest Medieval spire in the UK.
The Cathedral of Salisbury.
After this we headed back to London, where we rushed over to AHA headquarters to say goodbye to Leah and Martin. Then we headed back to the hostel and called parents to fill them in on our activities. Then we went to o'neills one last time and hopped over to Kings Cross so Patrick could see Platform 9 3/4! (which funnily enough had been "relocated" because of construction--but it was still there!) :P Then we went back to pack and get some rest.
Hogwarts, here we come!
Saying goodbye to our room "keys." :P
It was very cold and windy! 
Listening to the audio guide. 
Sheep on a burial mound. Then on, our way back to Salisbury, we stopped at Old Sarum, which was sooo cool. Old Sarum is the remains of a Norman castle, but the area had been used as a sheltered village from pre-Roman Britain until the cathedral was moved to Salisbury (around the 1200s). On top of being really neat to see the grounds/blueprints, Old Sarum was gorgeous and the view was great. It was also VERY windy. I almost got blown over into the grassy moat while we walked along the "ramparts." Scary! As we left, we looked back to see a group of young school girls receiving a lecture by one of the Old Sarum caretakers. Patrick was highly amused when she handed out a bunch of shields and spears to some of the girls and began to organize them to attack the castle!
We LOVED Salisbury. We only wish we could have taken more pictures! (Our camera's storage space was running low by that time.) Aren't the colors lovely? 
A view of Old Sarum. 
Up there is where I was almost blown over by the wind!
Patrick in the kitchen! 
Little girls with swords and shields! After this we went back into town and went over to see the Salisbury Cathedral (officially: the Cathedral of Saint Mary). I believe it has the tallest Medieval spire in the UK.
The Cathedral of Salisbury. After this we headed back to London, where we rushed over to AHA headquarters to say goodbye to Leah and Martin. Then we headed back to the hostel and called parents to fill them in on our activities. Then we went to o'neills one last time and hopped over to Kings Cross so Patrick could see Platform 9 3/4! (which funnily enough had been "relocated" because of construction--but it was still there!) :P Then we went back to pack and get some rest.
Hogwarts, here we come!
Saying goodbye to our room "keys." :P Our last days of London...
Friday
After sleeping in (yay!), we started off our day by walking over to St. Paul's Cathedral, where we admired the beautiful architecture and decorations. We walked all the way up, past the Whispering Gallery, to the Stone Gallery (the Golden Gallery was closed). It was quite impressive. Big.
A view of St. Paul's. (We went up to the dome!)
Then we bought some lunch and walked over to Trafalgar Square to eat it. It was fun to sit on the steps and watch the crowd and the water fountains. (I really like the water fountains.) While we were there, we took some lion pictures.
Patrick posing epicly.
I was going to pass on a lion picture, but gave in a the last moment. :)
Then we headed over to view Big Ben (my favorite!) and Parliament. After that we went into Westminster Abbey (after standing in line for awhile). That was an amazing experience. There are so many famous people buried there or commemorated with a plaque... it was so neat to be able to find a familiar name everywhere we looked. Plus we found the oldest door in England--almost 1,ooo years old!!! wow.
In front of Westminster Abbey.
Then (for Patrick's benefit) we went up in the London Eye. It was a pretty cool view.
On our way to the London Eye.
One of the views from the Eye.
Then we went through St. James's Park to check out Buckingham Palace. (Patrick would like to comment that it was very well guarded.)
In front of Buckingham Palace.
After sleeping in (yay!), we started off our day by walking over to St. Paul's Cathedral, where we admired the beautiful architecture and decorations. We walked all the way up, past the Whispering Gallery, to the Stone Gallery (the Golden Gallery was closed). It was quite impressive. Big.
A view of St. Paul's. (We went up to the dome!) Then we bought some lunch and walked over to Trafalgar Square to eat it. It was fun to sit on the steps and watch the crowd and the water fountains. (I really like the water fountains.) While we were there, we took some lion pictures.
Patrick posing epicly. 
I was going to pass on a lion picture, but gave in a the last moment. :) Then we headed over to view Big Ben (my favorite!) and Parliament. After that we went into Westminster Abbey (after standing in line for awhile). That was an amazing experience. There are so many famous people buried there or commemorated with a plaque... it was so neat to be able to find a familiar name everywhere we looked. Plus we found the oldest door in England--almost 1,ooo years old!!! wow.
In front of Westminster Abbey. Then (for Patrick's benefit) we went up in the London Eye. It was a pretty cool view.
On our way to the London Eye. 
One of the views from the Eye. Then we went through St. James's Park to check out Buckingham Palace. (Patrick would like to comment that it was very well guarded.)
In front of Buckingham Palace.We left through the Mall and headed over to the Lyceum Theatre, where we found a pub across the street for a quick dinner. Then we went into the theatre to see.. The Lion King! It was a fun show--especially because The Lion King is one of our favorite Disney classics! :)
Yay for The Lion King!
Saturday
In the morning, we went back to Buckingham Palace to see the changing of the gaurd. We sat around for a while (and it started raining! aaahhh!), but we ended up with a pretty good view.
Part of the ceremony.
After that we went to Hyde Park, where we ate lunch, saw the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain (it's a pretty neat design), and (my favorite) saw the Peter Pan Statue!
Patrick checking out part of the fountain.
The Peter Pan statue was really cool to find!
Then I took Patrick to the Victoria & Albert. I especially wanted to show him the casts and all the intricate lock and key contraptions they have there. (He did really like them. I was pleased that I was right.) :) Then we walked past Harrods (a quite fancy--and busy!--shopping area) to Picadilly Circus, where I showed him the place where I had gone to see the Harry Potter filming, and then to Leicester Square (to see the famous hand prints). Then we came across an o'neills (yay!), so we ate there again. After dinner we headed over to Covent Garden and saw some street performers. We saw a Jack Sparrow look-a-like and a Charlie Chaplin one, too. We also saw some pretty cool "statues"--a few were very impressive.
It's Jack Sparrow! or is it...?
Then we rushed over to Tower Hill to catch a Jack the Ripper tour. The tour we chose is run by Tower of London Beefeaters (in their spare time). Our guide was Kevin--he's very funny. It was a creepy, yet intriguing tour. (He also showed us an alley that was Diagon Alley in one of the HP films. cool!)
It's Diagon Alley!
After the tour, we went to the o'neills near our hostel for some desert--yummy chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream! (This is where Patrick discovered that, unfortunately, red wine does not go well with chocolate cake. :( Strange, seeing as they look so nice together...)
(Little side note: this was also the day of Pain for our eyes. Let me explain. The wind had been up a lot recently, but all of a sudden it blew everything into our eyes. Seriously, all the debris and bits of plants and trees found it's way into our eyes. Our sunglasses barely helped--even with them on we had to stop frequently to get painful pieces of whatever out of our eyes. :P)
Sunday
My last full day in London! :( This morning we walked--through the wind and rain--all the way from our hostel to arrive--soaking wet--at the Imperial War Museum. We went through a lot of military equipment exhibits and finished by spending a long time in the Holocaust exhibit. (The first time I went there I had to skip through the last part of the exhibit to make sure I got to that night's play on time.) This time we went through everything. It was intense, of course, and I definitely didn't make it through dry-eyed.
A U.S. built P-51 Mustang.
Then we went to Big Ben for one last look. For lunch, we found a crazy-busy Italian restaurant. Then we looked down Downing Street to glimpse #10 (I'm not sure if we actually glimpsed it or not...).
We went back to St. James's Park and barely made it through, before they closed parts off for some parade (we never found out what for). Then we went back to the hostel, had dinner at o'neills, and then went back to pack (because we were going on a day trip the next day and they had told us we needed to switch rooms for the last night). And that's how our last full day in London went.
Some birds we found in the park--kinda funky looking, but so cute!
Yay for The Lion King!Saturday
In the morning, we went back to Buckingham Palace to see the changing of the gaurd. We sat around for a while (and it started raining! aaahhh!), but we ended up with a pretty good view.
Part of the ceremony.After that we went to Hyde Park, where we ate lunch, saw the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain (it's a pretty neat design), and (my favorite) saw the Peter Pan Statue!
Patrick checking out part of the fountain.
The Peter Pan statue was really cool to find!Then I took Patrick to the Victoria & Albert. I especially wanted to show him the casts and all the intricate lock and key contraptions they have there. (He did really like them. I was pleased that I was right.) :) Then we walked past Harrods (a quite fancy--and busy!--shopping area) to Picadilly Circus, where I showed him the place where I had gone to see the Harry Potter filming, and then to Leicester Square (to see the famous hand prints). Then we came across an o'neills (yay!), so we ate there again. After dinner we headed over to Covent Garden and saw some street performers. We saw a Jack Sparrow look-a-like and a Charlie Chaplin one, too. We also saw some pretty cool "statues"--a few were very impressive.
It's Jack Sparrow! or is it...?Then we rushed over to Tower Hill to catch a Jack the Ripper tour. The tour we chose is run by Tower of London Beefeaters (in their spare time). Our guide was Kevin--he's very funny. It was a creepy, yet intriguing tour. (He also showed us an alley that was Diagon Alley in one of the HP films. cool!)
It's Diagon Alley!After the tour, we went to the o'neills near our hostel for some desert--yummy chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream! (This is where Patrick discovered that, unfortunately, red wine does not go well with chocolate cake. :( Strange, seeing as they look so nice together...)
(Little side note: this was also the day of Pain for our eyes. Let me explain. The wind had been up a lot recently, but all of a sudden it blew everything into our eyes. Seriously, all the debris and bits of plants and trees found it's way into our eyes. Our sunglasses barely helped--even with them on we had to stop frequently to get painful pieces of whatever out of our eyes. :P)
Sunday
My last full day in London! :( This morning we walked--through the wind and rain--all the way from our hostel to arrive--soaking wet--at the Imperial War Museum. We went through a lot of military equipment exhibits and finished by spending a long time in the Holocaust exhibit. (The first time I went there I had to skip through the last part of the exhibit to make sure I got to that night's play on time.) This time we went through everything. It was intense, of course, and I definitely didn't make it through dry-eyed.
A U.S. built P-51 Mustang. Then we went to Big Ben for one last look. For lunch, we found a crazy-busy Italian restaurant. Then we looked down Downing Street to glimpse #10 (I'm not sure if we actually glimpsed it or not...).
We went back to St. James's Park and barely made it through, before they closed parts off for some parade (we never found out what for). Then we went back to the hostel, had dinner at o'neills, and then went back to pack (because we were going on a day trip the next day and they had told us we needed to switch rooms for the last night). And that's how our last full day in London went.
Some birds we found in the park--kinda funky looking, but so cute!Wednesday 26 August 2009
In Stratford you either turn into an alcoholic or you better write.
~ Christopher Plummer. This quote makes me laugh! :D
On this day (May 14th) we got up sooooo early. After taking the tube from Kings Cross to the Marylebone station, we caught a 7:23am train to Stratford! We got in at about 9:40am and went straight to Shakespeare's Birthplace. They have a little exhibition there and then we got to go into the building where the Bard was actually born!
The Birthplace.
I like this picture. :)
Then we went to Nash's House and New Place. Nash's House is where Shakespeare's daughter and son-in-law lived and New Place is the property that Shakespeare, himself, owned. Sadly, the house isn't standing there anymore, but the base structure is. And there are gardens, of course. There are gardens EVERYWHERE! Stratford is a town of gardens. They're beautiful and all over the place.
Patrick inspecting the structure of Shakespeare's house.
Then we went to Hall's Croft, which was the home of Shakespeare's granddaughter and her husband (who was a doctor). We went over to Trinity Church, which was under construction, but luckily we were still able to see Shakespeare's grave (also where a lot of his family is buried). I still think it's amazing to be able to stand in front of the site where one of the world's greatest authors rests. Incredible. Then we walked the mile out to Anne Hathaway's Cottage (really, it was her family's house, but her name is more widely recognized). :) We toured the house and the grounds (listened to some sonnets) and then walked back into town to the river, where we ate some ice cream, saw some boats and swans and statues, and in general satisfied our sightseeing needs.
Patrick seems to be disgusted by Yorick's skull.
We heart Shakespeare.
Then we went back to the station and waited a long time for our train back to London. We got back in time to have dinner at o'neills, which is my favorite London pub (even though it's a chain). It was a great day--full of Shakespeare!
This building is pretty darn cool. And, apparently, is inhabited by the police.
P.S. This is also the day where Patrick tried out a Guinness (he said it was okay) and where I bought a copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (the original, un-Americanized title). :)
On this day (May 14th) we got up sooooo early. After taking the tube from Kings Cross to the Marylebone station, we caught a 7:23am train to Stratford! We got in at about 9:40am and went straight to Shakespeare's Birthplace. They have a little exhibition there and then we got to go into the building where the Bard was actually born!
The Birthplace. 
I like this picture. :) Then we went to Nash's House and New Place. Nash's House is where Shakespeare's daughter and son-in-law lived and New Place is the property that Shakespeare, himself, owned. Sadly, the house isn't standing there anymore, but the base structure is. And there are gardens, of course. There are gardens EVERYWHERE! Stratford is a town of gardens. They're beautiful and all over the place.
Patrick inspecting the structure of Shakespeare's house. Then we went to Hall's Croft, which was the home of Shakespeare's granddaughter and her husband (who was a doctor). We went over to Trinity Church, which was under construction, but luckily we were still able to see Shakespeare's grave (also where a lot of his family is buried). I still think it's amazing to be able to stand in front of the site where one of the world's greatest authors rests. Incredible. Then we walked the mile out to Anne Hathaway's Cottage (really, it was her family's house, but her name is more widely recognized). :) We toured the house and the grounds (listened to some sonnets) and then walked back into town to the river, where we ate some ice cream, saw some boats and swans and statues, and in general satisfied our sightseeing needs.
Patrick seems to be disgusted by Yorick's skull. 
We heart Shakespeare.Then we went back to the station and waited a long time for our train back to London. We got back in time to have dinner at o'neills, which is my favorite London pub (even though it's a chain). It was a great day--full of Shakespeare!
This building is pretty darn cool. And, apparently, is inhabited by the police. P.S. This is also the day where Patrick tried out a Guinness (he said it was okay) and where I bought a copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (the original, un-Americanized title). :)
Tuesday 25 August 2009
Back in London! Home sweet home. :)
We got back on May 12th. Now, I started showing Patrick all the things I'd seen and thought he'd enjoy, plus some things I hadn't seen yet either.
Tuesday
First, we headed all the way over to Greenwich to check out the Maritime Museum and Observatory. I'd been there before, but I thought Patrick would really like it. He says he did.
On the time line!
We checked out Abby Road and then went to the AHA offices (to drop stuff off and pick something up) and used the Internet while we were there. Then we walked over to the British Museum and saw--among other things--the Rosetta Stone. Patrick really liked the Assyrian/Mesopotamian hall and we both liked the Central American turquoise masks/faces/snake thing.
The Rosetta Stone with my reflection. :)
It's turquoise!
After that we went to a park to hang out, but the pollen got the better of Patrick so we moved on. :) We found a pub nearby and got an early dinner. Then we headed over to Oxford Circus to see The Winter's Tale. I had really liked the performance I saw with my Shakespeare class and I was excited for Patrick to be able to see it, too. It was such a unique experience and we both could appreciate the Improv and teamwork that went into it.
Wednesday
Early (sort of) in the morning we went to the Novello theatre to try to get our tickets, but they weren't in yet (we got up early for nothing!). :P We did enjoy a moment of quiet at a cafe though. Then we walked to the Millennium Bridge and crossed it to get to... The Globe! yay! While we were there, we took a tour and looked over the exhibition.
At the Globe!!!
We stepped next door to Tate Modern for a moment, so I could show Patrick the exhibit I was so excited about (Thirty Pieces of Silver)--we also found a Monet! Then we walked a looooooong way along the river to the Tower of London. Along the way, we saw the full sized replica of the Golden Hinde (famous for being captained by Sir Francis Drake) and went into Southwark Cathedral (which was Shakespeare's church when he was in London!). When we (finally!) got to the Tower, we enjoyed a short tour by one of the Beefeaters (he was funny) and then spent the rest of our time trying to see EVERYTHING before it closed or our feet fell off. All the towers and passages were fun to explore and all the history we discovered there was pretty amazing.
At Tower of London with Tower Bridge in the background.
Eeeewwww... (it says "Bloody Tower")
Then we went back to the Novello (by this time our feet were practically dead), got our tickets (there was a scary moment when we discovered the tickets were down for the wrong day, but we eventually got it sorted out and actually got better seats! yay!), ate some dinner, and then went in to see Spring Awakening!!! It was so good! We were really close up and the whole thing was quite exhilarating.
Yay! :D
Tuesday
First, we headed all the way over to Greenwich to check out the Maritime Museum and Observatory. I'd been there before, but I thought Patrick would really like it. He says he did.
On the time line! We checked out Abby Road and then went to the AHA offices (to drop stuff off and pick something up) and used the Internet while we were there. Then we walked over to the British Museum and saw--among other things--the Rosetta Stone. Patrick really liked the Assyrian/Mesopotamian hall and we both liked the Central American turquoise masks/faces/snake thing.
The Rosetta Stone with my reflection. :)
It's turquoise!After that we went to a park to hang out, but the pollen got the better of Patrick so we moved on. :) We found a pub nearby and got an early dinner. Then we headed over to Oxford Circus to see The Winter's Tale. I had really liked the performance I saw with my Shakespeare class and I was excited for Patrick to be able to see it, too. It was such a unique experience and we both could appreciate the Improv and teamwork that went into it.
Wednesday
Early (sort of) in the morning we went to the Novello theatre to try to get our tickets, but they weren't in yet (we got up early for nothing!). :P We did enjoy a moment of quiet at a cafe though. Then we walked to the Millennium Bridge and crossed it to get to... The Globe! yay! While we were there, we took a tour and looked over the exhibition.
At the Globe!!! We stepped next door to Tate Modern for a moment, so I could show Patrick the exhibit I was so excited about (Thirty Pieces of Silver)--we also found a Monet! Then we walked a looooooong way along the river to the Tower of London. Along the way, we saw the full sized replica of the Golden Hinde (famous for being captained by Sir Francis Drake) and went into Southwark Cathedral (which was Shakespeare's church when he was in London!). When we (finally!) got to the Tower, we enjoyed a short tour by one of the Beefeaters (he was funny) and then spent the rest of our time trying to see EVERYTHING before it closed or our feet fell off. All the towers and passages were fun to explore and all the history we discovered there was pretty amazing.
At Tower of London with Tower Bridge in the background. 
Eeeewwww... (it says "Bloody Tower") Then we went back to the Novello (by this time our feet were practically dead), got our tickets (there was a scary moment when we discovered the tickets were down for the wrong day, but we eventually got it sorted out and actually got better seats! yay!), ate some dinner, and then went in to see Spring Awakening!!! It was so good! We were really close up and the whole thing was quite exhilarating.
Yay! :D Monday 24 August 2009
Paris is always a good idea.
- The movie "Sabrina". Well, I don't know if it was my absolute favorite place to visit, but it is certainly a beautiful city. :)
Patrick arrived in London on the 8th of May. I went to meet him at Heathrow and brought him back to my host family's for dinner. (We had yummy soup and other stuff--we did not eat Patrick.) That evening Patrick stayed in a hostel near Kings Cross and the next morning we met there (Kings Cross) bright and early to take the Eurostar to Paris!
Saturday
The ride was fairly uneventful--mostly dark. Once there, we met up with Alex Bonbon (our friend who stayed with my family for a while last fall). Alex was really nice and helped us get our footing, especially with directions and the Metro. He also gave us suggestions for what we should spend our time on. First, we found our hostel (which was located in the Old City part of Paris) and went to lunch nearby (where I figured out why we call it french bread--because they make it so WONDERFULLY!) Then we went to the Arc de Triomphe (a huge arch that stands as a monument in honor of those who fought for France--particularly in the Napoleonic Wars) which stands at the western end of Champs-Elysees and in the middle of the Charles de Gaulle plaza.
Patrick in front of the Arc de Triomphe.
Then we took a bus to the Eiffel Tower!!! We viewed it (and took pictures!) from afar and then went down (across the river) to see it up close. Seeing the under workings and all the intricacies while standing right underneath the tower was so cool! There was also lots of fun going on in the park there--there were lots of carousels!
Under the Eiffel Tower.
Then Alex took us to his neck of the woods: La Defense (which is a newer area in Paris). There we got to see some cool new architecture, a great view of the Arc de Triomphe, not to mention the mall-area near where Alex lives. :)
La Defense
During all this time, my Metro ticket (that we had bought to the train station) developed some issues. :P At this point, Patrick and I said goodbye to Alex and went back to the station to try to work it out. Unfortunately, they were not very helpful and basically said that they couldn't figure out what was wrong and, thus, I was on my own. GRRRR! So, for the rest of the trip, we had to carefully use some extra tickets we had or cheat the system by going through on the same ticket (Patrick's). I didn't like doing it, but we didn't really have a choice and I had already paid for my ticket! sigh.
After that, we went back to the hostel to finally rest our feet and then to have some dinner. We had some good food (salads in Paris are taaaasty), but the waiter as kinda rude (apparently, the fact that we were American and didn't speak French warranted snotty remarks and glances--even though Patrick is actually very good at French phonics and pronunciation!). It was a full day, but the next day was even fuller!
Sunday
This was a very full day of museums and sightseeing! First, we went to the Palace de la Concorde and walked to the LOURVE (!!!) where we were delighted to find out that we fit into the age group that gets in for Freeeee! yay! :) We saw a lot of classic pieces, including (of course) the Mona Lisa.
The Mona Lisa was much smaller in person than I had expected. :)
Then we walked to the Musse Orangerie, where I got to soak up a lot of Monet. They had to oval rooms with four large Monet's each curved around the walls. We were surrounded by beautiful Impressionism. I was in heaven.
Me--happily surrounded by Monet!
Then we strolled over to the Isle de Saint Louis and Pont Nuef (and saw lots of neat vendors along the way). Then we went down the island to the Saint Chappelle, which is full of beautiful stained glass--it was like being in a jewel box.
The "jewel box"!
After that, we went to Notre Dame. It was big. Patrick (who's dad is a Notre Dame--college--alumnus) especially liked it.
Patrick in front of Notre Dame.
Then we went back to Pont Nuef, where we sat for a while under the bridge along the water and then rested in the little park for a while. We were so wiped out from all the walking we'd done at that point that we both fell asleep on the bench for a short moment! It was very restful and romantic though--greenery and flowers in the trees all around us, benches to sit on, the river floating by, and birds singing... it was pretty sweet. :)
Us on our bench in the park. :)
After that we walked more along the river, got some dinner (that was unfortunately not very tasty), and then went to see the Eiffel Tower at dark. Once there we had to wait around for the Tower to start twinkling--luckily we were entertained for a bit by some street dancers with good music. Finally, we saw the tower light up. It was beautiful.
Look at it sparkle! How romantic! :)
After that we went back to the hostel to collapse! whew!
Monday
This day was very rainy! In the morning, we explored the area around our hostel. We (eventually) found the Sacre Cuer Basilica.
(Can you see the gargoyles?)
It sits on the highest point in the city and has a great view (that we unfortunately could not see very well because of the rain). :P We went in and were surprised to discover that they were letting sightseers in during a service (Patrick claimed that he knew exactly where they were in the service even though it was in French, which I was impressed by).
Wet, with a view behind me.
Then we walked around this very cute area (called Monmarte) looking at shops and picked one of the many inviting restaurants to have lunch at.
Not where we ate, but cute nonetheless.
Then we briefly visited the Red Light District (oh my!) and saw the Moulin Rouge.
Oo la la!
Then we went back to the museum area to do some last minute sight seeing. We re-visited the Lourve to find one of the Rose Line markers (it was neat to actually find it--kind of like a treasure hunt!). :)
A Rose Line medallion. I love this picture.
Then went to the Rodin, which was unfortunately closed (apparently Monday is the day for many museums in Paris to recover from the weekend). On the up side, the Les Invalides was nearby and we walked around it's outside (also the sight of the Musee D'Armie). I mostly followed Patrick around and listened to him say interesting things about the all artifacts we discovered (he's much more interested--and knowledgeable--about that stuff). When we were walking around this area, we came across a really cute bug car. It looked especially minuscule when Patrick stood next to it! We also tired to visit the Musee Orsay, but it was closed, too.
Patrick examining the inner-workings of a clock (plus Napoleon's reflection).
It's so tiny!
We finished our time there walking along the river, retrieving our belongings from the hostel, and buying some food supplies to eat during our return trip. After waiting at the station for a while, we finally returned to London on the Eurostar and found our way to our hostel (The Generator) where we could recover from our Parisian adventure!
Extra Stuff
Me on a "Gigi" street! :)
Patrick arrived in London on the 8th of May. I went to meet him at Heathrow and brought him back to my host family's for dinner. (We had yummy soup and other stuff--we did not eat Patrick.) That evening Patrick stayed in a hostel near Kings Cross and the next morning we met there (Kings Cross) bright and early to take the Eurostar to Paris!
Saturday
The ride was fairly uneventful--mostly dark. Once there, we met up with Alex Bonbon (our friend who stayed with my family for a while last fall). Alex was really nice and helped us get our footing, especially with directions and the Metro. He also gave us suggestions for what we should spend our time on. First, we found our hostel (which was located in the Old City part of Paris) and went to lunch nearby (where I figured out why we call it french bread--because they make it so WONDERFULLY!) Then we went to the Arc de Triomphe (a huge arch that stands as a monument in honor of those who fought for France--particularly in the Napoleonic Wars) which stands at the western end of Champs-Elysees and in the middle of the Charles de Gaulle plaza.
Patrick in front of the Arc de Triomphe.Then we took a bus to the Eiffel Tower!!! We viewed it (and took pictures!) from afar and then went down (across the river) to see it up close. Seeing the under workings and all the intricacies while standing right underneath the tower was so cool! There was also lots of fun going on in the park there--there were lots of carousels!
Under the Eiffel Tower.Then Alex took us to his neck of the woods: La Defense (which is a newer area in Paris). There we got to see some cool new architecture, a great view of the Arc de Triomphe, not to mention the mall-area near where Alex lives. :)
La DefenseDuring all this time, my Metro ticket (that we had bought to the train station) developed some issues. :P At this point, Patrick and I said goodbye to Alex and went back to the station to try to work it out. Unfortunately, they were not very helpful and basically said that they couldn't figure out what was wrong and, thus, I was on my own. GRRRR! So, for the rest of the trip, we had to carefully use some extra tickets we had or cheat the system by going through on the same ticket (Patrick's). I didn't like doing it, but we didn't really have a choice and I had already paid for my ticket! sigh.
After that, we went back to the hostel to finally rest our feet and then to have some dinner. We had some good food (salads in Paris are taaaasty), but the waiter as kinda rude (apparently, the fact that we were American and didn't speak French warranted snotty remarks and glances--even though Patrick is actually very good at French phonics and pronunciation!). It was a full day, but the next day was even fuller!
Sunday
This was a very full day of museums and sightseeing! First, we went to the Palace de la Concorde and walked to the LOURVE (!!!) where we were delighted to find out that we fit into the age group that gets in for Freeeee! yay! :) We saw a lot of classic pieces, including (of course) the Mona Lisa.
The Mona Lisa was much smaller in person than I had expected. :)Then we walked to the Musse Orangerie, where I got to soak up a lot of Monet. They had to oval rooms with four large Monet's each curved around the walls. We were surrounded by beautiful Impressionism. I was in heaven.
Me--happily surrounded by Monet!Then we strolled over to the Isle de Saint Louis and Pont Nuef (and saw lots of neat vendors along the way). Then we went down the island to the Saint Chappelle, which is full of beautiful stained glass--it was like being in a jewel box.
The "jewel box"!After that, we went to Notre Dame. It was big. Patrick (who's dad is a Notre Dame--college--alumnus) especially liked it.
Patrick in front of Notre Dame.Then we went back to Pont Nuef, where we sat for a while under the bridge along the water and then rested in the little park for a while. We were so wiped out from all the walking we'd done at that point that we both fell asleep on the bench for a short moment! It was very restful and romantic though--greenery and flowers in the trees all around us, benches to sit on, the river floating by, and birds singing... it was pretty sweet. :)
Us on our bench in the park. :)After that we walked more along the river, got some dinner (that was unfortunately not very tasty), and then went to see the Eiffel Tower at dark. Once there we had to wait around for the Tower to start twinkling--luckily we were entertained for a bit by some street dancers with good music. Finally, we saw the tower light up. It was beautiful.
Look at it sparkle! How romantic! :)After that we went back to the hostel to collapse! whew!
Monday
This day was very rainy! In the morning, we explored the area around our hostel. We (eventually) found the Sacre Cuer Basilica.
(Can you see the gargoyles?)It sits on the highest point in the city and has a great view (that we unfortunately could not see very well because of the rain). :P We went in and were surprised to discover that they were letting sightseers in during a service (Patrick claimed that he knew exactly where they were in the service even though it was in French, which I was impressed by).
Wet, with a view behind me.Then we walked around this very cute area (called Monmarte) looking at shops and picked one of the many inviting restaurants to have lunch at.
Not where we ate, but cute nonetheless.Then we briefly visited the Red Light District (oh my!) and saw the Moulin Rouge.
Oo la la!Then we went back to the museum area to do some last minute sight seeing. We re-visited the Lourve to find one of the Rose Line markers (it was neat to actually find it--kind of like a treasure hunt!). :)
A Rose Line medallion. I love this picture.Then went to the Rodin, which was unfortunately closed (apparently Monday is the day for many museums in Paris to recover from the weekend). On the up side, the Les Invalides was nearby and we walked around it's outside (also the sight of the Musee D'Armie). I mostly followed Patrick around and listened to him say interesting things about the all artifacts we discovered (he's much more interested--and knowledgeable--about that stuff). When we were walking around this area, we came across a really cute bug car. It looked especially minuscule when Patrick stood next to it! We also tired to visit the Musee Orsay, but it was closed, too.
Patrick examining the inner-workings of a clock (plus Napoleon's reflection).
It's so tiny!We finished our time there walking along the river, retrieving our belongings from the hostel, and buying some food supplies to eat during our return trip. After waiting at the station for a while, we finally returned to London on the Eurostar and found our way to our hostel (The Generator) where we could recover from our Parisian adventure!
Extra Stuff
- In addition to the tasty french bread, we really enjoyed the pain au chocolat (a.k.a. a chocolate croissant). mmmmm.
- One adventure we faced when arriving at and departing from Paris was how to get Patrick's Leatherman through the Eurostar security. Luckily, (since we approached them beforehand about it) they let him take it through.
- As we walked around Paris, we realized that (apparently) some American presidents are very popular there. There were lots of streets and such name after them, like Avenue du President Wilson and a stop on the Metro simply titled Franklin D. Roosevelt.
- While walking around the streets lined with trees, I kept thinking about the movie Gigi. The look was very similar--so I guess that means the movie got it right! :)
Me on a "Gigi" street! :)P.S. This took a long time to create, so I'm sorry if I haven't proofread it thoroughly!
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