Blog 5/31/10
(started etwas 3:20pm, on train to Hamburg)
Paris is terrible as saying hello and saying goodbye. Everything in the middle was just fine.
Really.
So a European adventure isn't complete until you lose money, get stuck in a city, late for your next train and overall, nothing ever goes as planned.
I'm on the train from Frankfurt to Hamburg now.... Finally.
I don't know, should I be sad my little traveling experience is over, or be relieved that I will know where I will be sleeping for the next couple of months.
Definitely there was good and bad about the first leg of my trip.
I should have made myself get up and do something sooner. Instead of basically sleeping for two days.... That was a waste of perfectly good time. But at the same time, I'm glad that I gave myself some time to try to get over jet-leg. I just didn't have all that time to begin with.
There is so much that I wish I had done differently. Of course, next time I will do it better. And you better believe that there will be a next time. (Hopefully before I'm 26 so that I can still enjoy all the deals you get up until that age!)
I will plan more time in each city. Like Köln, I would have loved to see more than just the church (though it definitely is the main attraction). I would actually make it to Bonn. And believe it or not, I would like to go back to Paris, under the right circumstances of course.
As for right now, I hope I get a long weekend sometime soon. I still have two days left on my Eurail pass and that would be perfect to go to Normandy coast. But I'm not sure what my schedule is going to look like, so we'll see.
Okay. I got off on a tangent. I was going to tell you all about my last night(s) in Paris.
I had planned to go to Versailles and the Normandy coast. Ah, well...
My last blog left off talking about my new roommates coming in and out. I talked to quite a few of them- you know, where they're from, where they're going, how long is their trips, etc., etc., etc. There were sisters from Holland, a student from London, a couple from Quebec (I was quite supposed how many Canadians I ran into on this trip). Then there was a couple from Florida that I ran into- Matt and Amy.
We ended up going to the Eiffel Tower together that night to watch the "light show." It runs for five minutes at the top of the hour. Although we were trying to make it to the eleven o'clock show, we missed it by only a few minutes. But after it was all said and done, we all agreed, seeing the Eiffel Tower lit up was awesome, but the light show was kinda lame. Ah well, live and learn; watch and see.
Then we raced back to the Metro; since it was so late we were worried about not catching the last one. But even with making a couple wrong turns, taking the line in the wrong direction, we still made it back to the hostel with relatively little trouble.
Since I ended up going with Matt and Amy to the light show, I did not end up getting to the train station to reserve my spot on the train from Paris to Frankfurt in time... Big mistake....
The next morning I got up at a decent time, and since I still hadn't decided what I was going to do, I just headed to the Gare de l'est. By that time I was tired of carrying my stuff around (taking luggage on the Metro is not the easiest thing to do....), and decided to just go back to Frankfurt to keep my reservation at Frankfurt Hostel for that night. Well.... there were no spaces, no seats, no standing room, nothing on any train to Germany on Sunday. Nothing at all.... Paris just didn't want to accept that our relationship was coming to an end.
So I had to figure out what to do. I ended up going back and forth between the hostel and the train station multiple times.... I was so tired I decided to choose the first hostel or hotel that Google had brought up for places near the Gare de l'est (there are multiple train stations into Paris, and of course, the one the train to/from Frankfurt is the farthest one from the hostel I had originally stayed in). Oh, did I forget to mention that the Young and Happy hostel, where I was staying, was booked solid for that night? And by this time I had already come to learn that I had misplaced over 100 Euros?
I knew I brought along my credit/debit cards for a very good reason.
Well, two actually- I needed a place to stay Sunday night, and I would like my stuff back once I had gotten to the Frankfurt airport. Those were no small bills.... (And now I'm über glad that I kept cash on me since I needed food to eat tonight and tomorrow.... I'm not sure when my first payday will be, but we'll get to that a little bit later....)
Back to the missing money for a bit.... I had left about 200 Euros in my backpack during the week (which was locked shut and locked to the bed) in a small pocket inside. Well, when I went to count my money again, there was only about 40 Euros left.... I know I took out a 50 (I really don't think I spent all that much)... If someone had stolen it, wouldn't they taken it all? I'm still hoping it's amongst my stuff.
Now back to the chronological story.
Last night (Sunday night), I stayed in a hotel across the street from the train station. Took best bath/shower I had taken that week. Ate McDonalds. Complained about their horrible wi-fi connection. Posted back-logged blog entries, updated Facebook. Talked to Kristen, talked to parents (very happy family to hear from me). Went to bed by midnight. Got up at 5 am (sehr früh!), grabbed something to eat in station (un croissant et un Coke Zero). Sat in my reserved seat for four hours to Frankfurt. Went to airport, got stuff, called boss (so he would know I was finally coming), ate a Magnum Brownie McFlurry. Got on train to Hamburg, lots of stuff to carry (now I have my large luggage bag). Stood for awhile. Then found a place to put everything and a place to sit. Slept. Oh yeah, and had an earache all the way from Frankfurt to Hamburg because the train went through so many tunnels.
And now I'm here. I'm here. I'm here.
This is what it's all about. My internship in Germany.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Sunday, May 30, 2010
29.5.2010: Paris... enough said.
Written: 5/29/2010
Please read blog entries in order. I do not guarantee anything to make sense if read out of order.
So I need to start where I left off yesterday.
And for right now, because there's so much I need to tell you, I'm going to write the bare minimum, except for the especially interesting stories. If you want to know anything more, just let me know and I'll write more.
Now where was I? Notre Dame.
Walk walk, I'm there. Beggars. Street performers. Went inside. Huge. Snap snap, lots of pictures (see facebook for pictures). Little museum, I'm twenty-two. Lit candle, said prayer.
Back outside. Wanted to climb to the top. Found line; line was long. Stood for over an hour. Germans, Frenchmen, Asians all in line around me.
Finally went up. Lots of stairs. Out of shape. More pictures. See all of city. Even more stairs, saw bell tower. Stairs small, skinny and going round and round. Not made for fat Americans like me.
Street performer with black clown nose: scared me! Ah! Went to tiny cafe by Notre Dame. Ordered Croque-Monsieur and a Coke. Croque-Monsieur, like grilled cheese and ham, cheese on outside. Sat down, ate, had paid wrong price (huh??!). Ordered chocolate milkshake, used men's bathroom.
Walked around. Went to deportation memorial. Liked quote (see picture). Walked past Saint Chappelle church, decided to go to le Louvre instead. Lots of bridges, lots of walking.
Now, I told you that the French people are very nice... maybe too nice.
I decided to go sit down inside one of the courtyards of the Louvre. My legs were still kinds shaky from all the stairs and all the walking (shaky, I know, it felt really strange). While sitting there, collecting my thoughts, going through pictures, etc., a french guy comes over and starts speaking in French to me. I tell him I don't understand (je comprend pas), and then he repeats himself in English.
He told me he noticed me from the other side and that I was very beautiful.
Do you think I'm making this up? No! I kid you not!
Of course I blush and he sits down. We started talking and it was very pleasant. Where do you come from? Why are you here in Paris? What do you do for a living? What are your hobbies? He was going to New York City in August; I'm working in Germany for the summer. Etc., etc., etc. The conversation continued with the talk of languages, and how long have you been learning them. We talked about the things that I would still like to see, and about how I would need more than three hours to visit inside the Louvre.
Then a group of girls caught my eye. They were jumping and taking pictures (just like us Max Kade girls!) and I started to smile and laugh. He asked me what I was thinking and I explained about my friends and I. But while he asked that, he tucked my hair behind my ears.
I hadn't noticed it until then, but he had been moving closer and closer. He was practically touching me!
I had all but ran from the scene. I mean, I was enjoying the conversation, and perhaps would have let him join me on a couple of my stops, but this had just weirded me out!
He had been so forward. Are all French men this way??
But once I had calmed down a bit, and thought through it, I came to realize that his intention all along was to pick me up. He wasn't just interested in practicing his English like he said; he was just out to find and American to hang out with.
Sure, if I had been anyone else... I would have continued to hang out with him. But it's just not the way I am. I am weirded out by strangers touching my hair.
For the rest of my first day, there isn't much to tell. I took the Metro (it was a better experience this time) back to the hostel. Loaded pictures onto computer (over 300 for one day), ended up falling asleep. Woke up again, wrote yesterday's blog, went back to sleep.
As far as today goes.... hmmm... Got up around nine-ish, ate. Fell asleep again, out the door by eleven. Bought day ticket for Metro, headed to the Eiffel tower. Guy playing accordion, another one starting singing with karaoke machine- all on the metro. Long line to go up the Tower. Talked to the Canadians ahead of me. Took stairs. Went to top (from the second floor to the very top, everyone takes the elevator- thank goodness)! Gorgeous views. Hundreds of pictures. Back down, back to hostel by six.
Yes, my whole Eiffel Tower experience took about seven hours.
A couple notable things about this experience: there must have been some kind of big game going around somewhere. It was for the USAP team, in- I think- rugby. Surprised that it wasn't soccer. I'll have to look it to know the details for sure. But one thing's for sure- if you ever thought that the Wolverines were crazy fans ever in your life- think again. The Wolverines have nothing on the USAP fans. Everyone was in red and yellow (and we can't even get everyone to wear yellow for a maize out!), everyone was shouting and screaming and chanting and singing. There was merriment all around, even before the game. There were many crowds in the Jardin next to the tower, and the traffic was crazy for hours. Honk honk. Beep beep.
The second notable thing, at least for me, was the waiter in the restaurant on the second floor of the Eiffel Tower told me that my French was very good. Of course, it was a very simple sentence: je voudrais une Croque-Monsieur et un petit Coca-cola. Anyone could get that correct, right?
Now I am back in the hostel, and new people are moving in and out. One even said that he had been moving rooms.... hmmm.... I'm glad I haven't had to move my junk all over the place.
Tomorrow I will be heading back to Germany, so now I must go to a train station in order to reserve my train back to Frankfurt. I still haven't decided if I'm heading to the west coast to see Normandy or not yet.
Au revoir!
Please read blog entries in order. I do not guarantee anything to make sense if read out of order.
So I need to start where I left off yesterday.
And for right now, because there's so much I need to tell you, I'm going to write the bare minimum, except for the especially interesting stories. If you want to know anything more, just let me know and I'll write more.
Now where was I? Notre Dame.
Walk walk, I'm there. Beggars. Street performers. Went inside. Huge. Snap snap, lots of pictures (see facebook for pictures). Little museum, I'm twenty-two. Lit candle, said prayer.
Back outside. Wanted to climb to the top. Found line; line was long. Stood for over an hour. Germans, Frenchmen, Asians all in line around me.
Finally went up. Lots of stairs. Out of shape. More pictures. See all of city. Even more stairs, saw bell tower. Stairs small, skinny and going round and round. Not made for fat Americans like me.
Street performer with black clown nose: scared me! Ah! Went to tiny cafe by Notre Dame. Ordered Croque-Monsieur and a Coke. Croque-Monsieur, like grilled cheese and ham, cheese on outside. Sat down, ate, had paid wrong price (huh??!). Ordered chocolate milkshake, used men's bathroom.
Walked around. Went to deportation memorial. Liked quote (see picture). Walked past Saint Chappelle church, decided to go to le Louvre instead. Lots of bridges, lots of walking.
Now, I told you that the French people are very nice... maybe too nice.
I decided to go sit down inside one of the courtyards of the Louvre. My legs were still kinds shaky from all the stairs and all the walking (shaky, I know, it felt really strange). While sitting there, collecting my thoughts, going through pictures, etc., a french guy comes over and starts speaking in French to me. I tell him I don't understand (je comprend pas), and then he repeats himself in English.
He told me he noticed me from the other side and that I was very beautiful.
Do you think I'm making this up? No! I kid you not!
Of course I blush and he sits down. We started talking and it was very pleasant. Where do you come from? Why are you here in Paris? What do you do for a living? What are your hobbies? He was going to New York City in August; I'm working in Germany for the summer. Etc., etc., etc. The conversation continued with the talk of languages, and how long have you been learning them. We talked about the things that I would still like to see, and about how I would need more than three hours to visit inside the Louvre.
Then a group of girls caught my eye. They were jumping and taking pictures (just like us Max Kade girls!) and I started to smile and laugh. He asked me what I was thinking and I explained about my friends and I. But while he asked that, he tucked my hair behind my ears.
I hadn't noticed it until then, but he had been moving closer and closer. He was practically touching me!
I had all but ran from the scene. I mean, I was enjoying the conversation, and perhaps would have let him join me on a couple of my stops, but this had just weirded me out!
He had been so forward. Are all French men this way??
But once I had calmed down a bit, and thought through it, I came to realize that his intention all along was to pick me up. He wasn't just interested in practicing his English like he said; he was just out to find and American to hang out with.
Sure, if I had been anyone else... I would have continued to hang out with him. But it's just not the way I am. I am weirded out by strangers touching my hair.
For the rest of my first day, there isn't much to tell. I took the Metro (it was a better experience this time) back to the hostel. Loaded pictures onto computer (over 300 for one day), ended up falling asleep. Woke up again, wrote yesterday's blog, went back to sleep.
As far as today goes.... hmmm... Got up around nine-ish, ate. Fell asleep again, out the door by eleven. Bought day ticket for Metro, headed to the Eiffel tower. Guy playing accordion, another one starting singing with karaoke machine- all on the metro. Long line to go up the Tower. Talked to the Canadians ahead of me. Took stairs. Went to top (from the second floor to the very top, everyone takes the elevator- thank goodness)! Gorgeous views. Hundreds of pictures. Back down, back to hostel by six.
Yes, my whole Eiffel Tower experience took about seven hours.
A couple notable things about this experience: there must have been some kind of big game going around somewhere. It was for the USAP team, in- I think- rugby. Surprised that it wasn't soccer. I'll have to look it to know the details for sure. But one thing's for sure- if you ever thought that the Wolverines were crazy fans ever in your life- think again. The Wolverines have nothing on the USAP fans. Everyone was in red and yellow (and we can't even get everyone to wear yellow for a maize out!), everyone was shouting and screaming and chanting and singing. There was merriment all around, even before the game. There were many crowds in the Jardin next to the tower, and the traffic was crazy for hours. Honk honk. Beep beep.
The second notable thing, at least for me, was the waiter in the restaurant on the second floor of the Eiffel Tower told me that my French was very good. Of course, it was a very simple sentence: je voudrais une Croque-Monsieur et un petit Coca-cola. Anyone could get that correct, right?
Now I am back in the hostel, and new people are moving in and out. One even said that he had been moving rooms.... hmmm.... I'm glad I haven't had to move my junk all over the place.
Tomorrow I will be heading back to Germany, so now I must go to a train station in order to reserve my train back to Frankfurt. I still haven't decided if I'm heading to the west coast to see Normandy or not yet.
Au revoir!
28.5.2010: What a difference a day makes
Written: 5/28/2010
(Please note that these blogs may not reflect my thoughts at the time of their posting. Instead they tell the story that I would have told at that time.)
If you would have asked me last night if I liked Paris at all, I would have said hell no.
But thank goodness I gave it a second chance, because I'm starting to like this city just a little bit more. I'm not sure if it's one of my favorites yet, but I am definitely sticking around to see more.
It's been quite an adventure so far in Paris. More adventure and intrigue than I have ever seen before.
As you know, I got to Paris via train at approximately nine at night (I'm starting to thank my lucky stars that I didn't end up taking to last train. I wouldn't have gotten to Paris until nearly eleven). We pulled into la Gare de l'est and I headed to find the line 7 on the Metro. I knew that it was the pink line, heading south. But I had forgotten to look up at which stop I was supposed to get off. And therefore I decided to guess (I was actually pretty close, but we'll get to that later).
I waited in line to get my ticket; I decided to go to the counter instead of the machine so I could also get a map of the city transportation systems (that and I was a little wary of these machines).
Remember that I just got into town, so I had my pink polka-dotted carry-on bag and backpack with me (big black one is still in the Frankfurt airport luggage storage, thank goodness).
In France you purchase your ticket, your day card, or whichever/however long your ticket is good for. Then instead of just walking to your subway and getting on like you do in Germany (and if you don't have a ticket when the police come around, then you get caught and have to pay fines), you have to slide your ticket through a reader and then go through a turn-table thing (I can't remember what they're called exactly, but you see them a lot at sports stadiums and such), and then proceed to your metro train.
Well, there are two parts that you have to push your way through. Before it locks up again.
I'm sure all can see where this is going now, can't you?
I slide my ticket in, push my way through the first gate, grab my ticket and then...
I got stuck! The second gate locked before I could get through! I panicked! I freaked out!
And of course, this is the time that I can't remember my French.
How do you say "HELP!" in French? I can remember "to help" is "aider." But a shout of distress, I just can't remember. Instead I just shouted in English and German.
But people didn't come to my rescue. I mean, I thought I had seen a policeman or some other man of security just up the stairs, and what about the woman behind the counter? People just kept passing by to get on their respective subways.
Finally a nice woman came by and slid her multi-day card in. I was free! Finally!
(Since you can't slide you card twice, the woman ended up going under the turn-style thing. Why didn't I think if that? Of course, I just panicked. But I don't think I could have gotten myself and my luggage under anyways.)
And now to the part of guessing.
I knew that my stop would be after the river, so I guessed the main station after the Seine and got off there.
Of course it was raining. That was just my luck last night.
Luckily there was a small cafe/bar just across the street. I sat down, ordered a mojito, and began looking up the information. I finished my mojito- boy was it strong- and left the cafe. I followed the map, and before you know it, I was at the stop I should have gotten off at- I was only one stop off! I continued on my way, and finally I arrived at Young and Happy hostel.
This has to be one of the worst hostels I've stayed in. We'll get to more reasons on that later.
But this one isn't next a sex theater/night club, instead it's on a tiny street lined with cute little shops and restaurants. Though it wasn't that easy for me to find, I think the location is kinda great. It's sorta like the hostel we (Max Kade) stayed in while in Vienna, location wise that is. Kinda tucked out of the way in the residential part of the city.
IT HAS NO ELEVATORS. AND I'M ON THE TOP FLOOR.
Once I got my stuff up the five flights of stairs, I stood looking out the small, quintessential window in the room.
That view made it all worth it, the view of picturesque France.
No, I can't see the Eiffel tower from here, but this view just had a sweet, wonderful feel about it.
By this time it was about 11pm or so, and I thought it was a decent time to try to sleep. Once I got comfortable, got used to the noise outside, and after the other people came in (luckily all these people were in their twenties- I have not seen an older person here yet!), I fell asleep and didn't get up until my alarm went off at eight. I think that had to be the best first night sleep I had ever had.
It did take me some effort to get up however, but I made sure that I made it to breakfast on time. It was similiar to the German breakfasts I've had in hostels, except there was absolutely no meat.
Now here is where I will tell you the worst part about this hostel. The shower.
I've come to expect the push buttons (the water only stays on for a few minutes, then turns off again. Like many faucets in public bathrooms), and I've come to expect the possibility of lukewarm at best. But never do I like a dirty shower room. Not like this. It was nasty. Luckily I had my flip-flops. Who knows what disgusting germs were on that floor.
To say the least, I got in and out as quickly as I could. I was so quick I didn't even give myself time to complain about the fact that there was no temperature adjustment.
I was out of the hostel by quarter to eleven and thought that I would just walk around and find what there is to see. Wrong choice. Though the street I am staying on is quite nice, if I would have taken to the concept the entire day, it would take me years to see all of Paris. So I got out my handy-dandy map and decided to go to the nearest monument or notable place.
Luckily a Frenchman asked me if I was lost, and even though I wasn't really- I just didn't know where I wanted to go- he told me how to get to the "Jardin du Luxembourg," just down the street (you can cross that stereotype off your list- the French are very nice people.... maybe too nice, but more on that later). I started there, and wow... it was gorgeous.
And there it was: my first view of the legendary Eiffel tower. Still a ways away, it was awesome to see it for the first time. I walked around the gardens; there's benches everywhere, and chairs all around. It is a runner's favorite place- there were so many out running in the Jardin!
Next up I headed to the Notre Dame, and took a detour to see the Pantheon. And without even realizing it, I came across the Bibliotheque de Saint-Geneive, which I had studied in my art history class about architecture a couple of semesters ago.
I was so engrossed in the scenery around me, the people on the street, the store fronts, etc., that I almost didn't notice I had reached my destination. Notre Dame. The church of our lady.
Okay, sorry to cut this short, but I just realized the time and that I am getting tired. Not to mention the hand cramp from typing. I promise I will write again and tell you the most interesting part of my first full day in Paris.
(Please note that these blogs may not reflect my thoughts at the time of their posting. Instead they tell the story that I would have told at that time.)
If you would have asked me last night if I liked Paris at all, I would have said hell no.
But thank goodness I gave it a second chance, because I'm starting to like this city just a little bit more. I'm not sure if it's one of my favorites yet, but I am definitely sticking around to see more.
It's been quite an adventure so far in Paris. More adventure and intrigue than I have ever seen before.
As you know, I got to Paris via train at approximately nine at night (I'm starting to thank my lucky stars that I didn't end up taking to last train. I wouldn't have gotten to Paris until nearly eleven). We pulled into la Gare de l'est and I headed to find the line 7 on the Metro. I knew that it was the pink line, heading south. But I had forgotten to look up at which stop I was supposed to get off. And therefore I decided to guess (I was actually pretty close, but we'll get to that later).
I waited in line to get my ticket; I decided to go to the counter instead of the machine so I could also get a map of the city transportation systems (that and I was a little wary of these machines).
Remember that I just got into town, so I had my pink polka-dotted carry-on bag and backpack with me (big black one is still in the Frankfurt airport luggage storage, thank goodness).
In France you purchase your ticket, your day card, or whichever/however long your ticket is good for. Then instead of just walking to your subway and getting on like you do in Germany (and if you don't have a ticket when the police come around, then you get caught and have to pay fines), you have to slide your ticket through a reader and then go through a turn-table thing (I can't remember what they're called exactly, but you see them a lot at sports stadiums and such), and then proceed to your metro train.
Well, there are two parts that you have to push your way through. Before it locks up again.
I'm sure all can see where this is going now, can't you?
I slide my ticket in, push my way through the first gate, grab my ticket and then...
I got stuck! The second gate locked before I could get through! I panicked! I freaked out!
And of course, this is the time that I can't remember my French.
How do you say "HELP!" in French? I can remember "to help" is "aider." But a shout of distress, I just can't remember. Instead I just shouted in English and German.
But people didn't come to my rescue. I mean, I thought I had seen a policeman or some other man of security just up the stairs, and what about the woman behind the counter? People just kept passing by to get on their respective subways.
Finally a nice woman came by and slid her multi-day card in. I was free! Finally!
(Since you can't slide you card twice, the woman ended up going under the turn-style thing. Why didn't I think if that? Of course, I just panicked. But I don't think I could have gotten myself and my luggage under anyways.)
And now to the part of guessing.
I knew that my stop would be after the river, so I guessed the main station after the Seine and got off there.
Of course it was raining. That was just my luck last night.
Luckily there was a small cafe/bar just across the street. I sat down, ordered a mojito, and began looking up the information. I finished my mojito- boy was it strong- and left the cafe. I followed the map, and before you know it, I was at the stop I should have gotten off at- I was only one stop off! I continued on my way, and finally I arrived at Young and Happy hostel.
This has to be one of the worst hostels I've stayed in. We'll get to more reasons on that later.
But this one isn't next a sex theater/night club, instead it's on a tiny street lined with cute little shops and restaurants. Though it wasn't that easy for me to find, I think the location is kinda great. It's sorta like the hostel we (Max Kade) stayed in while in Vienna, location wise that is. Kinda tucked out of the way in the residential part of the city.
IT HAS NO ELEVATORS. AND I'M ON THE TOP FLOOR.
Once I got my stuff up the five flights of stairs, I stood looking out the small, quintessential window in the room.
That view made it all worth it, the view of picturesque France.
No, I can't see the Eiffel tower from here, but this view just had a sweet, wonderful feel about it.
By this time it was about 11pm or so, and I thought it was a decent time to try to sleep. Once I got comfortable, got used to the noise outside, and after the other people came in (luckily all these people were in their twenties- I have not seen an older person here yet!), I fell asleep and didn't get up until my alarm went off at eight. I think that had to be the best first night sleep I had ever had.
It did take me some effort to get up however, but I made sure that I made it to breakfast on time. It was similiar to the German breakfasts I've had in hostels, except there was absolutely no meat.
Now here is where I will tell you the worst part about this hostel. The shower.
I've come to expect the push buttons (the water only stays on for a few minutes, then turns off again. Like many faucets in public bathrooms), and I've come to expect the possibility of lukewarm at best. But never do I like a dirty shower room. Not like this. It was nasty. Luckily I had my flip-flops. Who knows what disgusting germs were on that floor.
To say the least, I got in and out as quickly as I could. I was so quick I didn't even give myself time to complain about the fact that there was no temperature adjustment.
I was out of the hostel by quarter to eleven and thought that I would just walk around and find what there is to see. Wrong choice. Though the street I am staying on is quite nice, if I would have taken to the concept the entire day, it would take me years to see all of Paris. So I got out my handy-dandy map and decided to go to the nearest monument or notable place.
Luckily a Frenchman asked me if I was lost, and even though I wasn't really- I just didn't know where I wanted to go- he told me how to get to the "Jardin du Luxembourg," just down the street (you can cross that stereotype off your list- the French are very nice people.... maybe too nice, but more on that later). I started there, and wow... it was gorgeous.
And there it was: my first view of the legendary Eiffel tower. Still a ways away, it was awesome to see it for the first time. I walked around the gardens; there's benches everywhere, and chairs all around. It is a runner's favorite place- there were so many out running in the Jardin!
Next up I headed to the Notre Dame, and took a detour to see the Pantheon. And without even realizing it, I came across the Bibliotheque de Saint-Geneive, which I had studied in my art history class about architecture a couple of semesters ago.
I was so engrossed in the scenery around me, the people on the street, the store fronts, etc., that I almost didn't notice I had reached my destination. Notre Dame. The church of our lady.
Okay, sorry to cut this short, but I just realized the time and that I am getting tired. Not to mention the hand cramp from typing. I promise I will write again and tell you the most interesting part of my first full day in Paris.
27.5.2010: I've Got a Ticket to Ride
Written 5/27/2010 on the train from Frankfurt to Paris.
So here I am on the train to Paris.
I'm actually kinda scared.
And just realized that I have been using the word "so" to start sentences way too much lately.
So.
I knew that my German was decent enough to get me through.
But my French is no where near where my German is.
I've only had French for two years.
Think about where I was when I had only taken German for two years.
I don't think I could have gotten around Munich on my own at that time.
But still. I'm a little worried that I might have a "petite problème" mit meinem Französisch.
I've been on the train most of the day today. At least it feels like it. First I decided to go to Köln and Bonn. I would have been better off if I had just decided to go to Köln, since I didn't make to Bonn anyways, but more on that later.
I did get up later than I planned, but earlier than I have been the last couple of days! The 10:10 train to Köln was going to be five minutes late, which was perfect timing for me. The train had reached our destination by 11:40 and I was in the Kölner Dom by noon.
To say the least, I think I'm getting much better at this whole on-my-own-getting-around thing. It's simple really. All it takes is a lot of reading. And a whole lot of going around in circles.
But Köln was über easy though- all I had to do is follow the big crowd heading out of the Hauptbahnhof. Besides, pending further research, I think the Dom is the main attraction to the city. But since I wasn't there for very long, I really don't know.
After walking through the Dom, I continued to follow the crowd down Hohestrasse. It was lined with shops from all sorts- like an outdoor mall. Luckily the weather was pretty good, and I think I even got sun burnt a bit. Had a Döner for lunch, bought my first city bag (you know the ones, they have the city name on them, super cute and you see them all over the place).
Now Bonn comes into play. I thought that I would have enough time to visit the old capital of West Germany. But once I had gotten on the train that would have taken me there, I did the math of the time.... I would be late for my train to Paris. Therefore I had to get off at the next stop and turn around. I can say that I have been to the Köln Süd Bahnhof.
I'm learning that the train isn't as simple as sit down and relax. Even though it may not be required to reserve a seat, many people do. Yes, I sat in someone else's seat and I'm still not sure I know how to tell on an ICE train, which are reserved and which are not.
Went back to Frankfurt-hostel to pick up my luggage, got on the free wi-fi one last time, then headed out to catch my TGV train to Paris. The TGV is France's version of Germany's ICE trains. Fast, and few stops.
And I have to say- I AM SO GLAD I RESERVED A SEAT ON THIS TRAIN!
It is über packed and four hours long.
I thought I was going to have it good- a window seat and many seats around me free. However, at the next stop, many people got on and now the train is over flowing. I would not want to be standing.
I LOVE SEATS! YAY RESERVATIONS!
Now it's starting to rain, but the country side is still beautiful.
Ended: 6:20pm 5/27/2010 (On train from Frankfurt to Paris)
So here I am on the train to Paris.
I'm actually kinda scared.
And just realized that I have been using the word "so" to start sentences way too much lately.
So.
I knew that my German was decent enough to get me through.
But my French is no where near where my German is.
I've only had French for two years.
Think about where I was when I had only taken German for two years.
I don't think I could have gotten around Munich on my own at that time.
But still. I'm a little worried that I might have a "petite problème" mit meinem Französisch.
I've been on the train most of the day today. At least it feels like it. First I decided to go to Köln and Bonn. I would have been better off if I had just decided to go to Köln, since I didn't make to Bonn anyways, but more on that later.
I did get up later than I planned, but earlier than I have been the last couple of days! The 10:10 train to Köln was going to be five minutes late, which was perfect timing for me. The train had reached our destination by 11:40 and I was in the Kölner Dom by noon.
To say the least, I think I'm getting much better at this whole on-my-own-getting-around thing. It's simple really. All it takes is a lot of reading. And a whole lot of going around in circles.
But Köln was über easy though- all I had to do is follow the big crowd heading out of the Hauptbahnhof. Besides, pending further research, I think the Dom is the main attraction to the city. But since I wasn't there for very long, I really don't know.
After walking through the Dom, I continued to follow the crowd down Hohestrasse. It was lined with shops from all sorts- like an outdoor mall. Luckily the weather was pretty good, and I think I even got sun burnt a bit. Had a Döner for lunch, bought my first city bag (you know the ones, they have the city name on them, super cute and you see them all over the place).
Now Bonn comes into play. I thought that I would have enough time to visit the old capital of West Germany. But once I had gotten on the train that would have taken me there, I did the math of the time.... I would be late for my train to Paris. Therefore I had to get off at the next stop and turn around. I can say that I have been to the Köln Süd Bahnhof.
I'm learning that the train isn't as simple as sit down and relax. Even though it may not be required to reserve a seat, many people do. Yes, I sat in someone else's seat and I'm still not sure I know how to tell on an ICE train, which are reserved and which are not.
Went back to Frankfurt-hostel to pick up my luggage, got on the free wi-fi one last time, then headed out to catch my TGV train to Paris. The TGV is France's version of Germany's ICE trains. Fast, and few stops.
And I have to say- I AM SO GLAD I RESERVED A SEAT ON THIS TRAIN!
It is über packed and four hours long.
I thought I was going to have it good- a window seat and many seats around me free. However, at the next stop, many people got on and now the train is over flowing. I would not want to be standing.
I LOVE SEATS! YAY RESERVATIONS!
Now it's starting to rain, but the country side is still beautiful.
Ended: 6:20pm 5/27/2010 (On train from Frankfurt to Paris)
Thursday, May 27, 2010
I'm heading to Paris!
I'm heading to Paris everyone!
After a day in Koeln, I'm changing languages and taking my chances with the French culture.
Au revoir! I don't know when I'll get another chance to write!
After a day in Koeln, I'm changing languages and taking my chances with the French culture.
Au revoir! I don't know when I'll get another chance to write!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
26.5.2010: Still in Frankfurt
Written: 5/26/10-5/27/10 at 2am.
I fail at getting over jet-lag.
I couldn't get to sleep last night. I did get up for breakfast, however I went back to bed and slept for another six hours. By this time it was four in the afternoon local time.
So I got up, went to trusty old McDonalds, had Chicken McNuggets, fries and yet another Magnum Brownie McFlurry.
Decided to travel on the UBahns, and just see where the day would take me. When I got off at my first stop, I got my camera out, realized I did not have my memory card, so back to the hostel it was. I retreived it, then headed back across the street to the Hauptbahnhof. I waited in line to reserve my seat on tomorrow's trip from Frankfurt to Paris and spoke flawless German with the man at the counter (okay, maybe not flawless, but pretty darn good).
I continued on my UBahn journey, and learned that you have to read the train itself- not all go to the end of the line. I turned around, then finally decided where I wanted to go. Destination: Alte Oper. But it wasn't as simple as that, since I wasn't on the correct line to do as such. Instead I got off at the Zoo stop (which was a super cute UBahn stop- complete with murals and tile work of animals from the Zoo). I was tempted to head on the the zoo, however it has been raining off and on all day here. Instead I just walked around, snapping pictures, without a real direction in mind.
Low and behold, I ended up seeing most of the sights in Frankfurt that one might want to see. I passed by a couple of churches, notable in one way or another (as it seems all German churches are), seen the house in which Goethe was born, passed through the Fressgass (the local name for a street that has many restaurants, many of which had outdoor place settings and mini restaurants set up), and finally ended up at the Alte Oper. It was a gorgeous night.
For some reason I decided that I would like to go the the Sudbahnhof. So I can say I went there. Got out, it was getting dark out; it was starting to rain harder, then I got back on the UBahn and decided it was time to head back to the hostel. This was around 10ish or so.
Since then I figured out the internet at the hostel. Windows 7 just has more options, therefore I just had to change some settings. I got the wi-fi here to work on my laptop. I've loaded pictures on my computer, posted on my blog, and talked with my family via Skype.
Now it's time for bed. I'm serious. For real! It's past 2am here, and I have a few things planned for tomorrow. Like heading to Koeln, Bonn, and Paris. Looking forward to an eventful day- one that I don't sleep through!
I fail at getting over jet-lag.
I couldn't get to sleep last night. I did get up for breakfast, however I went back to bed and slept for another six hours. By this time it was four in the afternoon local time.
So I got up, went to trusty old McDonalds, had Chicken McNuggets, fries and yet another Magnum Brownie McFlurry.
Decided to travel on the UBahns, and just see where the day would take me. When I got off at my first stop, I got my camera out, realized I did not have my memory card, so back to the hostel it was. I retreived it, then headed back across the street to the Hauptbahnhof. I waited in line to reserve my seat on tomorrow's trip from Frankfurt to Paris and spoke flawless German with the man at the counter (okay, maybe not flawless, but pretty darn good).
I continued on my UBahn journey, and learned that you have to read the train itself- not all go to the end of the line. I turned around, then finally decided where I wanted to go. Destination: Alte Oper. But it wasn't as simple as that, since I wasn't on the correct line to do as such. Instead I got off at the Zoo stop (which was a super cute UBahn stop- complete with murals and tile work of animals from the Zoo). I was tempted to head on the the zoo, however it has been raining off and on all day here. Instead I just walked around, snapping pictures, without a real direction in mind.
Low and behold, I ended up seeing most of the sights in Frankfurt that one might want to see. I passed by a couple of churches, notable in one way or another (as it seems all German churches are), seen the house in which Goethe was born, passed through the Fressgass (the local name for a street that has many restaurants, many of which had outdoor place settings and mini restaurants set up), and finally ended up at the Alte Oper. It was a gorgeous night.
For some reason I decided that I would like to go the the Sudbahnhof. So I can say I went there. Got out, it was getting dark out; it was starting to rain harder, then I got back on the UBahn and decided it was time to head back to the hostel. This was around 10ish or so.
Since then I figured out the internet at the hostel. Windows 7 just has more options, therefore I just had to change some settings. I got the wi-fi here to work on my laptop. I've loaded pictures on my computer, posted on my blog, and talked with my family via Skype.
Now it's time for bed. I'm serious. For real! It's past 2am here, and I have a few things planned for tomorrow. Like heading to Koeln, Bonn, and Paris. Looking forward to an eventful day- one that I don't sleep through!
25.5.2010: I have to accept….
Written: 5/25/10 11:48 (Frankfurt time)
Please note: This post does not reflect my thoughts at this moment. Instead it reflects the time in which it was written
….that I am no longer in America.
(Not everyone speaks English, no matter how much we’d like to believe this.)
….that I have a long way to go and loads to learn.
(German. German. German. And culture shock!)
….that my Deutsch is sehr schlecht.
(What was that guy asking in the bookstore? Ich habe nicht versteht. Langsamer bitte!)
….that there is no kostenlos internet access in Europe.
(Nor in the airports. The going rate is $8-9 per hour! Oh, and Windows 7 is too new for the hostel’s system-the one place that I can get free wi-fi. And even McDonald’s here isn’t unlimited free. But I don’t have a Handy at the moment, so I couldn’t get on there today.)
….that I am not staying in a youth hostel.
(There’s an older gentleman bunking under me, who was already in bed by nine.)
….that I am living a mixed dorm.
(People of mixed genders bunking together. Let’s hope they don’t do anything more than that.)
….that I am staying in a hostel next to a sex shop, on a Strasse of many shops like it.
(It’s called “WOS: World of Sex”. I think I might be living in the red light district. But other than the sex shops, the location is excellent- it’s right across from the Hauptbahnhof!)
….that I don’t know anything about Fussball.
(And the World Cup is this year.)
….that I love Döners.
(I had my first one of this trip today! Everyone would be so proud of me- I ate it with all the fixings- and sauce!)
….that I love riding on trains.
(I’m so looking forward to traveling!)
….that I looked clumsy and awkward in the airport.
(Going around in circles would be one’s first clue that I had no idea what I was doing. But one must learn that you have to look at the signs!)
….that I totally over-packed.
(Again. My carry-on bag was too big for the plane. So they took it to be checked-in. I had no wheels in Philly and going through customs in Frankfurt. And my computer bag strap snapped this evening- easy fix, when I get to it.)
Traveling is always fun. And it definitely was an Abenteur trying to navigate through the airports all on my own. I have learned that I was mostly a follower when traveling before, but it’s not too hard to do it by myself. I almost hyperventilated on the plane from Detroit to Philly- I had gotten myself so worked up. But I calmed down, and the rest of the journey was quite smooth. I think the trip from Philly to Frankfurt was the smoothest, most turbulence free flight I’ve ever been on. The pasta dinner was decent, the movies okay. There was a cute guy across the aisle, but I slept (sorta) most of the trip.
I got another stamp in my passport, and all my bags made it to Frankfurt too! For convenience, I left my large luggage bag in storage at the airport. I finally got onto the correct S-Bahn, and I may have been a black-rider for the first time…. I’m not sure though…. I’m not sure if I validated my Eurail pass correctly, but there were no checks, so I’m not going to worry about it.
So as you can all guess, I am now in Frankfurt, staying in a mixed gender, ageless dorm room hostel. It’s not the best hostel I’ve stayed in, but it’s not the worst either. (I think I would put the one we-Max Kade- stayed in while traveling in Munich was the worst… I wonder if they ever got that door fixed.)
I’ve had my first Döner of this trip. It was huge! And lecker! I had all the toppings, and drink a small Coke. Since I wanted something else cold to drink, I walked down to McDonalds and ordered a large Coke and a “Magnum Brownie McFlurry.” I haven’t seen these in America, and the sign was convincing.
I found my new favorite dessert.
Other than the Döner, McDonalds, and no free internet, there wasn’t much to my day. Once I finally figured out how to get to the Hauptbahnhof, the rest was uneventful. I showered, I brushed my teeth, I slept. Don’t worry, I didn’t mess up my itinerary at all, since that’s all that I had planned.
Tomorrow I will be touring Frankfurt, reserving my spot on my Frankfurt to Paris train, and working on getting over my jet-lag. It’s already 12:40 local time and I am fully awake.
Please note: This post does not reflect my thoughts at this moment. Instead it reflects the time in which it was written
….that I am no longer in America.
(Not everyone speaks English, no matter how much we’d like to believe this.)
….that I have a long way to go and loads to learn.
(German. German. German. And culture shock!)
….that my Deutsch is sehr schlecht.
(What was that guy asking in the bookstore? Ich habe nicht versteht. Langsamer bitte!)
….that there is no kostenlos internet access in Europe.
(Nor in the airports. The going rate is $8-9 per hour! Oh, and Windows 7 is too new for the hostel’s system-the one place that I can get free wi-fi. And even McDonald’s here isn’t unlimited free. But I don’t have a Handy at the moment, so I couldn’t get on there today.)
….that I am not staying in a youth hostel.
(There’s an older gentleman bunking under me, who was already in bed by nine.)
….that I am living a mixed dorm.
(People of mixed genders bunking together. Let’s hope they don’t do anything more than that.)
….that I am staying in a hostel next to a sex shop, on a Strasse of many shops like it.
(It’s called “WOS: World of Sex”. I think I might be living in the red light district. But other than the sex shops, the location is excellent- it’s right across from the Hauptbahnhof!)
….that I don’t know anything about Fussball.
(And the World Cup is this year.)
….that I love Döners.
(I had my first one of this trip today! Everyone would be so proud of me- I ate it with all the fixings- and sauce!)
….that I love riding on trains.
(I’m so looking forward to traveling!)
….that I looked clumsy and awkward in the airport.
(Going around in circles would be one’s first clue that I had no idea what I was doing. But one must learn that you have to look at the signs!)
….that I totally over-packed.
(Again. My carry-on bag was too big for the plane. So they took it to be checked-in. I had no wheels in Philly and going through customs in Frankfurt. And my computer bag strap snapped this evening- easy fix, when I get to it.)
Traveling is always fun. And it definitely was an Abenteur trying to navigate through the airports all on my own. I have learned that I was mostly a follower when traveling before, but it’s not too hard to do it by myself. I almost hyperventilated on the plane from Detroit to Philly- I had gotten myself so worked up. But I calmed down, and the rest of the journey was quite smooth. I think the trip from Philly to Frankfurt was the smoothest, most turbulence free flight I’ve ever been on. The pasta dinner was decent, the movies okay. There was a cute guy across the aisle, but I slept (sorta) most of the trip.
I got another stamp in my passport, and all my bags made it to Frankfurt too! For convenience, I left my large luggage bag in storage at the airport. I finally got onto the correct S-Bahn, and I may have been a black-rider for the first time…. I’m not sure though…. I’m not sure if I validated my Eurail pass correctly, but there were no checks, so I’m not going to worry about it.
So as you can all guess, I am now in Frankfurt, staying in a mixed gender, ageless dorm room hostel. It’s not the best hostel I’ve stayed in, but it’s not the worst either. (I think I would put the one we-Max Kade- stayed in while traveling in Munich was the worst… I wonder if they ever got that door fixed.)
I’ve had my first Döner of this trip. It was huge! And lecker! I had all the toppings, and drink a small Coke. Since I wanted something else cold to drink, I walked down to McDonalds and ordered a large Coke and a “Magnum Brownie McFlurry.” I haven’t seen these in America, and the sign was convincing.
I found my new favorite dessert.
Other than the Döner, McDonalds, and no free internet, there wasn’t much to my day. Once I finally figured out how to get to the Hauptbahnhof, the rest was uneventful. I showered, I brushed my teeth, I slept. Don’t worry, I didn’t mess up my itinerary at all, since that’s all that I had planned.
Tomorrow I will be touring Frankfurt, reserving my spot on my Frankfurt to Paris train, and working on getting over my jet-lag. It’s already 12:40 local time and I am fully awake.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
New Post to Come
I have already written a new post for my adventures here, but since I'm having some issues with the internet, and the fact that there seems to be no free wi-fi here (and the one place that I do have wi-fi isn't updated for Windows 7) I will have to post it at a later date. I will figure it out (hopefully without having to pay $10 an hour to do so) and pics and details will soon be posted.
Thanks for your patience!
(Written at 1:03 am Frankfurt time)
Thanks for your patience!
(Written at 1:03 am Frankfurt time)
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Less than 48 hours to go....
I am not packed.
My clothes are not all clean.
My stuff is scattered across the living room.
But I did install more RAM on my netbook all by myself.
I don't know if I have work appropriate (non-tennis) shoes.
Or clothes.
I realized that I have always been a follower.
Am I going to be able to get to my connections on time?
And what about this volcano? And the weakening of the Euro?
My new iPod is pretty sweet- I can actually play (and shoot) video!
Perhaps I should have been studying my flash cards more often.
In 48 hours I will be boarding the plane in Philly for Frankfurt.
Another 8 hours after that I will be in Frankfurt.
Then I will have 5 hours before I can check into my hostel.
And sleep. :)
My clothes are not all clean.
My stuff is scattered across the living room.
But I did install more RAM on my netbook all by myself.
I don't know if I have work appropriate (non-tennis) shoes.
Or clothes.
I realized that I have always been a follower.
Am I going to be able to get to my connections on time?
And what about this volcano? And the weakening of the Euro?
My new iPod is pretty sweet- I can actually play (and shoot) video!
Perhaps I should have been studying my flash cards more often.
In 48 hours I will be boarding the plane in Philly for Frankfurt.
Another 8 hours after that I will be in Frankfurt.
Then I will have 5 hours before I can check into my hostel.
And sleep. :)
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