This is it, tomorrow morning we get up head to Victoria Station on the Underground to get a National rail train to Gatwick, fly out and land on Atlanta around 4. This is going to be a 29 hour day.
This trip has been a lot of fun! I am glad I took these three weeks away from my internship. I can now check off many cities and little travel goals I had. Today we went to Stonehenge which is a pile of neat rocks,
I am looking forward to having a normal schedule again and eating what I want when I want it. Mom's cooking for my time in VA will be very welcome.
Tis the end of my summer travels abroad...
Monday, May 28, 2007
Thursday, May 24, 2007
24 May- Praha, Czech
I really like Prague. The hostel is not in the city center but the area is nice. Everything seems so clean! This might be because Italy was filthy with piles of garbage everywhere and garbage on the ground. We arrived from the airport and bus and metro around 2 and left our bags at the hostel. The lady at the front desk told us a good local place to get lunch for cheap. We got up at 5 am and were starving. I ate a huge lunch of a traditional Thanksgiving diner with heat, beef, cabbage, veggies, a potato like patty, and other patty that I can not recognize that was maybe squash and zucchini. I was so stuffed.
We chilled at the hostel a while in the afternoon. I went for a walk around the area and Ethan napped. Then we went to a bookstore, and into the city center. We went to a torture museum and took a lot of pictures of the city at night. I an very tired right about now and plan on sleeping until I have to get up (which is like 11 since breakfast ends at 12 and we paid 100 Kr for it).Prague feels like Austria or Germany to me. Lots of beer here, too. Its the first place on this trip where the locals wear tshirts and dress more causal like Americans. They are not all skinny either. My Teva's will even look normal here. Oh and everyone speaks some English.That's all for now!
We chilled at the hostel a while in the afternoon. I went for a walk around the area and Ethan napped. Then we went to a bookstore, and into the city center. We went to a torture museum and took a lot of pictures of the city at night. I an very tired right about now and plan on sleeping until I have to get up (which is like 11 since breakfast ends at 12 and we paid 100 Kr for it).Prague feels like Austria or Germany to me. Lots of beer here, too. Its the first place on this trip where the locals wear tshirts and dress more causal like Americans. They are not all skinny either. My Teva's will even look normal here. Oh and everyone speaks some English.That's all for now!
Pompeii and Almalfi Coast details
The city of Pompei is very small with two train station- the national line and the regional line. We took a train from Rome to Naples and then to Pompei one morning after checking out and buying some stuff in Rome. The train ticket lady was the most unhelpful person ever, she had the trains to Naples and costs memorized but would only tell us stuff on a specific one we said. So we had to look up others on the table and she would rattle off the costs with no problem. So she knew where and when we wanted to go, but told us to go to information on the other side of the station (we didnt) when there was a train 2 minutes after the one we initially had in mind. It was ridiculous.The hostel in Pompei was probably the cheapest we have stayed in- the Casa de Pelligrino. My room had 8 beds and about 5 females. Ethans room was just him in a room for 8. We are definitely traveling before the main tourist crowds. The restaurants in Pompeii like to have 'tourista' menus which i found weird because tourists dont want tourist food. They would be a meal with sides (since they are all separate) and desert for a set price. We didn't eat in one of those.
The Pompei ruins are huge and about 70% excavated. You can walk down streets that were thriving in 70 AD and see the old shops, bakeries, and homes. The homes of the traders and others with money were beautiful. You need to get an audioguide to understand what you are looking at and they only sell them at one end of the ruins- and we came in the other side since it was close to the hostel so we had to hike across to get one. The ruins are amazing. There was a theatre that seats 300, 000 people which is more than any in existance i believe.Almalfi Coast:Not too much to see there, just town and beautiful places to take photos of. I just wanted to go there for the view. You take a train to Sorrento and then a bus on the SITA line along tiny twisty roads with far drops to the water for an hour just to cover 20 km. The bus ride was making people sick. We got off the bus in Positano (the typical picture of the Almalfi Coast you see) and took some photos. I bought some tiny little peaches (we used to be able to get them at the fruit farm Mag Maggies I think). I miss eating fruits and veggies. Eating out all the time is something I will not miss. There was another ride about the same length to get to Almafi where we ate lunch and sat on the beach. It was a nice calm day.
Then we took a boat to Salerno, where we took a local bus for 2 hours back to Pompei. It was impossible to know when to get off the bus so we started asking the locals. In broken English we got of and basically were on the street or our hostel. A man on the bus found it really amusing that I was asian (which he indicated with squinty eyes) and spoke English.Italians are rude and pushy it seems. Especially the older ones. When boarding the boats the old Italians were pushing like a mob when we all knew the boat was not going to leave themThere havent been any waits at all for us. For example Ethan got in the Vatican in 15 min (just security) on the day the Pope returned and two years ago I spent an hour to get in in June.
The Pompei ruins are huge and about 70% excavated. You can walk down streets that were thriving in 70 AD and see the old shops, bakeries, and homes. The homes of the traders and others with money were beautiful. You need to get an audioguide to understand what you are looking at and they only sell them at one end of the ruins- and we came in the other side since it was close to the hostel so we had to hike across to get one. The ruins are amazing. There was a theatre that seats 300, 000 people which is more than any in existance i believe.Almalfi Coast:Not too much to see there, just town and beautiful places to take photos of. I just wanted to go there for the view. You take a train to Sorrento and then a bus on the SITA line along tiny twisty roads with far drops to the water for an hour just to cover 20 km. The bus ride was making people sick. We got off the bus in Positano (the typical picture of the Almalfi Coast you see) and took some photos. I bought some tiny little peaches (we used to be able to get them at the fruit farm Mag Maggies I think). I miss eating fruits and veggies. Eating out all the time is something I will not miss. There was another ride about the same length to get to Almafi where we ate lunch and sat on the beach. It was a nice calm day.
Then we took a boat to Salerno, where we took a local bus for 2 hours back to Pompei. It was impossible to know when to get off the bus so we started asking the locals. In broken English we got of and basically were on the street or our hostel. A man on the bus found it really amusing that I was asian (which he indicated with squinty eyes) and spoke English.Italians are rude and pushy it seems. Especially the older ones. When boarding the boats the old Italians were pushing like a mob when we all knew the boat was not going to leave themThere havent been any waits at all for us. For example Ethan got in the Vatican in 15 min (just security) on the day the Pope returned and two years ago I spent an hour to get in in June.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
22 and 23 May- Pompei and Almalfi Coast
The Almalfi Coast is beautiful. The roads are quite twisty and narrow. We came back by boat which was nice. Pompei itself is very small. The hostel is probably the cheapest one on the trip and everything is very close together.
Leave for Prague around 6 am tomorrow. Thats all the time I have now.
Leave for Prague around 6 am tomorrow. Thats all the time I have now.
Monday, May 21, 2007
21 May- Last Day in Rome
You have to reserve seats on a surprising number of trains with Eurail. Its a shame and is costing us. Night trains are infact about 20 euro extra. You normally reserve the day of it seems. Some stations don't have people who speak english which is a pain for us.
I have seen all of the normal stuff again in Rome: Trevi Fountian, Spanish Steps, Pantheon (I love the pantheon)... but I have been to more random squares then before and spent several hours in teh Borghese park in the northern part of the city today. When revisting a place its amazing how much of it still looks the same in my memory as it does in real life. I still kn0w in what direction some things are, where to find a certain restruant in a square... its pretty neat.
Pizza and pasta here have been good. I bought some fruit at a market today. That will be breakfast or food on the train to Naples tomorrow. I like Rome and the Italians, everything is slower paced here. The weather is warm (finally, i was tired of being cold!). And I have clean laundry now, which is also nice.
We don't know when we are leaving yet, but a train leaves about every hour as it is only an hour and a half or two hour train ride. People say there isn't much to do in Naples, but Pompeii will be neat. We will go for a hike. At Almalfi we will go for a swim.
hmm, May 19 was spent in Nice, France. I really liked it for its beach town feel. We shopped some, walked around some, spent a few hours on the beach, ate chinese food... the beach had large 2 or 3- inch in diameter pebbles, not sand. They really hurt to walk on.
Lots to see on this trip!
I have seen all of the normal stuff again in Rome: Trevi Fountian, Spanish Steps, Pantheon (I love the pantheon)... but I have been to more random squares then before and spent several hours in teh Borghese park in the northern part of the city today. When revisting a place its amazing how much of it still looks the same in my memory as it does in real life. I still kn0w in what direction some things are, where to find a certain restruant in a square... its pretty neat.
Pizza and pasta here have been good. I bought some fruit at a market today. That will be breakfast or food on the train to Naples tomorrow. I like Rome and the Italians, everything is slower paced here. The weather is warm (finally, i was tired of being cold!). And I have clean laundry now, which is also nice.
We don't know when we are leaving yet, but a train leaves about every hour as it is only an hour and a half or two hour train ride. People say there isn't much to do in Naples, but Pompeii will be neat. We will go for a hike. At Almalfi we will go for a swim.
hmm, May 19 was spent in Nice, France. I really liked it for its beach town feel. We shopped some, walked around some, spent a few hours on the beach, ate chinese food... the beach had large 2 or 3- inch in diameter pebbles, not sand. They really hurt to walk on.
Lots to see on this trip!
Thursday, May 17, 2007
17 May last day in Barcelona
I am going to keep this short.
Ate, checked out of hostel, left our bags there, went to the train station to reserve trains to Nice, split up for 30 minutes before our planned lunch wiht Jae and Alicia at 1, ate what was basically a three course meal for 15 € in a place in the same plaza as our hostel, said goodbye, changed hostels, went to Picasso Musuem, took a boat ride out on the harbor, split up again, and went to the Magic Fountain area.
One of the hardest parts of traveling is never being alone. So, today I went on my own. I knew the city and know enough of the language to ask questions, get help, read... Oh its not normal spanish here it is Catalan which seems like French and Spanish mixed. They are very proud of their language.
Lunch was the best meal in this city: a green salad, really soft pork chops, and a traditional catalyan desert of ice cream, chocolate, and custard. And a litre of the house red wine for 4.2 €. We were all very full.
Tomorrow is a full ooooh 15 hours of trains and a layover. I traded my book ¨The Life of Pi¨ that i brought with me and already finished on travel days with a guy in the last hostel. my new book is about a virginian family owning slaves apparently. its a pulitzer prize winner and i can not remember the title.
Ate, checked out of hostel, left our bags there, went to the train station to reserve trains to Nice, split up for 30 minutes before our planned lunch wiht Jae and Alicia at 1, ate what was basically a three course meal for 15 € in a place in the same plaza as our hostel, said goodbye, changed hostels, went to Picasso Musuem, took a boat ride out on the harbor, split up again, and went to the Magic Fountain area.
One of the hardest parts of traveling is never being alone. So, today I went on my own. I knew the city and know enough of the language to ask questions, get help, read... Oh its not normal spanish here it is Catalan which seems like French and Spanish mixed. They are very proud of their language.
Lunch was the best meal in this city: a green salad, really soft pork chops, and a traditional catalyan desert of ice cream, chocolate, and custard. And a litre of the house red wine for 4.2 €. We were all very full.
Tomorrow is a full ooooh 15 hours of trains and a layover. I traded my book ¨The Life of Pi¨ that i brought with me and already finished on travel days with a guy in the last hostel. my new book is about a virginian family owning slaves apparently. its a pulitzer prize winner and i can not remember the title.
16 May Barcelona and Gaudi designs
Lets start this entry by saying that we ate complimentary dinner in teh hostel (pasta in olive oil witih applies in it). We ate with our new Barcelona friends Jae and Alicia. I met Jae because he was wearing a GT basketball shirt earlier in the night (a GT grad!!). He and Alicia were traveling alone and met that day. They toured the old city (basically the same thing we did). At 9.30pm all of us left for a pub crawl. Ethan and I went back to the hostel (a good walk away) after 4 bars. It would have been nice to have stayed out later, but I didn´t quite know where I was on the harbor, and it was the time of the night when people start to hookup, so the group dynamics were changing. It was a fun evening of course and I had wanted to go out in Barcelona. They were good people to go out with too.
Then the next morning I ran into Jae at breakfast. Then Jae, Alicia, Vlad (from the bars the night before), Ethan and I went an a whole day of Gaudi. We started at the unfinished Sangrata Familia which was strange looking for a church, but would be amazing if it were finished. I don´t think it ever will be. Then we went to la Casa Mila which was also designed by Gaudi. It was an inner city apartment complex that took 40 years to build. The geometry was amazing! We saw that other Gaudi house from the outside but didn´t go in since it was 13 € and would probably be similar to the other. By this point we were starving, after walking through an expensive area for a while we got on the Metro to go eat in Parc Guell (also a Gaudi design). We went in a supermarket and bought sandwich stuff, took it up to the top (400 m up mostly be escalator) and ate. The picnic was very nice, filling, and very needed by that point!
We went to the beach for a few hours. Ate dinner at a small bar like place just for the paella they advertised. It was not good. It came out of a freezer in the main room (it was hidden under the ice cream!). Most other paella places in the city must serve the same frozen food since they all have the same pictures on display.
We traveled everywhere either on Metro or on foot. Its safe to say that we walked four miles that day.
Random thoughts:
-rick steves was in Barcelona the day before this. at dinner the night before a girl had a picture of him here and the whole excited to see him filming story
-cars in barcelona are larger than london and paris. more sedans and 4 door cars. i have even seen 2 minivans. many more audi´s, bmws´s, and mercedes too (and not just the small hatchbacks that were so common before).
-the spanish people are the plumpest yet but still not fat
-the city is much calmer feeling than london or paris, slower paced is nice
-a liter of wine can cost about 3 € and is cheap per glass in a restaurant
-i am really glad to have traveled with other people for a few days in barcelona. it was more like my previous trip abroad
-metro is much cleaner than paris´
-there were naked men on the beach and one walking down the street, but he looked like he had drawn in a speedo on his behind. it was very strange.
-weather has been beautiful here. i would say in the 70s. they use celcius
-we hung out in the lounge of the hostel last night. our feet were tired, and it was quite a busy place. there was a huge soccer game for spain on too, so that added extra commotion.
Then the next morning I ran into Jae at breakfast. Then Jae, Alicia, Vlad (from the bars the night before), Ethan and I went an a whole day of Gaudi. We started at the unfinished Sangrata Familia which was strange looking for a church, but would be amazing if it were finished. I don´t think it ever will be. Then we went to la Casa Mila which was also designed by Gaudi. It was an inner city apartment complex that took 40 years to build. The geometry was amazing! We saw that other Gaudi house from the outside but didn´t go in since it was 13 € and would probably be similar to the other. By this point we were starving, after walking through an expensive area for a while we got on the Metro to go eat in Parc Guell (also a Gaudi design). We went in a supermarket and bought sandwich stuff, took it up to the top (400 m up mostly be escalator) and ate. The picnic was very nice, filling, and very needed by that point!
We went to the beach for a few hours. Ate dinner at a small bar like place just for the paella they advertised. It was not good. It came out of a freezer in the main room (it was hidden under the ice cream!). Most other paella places in the city must serve the same frozen food since they all have the same pictures on display.
We traveled everywhere either on Metro or on foot. Its safe to say that we walked four miles that day.
Random thoughts:
-rick steves was in Barcelona the day before this. at dinner the night before a girl had a picture of him here and the whole excited to see him filming story
-cars in barcelona are larger than london and paris. more sedans and 4 door cars. i have even seen 2 minivans. many more audi´s, bmws´s, and mercedes too (and not just the small hatchbacks that were so common before).
-the spanish people are the plumpest yet but still not fat
-the city is much calmer feeling than london or paris, slower paced is nice
-a liter of wine can cost about 3 € and is cheap per glass in a restaurant
-i am really glad to have traveled with other people for a few days in barcelona. it was more like my previous trip abroad
-metro is much cleaner than paris´
-there were naked men on the beach and one walking down the street, but he looked like he had drawn in a speedo on his behind. it was very strange.
-weather has been beautiful here. i would say in the 70s. they use celcius
-we hung out in the lounge of the hostel last night. our feet were tired, and it was quite a busy place. there was a huge soccer game for spain on too, so that added extra commotion.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
15 May - a day of travel to BARCELONA
This day seemed like a complete day of travel. We left Alexis´ appartment around noon, she helped us book a night train from Paris to Barcelona since we don´t know French, took a train into Paris, spent 4 hours there, got on my first night train ever, got up at 6am, waited for the next train at a random station for 2 hours, and got on a train from the southern part of France into Barcelona.
The night train had rooms of 6 beds each. One of the beds in our room was emtpy. It was hard to tell if the train was moving or not in the night. There weren´t any announcements telling what stop we were at.
French and Spanish border patrol checked our tickets and passports on each side of the border.
Got to go to explore Barcelona more now with new friends from the hostel
The night train had rooms of 6 beds each. One of the beds in our room was emtpy. It was hard to tell if the train was moving or not in the night. There weren´t any announcements telling what stop we were at.
French and Spanish border patrol checked our tickets and passports on each side of the border.
Got to go to explore Barcelona more now with new friends from the hostel
Sunday, May 13, 2007
13 May - Epinal, France with Alexis
Today has been really nice. We spent the day with Alexis and Antoni. Alexis made crepes this morning. A crepe is basically like pancake but with only milk, egg and flour no sugar. We ate them with Nutella, jam, and honey. I had forgotten how much I like Nutella. Oh yeah, we had fresh and still warm bread this morning too!
We all went for a walk around Epinal. It is a town of about 30000 people, and was pretty calm because it was a Sunday. Most people don't work or go out on Sundays in France. At the top of a hill was an old castle. The town was rebuilding parts of the old walls and it just looked odd. There was a really nice view from the top. When I get back to the states I suppose I will start a flikr account to post images- not too many just a few good ones from each city. We came back to the appartment, packed a picnic lunch and went to a lake about thirty minutes away to eat it. The sandwiches were on fresh bread from the morning. After relaxing a bit in the sun, Antoni drove up to the top of a nearby mountain where we shot the mountians. It was beautiful! You could still see a few small patches of snow in the crevices on the side of one mountain. The wind at the top was very strong, just pushing you along.
After this and the drive home behind slow vehicles, we arrived back in Epinal around 6. It seems like every time the TV is on its either soccer, F1, news, or a movie. Ethan and I have been using their two computers and internet for the last day. It has been great. We were also able to call the US for free since it her part of Alexis's phone plan. Dinner was a pasta like thing made out of potatoe that I can not remember the name of with pesto. Ethan had had it before. It was chewey compared to pasta.
Antoni drives a lime greenish colored Citroen. For a small 2 door car it has a LOT of room. In the back we had plenty of knee room and head room. If a 6ft tall person was in the back his head might hit and he couldnt look out the windows much as the roof tilts towards the window. Our packs fit in the trunk space behind the seat pretty well too. Two large suitcases and 4 people would not have fit. This was my first time in a car outside the US that was not a taxi, so it was a new experience. Most cars here are manuals, too.
On another note, I saw 2 Miata's today. One sea foam green one from about 1999 and a 2005 or so silver one. I also saw 3 pickup trucks today- the ONLY three so far. These were deep in the country of course and one of them had a shell over the bed. They all had the full back row of seats so they could sit 5 people. One also had the big cheesy lights (think redneck) lights on the top.
Tomorrow we leave for Paris to get a night train to Barcelona. A full day of travel I think.
We all went for a walk around Epinal. It is a town of about 30000 people, and was pretty calm because it was a Sunday. Most people don't work or go out on Sundays in France. At the top of a hill was an old castle. The town was rebuilding parts of the old walls and it just looked odd. There was a really nice view from the top. When I get back to the states I suppose I will start a flikr account to post images- not too many just a few good ones from each city. We came back to the appartment, packed a picnic lunch and went to a lake about thirty minutes away to eat it. The sandwiches were on fresh bread from the morning. After relaxing a bit in the sun, Antoni drove up to the top of a nearby mountain where we shot the mountians. It was beautiful! You could still see a few small patches of snow in the crevices on the side of one mountain. The wind at the top was very strong, just pushing you along.
After this and the drive home behind slow vehicles, we arrived back in Epinal around 6. It seems like every time the TV is on its either soccer, F1, news, or a movie. Ethan and I have been using their two computers and internet for the last day. It has been great. We were also able to call the US for free since it her part of Alexis's phone plan. Dinner was a pasta like thing made out of potatoe that I can not remember the name of with pesto. Ethan had had it before. It was chewey compared to pasta.
Antoni drives a lime greenish colored Citroen. For a small 2 door car it has a LOT of room. In the back we had plenty of knee room and head room. If a 6ft tall person was in the back his head might hit and he couldnt look out the windows much as the roof tilts towards the window. Our packs fit in the trunk space behind the seat pretty well too. Two large suitcases and 4 people would not have fit. This was my first time in a car outside the US that was not a taxi, so it was a new experience. Most cars here are manuals, too.
On another note, I saw 2 Miata's today. One sea foam green one from about 1999 and a 2005 or so silver one. I also saw 3 pickup trucks today- the ONLY three so far. These were deep in the country of course and one of them had a shell over the bed. They all had the full back row of seats so they could sit 5 people. One also had the big cheesy lights (think redneck) lights on the top.
Tomorrow we leave for Paris to get a night train to Barcelona. A full day of travel I think.
12 May from Paris to Nancy, France -a day in the Latin Quarter
Checked out of the hostel at 11 and left our bags in the luggage room. My legs were still sore and I was still very tired, and we saw a good chunk of the city. So, we spent the afternoon in the Latin Quarter of Paris.
The Latin Quarter gets its name from the time when there were universities in the area and people studied Latin. Now it is an interesting area full of shops, bakeries, super markets, cafes, bars, clubs... it was quite active at all times of the day. I would guess that something like 15% of the people on the main streets were tourists in the day. That is much lower than other areas we had been in. I enjoyed seeing all of the different labels on the foods in the markets when the products are about the same. I bought an apple, orange, and chocolate from a market and cheesecake from a bakery and called it lunch. Ethan got a sandwich and a chocolate cake desert thing. I miss having fruits and vegetables around.
It is quite amazing that I made it out of London without eating or buying any Cadberry! That looks like I spelt it wrong. I can not find it here :(
We picked up our bags from the hostel and went to the national rail station. After some trouble getting our Eurail passes validated (stamped with the start date) we couldn't find the train. We picked up a train schedule the day before and picked out a train to Nancy, France. It turns out that train only runs on Sunday, but this was written in the subscripts in French so we could not read it. An information man marked the next train to take. Meanwhile the station was filling with smoke. There was a building outside on fire. It was across hte street from the station and you could not see flames just lots of smoke. So we watched, took pics, and then I ate my "lunch."
The three hour train ride here was exactly on time, and Ethan's cousin, Alexis, and her boyfriend, Antoni, were there on the platform. Alexis is from VA and has been in France for three years. Antoni is from France.
We all went for a walk around Nancy (pronounced non-C) and had a three course meal. I had a salad with some meat like bacon on it, fish, and creme caramel. It was all very good and I was very full. Again, I had trouble ordering. Luckily Alexis was there to tell us about speaking. We talked a lot about driving in France and they caught up on family stuff.
On the way home Antoni stopped so we could see a castle. It had a mote full of water and there was a large party going on inside (around 11.30 pm) with colored strobe lights and loud music. The castle is open for tours in the day. It was very large and ornate. The gate over the mote was edged with spikes everywhere.
Alexis and Antoni's appartment is nice. I am sleeping in the extra room and using their internet. Its the top floor of a building in Epinal.
The Latin Quarter gets its name from the time when there were universities in the area and people studied Latin. Now it is an interesting area full of shops, bakeries, super markets, cafes, bars, clubs... it was quite active at all times of the day. I would guess that something like 15% of the people on the main streets were tourists in the day. That is much lower than other areas we had been in. I enjoyed seeing all of the different labels on the foods in the markets when the products are about the same. I bought an apple, orange, and chocolate from a market and cheesecake from a bakery and called it lunch. Ethan got a sandwich and a chocolate cake desert thing. I miss having fruits and vegetables around.
It is quite amazing that I made it out of London without eating or buying any Cadberry! That looks like I spelt it wrong. I can not find it here :(
We picked up our bags from the hostel and went to the national rail station. After some trouble getting our Eurail passes validated (stamped with the start date) we couldn't find the train. We picked up a train schedule the day before and picked out a train to Nancy, France. It turns out that train only runs on Sunday, but this was written in the subscripts in French so we could not read it. An information man marked the next train to take. Meanwhile the station was filling with smoke. There was a building outside on fire. It was across hte street from the station and you could not see flames just lots of smoke. So we watched, took pics, and then I ate my "lunch."
The three hour train ride here was exactly on time, and Ethan's cousin, Alexis, and her boyfriend, Antoni, were there on the platform. Alexis is from VA and has been in France for three years. Antoni is from France.
We all went for a walk around Nancy (pronounced non-C) and had a three course meal. I had a salad with some meat like bacon on it, fish, and creme caramel. It was all very good and I was very full. Again, I had trouble ordering. Luckily Alexis was there to tell us about speaking. We talked a lot about driving in France and they caught up on family stuff.
On the way home Antoni stopped so we could see a castle. It had a mote full of water and there was a large party going on inside (around 11.30 pm) with colored strobe lights and loud music. The castle is open for tours in the day. It was very large and ornate. The gate over the mote was edged with spikes everywhere.
Alexis and Antoni's appartment is nice. I am sleeping in the extra room and using their internet. Its the top floor of a building in Epinal.
11 May Paris Advetnure
random thoughts:
-some paris metro trains have rubber tires, some are on metal wheels
-coke costs 1.7 euro in a machine/vendor and 4 euro at a cafe
-Geoff- LOL!!!
We started the day by going to the catacombs under the city. They were put there when Paris was expanding and that point was outside the city limits. Now the location is in the southern part of the city. Underground, down 80 large steps you will find the bones of millions of people from various locations/gravesites. They are neatly arranged: femurs crisscross, skulls line the top, and on the sides you walk by (think hallway between rooms except the rooms are literally thick piles of bones) are decorated in the skulls and bones in patterns like hearts and crosses. The longer I was down there, the more I wanted out. It was interesting at first, but it becomes creepy after the first few rooms. \there are acres and acres of bones.
We had lunch in a cafe a 5 or 10 minute walk away. Nobody there spoke english and ordering was difficult. I ended up with a plate of Parisian ham and Ethan had a toasted sandwich with a sunny side up egg on top.
Took the metro to Notre Dame. I finally climbed it! There are about 370 stairs up to the very top, but it was a really neat view. \it was also good to see because we didn't go to the Pompidou or Sacred Heart so I got to point them out to Ethan.
From there we walked down the Champ Elysses and ended up eating dinner at Quick. Quick is a french fast food chain- burgers, drinks (with ICE!), fries. It was easy enough to order without knowing French.
The Louvre is open late on Fridays, so we went there. Since I had been before Ethan and I split up. We stayed there for about 2 and a half hours. I was able to get pretty close (10 ft) to the Mona Lisa this time. Last time there was a huge blob ofpeople infront of her so I saw it from 40 ft away. I am still not sure what makes the painting so special. I spent a while wandering around items from Mesopotamia and Iran since those are areas I do not know much about. Most other museums skip over them. We took photos of the pyramids at the Louvre at night, saw the Eiffel Tower from a far and went back to the hostel.
I was so exhausted and my legs were very very store after climbing up 450 stairs (and then down).
-some paris metro trains have rubber tires, some are on metal wheels
-coke costs 1.7 euro in a machine/vendor and 4 euro at a cafe
-Geoff- LOL!!!
We started the day by going to the catacombs under the city. They were put there when Paris was expanding and that point was outside the city limits. Now the location is in the southern part of the city. Underground, down 80 large steps you will find the bones of millions of people from various locations/gravesites. They are neatly arranged: femurs crisscross, skulls line the top, and on the sides you walk by (think hallway between rooms except the rooms are literally thick piles of bones) are decorated in the skulls and bones in patterns like hearts and crosses. The longer I was down there, the more I wanted out. It was interesting at first, but it becomes creepy after the first few rooms. \there are acres and acres of bones.
We had lunch in a cafe a 5 or 10 minute walk away. Nobody there spoke english and ordering was difficult. I ended up with a plate of Parisian ham and Ethan had a toasted sandwich with a sunny side up egg on top.
Took the metro to Notre Dame. I finally climbed it! There are about 370 stairs up to the very top, but it was a really neat view. \it was also good to see because we didn't go to the Pompidou or Sacred Heart so I got to point them out to Ethan.
From there we walked down the Champ Elysses and ended up eating dinner at Quick. Quick is a french fast food chain- burgers, drinks (with ICE!), fries. It was easy enough to order without knowing French.
The Louvre is open late on Fridays, so we went there. Since I had been before Ethan and I split up. We stayed there for about 2 and a half hours. I was able to get pretty close (10 ft) to the Mona Lisa this time. Last time there was a huge blob ofpeople infront of her so I saw it from 40 ft away. I am still not sure what makes the painting so special. I spent a while wandering around items from Mesopotamia and Iran since those are areas I do not know much about. Most other museums skip over them. We took photos of the pyramids at the Louvre at night, saw the Eiffel Tower from a far and went back to the hostel.
I was so exhausted and my legs were very very store after climbing up 450 stairs (and then down).
10 May from London to Paris
Checked out of the hostel in the morning and left our bags there for the day. Went to the British Museum it is full of Greek, Roman, and other artifacts. We went to the Covent Gardens after. It is a small open area full of shops and foods. I saw Murano glass and hope to see it again to get some for Lisa. I really didn't want to pay for some in pounds instead of Euros, plus the pattern on it was too floral for her. We ate british pasties for lunch. It was thin bredding with steak, potatoes, and onions inside. Amanda and Feddi saw us there and came over to say hi. This is when we found out that he missed his flight and she walked back to her hotel safely (it was about a mile walk).
We went to Luton airport by national rail. Leaving Kings Cross station in London and arriving at checkin took about 2 hours of time. The plane left late and we landed in Paris around 11pm. I knew the Paris subways run until 12.30 and was not quite positive where the hostel was. I had a mini map of the hostel location, which subway line to take, and which stop to get off. We made it to the hostel around midnight their time (we went forward an hour from London to Paris). The hostel was the Young and Happy Hostel in the Latin Quarter as Justine suggested. I really liked the feel of the Latin Quarter it was alive all day long! Thanks Justine
I was so exhausted at the end of this day!
-----
-Heather I am sorry I got you sick. I felt fine after about Saturday. Congrats on winning nationals too!
-Amelia and Ross I hope your wedding is beautiful! Ameila, Ross, and Jill Europe trips are not the same without you.
-Anyone know how I get a copy of my credit report? I need one on my first day of work apparently.
We went to Luton airport by national rail. Leaving Kings Cross station in London and arriving at checkin took about 2 hours of time. The plane left late and we landed in Paris around 11pm. I knew the Paris subways run until 12.30 and was not quite positive where the hostel was. I had a mini map of the hostel location, which subway line to take, and which stop to get off. We made it to the hostel around midnight their time (we went forward an hour from London to Paris). The hostel was the Young and Happy Hostel in the Latin Quarter as Justine suggested. I really liked the feel of the Latin Quarter it was alive all day long! Thanks Justine
I was so exhausted at the end of this day!
-----
-Heather I am sorry I got you sick. I felt fine after about Saturday. Congrats on winning nationals too!
-Amelia and Ross I hope your wedding is beautiful! Ameila, Ross, and Jill Europe trips are not the same without you.
-Anyone know how I get a copy of my credit report? I need one on my first day of work apparently.
May 9 London day 2
On the second day in London I was having a lot of trouble with what day of the week it was. I drew out a calender of May and decided it was Wednesday that morning. Of course I had the same problem the Monday we left in Atlanta when I parked at a GT meter thinking it was Sunday and they wouldn't ticket me. I got my first GT parking ticket that day and paid it 20 minutes later (it wasnt even showing up in their system by then).
In the morning we got up early to go to the half price tkts booth and bought tickets to see "We Will Rock You" for us and Amanda. We were in the sixth row! Then we met up with Amanda and Feddi at 11. We walked with them to the Cabinet War Rooms (hidden underground in the middle of the city) where they continued on.
Next we went to the House of Parliment and saw them in action. I found it pretty dull as they(7 of them) were talking about immigration policy and Tony Blair was not present.
We met back up with Amanda for a pub dinner at Garrick Arms with fish and chips. Feddi left for Luton airport ot have an interview at a university in France except he was 10 minutes late to his easyJet flight and didn't get to go. At dinner Amanda had a local ale that did not taste like much. I had a cider called Magners that was really good. I don't know if you can get in the US but I will look. Jillian if you read this you must go try it. Its better than Strongbow in my opinion. The waiter was Spanish and very talkative.
The show was fun too. All of the music was Queen of course and the plot was predictable with the evil queen and computer made music. Galileo finds one of Queens guitars hidden on earth and brings back music.
It was about 11 pm by then and we went back to the hostel to sleep.
In the morning we got up early to go to the half price tkts booth and bought tickets to see "We Will Rock You" for us and Amanda. We were in the sixth row! Then we met up with Amanda and Feddi at 11. We walked with them to the Cabinet War Rooms (hidden underground in the middle of the city) where they continued on.
Next we went to the House of Parliment and saw them in action. I found it pretty dull as they(7 of them) were talking about immigration policy and Tony Blair was not present.
We met back up with Amanda for a pub dinner at Garrick Arms with fish and chips. Feddi left for Luton airport ot have an interview at a university in France except he was 10 minutes late to his easyJet flight and didn't get to go. At dinner Amanda had a local ale that did not taste like much. I had a cider called Magners that was really good. I don't know if you can get in the US but I will look. Jillian if you read this you must go try it. Its better than Strongbow in my opinion. The waiter was Spanish and very talkative.
The show was fun too. All of the music was Queen of course and the plot was predictable with the evil queen and computer made music. Galileo finds one of Queens guitars hidden on earth and brings back music.
It was about 11 pm by then and we went back to the hostel to sleep.
8 May -London day 1 continued
We landed at Gatwick at 11am, and the first thing i saw in the parking lot was a white miata! the only one i have seen this trip :)
HSBC had a city guide with a handy little map of London and the Underground in it. We got train tickets to get inot Victoria Station (tube stop) on a national rail line. After finding the hostel a block away from Picadilly Circuis, we checked in, and went to the National Gallery of Art. It is off of Trafalger Square which has the large lions. We went to dinner to meet Ethan's friend Nadene who lives in London. She was about my age and pretty normal. We talked about differences in culture, how to rides the busses everywhere (they are 1 pound = cheaper than the tube which was 5.1 pounds for a 1 day pass), has never even tried to drive a car, and goes to college in the city.
I got online at EasyInternet (0perated by the same people as easyJet) for 15 minutes. We attempted to ride the busses to Hyde park but had to get off because it was the end of the line. At dinner Nadene told us the busses do not run in loops. This explained our problem but we never got on a bus in London again.
After dark we went to the Thames river to take pictures of the Tower Bridge at night. LondonBridge was differen than I remembered. I thought it was very plain, instead of plain but lit with neon lights at night. Tower Bridge is very pretty at night! At this point it was getting late and were jetlagged and sleepy. We were probably back at the hostel at 11pm.
HSBC had a city guide with a handy little map of London and the Underground in it. We got train tickets to get inot Victoria Station (tube stop) on a national rail line. After finding the hostel a block away from Picadilly Circuis, we checked in, and went to the National Gallery of Art. It is off of Trafalger Square which has the large lions. We went to dinner to meet Ethan's friend Nadene who lives in London. She was about my age and pretty normal. We talked about differences in culture, how to rides the busses everywhere (they are 1 pound = cheaper than the tube which was 5.1 pounds for a 1 day pass), has never even tried to drive a car, and goes to college in the city.
I got online at EasyInternet (0perated by the same people as easyJet) for 15 minutes. We attempted to ride the busses to Hyde park but had to get off because it was the end of the line. At dinner Nadene told us the busses do not run in loops. This explained our problem but we never got on a bus in London again.
After dark we went to the Thames river to take pictures of the Tower Bridge at night. LondonBridge was differen than I remembered. I thought it was very plain, instead of plain but lit with neon lights at night. Tower Bridge is very pretty at night! At this point it was getting late and were jetlagged and sleepy. We were probably back at the hostel at 11pm.
Lapse
Sorry that I have not been near a computer for many days. Ethan and I are at his cousins appartment in Epinal, France. Mom I will call home tongiht. I put thiskeyboard on english, so I can't look at the keys when I type or it won't come out right. If i typed on the French keyboard I wouldnt even try to fix it.
Crepes are ready to eat. I will get back to this later.
I want to update it by each day and have detailed notes to do so!
Crepes are ready to eat. I will get back to this later.
I want to update it by each day and have detailed notes to do so!
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
London- day 1
I landed around noon today after Delta had us take off, land, and change planes back in Atlanta. We're booked in to the hostel and went to the National Gallery. Tonight we are meeting a friend of Ethans for dinner. Everything is fine!
\more to come later
\more to come later
Sunday, May 6, 2007
The Night Before the Flight
It is 1am on the day that I leave for my three week backpacking adventure with Ethan around Europe. I created this blog as a way to keep in touch during the next three weeks. This will save me from lots of emailing, so please refer to this website for updates. Also feel free to leave comments!
If you want to follow me, here is our schedule:
7 May- leave Atlanta
8 May- arrive London
10 May -fly to Paris
12 May- Epinal, France to visit Ethan's cousin
14 May- leave for Zurich, Switzerland to take the Elipsos night train to Barcelona
15 May- arrive in Barcelona
18 May- Nice, France
20 May- arrive in Rome via night train (Riviera) from Nice
22 May- Pompei, Italy and Almalfi Coast
24 May- fly to Prague
27 May- fly to London
29 May- land in Atlanta
30 May- drive to Virgina and rest
4 June- start internship
I am very excited to have finished another year at GT and can not wait for this trip! If you need to reach me over the next few weeks, email me. I will have Internet in some hostels and Internet cafes.
If you want to follow me, here is our schedule:
7 May- leave Atlanta
8 May- arrive London
10 May -fly to Paris
12 May- Epinal, France to visit Ethan's cousin
14 May- leave for Zurich, Switzerland to take the Elipsos night train to Barcelona
15 May- arrive in Barcelona
18 May- Nice, France
20 May- arrive in Rome via night train (Riviera) from Nice
22 May- Pompei, Italy and Almalfi Coast
24 May- fly to Prague
27 May- fly to London
29 May- land in Atlanta
30 May- drive to Virgina and rest
4 June- start internship
I am very excited to have finished another year at GT and can not wait for this trip! If you need to reach me over the next few weeks, email me. I will have Internet in some hostels and Internet cafes.
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