Thursday, December 31, 2009

Oh, dem bones!

After a rather lazy start to the day, the entire gang, seen here:


met up for a tour of the catacombs. I wasn't exactly sure what to expect. But I'm pretty sure it was one of the least romantic things Tim and I have ever done. The catacombs were created because the cemetary in one area (ironically the area where we live), which was used for hundreds and hundreds of years, was making the residents around it ill. So, it was decided to move the bones of the dead into one area. The idea caught on and soon bones from all Parisian cemetaries began pouring in.


Today, you wait in line for 90 minutes in the freezing cold to decend a crazy spiraling staircase, walk for about 15 minutes through tunnels (think: the Seven Drawfs going to work) and walk through another 30 minutes or so of stacked bones.


The catacombs are huge. When you walk out, you're a mile away from where you started. The stacks are five feet tall (about as tall as me) and 80 feet deep. For miles.

Throughout the stacks are signs letting passersby know what cemetary evicted the bones. Some signs are more prophetic with sayings like, "We were once what you are, and you will someday be like us." Or, "Happiness is found in a man who knows he's going to die and lives everyday as if it were his last." Loosly translated,of course. They could be saying, "Don't forget to tip your waitstaff," for all I know, since my French is pretty rusty.



Anyway, it was interesting to see and I'm glad I went. Although, I did chuckle at the sign at the entrance warning people who have nervous dispositions that this might not be the activity for them. I also thought it was funny that they had a defribrillator at the top of the exit stairs (six flights of spiriling stairs straight up that are about one-and-a-half times taller than normal). There was also a guy there checking bags for stolen bones--and you can see he rescued a few today from sticky-fingered tourists!

Some of my favorite shots





Wednesday, December 30, 2009

We did everything toady

Miles walked: 8.97
Steps today: 24, 258
Crepes devoured on this trip: 4 (two today helped)

And I mean everything. We started off the morning by hauling ass across town to the tourism office, which turned out to be closed, before heading the the Orsay Museum where we met the gang.



The focus of the Orsay seems to be Impressionist art and sculpture. It's funny how some people don't think they're into Impressionism, but they step into a room full of Monets and their tune changes. I know I was in awe. It cracked me up to see other museum patrons getting up close and personal with the pieces. I wonder if they realize that they'll see the bigger picture if they step back and allow the colors to meld.

After the Orsay, we met up with our friends from NYC, Kyle and Kirsten. After an Italian lunch in a French city (let me tell you--the French know how to make a pizza crust!), we saw the Opera.

And then found a beautiful but insanely crowded mall/department store called Lafayette Galleries:



After a little window licking (the French phrase for window shopping translates literally into "window licking"), Kyle, Kirsten and I continued on with the walking tour while the others took a wine tasting tour for a few hours. While we were out, we stopped at McDonald's for a snack. Not only can you order from a kiosk (!), they handed Kyle and Kirsten this packet, which turned out to be a mystery even after opening and tasting it:



We met back up at the Louvre (because it's hard to miss), where we split up again. One group went to the Louvre, while our little group visited the Eiffel Tower at night. Purty, huh?

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

My hoofs hurt

Miles walked: 8.66
Steps taken: 23,417
Crepes eaten on this trip: 2 (I'm falling behind)

I think we walked to Spain today.

Tim and I had the day to ourselves most of the time. The others went on a tour of the Loire Valley castles. So, we took advantage of our time and toured Paris on foot.

It was a little rainy, but very warm (lower to mid 50s, I'd say), so it was pretty comfortable. We walked through the courtyards of the Louvre, the Tuilleries (TWILL-er-eeees) and visited the Petit Palais (Puh-TEET PAL-aye).

The Petit Palais was one of the most beautiful museums I've ever been inside. The building is an old palace long since out of use for royals, but gorgeous for us common folks.



We saw a little art (it's a small museum),had a snack in the courtyard cafe and puzzeled over this guy's choice of pants/man bag.

All in all, it was lovely. And an added bonus--it was free!

After a great afternoon, we met up with some friends we haven't seen in a few years: John and Kristine. They moved to Mexico a few years ago and now live in Balitmore. John got in touch and told me about their plans and we decided to meet up while here.

At dinner, I decided to be adventurous and order something I didn't fully recognize. Ususally--usually--this works out. This time, not so much. I ended up with raw beef. With a raw egg in the middle of it.

Tim, who has the gastric fortitude of a champion jalapeno eater, was the gentleman and switched dinners with me. He ate the raw beef. I tried a bite. It was actually pretty good, but knowing what it was, I couldn't eat it. I have a wonderful husband.

Good times! Our little gang grows bigger by the day. Kyle and Kirsten join us tomorrow, so I'm sure there will be lots of fun stories to report.

Take a tour of our neighborhood!

Be kind. This is our first attempt at vlogging.

Home sweet home

When we travel and stay in one place for a stretch, we like to stay in apartments. It really helps us settle into a neighborhood and connect more with the city.

Our tiny Paris apartment admittedly took some getting used to for me. It's so small, we've orchestrated a well-choreographed morning routine. While I blow my hair dry, Tim showers. While he dries off, I sit on the bed and put on deordorant. While I do my hair, he tries to stay out of the way, but sometimes it's just not possible.





Anyway, it's a fun adventure. It's a good thing we like each other. And practice good personal hygeine.

Monday, December 28, 2009

No drugs or nuclear weapons allowed


Steps walked: 17,897
Miles walked: 6.62
Crepes devoured: 2 for this trip

We're off to a relaxing start on this vacation.Usually we go-go-go, but today we saw a few things, sat down and people watched for a while, then walked a little more. The weather is brisk without being too cold and with the addition of the sun today, it made for a very enjoyable Parisian day.

We started the day with a walk/Metro ride to the Eiffel Tower. We went around the back way, so we walked through a long park (where Tim managed to stay bird poop-free), so we got lots of great shots. And muddy shoes.

When we got to the ticket line, we all got a little weary. The lines were HUGE. People lined up belly button to asshole, freezing and ducking the pidgeons. We decided to pass.

Luckily, there was a Christmas market just across the Seine in the Trocadero. What a fun place.
Sure, it was a little kitchy, but it was a great experience. About 50 little cottage-type stalls were lined up, each selling something different, mostly. We found this lovely merchant selling handmade chocolates. When I walked up to look, she asked, "Would you like a sample?" Smiling, I reply without hesitation, "Ah, oui."

After the market, we went to Rue Cler (pronounced: Roo Clare). It's a market street we loved the last time we were in Paris. Unfortunately, we didn't read our guidebook (always should read the guidebook) and most of the shops were closed on Mondays. But Tim and I found a cozy little cafe and moved in, just like it was our living room. The others went on to see Napoleon's Tomb and tour the Military History Museum.

By the time the group was done with their tour, it was time for dinner and the Hard Rock Cafe was at the top of our list. It was loud and cozy, but the service was great, our waiter had an excellent sense of humor and, the best part, the bathroom stall door had a plaque on it that said, "No drugs or nuclear weapons allowed."

We parted ways with the group again after dinner. They're all going on an early tour of the Loire Valley tomorrow and needed to get to bed. Tim and I wandered around. And of course we ended up in the Red Light District. Not on purpose. I promise.

It was funny, we weren't sure exactly what "area" we were in. There aren't exactly signs advertizing. At first we saw a woman in a very short skirt smoking in a door way. Everyone here is wearing short skirts (Tim and Tony don't have a problem with this) and most people have to step outside to smoke, so we really didn't think anything of it. But a few feet down, we saw another group of women, dressed similarly, and then another group, then another. Soon, I realized I was the only woman on that street dressed for winter.

But, never did I feel unsafe. Only uncomfortable. Like I showed up to a fancy occasion wearing jeans and my alumni T-shirt.

It's time for bed now. Our tiny apartment is cozy and the bed super comfy. It's calling me.

Meet the Gang


It occured to me that I didn't introduce our fellow travellers to you. From left to right in the top picture: my cousin Susan (heretofore referred to as Suz, Tim's brother Tony, Tim, Erika, Kevin and Tim's friend from the Corps, Shelley (Kevin is Shelley's brother and Erika is is wife).

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Settling in and looking around

Steps today: 10,750
Miles walked: 3.97



After a rather uneventful flight, we woke up to this around 3 a.m. on our body clocks. It's the French country side with a dusting of snow.

We made it through customs lickety-split and found the car that we hired to drive us to our apartment. What a fantastic experience! Tim and I actually got to our apartment via the most efficient route on our first attempt.

We found our apartment and as it turns out, it's most convenient to the oldest patisserie in Paris. Rest assured, we will be sampling tomorrow!





We settled in to our apartments, we met up with Shelley's brother and sis-in-law. Priorities firmly in mind, we set out to explore stopping at the first crepe stand we found.

Kevin (Shelley's brother) was the last to get his crepe, so the rest of us, having snarfed ours down already, took photos of the guy while he waited for his food.

Mmmm...Nutella and banana crepes. My favorite!









We ended up at Shakespeare & Co. and Notre Dame. The cathedral is just one of those places you have to experience for yourself. There's no way to even come close to describing how it feels to be inside. So, I'll just share a few photos with you:





Saturday, December 26, 2009

Paris Eve

Tonight we leave for 14 days in Paris. Well, mostly Paris. Some Normandy, too.

Packing is especially hard this time. You mix packing for winter and spring with being on the road for 14 days and you get quite an issue. Luckily for us, there's a Laundromat right across the street from our apartment. We'll be using that a few times, I'm sure.

A typical luggage entourage for us is a personal bag and a carry-on. We frequently preach the wonders of traveling carry-on only. This time, because of some very bad influences (yes, Suz and Shelley, I mean you) we're also taking a checked bag. It's helpful to pack the scarves, hats, gloves, boots, etc. in the suitcase. But we've gone into the mindset of "Well, we have room..." So, the inspectors will find in our checked bag--no joke--no fewer than six guidebooks, a jar of peanut butter, full-size liquid bottles (oye!) and a box of FiberOne bars (hey, don't judge-lots of cheese will be consumed on this trip!).

We are legitimizing this by telling ourselves there will be lots of room to bring back souvenirs. It is not our proudest travel moment.

But we're looking forward to this trip a lot. We remember how much we loved Paris the first time we went and are hopeful it doesn't disappoint. The weather is looking wet but warm, which is a relief. And everyone going along seems up for a fantastic adventure.

Our next post will be from Paris!

Sunday, December 06, 2009

Let the countdown begin!


Happy to report we can once again live up to the name of this blog--we're heading to Europe!

I hope you'll bookmark our travel blog and visit often between Dec. 27 and Jan. 8. We're going to Paris and this time, we've conned... er... asked a few friends to join us. So, you'll have our (mis)adventures to experience in cringe-worthy style (remember when Tim got pooped on by a French bird? See the posts from 2006 if you don't know the story), you can also live vicariously through eight of our closest friends.