Greetings from Dresden, Germany!
While waiting for our flight out of LAX last week Sean and I jokingly wondered when the first 'melt down' would be. I held my cool through a couple tough situations- until last night. A girls allowed to cry a little when her luggage gets stolen off a train. Especially if that bag contained her favorite jeans and all of our warm first layers. Thankfully it was all our dirty clothes, and nothing too important. Still. I'm standing on a train platform, can't understand anyone around me and don't know where were sleeping tonight... I just couldn't hold it together. Admitting defeat, we gave up our search to find the missing bag of smelly clothes (that's what you get, bag thief!). Switching out tickets again we decided to enjoy an evening and morning in Dresden.
InterCity Hotel is a chain here in Europe similar to a Marriott, along with Ibis, they are everywhere! While waiting for our dinner we made calls home, what can I say... We love our mammas!
I ended up eating cold fish with potato's and apples... With pickles? I love trying new foods! Especially if seans dish is better, than we get to share! He enjoyed my dish a little more than I did so I ended up eating most of his spicy noodles with pork.
We already like Germany better than France. The people are nicer, signs are in German and usually English as well! It's just an overall better vibe!
Friday, December 25, 2009
Au Revoir
Au revoir
Goodbye Paris, and good riddance.
Just kidding. It was an unbelievable experience but I am glad to be moving on.
We are not scheduled to arrive in Prague until the 24th, with the crazy train scheduling we decided to take what we could get. We were scheduled for two trains and a bus ride to get there. All in 2nd class and with a large reservation fee. All of this in top of the pretty penny we paid for 'easy and unlimited' travel that came with our Eurorail passes.
Arriving at the train station 20 minutes prior to our departure we found our train on the board with a foreign word next to it... Much to our dismay that word = cancled in French. Wanting to throw myself on the ground and throw a massive temper tantrum, I looked to my left to see Sean with a smirk on his face. This reminded me that I'm in good hands, and I'm a big girl- were only allowed to throw tantrums on our birthdays or during labor.
Fuled by an over priced cafe & crema we promptly found the ticket office. A very nice young gentleman helped us find a route to Prague today. On only three trains, all first class and with an hour layover in Dresden. Were going to see if it's possible to catch a train from Dresden to Prague tomorrow afternoon and find a hostel this evening. Another city to explore and discover.
As I type this I'm sitting on a TGV high speed train in a very comfortable chair, sipping on complimentary coffee. The steward just cleared our complimentary breakfast. Were evrn in seats facing each other- so we both have window seats. So far all our travel mishaps have actually turned around in our favor.
As my realistic partner reminded me, were not even a week in... We still have two weeks left! Always the optimist, I think well be fine.
We just crossed into Germany. The country side is glittering with snow. Definantly postcard- worthy. Small towns are sporaticly placed- most of the buildings look fairly new, yet built around an ancient church. Most steeples covered in snow. We just might have a white Christmas afterall!
Here's to hoping for a hostel avaliable tonight, a train tomorrow and booking an extra night at hotel Rafello.
With Love,
Stoax & Jae-Babe
Goodbye Paris, and good riddance.
Just kidding. It was an unbelievable experience but I am glad to be moving on.
We are not scheduled to arrive in Prague until the 24th, with the crazy train scheduling we decided to take what we could get. We were scheduled for two trains and a bus ride to get there. All in 2nd class and with a large reservation fee. All of this in top of the pretty penny we paid for 'easy and unlimited' travel that came with our Eurorail passes.
Arriving at the train station 20 minutes prior to our departure we found our train on the board with a foreign word next to it... Much to our dismay that word = cancled in French. Wanting to throw myself on the ground and throw a massive temper tantrum, I looked to my left to see Sean with a smirk on his face. This reminded me that I'm in good hands, and I'm a big girl- were only allowed to throw tantrums on our birthdays or during labor.
Fuled by an over priced cafe & crema we promptly found the ticket office. A very nice young gentleman helped us find a route to Prague today. On only three trains, all first class and with an hour layover in Dresden. Were going to see if it's possible to catch a train from Dresden to Prague tomorrow afternoon and find a hostel this evening. Another city to explore and discover.
As I type this I'm sitting on a TGV high speed train in a very comfortable chair, sipping on complimentary coffee. The steward just cleared our complimentary breakfast. Were evrn in seats facing each other- so we both have window seats. So far all our travel mishaps have actually turned around in our favor.
As my realistic partner reminded me, were not even a week in... We still have two weeks left! Always the optimist, I think well be fine.
We just crossed into Germany. The country side is glittering with snow. Definantly postcard- worthy. Small towns are sporaticly placed- most of the buildings look fairly new, yet built around an ancient church. Most steeples covered in snow. We just might have a white Christmas afterall!
Here's to hoping for a hostel avaliable tonight, a train tomorrow and booking an extra night at hotel Rafello.
With Love,
Stoax & Jae-Babe
Paris Day 2
Starting our day at the same cafe we enjoyed cafe & crema once again, this time paired with omlets and croissants.
I'll spare the details of trying to get a train route to Prague. To sum it up:
-We'll just say there was an hour wait in line.
-While waiting for someone who spoke English we were accused of cutting in line.
-It took 20 minutes to find a journey that didn't cost 300 euros.
-And a very 'french' lady helping us,
(French= polite while being rude) was actually no help at all.
On to the sight seeing again!
What is there to even say about the lourve? It's phenominal. Larger than all of Balboa Park put together- by far!
Choosing to be total tourists we got the interactive tour and meandered through the scluptures and Italian art. Before I even knew it I was staring straight at the most famous piece of art in the history of the world.
I'd love to say it captured my full and complete attention, and made my heart flutter... But it didn't. Don't get me wrong, there's another check off the bucket list... It is beautiful, she is beautiful. I think the hype just killed it. There are so many prints that the real thing has lost some of it's glory. Still overall an amazing experience.
We came, we saw, we conquered. Cutting our visit a bit short, to avoid overload- we got back on the metro. We must have gone through at least twenty of those darn tickets!
Deciding to have our first 'real' dinner in Paris we stopped at a resturant near our hotel. Who goes to a steak place in France...? We do! Sean had duck which was supurb (I've been instructed to learn how to make it once we get home) and I had a 'medium' steak- it looked practically rare... Just another small difference in cultures and cuisine. Both meals were served with fried potato discs. Interesting. All served to us by our French waiter of Asian descent. Nice meal- were spoiled with steak in America though.
Whoever says the best gelatto is in Italy has obviously not tasted the gelatto of the Gods we experienced at a local chocolate shop. Pure, unadulterated indulgence.
With a 7am train we called it an early night... I think we were actually asleep by 8pm. Goodnight!
I'll spare the details of trying to get a train route to Prague. To sum it up:
-We'll just say there was an hour wait in line.
-While waiting for someone who spoke English we were accused of cutting in line.
-It took 20 minutes to find a journey that didn't cost 300 euros.
-And a very 'french' lady helping us,
(French= polite while being rude) was actually no help at all.
On to the sight seeing again!
What is there to even say about the lourve? It's phenominal. Larger than all of Balboa Park put together- by far!
Choosing to be total tourists we got the interactive tour and meandered through the scluptures and Italian art. Before I even knew it I was staring straight at the most famous piece of art in the history of the world.
I'd love to say it captured my full and complete attention, and made my heart flutter... But it didn't. Don't get me wrong, there's another check off the bucket list... It is beautiful, she is beautiful. I think the hype just killed it. There are so many prints that the real thing has lost some of it's glory. Still overall an amazing experience.
We came, we saw, we conquered. Cutting our visit a bit short, to avoid overload- we got back on the metro. We must have gone through at least twenty of those darn tickets!
Deciding to have our first 'real' dinner in Paris we stopped at a resturant near our hotel. Who goes to a steak place in France...? We do! Sean had duck which was supurb (I've been instructed to learn how to make it once we get home) and I had a 'medium' steak- it looked practically rare... Just another small difference in cultures and cuisine. Both meals were served with fried potato discs. Interesting. All served to us by our French waiter of Asian descent. Nice meal- were spoiled with steak in America though.
Whoever says the best gelatto is in Italy has obviously not tasted the gelatto of the Gods we experienced at a local chocolate shop. Pure, unadulterated indulgence.
With a 7am train we called it an early night... I think we were actually asleep by 8pm. Goodnight!
Paris Day 1
We most definintly have an angel watching over us. The entire ferry debacle was a blessing in disguise. We took the Chunnel into Brussles around 4pm. Apparently later that evening the 'accident' within the tunnle took place. There were three trains stuck under the English channel for up to 15 hours. Wow- we lucked out! Now getting back to London is next to impossible. Thankfully were not scheduled to arrive back til Jan 4th.
Yesterday was another magical day. We slept in after getting our first night of 'normal' sleep. Experiencing a coffee and croissnt in Paris is a must. We did this in a quaint little cafe down the street from our hotel. Where they had free wifi- even better!
Europe's public transportation is amazing! With our map in hand and destinations in mind what could go wrong? With our travel luck... Everything. Suprizingly we made it with only one accidantal train ride in the wrong direction. Thankfully we realized this within one minute- that train in particular smelled like a male kitten had marked his territory ten times a day, every day for the past ten years. Add a roaming male handing out brochures (for what, I have no idea due to the language barrier) who smelled like he belonged on skid row and you have two very nauseous travelers. Not a pleasant aroma at all.
Pictures can not describe the amazement you feel deep within your belly as you approach the Eiffel Tower. Built for one world fair, it's really just a waste of metal- but I have to say I'm glad they weren't so eco-friendly back in the day. Being adventitious, and with a marathon (or half in my case) under our belts, we opted to climb the staris. I haven't seen one gym since being here- now I know why. Climb to the second landing and you've burned enough calories to count for an entire cheesecake at the cheesecake factory.
The view was breathtaking, to say the least. Very surreal. It was a cloudy day, with a slight drizzle- but the major sights were still quite visible.
We had a light lunch accompanied by drinks in the resturant. Seated right by the window I must admit it might have been the most majestic lunch I have ever experienced.
Christmas markets are big in Europe. Wooden booths line the streets/ sidewalks. Vendors selling everything from hot wine (very tasty) to the stackable Russian dolls. Almost like a street fair- but better.
Sean has turned into a shutter-bug, so our trip is very well documented. Thanks to Annettes advice, he's trying not to 'hide behind the camera too much'.
Rather than catch the subway to Notre Dame we chose to walk- didn't seem like too far... The exercise was great, and the sights even better. All structures in Paris are very ornate, buildings and churches, even bridges are decorated with figures- some even plated in gold. About two miles in we decided to be French for the moment and surrender- our feet were tired! It ended up being much closer than we had thought... Coulda made it walking, but who can resist the ambiance of the subway? Really.
Notre Dame is truely larger than life. Looking at it from afar it seems like just another church. Yet as you approach, it's towers loom over you, as if threatening you to convert, or parish. Inside is a sight to behold. The fading sunglight streamed in through stained glass windows, shining on stone pillars and statues of unknown saints.
As we were on our way out a mass was just starting. The organ started to play, my feet planted to the floor and I literally couldn't move. Every fiber in my being vibrated with the chords. What an experience. The priest then came out and started preaching in French. We promptly left as to not disrespect the church.
Tuckered out and not feeling so well Sean plopped down on the bed for a nap as soon as we got 'home'. Our bodies are so confused, finally on a decent sleep schedule, but have lost the majority of our appetites. Knowing I'd eventually be hungry, I took a jaunt to the local market for a few staples. Armed with my passport/ debit card safely hidden, my gaurd up and 'butterfly sting' self defense knowledge, I set out. The nice gal at the pharmacy helped me find the right cough suryp right before they closed. Some strange stuff that really didn't help my congestion, but sure kicked my butt!
Being 8pm on a Sunday most of the stores were closed already. Finding an open market, I went in to find the smallest store, ever. There was one isle, going in, around the center display and out on the opposite side. I grabbed a few essentials (including champagne, of course) and attempted to pay with my debit. The shop keeper spoke no English! It was an interesting transaction, to say the least.
I actually enjoy being in a foreign place, on my own (only for a short amount of time). It's a refreshing sense of independence.
(side note) I know mom & nick are freaking out right about now... You have nothing to worry about, promise. My gaurdian angel enjoys globe trotting!
Yesterday was another magical day. We slept in after getting our first night of 'normal' sleep. Experiencing a coffee and croissnt in Paris is a must. We did this in a quaint little cafe down the street from our hotel. Where they had free wifi- even better!
Europe's public transportation is amazing! With our map in hand and destinations in mind what could go wrong? With our travel luck... Everything. Suprizingly we made it with only one accidantal train ride in the wrong direction. Thankfully we realized this within one minute- that train in particular smelled like a male kitten had marked his territory ten times a day, every day for the past ten years. Add a roaming male handing out brochures (for what, I have no idea due to the language barrier) who smelled like he belonged on skid row and you have two very nauseous travelers. Not a pleasant aroma at all.
Pictures can not describe the amazement you feel deep within your belly as you approach the Eiffel Tower. Built for one world fair, it's really just a waste of metal- but I have to say I'm glad they weren't so eco-friendly back in the day. Being adventitious, and with a marathon (or half in my case) under our belts, we opted to climb the staris. I haven't seen one gym since being here- now I know why. Climb to the second landing and you've burned enough calories to count for an entire cheesecake at the cheesecake factory.
The view was breathtaking, to say the least. Very surreal. It was a cloudy day, with a slight drizzle- but the major sights were still quite visible.
We had a light lunch accompanied by drinks in the resturant. Seated right by the window I must admit it might have been the most majestic lunch I have ever experienced.
Christmas markets are big in Europe. Wooden booths line the streets/ sidewalks. Vendors selling everything from hot wine (very tasty) to the stackable Russian dolls. Almost like a street fair- but better.
Sean has turned into a shutter-bug, so our trip is very well documented. Thanks to Annettes advice, he's trying not to 'hide behind the camera too much'.
Rather than catch the subway to Notre Dame we chose to walk- didn't seem like too far... The exercise was great, and the sights even better. All structures in Paris are very ornate, buildings and churches, even bridges are decorated with figures- some even plated in gold. About two miles in we decided to be French for the moment and surrender- our feet were tired! It ended up being much closer than we had thought... Coulda made it walking, but who can resist the ambiance of the subway? Really.
Notre Dame is truely larger than life. Looking at it from afar it seems like just another church. Yet as you approach, it's towers loom over you, as if threatening you to convert, or parish. Inside is a sight to behold. The fading sunglight streamed in through stained glass windows, shining on stone pillars and statues of unknown saints.
As we were on our way out a mass was just starting. The organ started to play, my feet planted to the floor and I literally couldn't move. Every fiber in my being vibrated with the chords. What an experience. The priest then came out and started preaching in French. We promptly left as to not disrespect the church.
Tuckered out and not feeling so well Sean plopped down on the bed for a nap as soon as we got 'home'. Our bodies are so confused, finally on a decent sleep schedule, but have lost the majority of our appetites. Knowing I'd eventually be hungry, I took a jaunt to the local market for a few staples. Armed with my passport/ debit card safely hidden, my gaurd up and 'butterfly sting' self defense knowledge, I set out. The nice gal at the pharmacy helped me find the right cough suryp right before they closed. Some strange stuff that really didn't help my congestion, but sure kicked my butt!
Being 8pm on a Sunday most of the stores were closed already. Finding an open market, I went in to find the smallest store, ever. There was one isle, going in, around the center display and out on the opposite side. I grabbed a few essentials (including champagne, of course) and attempted to pay with my debit. The shop keeper spoke no English! It was an interesting transaction, to say the least.
I actually enjoy being in a foreign place, on my own (only for a short amount of time). It's a refreshing sense of independence.
(side note) I know mom & nick are freaking out right about now... You have nothing to worry about, promise. My gaurdian angel enjoys globe trotting!
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Ah Pariě
Ah Parie!
We're here! Our journey here was quite the adventure! But, with all that behind us- we are in the city known for high fashion, over priced coffee, amazing wine and rude citizens.
'If at first you don't succede, try, try again'. We ended up missing our third train from Lile to Wherever out-of-the-way connection it was headed to, which actually was a blessing. A 'high speed' train was leaving in a little over sn hour heading straight into our 'home city' for the next three nights.
The little differences in culture are the things that really catch our attention. For example, Europeans have no 'bubble', or concept of personal space. People will bump into you while standing in line and not even notice. I've been known to give a death glare over this back home. Here, it's not even an issue. The bubble doesn't apply to vehicles either.
The three taxi rides we've taken have been adventures in themselves. Last night our driver, who spoke no English thankfully had a GPS to navigate, and an iPhone (which he was using to play Michael Jackson- I guess the world is still in mourning, Janet would be so proud). I thought cab drivers in San Francisco were bad... I was mistaken. If horiffic taxi driving were an olypic sport, this guy would have taken a gold medal. Especially if almost hitting ladies on bicycles counted for extra points.
Our hotel ( Villa Montparssene?) is quite Parisean. I'm not even sure how to pronounce the name, typical American! When the concierge handed us the key Sean and I looked at each other to verify we were both seeing the same thing. Ladies and gentlemen, we've stepped into a time warp- we holding in our hands an actual key. Made of metal. With a lovely tassle attached. Our room is small, very normal in these parts of the world. But it's clean and in a safe neighorborhood. And withing walking distance from most sights. Beds are hard, but soft and supple pillows accompanied by Valium make it all good.
I think were finally adjusting to the local time zone. After three days of intense travel falling asleep last was easy. Out by midnight, awake at 8am. Love it. Let's hope it lasts.
On the agenda today: walking to the Eiffel Tower, possibly visiting Notre Dame. Finding a drug store, or pharmacy and making the rest of our train reservations.
I'm thanking mom for convincing me that buying ear plugs were a good idea. We didn't need them on the plane, but Sean has used them each night to drownd out the sound of my incessent and unrelenting cough. I cought a cold a month or two ago- and got almost all the way better. So I got all my vaccinations including the seasonal and H1N1 flu shots. I even started taking vitiman-c more than normal. My body didn't appreciate the stress that goes along with prepping for a three week adventure so it boycotted me. Either I'm still sick, or sick again. Just a cough and runny nose- ewwwwww. Could be worse, but really- being sick on vacation isn't exactly ideal. Oh well, it is what it is.
Free wi-fi has been pretty much non-existent so far. I'm writing as we go, and will post as soon as possible. Please pray for the gift of language that we'll miracusiously speak Frence- "se vu play English" and "bonjour" can only get us so far! =) We love, and miss you all!
-Jae & Sean
We're here! Our journey here was quite the adventure! But, with all that behind us- we are in the city known for high fashion, over priced coffee, amazing wine and rude citizens.
'If at first you don't succede, try, try again'. We ended up missing our third train from Lile to Wherever out-of-the-way connection it was headed to, which actually was a blessing. A 'high speed' train was leaving in a little over sn hour heading straight into our 'home city' for the next three nights.
The little differences in culture are the things that really catch our attention. For example, Europeans have no 'bubble', or concept of personal space. People will bump into you while standing in line and not even notice. I've been known to give a death glare over this back home. Here, it's not even an issue. The bubble doesn't apply to vehicles either.
The three taxi rides we've taken have been adventures in themselves. Last night our driver, who spoke no English thankfully had a GPS to navigate, and an iPhone (which he was using to play Michael Jackson- I guess the world is still in mourning, Janet would be so proud). I thought cab drivers in San Francisco were bad... I was mistaken. If horiffic taxi driving were an olypic sport, this guy would have taken a gold medal. Especially if almost hitting ladies on bicycles counted for extra points.
Our hotel ( Villa Montparssene?) is quite Parisean. I'm not even sure how to pronounce the name, typical American! When the concierge handed us the key Sean and I looked at each other to verify we were both seeing the same thing. Ladies and gentlemen, we've stepped into a time warp- we holding in our hands an actual key. Made of metal. With a lovely tassle attached. Our room is small, very normal in these parts of the world. But it's clean and in a safe neighorborhood. And withing walking distance from most sights. Beds are hard, but soft and supple pillows accompanied by Valium make it all good.
I think were finally adjusting to the local time zone. After three days of intense travel falling asleep last was easy. Out by midnight, awake at 8am. Love it. Let's hope it lasts.
On the agenda today: walking to the Eiffel Tower, possibly visiting Notre Dame. Finding a drug store, or pharmacy and making the rest of our train reservations.
I'm thanking mom for convincing me that buying ear plugs were a good idea. We didn't need them on the plane, but Sean has used them each night to drownd out the sound of my incessent and unrelenting cough. I cought a cold a month or two ago- and got almost all the way better. So I got all my vaccinations including the seasonal and H1N1 flu shots. I even started taking vitiman-c more than normal. My body didn't appreciate the stress that goes along with prepping for a three week adventure so it boycotted me. Either I'm still sick, or sick again. Just a cough and runny nose- ewwwwww. Could be worse, but really- being sick on vacation isn't exactly ideal. Oh well, it is what it is.
Free wi-fi has been pretty much non-existent so far. I'm writing as we go, and will post as soon as possible. Please pray for the gift of language that we'll miracusiously speak Frence- "se vu play English" and "bonjour" can only get us so far! =) We love, and miss you all!
-Jae & Sean
Finally, WiFi!!!
After a smooth flight, an almost landing and the actual very bumpy landing, followed by a 'slight delay' (an hour waiting on the Tarmac) we made it to London, Heathrow without being too tramatized.
An 'almost landing' is when your piliot descends the plane almost to the runway, so you get excited to finally arrive at your destination. This, however is false hope. At the last possible safe moment (about twenty feet from the ground) the piliot pulls back into a rapid climb. After circling for a few (twenty-ish) minutes the steward came over the intercom and informed us that 'there was already a plane where we scheduled to land'. This message was delivered with the typical British manner, quite polite and calm.
UK customs was relativly easy to clear, Sean almost got arrested for taking a photo though- the security gaurd actually made him delete it while he watched. Apparently it's a criminal offence.
London has an amazing metro system. Thanks to seans research we were able to navigate our way to the hotel via three different trains no problem, even with three pieces of luggage. It was neat seeing the everyday life of the other passengers. A mother and her two children boarded, and were the only ones chatting, the British seem to be very quiet- unless watching a soccer match.
Londons 'largest hotel', the Hilton Metropole was a nice place to spend our first night abroad. After dropping off our luggage and bundling up we set out to find a true English pub. Unaware of the large Middle-eastern population we were dissapointed to find only hooks bars, chineese medicine shops and Persian resturants in one directions. Deciding not to settle we set off in another direction only to find the first pub we found was packed, on a Thursday night! Eventually we found a place that looked promising- lots of locals inside, only the bartenders didn't speak much English... Or our accents were to thick? So we had a few beers and a chicken pot pie with mashed potatos that looked like it should have come from a 5-star resturant, and left to continue our search for that true ambiance we felt we needed to validate our arrival.
Walking a few more blocks in another direction we stumbled on just what we were looking for 'Sir Arthur Flemmings'. The beer was warm, accents were thick, service to be found only at the bar, and no such thing as 'leaving the tab open'. After milling around in mostly a stand up only environment we found an open table right by the window. Shortly after sitting it began to snow. I'm not going to lie, watching snow fall still mezormizes me. I was fixated like an infant watching 'Baby Einstein' for the first time.
Our walk back to the hotel was quite 'brisk' due to the falling snow and a California girls idea of freezing weather. After a night-cap at the bar we tucked in for a good nights sleep... Which didn't happen. Adjusting to the time difference is much harder than I had expected. Nothing starbucks in the morning couldn't fix. I can now say, I've had starbucks in three countries and on two continents.
Due to a 'planning overload' I put off/ forgot to book our overnight ferry from London to Amsterdam. After calling the not-so-nice gal at StenaLine I was informed that they were sold out for the evening crossing, but may have some tickets at the Liverpool train Station. We took a jolly taxi ride to the train St only to find they were all booked up and the Eurostar, chunnel train leaves from Kings Cross train station. Taking the chunnle to either Paris or brussles was our only other avaliable option to get to the 'mainland'. What a nightmare! Whilst trying to avoid an argument between the two of us we made the trek, bags in tow and chopped off an arm and a leg (Seans left arm, my right leg) to pay for the tickets.
Thus, we are currently in Brussles. Where the bathrooms are unisex- kind of, and you have to pay .50 euro to use them, this was discovered in the midst of attempting to find a WC in a foreign terminal with a full bladder. With no Euros on me. Commence breakdown #1.
My knight in a Burton AK jacket saved the day and got change from buying a diet coke. Oh yeah, they didn't accept euro bills- only change. Complete breakdown averted. Only a 1 on the ricter scale of emotional crisis'.
The chunnel was actually a bit anti- clamitic. We were seated facing north-so on this journey we were truely moving backwards. With the weather conditions in turmoil our train was delayed a bit- still only minor grumbles from the British citizens. Maybe they all secretly do yoga everyday to maintain the overall calm disposition.
We arrived in Brussles, Belgium safe and sound. All limbs intact, and luggage accounted for. Not planning this stop on our itenerary we weren't even sure what the local language is. Apparently most people speak French, thankfully with a little English thrown in the mix.
Hotel Ibis was a light in the dark, dark world- it's lights shining brilliantly bright blue lit up the building right across the street from the hellish train station known as Medi. We thanked our lucky stars they had a room avaliable for a fairly reasonable price.
After a meal of meatballs with tomato sauce and French fries for myself and something indescribable containing cheese and ham for Sean., we got in a solid five hours of sleep. Even with a bed that could have been carved from a boulder.
Feeling not so refreshed but anxious to explore we stashed our luggage in a locker at the station and hailed a taxi- which was an Audi, i'm just saying...
Belgium residents like to close shop early, and sleep in contrary to the 'early to bed, early to rise' theory. Everyone we encountered seemed healthy and to say the city is wealthy would be an understatement. I think I could fit in very nicely in their culture, lots of sleep and the best chocolate in the world... doesn't sound too bad to me, throw in an amazing heritage and you've got yourself a deal.
The only word that comes to mind when trying to explain how I felt when we walked into the serene city center is "annamored". It was like eating ice cream for the first time ever. Breathtakingly beautiful. Majestic facades, ornimantal stone figures on the buildings and statues covered in gold are a few distinct visuals that stand out in my memory. We spent the better part of the day meandering through an enchanted winter wonderland of cobblestone streets and old world culture.
The shops didn't open til 10am which is when people started venturing out. It was surreal being do isolated and alone in the 'great square'. I guess being up early really does have it's benefits, even on 'vacation'. By the time we were done with our traditional Belgium waffles for breakfast the streets were bustleing with activity and Christmas market stalls galore.
Sean and I both agree that Brussles is by far the most amazing place we've experienced... So far.
Returning to the train station around 2pm, or 14:00 dissapointment and panic started to settle in when the gentleman working in the travel center told us that 'getting to Paris today is impossible'. Like my momma always said, where there's a will, there's a way. Therefore, we are currently traveling west to Tournai where we will make a mad dash to catch a train to Lille, where we should be able to hop on another train taking us to St-Quentin- from St-Quentin well be on our way to Paris where we have a lovely three-star hotel booked for a glorious three night stay.
So, Paris here we come! God willing, and the creek don't rise!
An 'almost landing' is when your piliot descends the plane almost to the runway, so you get excited to finally arrive at your destination. This, however is false hope. At the last possible safe moment (about twenty feet from the ground) the piliot pulls back into a rapid climb. After circling for a few (twenty-ish) minutes the steward came over the intercom and informed us that 'there was already a plane where we scheduled to land'. This message was delivered with the typical British manner, quite polite and calm.
UK customs was relativly easy to clear, Sean almost got arrested for taking a photo though- the security gaurd actually made him delete it while he watched. Apparently it's a criminal offence.
London has an amazing metro system. Thanks to seans research we were able to navigate our way to the hotel via three different trains no problem, even with three pieces of luggage. It was neat seeing the everyday life of the other passengers. A mother and her two children boarded, and were the only ones chatting, the British seem to be very quiet- unless watching a soccer match.
Londons 'largest hotel', the Hilton Metropole was a nice place to spend our first night abroad. After dropping off our luggage and bundling up we set out to find a true English pub. Unaware of the large Middle-eastern population we were dissapointed to find only hooks bars, chineese medicine shops and Persian resturants in one directions. Deciding not to settle we set off in another direction only to find the first pub we found was packed, on a Thursday night! Eventually we found a place that looked promising- lots of locals inside, only the bartenders didn't speak much English... Or our accents were to thick? So we had a few beers and a chicken pot pie with mashed potatos that looked like it should have come from a 5-star resturant, and left to continue our search for that true ambiance we felt we needed to validate our arrival.
Walking a few more blocks in another direction we stumbled on just what we were looking for 'Sir Arthur Flemmings'. The beer was warm, accents were thick, service to be found only at the bar, and no such thing as 'leaving the tab open'. After milling around in mostly a stand up only environment we found an open table right by the window. Shortly after sitting it began to snow. I'm not going to lie, watching snow fall still mezormizes me. I was fixated like an infant watching 'Baby Einstein' for the first time.
Our walk back to the hotel was quite 'brisk' due to the falling snow and a California girls idea of freezing weather. After a night-cap at the bar we tucked in for a good nights sleep... Which didn't happen. Adjusting to the time difference is much harder than I had expected. Nothing starbucks in the morning couldn't fix. I can now say, I've had starbucks in three countries and on two continents.
Due to a 'planning overload' I put off/ forgot to book our overnight ferry from London to Amsterdam. After calling the not-so-nice gal at StenaLine I was informed that they were sold out for the evening crossing, but may have some tickets at the Liverpool train Station. We took a jolly taxi ride to the train St only to find they were all booked up and the Eurostar, chunnel train leaves from Kings Cross train station. Taking the chunnle to either Paris or brussles was our only other avaliable option to get to the 'mainland'. What a nightmare! Whilst trying to avoid an argument between the two of us we made the trek, bags in tow and chopped off an arm and a leg (Seans left arm, my right leg) to pay for the tickets.
Thus, we are currently in Brussles. Where the bathrooms are unisex- kind of, and you have to pay .50 euro to use them, this was discovered in the midst of attempting to find a WC in a foreign terminal with a full bladder. With no Euros on me. Commence breakdown #1.
My knight in a Burton AK jacket saved the day and got change from buying a diet coke. Oh yeah, they didn't accept euro bills- only change. Complete breakdown averted. Only a 1 on the ricter scale of emotional crisis'.
The chunnel was actually a bit anti- clamitic. We were seated facing north-so on this journey we were truely moving backwards. With the weather conditions in turmoil our train was delayed a bit- still only minor grumbles from the British citizens. Maybe they all secretly do yoga everyday to maintain the overall calm disposition.
We arrived in Brussles, Belgium safe and sound. All limbs intact, and luggage accounted for. Not planning this stop on our itenerary we weren't even sure what the local language is. Apparently most people speak French, thankfully with a little English thrown in the mix.
Hotel Ibis was a light in the dark, dark world- it's lights shining brilliantly bright blue lit up the building right across the street from the hellish train station known as Medi. We thanked our lucky stars they had a room avaliable for a fairly reasonable price.
After a meal of meatballs with tomato sauce and French fries for myself and something indescribable containing cheese and ham for Sean., we got in a solid five hours of sleep. Even with a bed that could have been carved from a boulder.
Feeling not so refreshed but anxious to explore we stashed our luggage in a locker at the station and hailed a taxi- which was an Audi, i'm just saying...
Belgium residents like to close shop early, and sleep in contrary to the 'early to bed, early to rise' theory. Everyone we encountered seemed healthy and to say the city is wealthy would be an understatement. I think I could fit in very nicely in their culture, lots of sleep and the best chocolate in the world... doesn't sound too bad to me, throw in an amazing heritage and you've got yourself a deal.
The only word that comes to mind when trying to explain how I felt when we walked into the serene city center is "annamored". It was like eating ice cream for the first time ever. Breathtakingly beautiful. Majestic facades, ornimantal stone figures on the buildings and statues covered in gold are a few distinct visuals that stand out in my memory. We spent the better part of the day meandering through an enchanted winter wonderland of cobblestone streets and old world culture.
The shops didn't open til 10am which is when people started venturing out. It was surreal being do isolated and alone in the 'great square'. I guess being up early really does have it's benefits, even on 'vacation'. By the time we were done with our traditional Belgium waffles for breakfast the streets were bustleing with activity and Christmas market stalls galore.
Sean and I both agree that Brussles is by far the most amazing place we've experienced... So far.
Returning to the train station around 2pm, or 14:00 dissapointment and panic started to settle in when the gentleman working in the travel center told us that 'getting to Paris today is impossible'. Like my momma always said, where there's a will, there's a way. Therefore, we are currently traveling west to Tournai where we will make a mad dash to catch a train to Lille, where we should be able to hop on another train taking us to St-Quentin- from St-Quentin well be on our way to Paris where we have a lovely three-star hotel booked for a glorious three night stay.
So, Paris here we come! God willing, and the creek don't rise!
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Airline restrictions are ridiculious.
Two big backpacks turned into one large suitcase, a carry-on and a 'day-pack' backback for each of us...
Currently we have one large suitcase, another medium size to check as well... and a smaller carry on with the two backpacks... only problem... only the largest will zip (thank goodness for Burton bags- they are AMAZING!)... but it's over 50lbs... by far!
I need a magic wand, or one of those bag systems that sucks the air out, so you can fit 50 sweaters into a bag the size of a breadbox... oh how I love infomercials!
Wish me luck!
BTW- Eight hours till takeoff.
Currently we have one large suitcase, another medium size to check as well... and a smaller carry on with the two backpacks... only problem... only the largest will zip (thank goodness for Burton bags- they are AMAZING!)... but it's over 50lbs... by far!
I need a magic wand, or one of those bag systems that sucks the air out, so you can fit 50 sweaters into a bag the size of a breadbox... oh how I love infomercials!
Wish me luck!
BTW- Eight hours till takeoff.
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