So we arrived in Prague, and the first order of business was to get some Czech currency. We didn't even know what it was called, and we definitely didn't know we'd be needing thousands out of the ATM. The exchange rate is about 26 crowns to 1 dollar. This made it really difficult to try to keep track of how much we were spending, but we were careful.
We took a cab to our hostel, which was in a great location. It was called Prague Square hostel, and it was just around the corner from the first thing we went to see in Prague, the Astronomical Clock. It dates back to 1410 and is really impressive. Looks like it came out of a Harry Potter book. In the same square as the clock, there is a really cool cathedral that doesn't look like most European cathedrals from the outside. It has all these cool spires on it. It was getting dark, and we thought a cool way to see some of the city was to take a horse-drawn carriage ride. We did. It was cool.
Prague is also supposed to be one of the most haunted cities in the world. I can see where people get that idea, because it's kind of a creepy city in a good way. It's more like...spooky. I've noticed the statues around Europe vary by region. In France they're smooth and very romantic-seeming, in Austria and Germany they're overly muscular (seriously, it's funny) and in Prague they were scary! Some have sunken faces, long dark robes, and somber looks and poses.
Our first night in Prague, we went on a Pub crawl organized by the hostel. It included one free hour of drinking at an Irish Pub. All the drinks you want for an hour. You can imagine. The rest of the crawl was actually sort of disappointing, the bars weren't that great.
Our second day in Prague was a big day of sight-seeing. We trekked across the city to see "Prague Fortress", the historic center of the city. We crossed the river on a really cool bridge, the Karlov Most (Charles Bridge). It dates back from...a long time ago. And it has really cool sculptures on it. Prague is a beautiful city, and one of the best views of it isn't from way up on the hill that Prague Fortress is on, it's actually from the bridge. We stayed there and enjoyed the view for a bit while listening to a musical group.
When we got up to the fortress, there was a ceremony going on with military guards and a pretty big audience. Apparently the Czech President and the President of Slovakia were meeting. We didn't know why, but later on we figured out that it was actually Czechoslavak independance day. I don't think we actually saw the President though.
Even though it was cloudy, it was a good day. We got some food and then we found a band covering the beatles playing in the square with the astronomical clock. It's kind of weird to hear "I wanna hold your hand" in the shadow of a very scary-looking cathedral in the middle of Europe, but we had a great time. I think some of our best group pictures came from Prague. I'll try to get one up soon!
That night, we shopped for a bit along a big boulevard that was reminiscent of Michigan Avenue, just not as big. More festivities for Independance day there. I bought some gloves at the H&M there because I was cold, haha. It was pretty cold there.
To cap off our visit to Prague, which by the way is the nation with the highest alcohol consumption per-capita of any other country, anywhere, we went to a club. It was pretty cool. Not as good as Madrid or Paris, but better than many places. The club was just south of the famous bridge, and was a good deal. It was a low cover with free coat check and cheap drinks. We didn't stay too late though, because our train to Berlin the next day was leaving before 8:00.
So we got to bed, and the next morning was a long walk through the rain to the main train station. The three guys (Eddy, Victor, and me) had the first train and the girls had one about an hour later. We had to text the girls to tell them not to walk, since ours was miserable and the train station was hard to find. They got a cab, which was a better idea. The train station in Prague is terribly inconvenient and hard to navigate if you don't speak Czech. We were very happy to make our train (with mere minutes to spare) and get moving. The train ride was even more beautiful than the bus ride a few days before. It followed the river through hills covered in trees transitioning from green to reds and yellows. Little villages perched on the hillside looked like they were going to fall right into the river.
In Spain and France, I've taken several train rides, and not once was my ticket or passport checked. From Prague to Berlin, my ticket was checked no less than 4 times and they checked passports shortly after the border crossing. The police who checked passports were really friendly though! All the Germans we met were like that, which made our stay in Berlin very pleasant...
Monday, November 10, 2008
Sunday, November 2, 2008
To the East: Awesome Austria
Coming Soon!
Whoa, I finally have time to write an entry. Fall break was great, I got to see the other side of Europe! It's so different over there, but so close. Our first stop was Vienna.
Austrians do not like to be grouped with Germans, as they often are because of the shared language and intertwined history. I asked an Austrian at our hostel what the difference is, and he said that it was mainly their way of speaking the language. He said that Germans pronounce words like they look and are very precise when speaking, whereas Austrians use a lot of slang and have their own way of pronouncing words. Great, not only did I have to deal with a language I knew nothing about, but my attempts to pronounce words would probably be in vain.
When we got into Vienna I was a little put off by the gray sky and the industrial feel. But, once we got into the old city center there was a lot of cool stuff. The first day we took a look at the Cathedral, which features a tiled roof and a very tall tower. It was cool, although it was being renovated. Apparently there has been nearly constant work on the Cathedral for about 700 years. The inside was beautiful, although as far as European Cathedrals go, it was fairly typical. After the Cathedral we walked around Stephansplatz, the old part of the city. We saw the opera and some old, impressive-looking buildings. One interesting thing about Vienna is that it was never a major city until the early 19th century when it became the seat of the Hapsburg empire.
We got a coffee, and I was pleasantly surprised that it was much more similar to American coffee than the tiny espressos and "petit crèmes" in France. By this time though, it was getting dark and so it was time to head back to the hostel.
Our hostel, the Wombat, had a great bar, named the Wombar in kind. It had strong, cheap drinks, good beer, pool and fussball. We ended up spending the entire night in the Wombar and not feeling too bad about it: it was just so fun!
The next day we got out early to get lots done. First we went to the southwest corner of the city to see Schloss Schönbrunn (Schönbrunn Castle). It was finished by 1700 and was the summer palace of some of the Habsburg Emporers, notably Franz Joseph and his wife Elisabeth. Walking through the castle and learning the history was cool, and the ballroom there was unbelievable. The ballroom of Schönbrunn is also where John F. Kennedy and Nikita Krhushchev met in 1961.
We then moved to the Eastern side of the city to see Belvedere, the winter residence of Habsburg emporers. Although the outside was really awesome, the inside wasn't as interesting as Schönbrunn. It was turned into an art museum, which we've seen many of at this point. There were some interesting impressionist pieces there though.
After castles, we heard about standing room at the Opera available for 3 Euros. We decided that was a good deal and went with our new Australian friends (from the hostel) to see the Mariage of Figaro. Unfortunately, we couldn't see well since we got there late and got terrible places. We left after the overture and the first few scenes. It was worth 3 Euros though just to see the inside of the Opera and hear the overture to the Mariage of Figaro.
We drank a lot that night. It was important to get to know the nightlife of Vienna.
The next morning, we slept in a little, but made time to walk around the city, and to go see the big Ferris wheel that was built in 1897 and is iconic of Vienna. It was pretty cool all lit up. There was a full permanent carnival set up there too, so we did some of the rides and stuff. We had a good relaxed night walking around there. We got to bed early that night since we had to catch a bus to Prague the next day that left at like 8:25. We spent some time in the Wombar though, and bonded more with our Australian friends, who we learned were coming to Paris! (As I write this, in fact, they are here and have already been to our Halloween Party).
It was off to Prague on the bus the next day, and the scenery was beautiful the whole way. It was rolling hills of evergreens and some little farms and towns, but an astounding amount of open space that was completely undeveloped. It shocked me because:
1) People have been in Europe a long time and you would think they would have developed everything and made it ugly.
and
2) space is at a premium on the small continent, and every square inch counts
And yet, gorgeous expanses of open space made up the scenery of Northern Austria and Southern Czech Republic.
As we got into Prague, I couldn't help but be more excited to explore it than I was to explore Vienna.
Whoa, I finally have time to write an entry. Fall break was great, I got to see the other side of Europe! It's so different over there, but so close. Our first stop was Vienna.
Austrians do not like to be grouped with Germans, as they often are because of the shared language and intertwined history. I asked an Austrian at our hostel what the difference is, and he said that it was mainly their way of speaking the language. He said that Germans pronounce words like they look and are very precise when speaking, whereas Austrians use a lot of slang and have their own way of pronouncing words. Great, not only did I have to deal with a language I knew nothing about, but my attempts to pronounce words would probably be in vain.
When we got into Vienna I was a little put off by the gray sky and the industrial feel. But, once we got into the old city center there was a lot of cool stuff. The first day we took a look at the Cathedral, which features a tiled roof and a very tall tower. It was cool, although it was being renovated. Apparently there has been nearly constant work on the Cathedral for about 700 years. The inside was beautiful, although as far as European Cathedrals go, it was fairly typical. After the Cathedral we walked around Stephansplatz, the old part of the city. We saw the opera and some old, impressive-looking buildings. One interesting thing about Vienna is that it was never a major city until the early 19th century when it became the seat of the Hapsburg empire.
We got a coffee, and I was pleasantly surprised that it was much more similar to American coffee than the tiny espressos and "petit crèmes" in France. By this time though, it was getting dark and so it was time to head back to the hostel.
Our hostel, the Wombat, had a great bar, named the Wombar in kind. It had strong, cheap drinks, good beer, pool and fussball. We ended up spending the entire night in the Wombar and not feeling too bad about it: it was just so fun!
The next day we got out early to get lots done. First we went to the southwest corner of the city to see Schloss Schönbrunn (Schönbrunn Castle). It was finished by 1700 and was the summer palace of some of the Habsburg Emporers, notably Franz Joseph and his wife Elisabeth. Walking through the castle and learning the history was cool, and the ballroom there was unbelievable. The ballroom of Schönbrunn is also where John F. Kennedy and Nikita Krhushchev met in 1961.
We then moved to the Eastern side of the city to see Belvedere, the winter residence of Habsburg emporers. Although the outside was really awesome, the inside wasn't as interesting as Schönbrunn. It was turned into an art museum, which we've seen many of at this point. There were some interesting impressionist pieces there though.
After castles, we heard about standing room at the Opera available for 3 Euros. We decided that was a good deal and went with our new Australian friends (from the hostel) to see the Mariage of Figaro. Unfortunately, we couldn't see well since we got there late and got terrible places. We left after the overture and the first few scenes. It was worth 3 Euros though just to see the inside of the Opera and hear the overture to the Mariage of Figaro.
We drank a lot that night. It was important to get to know the nightlife of Vienna.
The next morning, we slept in a little, but made time to walk around the city, and to go see the big Ferris wheel that was built in 1897 and is iconic of Vienna. It was pretty cool all lit up. There was a full permanent carnival set up there too, so we did some of the rides and stuff. We had a good relaxed night walking around there. We got to bed early that night since we had to catch a bus to Prague the next day that left at like 8:25. We spent some time in the Wombar though, and bonded more with our Australian friends, who we learned were coming to Paris! (As I write this, in fact, they are here and have already been to our Halloween Party).
It was off to Prague on the bus the next day, and the scenery was beautiful the whole way. It was rolling hills of evergreens and some little farms and towns, but an astounding amount of open space that was completely undeveloped. It shocked me because:
1) People have been in Europe a long time and you would think they would have developed everything and made it ugly.
and
2) space is at a premium on the small continent, and every square inch counts
And yet, gorgeous expanses of open space made up the scenery of Northern Austria and Southern Czech Republic.
As we got into Prague, I couldn't help but be more excited to explore it than I was to explore Vienna.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Madrid
It was a blast. My second time into Spain did not disappoint. The first thing you notice there is that people have a different attitude (at least different from France). Everyone is relaxed and happy. The good weather also helped.
We left Paris Beauvais airport when it was still dark. We flew RyanAir, which has gotten mixed reviews, but I thought it was fine. The plane was a new boeing 737, no less than you'd expect from a major airline. I slept through the flight.
When we got to Madrid we checked into our great hostel. It had lockers in the rooms for no charge, included breakfast, clean towels to rent for the shower, and the concierge was especially helpful. After checking in, we went to the nearby Plaza Mayor to eat lunch. It's a big open square surrounded by an old building. There are performers all over Madrid, and this square is no exception. There are performers in costumes, caked in mud standing completely still until you throw a coin in their jar to make them move, violinists and cellists, people playing wine glass rims (picture like 50 glasses filled with different levels of water, performer playing chords and complex melodies like it was any other intstrument). Very cool.
After lunch of spanish meatballs and sangria at Plaza Mayor, we wandered the city and saw some other pretty buildings. The next big thing was the Cathedral, which seems somewhat modern. It was very impressive though, which very high ceilings and colorful paintings everywhere. There was a really impressive shrine to the Virgin Mary that was so decked out in gold and silver you almost have to look away.
We then tried our luck at the Royal Palace, Plaza Réal, but it was closed for some kind of holiday. Eddy told us the inside is fantastic. We'll never know....sad. Cool location though, it overlooks the lower hills outside of Madrid. Good view.
We saw some gardens after that, but we were running on so little sleep that we just had to head back to the hostel and crash for a couple hours. When we got up, we joined a Tapas crawl organized by a company whose job it is to get hostels good online reviews. They did good work, because our guide (for no charge) took us to great tapas bars. In Madrid, a small tapas plate comes with every drink. So snacking and drinking go hand in hand and a great night out is surprisingly inexpensive. We went to some bars on our own afterwards and got a feel for the local nightlife.
The next day we walked down Gran Via, the "Michigan Avenue" of Spain. Pretty cool, lots of shops and offices. At the end there is a pretty government building with a famous fountain in front of it. It features a chariot drawn by lions. It's supposed to be better at night, but I thought it was cool in the day too. Then we saw an old gate to the city that was a little reminiscent of the Arc de Triomph, only smaller. Then we strolled through the Park called "Retiro", which is HUGE. we rowed around in little rowboats on a pond in the park. That was nice except that it rained on us. It was really fun though!
Next stop was the modern art museum called La Reina Sofia. There was some cool cubist stuff there, and a lot of things from the World War I and II years. We saw their most famous piece, Picasso's "Guernica." It was interesting...
I enjoyed the modern art more than I thought I would though. Then we went to the Prado Museum, which is more of the old art. Lots of good religious artwork there. Also some of the famous portraits of "El Greco," and Goya's black paintings. Although it was a relatively quick stop to the Prado (since we had had a long day already), I took a lot from it. I realized how much I am really learning by travelling. Being exposed to all of the art and history really adds another layer to anyone's experience. I feel much more able to talk intelligently about art now.
After some food, we decided to take up Eddy's advice to see a Flamenco show. We tried to have our Concierge book one of the better ones in town, but it was already full. So, we found this 15 Euro show that started in 30 minutes. We got our tickets and we were like... "well, this show might not be as good. It would be better if we had been drinking though." And so, we decided to go around the corner to a bar and down three Sangria's apiece before the show. It was hilarious. Mind you, this is in about 20 minutes. Gulping lip-staining red Sangria and shoveling complementary tapas into our mouths certainly didn't make us stick out like a sore american thumb...at least we were embracing the culture! And we had a Flamenco show to get to!!!
The show was good. I liked it. It lasted about one hour and there was a lot of energy put into the performance. I also realized something absolutely central to the whole spanish...thing. Spain is all about a balance between hard and soft. In a bullfight, the grace and tact of the mateador is juxtaposed against the raw, uncontrollable power of the bull. In Flamenco, the furious and energetic power of shoes hitting against wood floors is countered by the graceful and relaxed arm and torso movements. Seeing hard and soft, power and grace in one coordinated package is very cool, and is probably hard to pull off for the performers. It's very Spanish, from what I've seen.
Since our shuttle was arriving at 3:15 am that night, we decided to save some money and not stay at the hostel that night, but instead stay out. We went to a club called Kapital, on the concierge's recommendation. It was 7 stories! This one club! Lots of bars and lounges with different themes were inside. The main dance floor on the lower level, however, was the highlight. Good music, good sound system, 2 free drinks with the cover. Every once in a while, and very unexpectedly I might add, this jet of cool, damp air would spray at fire-hose speed over the whole dancing group, who unfailingly greeted it with cheers. It wasn't wet, but it wasn't dry. It was more like a cloud machine. It really did take you by surprise, but it would fire when the excitement of the music peaked. It was such a thorough spray that you couldn't even see the people next to you while it was going.
After that, we caught our shuttle to the airport to get back to Paris. We were back home before 8:30 am. Exhausting to say the least. I think we jam-packed about as much as we possibly could into two short days in Madrid. Spain is great though. Definitely worth the trek.
And now, after a miniature week of classes (one cancelled, skipping one) I will be leaving for Charles de Gaulle airport in 5 hours to catch my plane to Vienna. Here's my itinerary for the trip:
Vienna : 3 days, bus to
Prague: 3 days, train to
Berlin: 2 days, fly back home to
Paris
It's gonna be a blast. I'll have my computer, and our hostels have wireless, so hopefully I can get a blog entry or two in at some point. And now I'm going to read about Vienna so I know what I want to visit!
We left Paris Beauvais airport when it was still dark. We flew RyanAir, which has gotten mixed reviews, but I thought it was fine. The plane was a new boeing 737, no less than you'd expect from a major airline. I slept through the flight.
When we got to Madrid we checked into our great hostel. It had lockers in the rooms for no charge, included breakfast, clean towels to rent for the shower, and the concierge was especially helpful. After checking in, we went to the nearby Plaza Mayor to eat lunch. It's a big open square surrounded by an old building. There are performers all over Madrid, and this square is no exception. There are performers in costumes, caked in mud standing completely still until you throw a coin in their jar to make them move, violinists and cellists, people playing wine glass rims (picture like 50 glasses filled with different levels of water, performer playing chords and complex melodies like it was any other intstrument). Very cool.
After lunch of spanish meatballs and sangria at Plaza Mayor, we wandered the city and saw some other pretty buildings. The next big thing was the Cathedral, which seems somewhat modern. It was very impressive though, which very high ceilings and colorful paintings everywhere. There was a really impressive shrine to the Virgin Mary that was so decked out in gold and silver you almost have to look away.
We then tried our luck at the Royal Palace, Plaza Réal, but it was closed for some kind of holiday. Eddy told us the inside is fantastic. We'll never know....sad. Cool location though, it overlooks the lower hills outside of Madrid. Good view.
We saw some gardens after that, but we were running on so little sleep that we just had to head back to the hostel and crash for a couple hours. When we got up, we joined a Tapas crawl organized by a company whose job it is to get hostels good online reviews. They did good work, because our guide (for no charge) took us to great tapas bars. In Madrid, a small tapas plate comes with every drink. So snacking and drinking go hand in hand and a great night out is surprisingly inexpensive. We went to some bars on our own afterwards and got a feel for the local nightlife.
The next day we walked down Gran Via, the "Michigan Avenue" of Spain. Pretty cool, lots of shops and offices. At the end there is a pretty government building with a famous fountain in front of it. It features a chariot drawn by lions. It's supposed to be better at night, but I thought it was cool in the day too. Then we saw an old gate to the city that was a little reminiscent of the Arc de Triomph, only smaller. Then we strolled through the Park called "Retiro", which is HUGE. we rowed around in little rowboats on a pond in the park. That was nice except that it rained on us. It was really fun though!
Next stop was the modern art museum called La Reina Sofia. There was some cool cubist stuff there, and a lot of things from the World War I and II years. We saw their most famous piece, Picasso's "Guernica." It was interesting...
I enjoyed the modern art more than I thought I would though. Then we went to the Prado Museum, which is more of the old art. Lots of good religious artwork there. Also some of the famous portraits of "El Greco," and Goya's black paintings. Although it was a relatively quick stop to the Prado (since we had had a long day already), I took a lot from it. I realized how much I am really learning by travelling. Being exposed to all of the art and history really adds another layer to anyone's experience. I feel much more able to talk intelligently about art now.
After some food, we decided to take up Eddy's advice to see a Flamenco show. We tried to have our Concierge book one of the better ones in town, but it was already full. So, we found this 15 Euro show that started in 30 minutes. We got our tickets and we were like... "well, this show might not be as good. It would be better if we had been drinking though." And so, we decided to go around the corner to a bar and down three Sangria's apiece before the show. It was hilarious. Mind you, this is in about 20 minutes. Gulping lip-staining red Sangria and shoveling complementary tapas into our mouths certainly didn't make us stick out like a sore american thumb...at least we were embracing the culture! And we had a Flamenco show to get to!!!
The show was good. I liked it. It lasted about one hour and there was a lot of energy put into the performance. I also realized something absolutely central to the whole spanish...thing. Spain is all about a balance between hard and soft. In a bullfight, the grace and tact of the mateador is juxtaposed against the raw, uncontrollable power of the bull. In Flamenco, the furious and energetic power of shoes hitting against wood floors is countered by the graceful and relaxed arm and torso movements. Seeing hard and soft, power and grace in one coordinated package is very cool, and is probably hard to pull off for the performers. It's very Spanish, from what I've seen.
Since our shuttle was arriving at 3:15 am that night, we decided to save some money and not stay at the hostel that night, but instead stay out. We went to a club called Kapital, on the concierge's recommendation. It was 7 stories! This one club! Lots of bars and lounges with different themes were inside. The main dance floor on the lower level, however, was the highlight. Good music, good sound system, 2 free drinks with the cover. Every once in a while, and very unexpectedly I might add, this jet of cool, damp air would spray at fire-hose speed over the whole dancing group, who unfailingly greeted it with cheers. It wasn't wet, but it wasn't dry. It was more like a cloud machine. It really did take you by surprise, but it would fire when the excitement of the music peaked. It was such a thorough spray that you couldn't even see the people next to you while it was going.
After that, we caught our shuttle to the airport to get back to Paris. We were back home before 8:30 am. Exhausting to say the least. I think we jam-packed about as much as we possibly could into two short days in Madrid. Spain is great though. Definitely worth the trek.
And now, after a miniature week of classes (one cancelled, skipping one) I will be leaving for Charles de Gaulle airport in 5 hours to catch my plane to Vienna. Here's my itinerary for the trip:
Vienna : 3 days, bus to
Prague: 3 days, train to
Berlin: 2 days, fly back home to
Paris
It's gonna be a blast. I'll have my computer, and our hostels have wireless, so hopefully I can get a blog entry or two in at some point. And now I'm going to read about Vienna so I know what I want to visit!
Parents' Visit
I got to play tour guide last week! My parents were in town from Saturday until Saturday, although I flew the coop on Friday for Madrid. It was so fun to have them in town though, and I made sure that they made the most of their time in the city of light.
The first day they were here, they took a mini tour of my life. We saw my apartment on Avenue Daumesnil, and we took the metro up to school so they could see where I sometimes have to go for class. They were a little surprised that the web camera is not an optical illusion that shrinks everything, but that my apartment actually is as small as it seemed on skype. That night, we had dinner in Châtelet, a riverside right bank district near Nôtre Dame. After that, we walked around St. Michel (straight across the river from Nôtre Dame). It was a beautiful night and a great intro to Paris. We saw lots of performers, a man dancing in the midst of crackling fireworks, and a drunk being dragged into the police station by Gendarmes. Good times!
The next morning/afternoon (they were tired!) I picked up a baguette, some Camembert, 1/4 kg of spiced olives, and some very plain but good white wine for a picnic in the Luxembourg Gardens. That was a good plan. You can't go wrong when half of Paris is doing the same thing. We sat for a little while and appreciated the flowers and fountains, systematically devouring our snacks. After the park, we checked by my Irish bar in Odéon, which was not open. Dejected, we went to see the Arc de Triomph to cheer us up. Then we went for a stroll and a snack on the Champs Elysées. That was neat, but it was time to start the journy to Pont d'Alma, where our boat tour was launching from! On our way, we stopped by Trocadero Place for the best view of the Eiffel Tower. Then we walked down the Seine to our tour boat. The tour was beautifiul; the sun had completely set by the end. Our finale was the on the hour disco-ball-esque explosion of sparkles on the Eiffel. I got better pictures this time! Then it was to bed early, because we were going to be up at 6 to catch our very very dependable shuttlebus.
I stayed with the parents that night since there was no other way I could be at their hotel at 6. Besdies, the Pavillon de la Reine is a top-notch hotel, and now I can say that I slept there. After a brief room-service breakfast, we embarked with our tour guide (whose name was not Michel) to Reims, our first stop and home to a fantastic Cathedral and many champagne labels. We took a tour of Mumm, which was very cool. So much goes into the production of Champagne that I didn't know about. There were 25 million bottles of champagne in those cellars too!! We even got to see the remueurs in action, whose job it is to give a quarter or a 1/6 turn to a batch of bottles. They seriously turn bottles for hours, and they do it really fast! The Cathedral at Reims was really cool, maybe cooler than Nôtre Dame. It had great stained glass and a high high nave. Then we went to Epernay, where we had lunch and toured Moët et Chandon, where Dom Perignon is made. Also very cool, although we heard a lot of the same stuff. But at this one, Napoleon was a frequent visitor. It was very cool to think he had walked the same cellars that I was walking.
Then we were done with the tour. And the guide was not back with the car. Very dependable and trustworthy guide rolled back in about an hour and forty-five minutes later, to a cold reception. It's okay though, because the Champagne people let us sit in the Garden where Napoleon and a bunch of kings used to hang out. And they gave us Apricot juice! I would have preferred champagne, but it was a very nice gesture. Our last brief stop was at Châtillon-sur-Marne, where one finds the best panoramic view of Epernay and the surrounds. When we got back into Paris, I had to meet to finish a group project, and then it was off to bed for me.
On Tuesday, we saw Sainte Chappelle. It is an amazing treasure tucked away inside the perimeter of the Ministry of Justice. The interior is just stunning. The lower chapel has really nice restored painted columns and wall art. The upper chapel takes the cake, though. The stained glass is just overwhelming, coating almost the entire wall. It is quite a sight, and one that must be appreciated in person. Definitely a must for anyone visiting Paris. After that, I took my Parents to the area around the Paris Opera for some serious shopping at Galeries Lafayette, the world's first department store. After a little rest, we met for dinner Tuesday at Bistrot Paul Bert. It was a little on the...French side. I'm talking terrine of rabbit, cow cheek, and even cow tongue salad. (?!). Okay, we stepped outside of our comfort zones. Check that off the list.
On Wednesday, I had class all day (1:15-8:00). I only have 3 breaks of 15 minutes in there, so after that I'm usually ready for a beer at the school bar. But instead, I took my parents to my Irish bar (which was open this time!). We had a round of beer, and watched the spectacle that is "blind test night." Here's how it works: a song is played, and the first one to write it down and give it to the bartender gets a free shot. As you can imagine, this can get a little rowdy. It was actually rather tame on this particular occasion, so that's good. During the day they visited the Louvre, and strolled down a street that makes the Champs Elysées look like Shop n' Save. I think they had fun, my mom bought a Longchamp keychain! I like it.
Thursday was my last day with my parents since I headed out for Madrid on Friday morning very early. I had class from 9:00 until 12:00, but after that I met them at their hotel. My mom had found this cool jewelry boutique. Everything was made by hand right there. She found a ring that she liked and got my sister a little something too. It was really cool stuff. Then we went to see the Musée de l'Orangerie, where the huge Monets are housed, along with an impressionist and post-impressionist collection. A pleasant walk through the Tuileries got us there. After that, we walked down the Seine for a little bit. Then it was back to the hotel, where I took an accidental nap.
To cap off our experience, my parents had chosen this restaurant near the Arc de Triomph. It was AMAZING. This place was nice. They served an amuse bouche that was bascially a shot glass of liquidy foie gras with mushroom foam (looked like dish soap bubbles, tasted like sautéed forest mushrooms). It was really good actually. My Dad had a scallop appetizer that looked really good. My Mom had sea bass, I had a whole fish that was breaded, and my dad had a lamb chop I think. Everything was great, and my Dad chose a white burgandy to go with our meal. Dessert was crazy too! Aside from being really good, everything was covered in gold powder/flakes. GOLD! It was crazy, spoons, plates, desserts themselves, sparkling gold. Crazy. A great over-the-top way to celebrate a great trip.
I had a wonderful time with my parents, and I think they really enjoyed themselves too. I had to leave Friday morning, but I'm sure they found something fun or relaxing to do. Maybe some more shopping? That's my guess. I'm just sad they couldn't stay longer!
Once again, I am having issues with the pictures, but they will be up as soon as I can get them up. I might be going to the Paris Autoshow today. Not sure yet, but we'll see. ;-)
Fountain in Jardin du Luxembourg:
Eiffel tower sparkling while lit "EU Blue" (It sparkles on every hour for 5-10 minutes):
Interior of the Cathedral at Reims (It has a higher nave than Nôtre Dame):
Exterior of the Cathedral at Reims:
Magnums of Cordon Rouge aging in the cellars of G.H. Mumm:
Monsieur Perignon in front of Moët et Chandon, admiring his creation:
Mom and Dad standing on the hill in the village of Chatillon sur Marne, with an astounding view of the Champagne region behind:
Beautifully restored interior of the Lower Chapel of Sainte Chapelle, across from Nôtre Dame, nestled within the Ministry of Justice:
The breathtaking stained glass found in the upper chapel of Sainte Chapelle. The picture doesn't do it justice, but it gives you an idea:
The first day they were here, they took a mini tour of my life. We saw my apartment on Avenue Daumesnil, and we took the metro up to school so they could see where I sometimes have to go for class. They were a little surprised that the web camera is not an optical illusion that shrinks everything, but that my apartment actually is as small as it seemed on skype. That night, we had dinner in Châtelet, a riverside right bank district near Nôtre Dame. After that, we walked around St. Michel (straight across the river from Nôtre Dame). It was a beautiful night and a great intro to Paris. We saw lots of performers, a man dancing in the midst of crackling fireworks, and a drunk being dragged into the police station by Gendarmes. Good times!
The next morning/afternoon (they were tired!) I picked up a baguette, some Camembert, 1/4 kg of spiced olives, and some very plain but good white wine for a picnic in the Luxembourg Gardens. That was a good plan. You can't go wrong when half of Paris is doing the same thing. We sat for a little while and appreciated the flowers and fountains, systematically devouring our snacks. After the park, we checked by my Irish bar in Odéon, which was not open. Dejected, we went to see the Arc de Triomph to cheer us up. Then we went for a stroll and a snack on the Champs Elysées. That was neat, but it was time to start the journy to Pont d'Alma, where our boat tour was launching from! On our way, we stopped by Trocadero Place for the best view of the Eiffel Tower. Then we walked down the Seine to our tour boat. The tour was beautifiul; the sun had completely set by the end. Our finale was the on the hour disco-ball-esque explosion of sparkles on the Eiffel. I got better pictures this time! Then it was to bed early, because we were going to be up at 6 to catch our very very dependable shuttlebus.
I stayed with the parents that night since there was no other way I could be at their hotel at 6. Besdies, the Pavillon de la Reine is a top-notch hotel, and now I can say that I slept there. After a brief room-service breakfast, we embarked with our tour guide (whose name was not Michel) to Reims, our first stop and home to a fantastic Cathedral and many champagne labels. We took a tour of Mumm, which was very cool. So much goes into the production of Champagne that I didn't know about. There were 25 million bottles of champagne in those cellars too!! We even got to see the remueurs in action, whose job it is to give a quarter or a 1/6 turn to a batch of bottles. They seriously turn bottles for hours, and they do it really fast! The Cathedral at Reims was really cool, maybe cooler than Nôtre Dame. It had great stained glass and a high high nave. Then we went to Epernay, where we had lunch and toured Moët et Chandon, where Dom Perignon is made. Also very cool, although we heard a lot of the same stuff. But at this one, Napoleon was a frequent visitor. It was very cool to think he had walked the same cellars that I was walking.
Then we were done with the tour. And the guide was not back with the car. Very dependable and trustworthy guide rolled back in about an hour and forty-five minutes later, to a cold reception. It's okay though, because the Champagne people let us sit in the Garden where Napoleon and a bunch of kings used to hang out. And they gave us Apricot juice! I would have preferred champagne, but it was a very nice gesture. Our last brief stop was at Châtillon-sur-Marne, where one finds the best panoramic view of Epernay and the surrounds. When we got back into Paris, I had to meet to finish a group project, and then it was off to bed for me.
On Tuesday, we saw Sainte Chappelle. It is an amazing treasure tucked away inside the perimeter of the Ministry of Justice. The interior is just stunning. The lower chapel has really nice restored painted columns and wall art. The upper chapel takes the cake, though. The stained glass is just overwhelming, coating almost the entire wall. It is quite a sight, and one that must be appreciated in person. Definitely a must for anyone visiting Paris. After that, I took my Parents to the area around the Paris Opera for some serious shopping at Galeries Lafayette, the world's first department store. After a little rest, we met for dinner Tuesday at Bistrot Paul Bert. It was a little on the...French side. I'm talking terrine of rabbit, cow cheek, and even cow tongue salad. (?!). Okay, we stepped outside of our comfort zones. Check that off the list.
On Wednesday, I had class all day (1:15-8:00). I only have 3 breaks of 15 minutes in there, so after that I'm usually ready for a beer at the school bar. But instead, I took my parents to my Irish bar (which was open this time!). We had a round of beer, and watched the spectacle that is "blind test night." Here's how it works: a song is played, and the first one to write it down and give it to the bartender gets a free shot. As you can imagine, this can get a little rowdy. It was actually rather tame on this particular occasion, so that's good. During the day they visited the Louvre, and strolled down a street that makes the Champs Elysées look like Shop n' Save. I think they had fun, my mom bought a Longchamp keychain! I like it.
Thursday was my last day with my parents since I headed out for Madrid on Friday morning very early. I had class from 9:00 until 12:00, but after that I met them at their hotel. My mom had found this cool jewelry boutique. Everything was made by hand right there. She found a ring that she liked and got my sister a little something too. It was really cool stuff. Then we went to see the Musée de l'Orangerie, where the huge Monets are housed, along with an impressionist and post-impressionist collection. A pleasant walk through the Tuileries got us there. After that, we walked down the Seine for a little bit. Then it was back to the hotel, where I took an accidental nap.
To cap off our experience, my parents had chosen this restaurant near the Arc de Triomph. It was AMAZING. This place was nice. They served an amuse bouche that was bascially a shot glass of liquidy foie gras with mushroom foam (looked like dish soap bubbles, tasted like sautéed forest mushrooms). It was really good actually. My Dad had a scallop appetizer that looked really good. My Mom had sea bass, I had a whole fish that was breaded, and my dad had a lamb chop I think. Everything was great, and my Dad chose a white burgandy to go with our meal. Dessert was crazy too! Aside from being really good, everything was covered in gold powder/flakes. GOLD! It was crazy, spoons, plates, desserts themselves, sparkling gold. Crazy. A great over-the-top way to celebrate a great trip.
I had a wonderful time with my parents, and I think they really enjoyed themselves too. I had to leave Friday morning, but I'm sure they found something fun or relaxing to do. Maybe some more shopping? That's my guess. I'm just sad they couldn't stay longer!
Once again, I am having issues with the pictures, but they will be up as soon as I can get them up. I might be going to the Paris Autoshow today. Not sure yet, but we'll see. ;-)
Fountain in Jardin du Luxembourg:
Eiffel tower sparkling while lit "EU Blue" (It sparkles on every hour for 5-10 minutes):
Interior of the Cathedral at Reims (It has a higher nave than Nôtre Dame):
Exterior of the Cathedral at Reims:
Magnums of Cordon Rouge aging in the cellars of G.H. Mumm:
Monsieur Perignon in front of Moët et Chandon, admiring his creation:
Mom and Dad standing on the hill in the village of Chatillon sur Marne, with an astounding view of the Champagne region behind:
Beautifully restored interior of the Lower Chapel of Sainte Chapelle, across from Nôtre Dame, nestled within the Ministry of Justice:
The breathtaking stained glass found in the upper chapel of Sainte Chapelle. The picture doesn't do it justice, but it gives you an idea:
Thursday, October 9, 2008
The White Night
Phew! I've been so busy lately I haven't been able to post.
Last weekend was Nuit Blanche (eng. "White Night") in Paris, where all the schools and clubs host parties. All of Paris stays up until the wee hours of the morning partying. I think the museums stay open all night as well. Basically, it's really cool, and ESCP-EAP (my school!) hosts what is supposed to be the biggest party in Paris that night.
Before the party, we had a dinner party that was pretty cool. All different kinds of people that we had met at school or in bars and clubs came over to the girls' house. Me, Amy, Team Texas, Eddy, and Carly all brought or made food for the event. It was a real hit! Everyone got along, and there were some really really different kinds of people there. It was classy too. Jazz in the background, wine, Cointreau (my idea), and all the awesome food that everyone worked so hard on. I made sandwhiches from a baguette. There were like 25 mini sandwhiches. Ham and mayo on one baguette, and Ham and spicy mustard on the other. It was so easy, and also one of the first things to disappear!
After dinner party, we went to the real party. It was at the school itself, and it was pretty awesome. There was a laser and smoke show in the courtyard, a drum squad that did really cool beats, and a couple different places with huge DJ setups. There was even a tower in the courtyard that spit out fire every 30 seconds or so. I saw several people that I know from class or handball. It's cool to start seeing familiar faces, I guess I'm really settling in a bit.
We did our share of dancing, and left when the metro opens at 5:30 or so. All in all it was a good night.
Other than that, on Tuesday night, we went to a party for Dauphine, another business school in the Paris area. We knew about it because of a french girl that Victor and Eddy and I met a couple weeks ago, Chloe. She was helping to organize the party and made sure we were there. It was at an Irish bar, although not "my" Irish bar in Odéon. It was in Châtelet, which is very centrally located. There was a bartender there named Franck from Spain who spoke perfect English, though with an Irish accent. He lived in Ireland for 3 years. The bartenders at Irish bars are always so interesting...
I sent in my first assignment for school this morning, which was to briefly analyze to brands that are "invariants plastiques," meaning that they define themselves in relation to each other. Examples include IBM and Apple, Sony and Microsoft, etc. I did Pepsi and Coke.
We finally have solid plans for fall break!! I'm so excited. We're doing Vienna, Prague, and Berlin. Does that not sound amazing? We fly into Vienna (booked), train to Prague (not yet booked), train from Prague to Berlin (booked), and fly from Berlin back to Paris (booked). This all happens in the span of a week or so, we have 2 days in Berlin and 3 in the other two locations. The travel and hotel expenses combined are going to come out to about 350 Euros. If you don't know, that's a bargain. We did our homework.
The pictures from the dinner party and ESCP party are really cool, especially the pictures we got of the laser show. I'm having trouble posting them right now though, so you'll have to wait on those. Sorry!
There is another ESCP party tonight (DO THEY EVER STOP!?!?!). This one is free though for students. Free entry. Free drinks. I'm there.
Last weekend was Nuit Blanche (eng. "White Night") in Paris, where all the schools and clubs host parties. All of Paris stays up until the wee hours of the morning partying. I think the museums stay open all night as well. Basically, it's really cool, and ESCP-EAP (my school!) hosts what is supposed to be the biggest party in Paris that night.
Before the party, we had a dinner party that was pretty cool. All different kinds of people that we had met at school or in bars and clubs came over to the girls' house. Me, Amy, Team Texas, Eddy, and Carly all brought or made food for the event. It was a real hit! Everyone got along, and there were some really really different kinds of people there. It was classy too. Jazz in the background, wine, Cointreau (my idea), and all the awesome food that everyone worked so hard on. I made sandwhiches from a baguette. There were like 25 mini sandwhiches. Ham and mayo on one baguette, and Ham and spicy mustard on the other. It was so easy, and also one of the first things to disappear!
After dinner party, we went to the real party. It was at the school itself, and it was pretty awesome. There was a laser and smoke show in the courtyard, a drum squad that did really cool beats, and a couple different places with huge DJ setups. There was even a tower in the courtyard that spit out fire every 30 seconds or so. I saw several people that I know from class or handball. It's cool to start seeing familiar faces, I guess I'm really settling in a bit.
We did our share of dancing, and left when the metro opens at 5:30 or so. All in all it was a good night.
Other than that, on Tuesday night, we went to a party for Dauphine, another business school in the Paris area. We knew about it because of a french girl that Victor and Eddy and I met a couple weeks ago, Chloe. She was helping to organize the party and made sure we were there. It was at an Irish bar, although not "my" Irish bar in Odéon. It was in Châtelet, which is very centrally located. There was a bartender there named Franck from Spain who spoke perfect English, though with an Irish accent. He lived in Ireland for 3 years. The bartenders at Irish bars are always so interesting...
I sent in my first assignment for school this morning, which was to briefly analyze to brands that are "invariants plastiques," meaning that they define themselves in relation to each other. Examples include IBM and Apple, Sony and Microsoft, etc. I did Pepsi and Coke.
We finally have solid plans for fall break!! I'm so excited. We're doing Vienna, Prague, and Berlin. Does that not sound amazing? We fly into Vienna (booked), train to Prague (not yet booked), train from Prague to Berlin (booked), and fly from Berlin back to Paris (booked). This all happens in the span of a week or so, we have 2 days in Berlin and 3 in the other two locations. The travel and hotel expenses combined are going to come out to about 350 Euros. If you don't know, that's a bargain. We did our homework.
The pictures from the dinner party and ESCP party are really cool, especially the pictures we got of the laser show. I'm having trouble posting them right now though, so you'll have to wait on those. Sorry!
There is another ESCP party tonight (DO THEY EVER STOP!?!?!). This one is free though for students. Free entry. Free drinks. I'm there.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Like a Fairytale - Val de Loire Pt. 2
As if Chambord wasn't cool enough, we had a jam-packed sunday touring the other 3 chateaux and learning about their history while enjoying their lasting beauty. We found a service at the airport that did different packages of chateaux, combinations of 2-4 usually. All they did was transportation, but it was nice not to have to plan trains and taxis to each one.
We started with Amboise, which is built on a hill overlooking the Loire. It has a long history and changed hands many times, but one of its more famous inhabitants was King François I, who grew up there. Much of it is destroyed, but what is left is really beautiful. You can tell that the location was chosen for easy defense, unlike the other chateaux. The chateau had an amazing view of the city below; I could have spent hours just sitting in the gardens up there and looking out over the river and the city. Unfortunately, a large part of it was destroyed through wars and conflicts, leaving only a fraction of the actual building standing.
Also up on the hill is a little but beautiful chapel. Inside are amazing ceilings and nice stained glass, along with Leonardo da Vinci's tomb.
After touring around the chateau, our chauffeur took us to the base of it, back on city streets, to a wine caveau to taste some local wines. They were very good, and we bought a few bottles. I love that tasting the wine is free, and the hosts are always very eager to let you try as much as you want. Our chauffeur laughed at us for not only bringing 4 bottles, but buying an additional 3. He asked why we were so thirsty.
The next stop on our trip was actually just about 1km down the road to the house where Leonardo da Vinci lived. He was a favorite guest of François I. In fact, François gave him this awesome house down the road, Le Clos Lucé. He would invite Leo over to Amboise to talk, debate, or help with a problem on a daily basis. There is even an underground passageway connecting Amboise to Clos Lucé.
Clos Lucé was filled with drawings, paintings, schematics, quotes, and models of Leo's. It was really cool to see. Seriously, it should be on cribz (for those of you that don't know, a program on MTV where you get tours of rappers/nba players houses). I could just imagine Leonardo walking around the little gardens and rooms, figuring something out in his head. So many of the things he thought of are in use today, but were only put to use centuries after he died. Many of the models he made worked in theory, but needed more energy than they had at the time. Then when things like steam power came along, many of his more elaborate inventions could be used. There was also a drawing of the modern bicycle, I mean, it looked EXACTLY like what we use today. And he drew it in the early 1500s. Crazy.
There was a terribly cheesy cardboard cutout of da Vinci at the bottom of a staircase inside. I was like....really? Completely unnecessary. Funny though.
After that it was time for our last stop. The Chateau de Chenonceaux was perhaps the most elegant of them all. It's formal gardens were by far the best, and the Chateau itself has a very interesting setup. Most of it is on the river. I don't mean on the banks, I mean it is on the river, like a bridge that doesn't reach the other side. The one downside of Chenonceaux was that they were doing some restoration of the outside, so a part of the Chateau was marred by ugly scaffolding. That's okay though, it was amazing still.
The inside was adorned with huge fireplaces, decorated with lavish paintings, and covered in velvet. I could imagine some awesome parties there in the 18th century...it would be a good place for it. Lots of gardens for scandalous midnight encounters, and plenty of room inside to dance and drink! Perfect. The part that spans the river is a long hall. It's so cool to look down from the windows and just see water. You kind of feel like you're in a boat.
To top it off, a bunch of hot air baloons started landing right on the other side of the river from the Chateau. They got so close to the Chateau when they crossed the river. I can only imagine what the view would be like from up there. The gardens would look like drawings and the house would look like a 1/8 scale model. That would be cool. I enjoyed going inside it and exploring though.
We finished a good deal of our wine in the Gardens at Chenonceaux, and we thoroughly enjoyed our tour of the Loire Valley. Unfortunately, it's back to class and routine for us. Can't complain about coming home to Paris though, can you?
Looking at part of Amboise from one of the defensive towers sticking out of the hill. You can tell how hight up it is by looking down on the city in the background.
We started with Amboise, which is built on a hill overlooking the Loire. It has a long history and changed hands many times, but one of its more famous inhabitants was King François I, who grew up there. Much of it is destroyed, but what is left is really beautiful. You can tell that the location was chosen for easy defense, unlike the other chateaux. The chateau had an amazing view of the city below; I could have spent hours just sitting in the gardens up there and looking out over the river and the city. Unfortunately, a large part of it was destroyed through wars and conflicts, leaving only a fraction of the actual building standing.
Also up on the hill is a little but beautiful chapel. Inside are amazing ceilings and nice stained glass, along with Leonardo da Vinci's tomb.
After touring around the chateau, our chauffeur took us to the base of it, back on city streets, to a wine caveau to taste some local wines. They were very good, and we bought a few bottles. I love that tasting the wine is free, and the hosts are always very eager to let you try as much as you want. Our chauffeur laughed at us for not only bringing 4 bottles, but buying an additional 3. He asked why we were so thirsty.
The next stop on our trip was actually just about 1km down the road to the house where Leonardo da Vinci lived. He was a favorite guest of François I. In fact, François gave him this awesome house down the road, Le Clos Lucé. He would invite Leo over to Amboise to talk, debate, or help with a problem on a daily basis. There is even an underground passageway connecting Amboise to Clos Lucé.
Clos Lucé was filled with drawings, paintings, schematics, quotes, and models of Leo's. It was really cool to see. Seriously, it should be on cribz (for those of you that don't know, a program on MTV where you get tours of rappers/nba players houses). I could just imagine Leonardo walking around the little gardens and rooms, figuring something out in his head. So many of the things he thought of are in use today, but were only put to use centuries after he died. Many of the models he made worked in theory, but needed more energy than they had at the time. Then when things like steam power came along, many of his more elaborate inventions could be used. There was also a drawing of the modern bicycle, I mean, it looked EXACTLY like what we use today. And he drew it in the early 1500s. Crazy.
There was a terribly cheesy cardboard cutout of da Vinci at the bottom of a staircase inside. I was like....really? Completely unnecessary. Funny though.
After that it was time for our last stop. The Chateau de Chenonceaux was perhaps the most elegant of them all. It's formal gardens were by far the best, and the Chateau itself has a very interesting setup. Most of it is on the river. I don't mean on the banks, I mean it is on the river, like a bridge that doesn't reach the other side. The one downside of Chenonceaux was that they were doing some restoration of the outside, so a part of the Chateau was marred by ugly scaffolding. That's okay though, it was amazing still.
The inside was adorned with huge fireplaces, decorated with lavish paintings, and covered in velvet. I could imagine some awesome parties there in the 18th century...it would be a good place for it. Lots of gardens for scandalous midnight encounters, and plenty of room inside to dance and drink! Perfect. The part that spans the river is a long hall. It's so cool to look down from the windows and just see water. You kind of feel like you're in a boat.
To top it off, a bunch of hot air baloons started landing right on the other side of the river from the Chateau. They got so close to the Chateau when they crossed the river. I can only imagine what the view would be like from up there. The gardens would look like drawings and the house would look like a 1/8 scale model. That would be cool. I enjoyed going inside it and exploring though.
We finished a good deal of our wine in the Gardens at Chenonceaux, and we thoroughly enjoyed our tour of the Loire Valley. Unfortunately, it's back to class and routine for us. Can't complain about coming home to Paris though, can you?
Chateau d'Amboise
The Chateau and Grounds
The Chateau and Grounds
Looking at part of Amboise from one of the defensive towers sticking out of the hill. You can tell how hight up it is by looking down on the city in the background.
The view of the bridge over the river Loire. When the Chateau was built it was just a strategic ford.
The boys. Victor, myself, and Eddy. We're on a defensive tower of Amboise.
Jessica contemplates the complexity of the local red wine we tasted after seeing Amboise. The wine was named François I, after Amboise's famous resident. Our Driver in the background.
Clos Lucé
View of Da Vinci's residence, le Clos Lucé
Gardens at Clos Lucé, in the background to the left of the two pinetrees you can see the little chapel on the hill at Amboise.
Little did you know, Leonardi da Vinci also foresaw and invented the Bowflex. Sadly though, until the infomercial, there was no way to mass publicize it.
Chenonceaux
Hedge "Labyrinthe" in the woods at Chenonceaux
Formal Gardens
Painting of Louis XIV with characteristic ridiculous frame.
Typical ceilings at Chenonceaux. Exposed, gilded timbers in shades of gold and scarlet.
Interior of the part of Chenonceaux that spans the water. During WWI, it was used as a hospital.
View of the formal gardens from the Chateau windows.
The first hot air balloon landing! You can see the scaffolding on the left side of the front face of the Chateau.
The Chateau itself. It looks like there is just a flood, but I promise, it's supposed to be like that. Cool, huh?
Same view, with landing balloon. I got so many pictures of those balloons. It was surreal!
View of Da Vinci's residence, le Clos Lucé
Gardens at Clos Lucé, in the background to the left of the two pinetrees you can see the little chapel on the hill at Amboise.
Little did you know, Leonardi da Vinci also foresaw and invented the Bowflex. Sadly though, until the infomercial, there was no way to mass publicize it.
Chenonceaux
Hedge "Labyrinthe" in the woods at Chenonceaux
Formal Gardens
Painting of Louis XIV with characteristic ridiculous frame.
Typical ceilings at Chenonceaux. Exposed, gilded timbers in shades of gold and scarlet.
Interior of the part of Chenonceaux that spans the water. During WWI, it was used as a hospital.
View of the formal gardens from the Chateau windows.
The first hot air balloon landing! You can see the scaffolding on the left side of the front face of the Chateau.
The Chateau itself. It looks like there is just a flood, but I promise, it's supposed to be like that. Cool, huh?
Same view, with landing balloon. I got so many pictures of those balloons. It was surreal!
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Like a Fairytale - Val de Loire Pt. 1
We went to the Loire Valley this weekend. It was way cooler than I thought it would be. We saw 4 chateaux, tasted local wine, and got an idea of what the nightlife is like in Tours, the city we stayed in. The group was Amy, Eddy, Samantha, Jessica, Victor, and Carly from Australia. Carly is also an ESCP student. We were glad she could come along!
We took the train there Friday afternoon. A couple bottles of wine helped pass the time during the 2 hour ride. Thankfully, our hotel was basically the first thing you could see after exiting the train station.
There was so much to see and do there. But, the first thing we did after checking into our hotel in Tours was go to the grocery store and stock up on wine and some beer. Typical...
That first day really didn't consist of much other than drinking and planning Saturday. After hearing that the Chateau de Chambord was the most magnificent of the Loire Chateaux, we found train tickets to Blois, the city nearest to Chambord. After that was settled, it was time to get some food and walk around Tours. The city hall was nice, and in general the city is fairly clean. Good food, too. I had pizza that had bacon bits, crème fraîche, and a fried egg on it. Strange, but delicious.
On Saturday we woke up and got right down to business. We got on the train and enjoyed a 40 minute ride to Blois. From Blois we got a taxi minibus to Chambord, another 20 minutes. Walking up to Chambord was breath-taking and humbling. You see its densely-packed spires between the trees, and as more of it comes into view, you begin to wonder when the building ends. It's just HUGE. This thing was a house. François I, King of France, went there to hunt when he was tired of being couped up inside. Even though he brough 3000 people with him, it's still a single house...
The inside is intricate in many spots, but also seems vast and empty in others. One cool feature is the central double-helix spiral staircase. It's a spiral stair with two entrance points, and if you take one and your friend takes the other, you'll see each other through windows across to the other side, and it seems like if you walk around about a half rotation you'll find them, but if you've taken different entrances, you won't find them until the top. It's a very strange thing.
After we toured the inside, we rented bikes and circled the Chateau and its grounds. It's a very pretty, very large place. The bikes were really fun, too.
That night we went out to a club in Tours. It was pretty cool, but it was no Paris. Nightlife in the big city spoils me.
The trip was great. We got extremely lucky with the weater both days - crystal skies and warm temperatures. I'll talk about the other 3 Chateaux (that we did earlier today) in my next entry. For now, I need to get to bed, as I've been walking around cities and castles all day, and have just gotten off the train.
Astonishingly enough Chambord, despite its grandeur and sheer scale, was my least favorite of the Chateaux. Isn't that crazy? So get excited to hear about the other three: Amboise, Clos de Lucé, and Chenonceaux.
City Hall in Tours. Very Pretty, cool sculptures near the top of the ground floor appear to support the upper floors.
Detail shot of the painstakingly-carved and decorated central spire of Chambord.
New angle of Chambord after cycling a little bit around the property.
We took the train there Friday afternoon. A couple bottles of wine helped pass the time during the 2 hour ride. Thankfully, our hotel was basically the first thing you could see after exiting the train station.
There was so much to see and do there. But, the first thing we did after checking into our hotel in Tours was go to the grocery store and stock up on wine and some beer. Typical...
That first day really didn't consist of much other than drinking and planning Saturday. After hearing that the Chateau de Chambord was the most magnificent of the Loire Chateaux, we found train tickets to Blois, the city nearest to Chambord. After that was settled, it was time to get some food and walk around Tours. The city hall was nice, and in general the city is fairly clean. Good food, too. I had pizza that had bacon bits, crème fraîche, and a fried egg on it. Strange, but delicious.
On Saturday we woke up and got right down to business. We got on the train and enjoyed a 40 minute ride to Blois. From Blois we got a taxi minibus to Chambord, another 20 minutes. Walking up to Chambord was breath-taking and humbling. You see its densely-packed spires between the trees, and as more of it comes into view, you begin to wonder when the building ends. It's just HUGE. This thing was a house. François I, King of France, went there to hunt when he was tired of being couped up inside. Even though he brough 3000 people with him, it's still a single house...
The inside is intricate in many spots, but also seems vast and empty in others. One cool feature is the central double-helix spiral staircase. It's a spiral stair with two entrance points, and if you take one and your friend takes the other, you'll see each other through windows across to the other side, and it seems like if you walk around about a half rotation you'll find them, but if you've taken different entrances, you won't find them until the top. It's a very strange thing.
After we toured the inside, we rented bikes and circled the Chateau and its grounds. It's a very pretty, very large place. The bikes were really fun, too.
That night we went out to a club in Tours. It was pretty cool, but it was no Paris. Nightlife in the big city spoils me.
The trip was great. We got extremely lucky with the weater both days - crystal skies and warm temperatures. I'll talk about the other 3 Chateaux (that we did earlier today) in my next entry. For now, I need to get to bed, as I've been walking around cities and castles all day, and have just gotten off the train.
Astonishingly enough Chambord, despite its grandeur and sheer scale, was my least favorite of the Chateaux. Isn't that crazy? So get excited to hear about the other three: Amboise, Clos de Lucé, and Chenonceaux.
The takings from the nearby grocery in Tours. Note the proportion of food to alcohol.
City Hall in Tours. Very Pretty, cool sculptures near the top of the ground floor appear to support the upper floors.
Me in front of the enormous Chateau de Chambord. It's overwhelming.
Bedroom of François I at Chambord. Many rooms were elaborate like this, but some were vast, cold, and empty.
The front view from the balconies of Chambord. Notice how far the path goes and how straight it is. Typical French design showing dominance over nature. Very cool to stand there and look all the way down the path.
Detail shot of the painstakingly-carved and decorated central spire of Chambord.
New angle of Chambord after cycling a little bit around the property.
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