A Day in the Latin Quarter

With the amount of ground I covered today, you'd think it really WAS my last day here! The Latin Quarter is my favorite area of the city, over by Notre Dame Cathedral and the Sorbonne. But surprisingly, there were a few major sites in that area that I had never seen on previous trips - Luxembourg Gardens, the Pantheon, Saint Severin, Sainte-Chapelle - just to name a few. Well today I saw them all :-)

I started out with a walk through Luxembourg Gardens. It was lunchtime so there were lots of locals enjoying the park on their lunch hour - despite the fact it was in the 30s today! But it really was a beautiful day. Throughout the park are statues, flowers and trees. The trees are all bare now because it's winter, but it was still very picturesque.

From the Luxembourg Gardens I made my way over to the Pantheon which is by the University of Paris. There was a protest going on (I took some video). I'm still not exactly sure what they were protesting about.. the signs said something about "masacaring" and "archeology"??? I didn't see or hear "Bush" or the US, so I figured it was safe ;-)

As I walked past the University on my way towards the Seine, I stumbled upon Saint Severin. You know, I think this is actually the church I was thinking of from the movie The DaVinci Code (I'm going to have to rent it and see - it's driving me crazy now!). Kind of eerie, but beautiful flying buttresses and stained glass windows.

For the first time since I've been here, I decided to go and have a nice sit down meal at a restaurant since I was right around the corner from my favorite little restaurant, Le Harpe. Sherri knows Le Harpe - we ate here when we came to Paris for New Years a few years ago! And I come and have a meal here every time I am in Paris. (French) Onion Soup, Steak Au Poivre & Potatoes Gratin. Followed by desert - which for me, is a nice selection of fromage (cheeses). Yummo!

After my lunch/dinner, I wandered through the narrow, winding pedestrian only streets of the Latin Quarter and crossed the Seine in front of Notre Dame on my way to what ended up being the unexpected highlight of the day - Sainte-Chapelle.

I guess I never really read very closely the descriptions of Sainte-Chapelle, because I was not prepared for what I saw when I entered. Unlike many of the churches in Paris, Sainte-Chapelle is not free - you have to pay an entrance fee. Once inside, I was thinking - for this? I mean, it was pretty, but... then I noticed a tiny door and winding staircase.

Up the staircase I went and when I finally reached the top, what I saw took my breath away. This was Sainte-Chapelle. Sainte-Chapelle was built between 1242-1248 and that in itself is astounding. But when you enter the Upper Chapel, you are surrounded by wall-to-wall amazing stained glass windows - some 1,113 panels that tell the stories of the Bible from Genesis through the time of Jesus. And if that weren't enough, there is also a beautiful rose window (like in Notre Dame).

As I was standing there with my jaw hanging open, I grabbed for my sightseeing book and flipped to the Sainte-Chapelle page. Here's what it said (that I apparently had never read)... "As you emerge, via a spiral staircase... the effect of light and color is breathtaking." The guide book was spot on with that description!

What is even more amazing is that all of the stained glass is original, dating back to the 13th Century - the oldest stained glass in Paris. I took video in addition to a ton of photos to attempt to capture the essence of this place. Hopefully it translates. One thing is for sure, if you come to Paris, put Sainte-Chapelle at the TOP of your sightseeing list!

Click here to view all of today's photos (11/25/08)

A Bargain Shopping Expedition

So one thing I haven't done very much of since I've been here is shop. Crazy, right - afterall, I'm in Paris?!? A store I've heard a lot about (and seen a ton of advertisements for) that I wanted to go to is called Tati. Tati has been around for something like 60 years as is a little hard to describe. Like the big department stores, there are several different Tati stores: women's clothes, kids clothes, shoes, jewelry, household decor, etc. But Tati is not a high end store - it's a bargain hunters delight and the stores take up a whole block.

I wanted to go to Tati to try and find some Paris looking clothes - inexpensive Paris looking clothes. The sizes in Europe are completely different than in the US and trying things on is very complicated, so I wanted to buy a few things - without trying them on - which is always tricky, at least for me.

So inside the store the clothes (and prices) reminded me of Ross - which is good. The real bargains are outside in huge bins you have to dig through - talk about a free for all! A little too crazy for me. I did manage to find a few things and miraculously they all fit - more or less ;-) I got a couple of staple items (long sleeve shirt, long sleeve sweater) and a really cute top and a sweater dress to wear over tights with boots (oh la la!) - he, he! Oh yeah, and a cool scarf. Total cost? 34 euros (about $44). That's about as cheap as it gets in Paris!

Eglise Saint-Germain l'Auxerrois

After I came back and dropped off the bags from my shopping expedition, I was going to spend the afternoon in the Louvre. But as I walked over to the museum from my apartment, I rounded a corner and saw a church I had somehow never seen before so I had to explore it!

The church was Saint-Germain l'Auxerrois and it was built in the 15th century. Inside were gorgeous stained glass window. A little internet research when I got back to the apartment shows that they are original and date back to the Renaissance period. Also inside was a huge pipe organ which apparently was originally ordered by Louis XVI for Sainte-Chapelle but somehow ended up here.

The wonderful thing about Paris is that you find a treasure like this around nearly every corner. And that's why if you love the city as much as I do, you need a long stay to really see it. Because on a short stay you hit the "big ticket items" which easily fill a week (or two or three). But having this extra time to just wander around and explore has been (and will continue to be when I return) priceless.

Anyhow, by the time I got done at the church, it was really too late to make going to the Louvre worthwhile. I'll hit the museum when I'm back in December and have more time. So for the remainder of the day I walked all the way up the Rue de Rivoli which runs parallel with the Louvre and the Jardin des Tuileries, to the Place de la Concorde, then turned around and walked back. All along this street are tourist shops, so I managed to pick up a few trinkets - a key holder, a christmas tree ornament.

It started to rain, so I dashed across the street and into the Carousel du Louvre - an underground shopping/dining plaza connected to the Louvre and walked around in there for a bit. After a quick stop in Sephora, I jumped on the Metro and headed home.

Click here to view all of today's photos (11/24/08)

Breaking News....

Going to London yesterday pretty much wiped me out - I slept until noon today. And unless it starts snowing - which it may, the weather forecast said it might - I don't plan on going out today. I'm just going to stay in and rest. I've actually had my heater on all day for the first time since I've been here. So I've just been blogging and starting to organize things for the return trip on Wednesday - you know, figuring out what to bring back, what to leave here, etc.

Oh, didn't I mention that after Thanksgiving I'm coming back to Paris for another 3 weeks? Oops! Must have slipped my mind ;-)

So about a week or so ago I was in French class and things were really starting to click. Meanwhile I was running around like crazy trying to see and do everything I want to see and do before my trip was over. And then a thought entered my mind... I began to wonder about the possibility of coming back for a few weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. So I asked Parisian Home (the apartment rental agency) if this apartment was available so that I could just extend my stay for another month and not have to move or anything, and they said yes. So.... after a lot of thought (and a few emergency calls to some of you for advice), I decided to do it.

After all, I'm already here. I'm already settled into the apartment. I really want to continue the French language instruction. I have the frequent flyer miles so the airfare is free, and I really want to be here now that the city is starting to deck itself out for Christmas.

In the end, it came down to the fact that I am lucky enough right now to be able to do this and may not ever have this chance again.

So I am coming back to Florida this Wednesday as planned and will be home for a week to check on my house, visit with people, stuff myself with yummy Thanksgiving fixins that you CAN'T get in Paris, put up my Christmas tree(s), indulge in some mindless television (remember, all I get here in English is CNBC, SkyNews and Aljazeera), set up my Mom's new computer (and get her on Skype), celebrate my birthday with my Mom and nieces and buy some much needed warmer clothes at the day-after-thanksgiving sales! Then, the following Tuesday, Dec 2nd, I will be returning to Paris.

I will be able to complete 2 more full weeks of intensive French classes at the Alliance Francaise. That will give me a total of 4 weeks (or 80 hours of intensive instruction), which will be really good since you really need to know French and English to work at UNESCO - you know, the place I hope to work someday ;-) And I also plan on doing a little more traveling around Europe during December while I am here since it is so easy - definitely Brussels, possibly Prague or another city that has a traditional Christmas Market.

And then I will be returning to Florida on Sunday, December 21st in time for Christmas.

What can I say.... I love Paris :-)

p.s. If anyone wants to come to Paris for a few days in December, I'm an excellent tour guide. And I have a cot! LOL

Le Radio

My favorite radio station here in Paris that I listen to everyday is 100.3 Energy. What's funny is that I finally realized after almost a month that it really isn't "Energy" it's NRJ - the stations's call letters (you pronounce J like G in French). Half the music is ours (Beyonce, Pink, Brittney Spears, Coldplay, etc.) and the other half is French pop music (which is quite good). So you might hear one song in English, then two in French, then two in English, etc. Pretty cool. They broadcast on the Web so if you have a broadband connection and want to check it out, click here to listen live to NRJ and hear what I'm hearing!

About Living in a Tiny Studio Apartment....

It has been interesting going from living in a 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom house to a tiny studio apartment that doesn't have a clothes dryer or a dishwasher.

I actually kind of like the smaller space. Though to be honest, on a more permanent basis I would need something just a little bigger - like a one bedroom apartment where my living room didn't serve double duty as my bedroom!

The Kitchen
When it comes to the kitchen, I really like cooking but I really HATE doing dishes - even at home with a dishwasher - so having to wash and dry everything by hand is not something I'd long to do on a permanent basis. Plus, the kitchen in this apartment is the size of a closet and has NO counter space, so cooking a meal is very tricky because there is no place to set things out. Also, I only have a toaster oven (not a full size oven) which most of the time is fine. But it's hard to broil a proper steak in a toaster oven :-) And I like to make pot roasts on occasion - something you can't do in a toaster oven. But I did manage to make one (that turned out quite good actually) in a pot on the stove top, kind of like a crock pot version. What they say is true... necessity is the mother of invention.

The Bathroom
Well, I think you all know how I feel about the "Shower of Death"... Actually, the shower has been fine after 'le accident' - since then, I found a proper shower mat (the suction cup fish just weren't cutting it). But I do miss having a tub for occasional baths. Especially since it's so cold out. It was a real pleasure having a tub at the hotel in Geneva. But that really is minor thing. My only real issue with the bathroom is that there is hardly any counter space to put anything out on (makeup, hair products, contact stuff, etc.). There is a little space underneath the sink to put things, but not much. And while there is a shelf - it's way up close to the ceiling above the toliet and I'd need a ladder to reach it, so it really isn't usable - at least not by 5'2 me!

Doing Laundry
It was kind of funny when I finally broke down and did a load. I kept putting it off because everything about the tiny little machine was foreign and not intuitive - not even how/where to put the clothes in! The whole time the load was running, I fully expected water or foam to start pouring out. It was quite a stressful experience - ha! And the machine was so loud I felt bad that I was doing it at night, because it had to have been disturbing the people in the apartment below me. But somehow I did it right and even did a subsequent load. Success!

Now about not having a clothes dryer.... a pain in the butt. There is an extremely large contraption in the closet that is a "drying rack" but the problem is my studio is so small that when the couch is pulled out into a bed AND the drying rack is out it takes up pretty much the whole apartment and it's hard to move around! But the clothes did dry and I now have clean underwear, socks and towels :-) However everything is really stiff from air drying.

Closet Space
Need more. Enough said :-)

The Neighbors
I haven't actually 'seen' anyone, but I know there are people here! I thought I was a night owl... well, whoever is in the unit above me puts me to shame. Not only is he/she up until all hours, but it sounds like they are pacing the floor in loud wooden shoes AND moving furniture around - every night - ha! I've kind of gotten used to it though. In fact, one night it was quiet (they must have been away) and I had a hard time going to sleep in the silence.

Conclusion
So, could I really live in a small apartment like this? Definitely. It's much easier to take care of an apartment than a huge house! But it would have to have a separate bedroom, a clothes dryer, more counter space in the bathroom, a bathtub, more counter space in the kitchen, a dishwasher and a full size oven. Oh, and be on the top floor so there aren't any noisy neighbors above me :-)

Ha! Sounds like a lot of complaining, huh? Not really. This place is actually pretty perfect for me and totally fine for a couple of months. In fact, anyone coming to visit Paris as a tourist for more than 1 week should really consider renting an apartment rather than staying at a hotel. First of all, it's A LOT cheaper. And it's really nice having a kitchen (small as it is). You save so much money going to the market and cooking rather than eating every meal out.

I see London, I see France...

Today I spent the day in London! It's been 8 years since I've been to England - not sure why it has been so long. But it was good to finally get back there! I took the Eurostar - the highspeed TGV train that goes under the English Channel through the Chunnel and gets you from city center to city center in 2 hours 45 minutes. The amount of time you are actually "in the chunnel" (i.e. under water) is about 30 minutes - I made a note this time :-)

So I took the 8am train and arrived in London just before 10am (England is a hour behind France so I gained an hour going over). My train home was at 7:15pm, so I had a full day to see the city. However, unlike Paris - which I can easily do in a day because I know the city so well - London is huge. And the traffic and the quantity of people on the streets reminds me a lot of New York City. So as it turns out, 9 hours in London was a stretch and I spent the day literally running from site to site. I got to see most of what I wanted, but the thing I didn't have time for really was any shopping. And the shopping looked so good! On SkyNews (out of London) they have been saying how all the shops in London were really hurting and talking about the recession and nobody buying. Well... that did NOT seem to be the case! Every store was packed, every store was already set up for Christmas, and business appeared to be absolutely booming!

Anyhow... in preparation for the trip I went online Friday night and bought a few eTickets: double decker on-and-off bus pass; fast track entrance to the Tower of London; and fast track entrance to the London Eye (giant ferris wheel on the Thames River). I am VERY glad I did this - the lines were incredible and I never would have gotten to do those things had I not already had my tickets. Have I mentioned lately how great the Internet is :-)

So I got to London at 10am and basically had 2 hours to sightsee before the highlight (and only relaxing time) of the day - a lunch reservation that I made several weeks ago (again, online) at Gordon Ramsey's restaurant called "Maze". I really like Gordon Ramsey (watch all his shows) and wanted to see if his restaurants stack up. But before lunch...

When the TGV arrived at St. Pancras Station (close to Kings Cross), I jumped on a double decker bus and went to Trafalgar Square. Then I walked from Trafalgar Square, past the Horse Guards Parade, and all the way through St. James Park to Buckingham Palace. This pretty much ate up my morning and I was crunched for time, so I had to jump in a cab to make my lunch reservation.

Lunch at MAZE was cool. The outside was very nondescript - you wouldn't even realize it was a restaurant - much less his - if you didn't look real hard. Inside, very modern with clean lines and a monochrome color pallet of light browns, beiges and sage. Nothing fancy, but clean and chic. I ate in the Maze Grill which is known for its steaks. Here is what I ordered:

Starter: Confit tomatoes, chorizo, potatoes, bitter shallots
Main Course: Casterbridge grain fed 10oz Sirloin
Side: Potato gratin

Lunch was a tad pricey, but very good. There were steaks from different parts of England, Japan and the US - you had to choose. They brought around a tray that showed the different cuts and explained the differences between the meats from different places. I choose a sirloin from England (Casterbridge) that was cooked perfectly and so tender I barely had to move the knife. Hope I don't get Mad Cow though! Sorry England, small joke ;-)

The steak was served on a small cutting board instead of a plate - kind of interesting. And the potato gratin was served in a tiny cast iron pot the size of a ramekin on a slate coaster. What they say is true, presentation is everything. The unique way in which everything is served at Maze is as much a part of the experience as the food is. Needless to say I was stuffed and just wanted a nap when I left, but I pressed on :-)

After lunch I had to zoom over to the London Eye to make my 2:30pm appointment. Not enough time to take the bus, so again I hopped in a cab. I can't emphasize this enough - buy your tickets in advance online people! The lines were astonishing at the Eye, but because I had a fast track ticket, I pretty much just walked right on. The views were incredible! I got some of the best photos of the whole day during the ride.

After the Eye, I got back on the double decker bus and headed to St. Paul's Cathedral for a quick pit stop on my way over to the Tower of London and London Bridge. On my previous trips to London I had seen the Tower of London, but not gone inside. I was determined to see the Crown Jewels this time and made it in just under the wire. Last admission was 4pm and I got there about 5 minutes before that!

Walking around the castle grounds is really cool if you're into history like I am. I didn't have nearly as much time as I would have liked, but I did get to see the Crown Jewels! Looking at all the scepters and crowns of previous kings and queens of England was fascinating. I noticed that when you go in to see the Crown Jewels (no photos allowed by the way) you are actually walking into a vault. The metal vault doors had to be about 5 feet thick. For some reason I kept thinking of the Oceans 11 movie while I was in there :-)

From now until mid-January they have ice skating at the Tower of London - kind of like how they do at Rockefeller Center in New York. And the view of the Tower Bridge from the castle grounds as it started to get dark was just beautiful.

By this time it was completely dark (it gets dark in England at 4pm in the winter) and it was sadly, about that time... so I jumped on the double decker bus to head back to St. Pancras station to catch the TGV back home to Paris. Because it was on the other end off the route, the ride was long - but this was a good thing because I got a free "London by Night" tour and saw all the monuments and buildings (and the Eye) all lit up! I sat up on top of the bus in the open air to take photos and froze - but it was worth it. Oh, did I not mention the weather? The high in London was about 35 today and the temps never made it out of the 30s the entire day while I was there. Thank God it was sunny and didn't rain! And up on top of that bus at night - with the wind - it was definitely very brrrrrrish :-)

I made it back to the train station, checked in, got on board and dozed for much of the trip home. When I arrived back in Paris at Gare du Nord I still had to take the Metro home - another 20 minutes.

When I finally walked back in the apartment it was 11:30pm and I was exhausted. It was a very long and fast-paced, but wonderful day in London. And now I think I'll sleep about 10 hours to recuperate - ha!

Click here to view all of today's photos from London (11/22/08)

Fashion Show @ Galeries Lafayette

The major department stores (Galeries Lafayette and Printemps) put on fashion shows each week, so I thought in my quest for an authentic Paris experience, this would be a good thing to add to the agenda.

The show was pretty interesting! Check out the clothes and styles by clicking on the link below to view all the photos from the fashion show today. I also took a few video brief video clips.

Two things to notice in the videos...

1) You'll see a girl with a big/bulky shiny black bomber-style type jacket with horizontal ribbing - those jackets are EVERYWHERE here. Everyone is wearing them. Personally, I don't really like them because they are so bulky. But I guess if you are super skinny you can get away with it.

2) On some of the girls in the video you'll see they are wearing black knee-high trouser socks/stockings with shoes. The video may look like they are boots, but they aren't. I haven't seen anyone out and about like that, but that's probably because it is winter and that may be more of a spring thing. Just thought it looked odd to see knee high stockings with a dress. But on the models it looked cool :-)

Click here to view all of today's photos (11/21/08)

UNESCO

"Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men
that the defenses of peace must be constructed." -UNESCO

Very busy past few days... I will post more SOON! But for now, here are today's photos from my guided tour of the UNESCO headquarter - the United Nations Education, Scientific & Cultural Organization. (Or what I like to think of as my 'future place of employment' with any luck!)

Funny story about the Iranian delegation that I was on tour at the UN with.... I'm fairly sure I'm on some government "list" now. Guess Obama isn't the only one 'paling around with terrorists'... ha! More about this later....

St-Sulspice

Today after school I went to see St-Sulspice. Like La Madeleine, I had never seen this church either. The picture I had in my head of it was from the movie The DaVinci Code. For some reason I thought I remembered it being small. Wrong. This church is HUGE!

Unfortunately, like so many buildings in Europe, one side of the church is almost entirely covered in scaffolding under renovation. Outside the church in the Place Saint Sulspice is a beautiful fountain.

Construction on St-Sulspice began in 1646, but it wasn't completed until nearly the end of the 1700s. There is an absolutely gorgeous alter inside along with one of the largest pipe organs in the world.

Click here to view all of today's photos (11/18/08)

La Madeleine

Somehow, I never saw the Eglise de Madeleine on any of my previous trips to Paris. Since this stay is a quest to see as much as I can that I haven't before, I headed over to check it out. The church was designed in 1764 and as you'll see in the photos, quite beautiful.

In the are surrounding the Place de la Madeleine are many high fashion stores and gourmet food shops. One of them - La Maison de la Truffe - had some truffles in the window priced at 2,500 Euros for one kilogram!

From the steps of Madeleine you can see the Place de la Concorde, so I walked down and took a few night pics. In the Place de la Concorde is an Egyptian Obelisk from a 3,000+ year old Luxor temple that was a gift to France from Egypt in 1833. Also in the Place de la Concorde - but only around the holidays - is a giant ferris wheel. I didn't go up in it, but I may before I leave Paris. We'll see how my ride on the Eye in London goes on Saturday!

Click here to view all of today's photos (11/17/08)

"Give Geneva a Chance" Day

Okay, so I decided to give Geneva a second chance today. I slept in, watched some more English television and then headed out to do some siteseeing. The first thing on my list was to go see the UN. So I figured out which tram to jump on and about 10 minutes later was standing in front of the Palais des Nations.

Of course it being a Sunday – and winter – the UN was closed. I knew that though, so it wasn’t a surprise. In winter they only offer guided tours M-F, but there just wasn’t a way for me to get here mid-week given my class schedule at the Alliance Francais. It was still really cool though. And about a block away is the building that houses the UN High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR), which most Americans only have heard of because of Angelina Jolie and the wonderful work she has done as their Goodwill Ambassador.

After the UN, I wandered around that area for a little while then headed back towards the hotel. In addition to being closely situated to the train station, the hotel was also only a 10 minute walk to Lake Geneva. So I walked down to the lake, saw the famous geyser that is shown in all/any photos of Geneva, and then decided to take a boat ride – I figured it was Lake Geneva afterall! The boat ride lasted about an hour and was great. My hands were frozen though (I only brought one set of hand warmer packets with me to Geneva and had used them the night before). It was a nice, scenic ride. Set against the shore line of Lake Geneva you can see the Alps and Mont Blanc (through the haze).

I learned two things on the boat ride:

1) Lake Geneva is central Europe’s largest fresh water lake; and

2) Switzerland had 4 official languages: French, Italian, German and Romanche (What the heck is Romansh?!? I’ll have to Google that!)

Update: This Romansh thing is truly bizarre... take a look at what wikipedia says here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romansh_language

By the time the boat was over, so was my time in Geneva. I went back to the hotel to collect my satchel and then walked across the street and got on the 4:15pm TGV train back to Paris. I’m actually writing this post on the train and will post it when I get back to my apartment.

Would I come back to Geneva? Probably. But really only because someday I want to be able to take the tour of the UN. I don’t know why, but I just wasn’t impressed with Geneva. It just seemed like a big city – any big city. I didn’t really get a real sense of history here despite the Old Town section and it just seemed to lack any sort of ambiance. I may be spoiled though because Paris just oozes history and charm. Every neighborhood here has its own personality.

If I do come back to Geneva, it will probably be just a pass through on my way to Chamonix – the ski resort town on Mont Blanc. Had I had more time here (and a more suitable – i.e. warmer – wardrobe), I would/could have taken a day trip to Chamonix. It just didn’t work out this time. So if I come back to Switzerland, that’s my plan – Chamonix and a pit stop at the UN for a guided tour. But at least I can (finally) add Switzerland to my travel resume :-)

~~~ EDITORS NOTE ~~~
At this point my train arrived back in Paris at Gare de Lyon.
I then took the Metro (Lines 1 & 8) to a stop called Grands Boulevards and
then walked 5 minutes back to my apartment.

Okay, I’m back home now! I missed my little place on the Rue du Croissant. Time to take out the garbage, review my assignments for French class tomorrow and make myself a nice, warm Crepe Fromage (i.e. cheese crepe - natural, not sweet - made with a combination of Brie and Camembert). Oh yeah, and watch some exciting Al Jarezeera TV to cap off the night – ha!

Bonne Nuit

Click here to view all of today's photos (11/16/08)

Finally... Switzerland

This morning I got up and took the TGV to Geneva. Someone asked me if I was going because I was bored with Paris. I can assure you, that is not the case! There are two main reasons I decided to take this side-trip:

1) Switzerland was one of the only countries in Western Europe I had yet to visit and frankly, was tired of explaining why it had always somehow alluded me on previous trips;

2) I wanted to see the headquarters of the United Nations.

The train ride from Paris to Geneva was 3 hours 15 minutes. About 45 minutes outside of Geneva there were some impressive mountains, but other than that the scenery was pretty unremarkable. I tried to take some photos, but the glare on the window – and probably the fact that we were going 320 km/h (200 mph) per hour – sort of hampered my ability to do so!

I’m staying at the Warwick Geneva, located right across the street from the train station where I arrived – very convenient. The hotel gives you a pass for public transit during your stay (trams, buses, etc.) which is good because I did not have any Swiss Francs (or Euros for that matter!). As soon as I checked in, I headed out to the ‘old town’ area of the city. To get there I jumped on a tram – kind of like a cable car. It was only about a 5 minute ride.

After a few hours of walking around I realized I was starving so I found an ATM, got some Swiss Francs and went to… McDonalds. Okay, listen…. this was the FIRST time since I’ve been in Europe that I had McDonalds (or ANY fast food actually).

It’s a little coder in Switzerland than in Paris. I was glad that I had brought with me some pocket hand warmers (little pouches that heat up when exposed to air and stay hot for up to 12 hours). They kept my hands nice and toasty as the temp dipped once the sun went down.

When I got back to the hotel, I took a nice HOT bath – I only have a small ‘shower of death’ in my apartment, so this was a wonderful luxury! And then I watched some television in English – horray! I don’t think I mentioned this before but I only had CNN International and BBC World for the first few days I was in Paris. After that, the channels cut off and the girls at the apartment rental agency can’t seem to find the pass code that will allow me to subscribe to them for the rest of my stay. Grrrrr. So the only “English” television I’ve had for weeks is CNBC, Sky News (London) and Al Jazeera (seriously). All three are “okay” but they are all news! The only respite I have is that I found that on CNBC from 11pm-midnight they show the Tonight Show w/Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien (abbreviated versions with no commercials) – a day late of course, but it’s all I’ve got, so I’m not complaining! Someone mentioned going to ABC.com and watching my shows online (Greys Anatomy, Boston Legal, etc). I thought that was a brilliant idea. But when I tried, it detected that I was accessing the site from a foreign country and brought up a message saying that only viewers in the US could watch episodes on the Web. Grrrrrrr again.

Anyhow, I digress. The hotel in Geneva had 6 whole channels in English and I actually got to watch the Daily Show w/Jon Stewart, the British version of “Dancing With the Stars” (which is oddly called “Strictly Come Dancing”) but has two of the same judges (Len & Bruno) and the British version of The Office. Mindless TV – yeah!!!!

You can probably tell that my first day in Geneva wasn’t that spectacular given that I’ve spent more time talking about McDonalds, television and the hot bath I got to take than anything I saw. To be honest, I just wasn’t that impressed. “Old Town” didn’t seem that old and frankly lacked the charm of Paris. To me, the city is very commercialized. Overall it just lacked that certain “je ne sais quoi”. I guess I'm turning into a Paris snob - ha!

Click here to view all of today's photos (11/15/08)

Sneak Peek @ the Photos!

All the photos I've taken so far are now up on my travel photo Web site. Click here to take a look!

The photos aren't captioned yet - sorry, I'll get to that soon. But for now, I just wanted to get caught up and get all the photos posted.

Currently the photos are arranged by day (i.e. all the photos I took on any given day since I've been here), but I also plan to arrange them by category (neighborhoods, buildings, etc.) as time allows - so check back!

p.s. Until I get them captioned, if there is anything you are really interesting in knowing more about, drop me an email and I'll fill you in on what you are looking at!

The Eiffel Tower @ Night

Tres Magnifique!

I headed over to the Tour Eiffel late this afternoon, right at sunset and was thrilled to find a fairly short line, so up I went! It's been a few years since I've been up to the top at night. I forgot just how beautiful it is to see the city as dusk turns into night and all the monuments start to light up!

No matter how many times I see the "light show" that happens every hour when the tower twinkles for 10 minutes, I'm still mesmerized. When the Tour Eiffel isn't twinkling, it's shaded in blue with a huge illuminated EU symbol on the front, which is very cool. This is to mark the fact that France currently has the rotating reigns of the European Union.

Lots of great photos to share... again though, I have to say "coming soon." But I do have a special treat right to make up for it. How about some video?!?! Enjoy.....




Click here to view all of today's photos (11/12/08)

Montmartre & Sacré-Coeur

Today was such a nice day. Since there wasn't any school, I decided to spend the day wandering around the area called Montmartre, which is known as the artists quarter and is where you find the beautiful Sacré-Coeur (which means "Sacred Heart" in French).

From the steps of the Sacre-Coeur you have an amazing view over the city of Paris. And on weekends (and holidays like today) hundreds of people gather and sit on the steps listening to street musicians and performers who entertain the crowd (see Video Clips at the end of this post).

In the winding back streets behind Sacré-Coeur you will find dozens of cafes and shops. But most notably you'll discover many artists displaying their works for sale in the place du Tertre. Wandering around the square are even more artists carrying sketchbooks offering to do portraits of tourists as they wait.

I never had my portrait done in Paris before. But since everything about this trip is different than all the other trips before it, I decided to have one done. I found an artist that felt right - his name was Theodore. He was an older gentleman and what appealed to me about his offer was he said that when he was done, if I wasn't satisfied, I didn't have to buy it. Sounded like a fair deal.

Theodore was a very interesting character. Originally from Romania, he had spent a little time years ago in the US. He spoke quite good English and took his time doing my portrait. I saw other artists around me do 2-3 in the time that Theodore worked on mine. I really appreciated how much he cared about doing quality work. And while I'm never happy about how I look, I have to say the portrait came out really nice - I'm so glad I had it done! It's something I'll always have to remind me of the month I lived in Paris. Anyone who has the skill to capture the likeness of someone on paper, has my deepest admiration. So what do you think, does it look like me?

Click here to view all of today's photos (11/11/08)

My 1st Day of Class @ the Alliance Française

Today was my first day of class at the Alliance Française! There are a total of 13 students in the class (including me). And as expected (and hoped for) it’s like a little mini-United Nations. Here’s the breakdown of where everyone is from:

United States........... 4  (Michael, Phil, Warren & me)
Iran.................... 1  (Elham)
Saudi Arabia............ 1  (Almanouf)
Finland................. 1  (Piritta)
Italy....................1  (Vincenzo)
Spain....................1  (Ignacio)
Australia................2  (Teresa, Steve)
Japan....................1  (Suich)
Vietnam..................1  (Phoung)

(In case you are wondering how I know this... part of today's lesson was introducing yourself and saying what nationality you are and what language(s) you speak - and doing it all in French of course.)

5 are girls (Elham, Amanouf, Piritta, Teresa & me); the other 8 are guys.

Age range is early 20s to late 60s (guessing). Three of the people are in their 60s, a couple in their 30s and the majority in their 20s.

A few stories to share about the classmates already...

Warren is in his mid-60s and is from rural Illinois. He works for the state government and has lots of vacation time. Like me, he loves Paris (has been here 10+ times) and decided this time around (again, like me) that he should finally attempt to really learn French. He said people at work refer to him as the “Paris guy” since he comes here every year and that he jokes with everyone that he “winters in Paris” since he usually comes around Christmas time. He’s here for 3 weeks renting an apartment in the area of the Bastille.

Teresa is also in her mid-60s. She is from Melbourne, Australia. She's in France for a year! Not sure what she does... She ‘has’ an apartment in Paris, but said she’s splitting her time between Paris and the south of France close to St. Tropez where she is staying in a house that a friend is ‘lending her’ for the year! (Geez, wish I had a friend like that!)

Steve is the other Aussie. He looks like he is in his mid-20s and is from the Brisbane area. He’s in med school and is on break for a few months (I think its summer there now). After class we were on the same Metro train for a few stops and he told me that he’s spending 5 weeks in Paris, a few weeks traveling around Europe, then finishing back up in Paris for Christmas and New Year’s. He’s renting an apartment over by Notre Dame. (And before the comments begin from the peanut gallery... he’s in his mid-20s people!)

As you can tell, I sort of gravitated towards the English speaking people (US & Australia) during breaks and after class today. But I’ll chat up the others (most of whom speak at least some English) and get their stories over the next couple weeks.

As for class itself, I guess it’s good I’m in the ‘absolute beginner’ class. It was a review – today – but I think after maybe one more day it will be all new. It’s really amazing the difference between our educational systems. We covered as much today in 4 hours as a class in the US would in 4 weeks. And their definition of an ‘absolute beginner’ is someone who already knows the basics. For example, when we talked numbers today, it was just given that we all knew like 1-60 and the teacher started from there up!

No English is allowed in class or any other language for that matter, other than French. None. (That’s where the ‘knowing the basics’ comes in. If you didn’t, you would be SO lost!) I like it so far. It wasn’t too taxing today - i.e. I don’t have a headache ;-) Ask me again at the end of Week 1!

So no school tomorrow – it’s a national holiday and school (and EVERYTHING else in France) is closed. Seriously. I was here one other time with Bryan and we only had one day here and we didn't realize it was a national holiday. We joked how “France was closed” for the day because absolutely nothing was open – we couldn’t even find a bathroom – ha! Not sure what I’ll do – I considered going to Belgium (seriously - it's only an hour away by TGV), but opted instead to use those funds to book a trip to Geneva, Switzerland for this coming weekend instead (more on that later). So I guess tomorrow I’ll just wander around taking photos.

Ok, well that’s the scoop on school. I came back to the apartment after class and ate lunch while I wrote this (a nice sandwich I made on a fresh baguette I picked up at the market on the way home). But now, it's time to go out and do some more exploring :-)

p.s. For those of you who are wondering.... I was NOT late to class this morning :-) However, I do admit that I arrived at EXACTLY 9am. Need to try and not cut it so close from now on - he,he!

Click here to view all of today's photos (11/10/08)

A Word About Skype

AMAZING

If you have a microphone or webcam (or preferably both), you HAVE to download Skype and try it out!

Click here to learn more about Skype and to download the free software!

Basically the software enables you to use your computer as a phone and talk to other people (that's where the microphone comes in) AND see them (if you/they have a webcam) - completely free, no matter where in the world they are!

I am using it like crazy! I talked with Sherri the other night for an hour (we both had webcams so we could see each other). I talked with Jeff as well (he doesn't have a webcam so I could just hear him, but he could see me). And tonight I talked with Jessica (with webcams on both ends). It only took her 5 minutes to download the software and get started!

Skype is awesome and totally free from computer to computer over a broadband internet connection!

And another cool thing about it is that for only 2 cents a minute, you can use it to call regular telephone land lines or mobile numbers. So for instance, my Mom doesn't have a webcam or microphone on her computer, but I still used Skype and my computer to call her house the other night and we talked for 20 minutes and it only cost me 60 cents! And I called my nieces tonight and talked to them too. Plus, it's a cheap way for me to call and check my home/cell voicemail while I'm away - only 2 cents a minute! Much cheaper than the cell phone I have at 18 euro cents a minute.

It's kind of weird talking "to" the computer, but you get used to it. The best experience is when both people have webcams. I move my computer around and show people the apartment! And seeing the person you are talking to makes you feel like they are right there!

Ok, enough of the Skype advertisement. I just HAD to mention how incredibly awesome it is, and if you haven't tried it yet, you should. It's FREE!!!!!!!!!!!

p.s. If you decide to try it, email me and I'll tell you my Skype name so you can see me online and Skype me. I don't want to post it for fear of crank Skypers ;-)

Hope to Skype you soon!

So About My Classes at the Alliance Française...

Many of you have been asking about my French classes, so here's the scoop...

When I went to get my student ID and finalize my registration last week, I had to take a placement test. I thought, "No problem" - I can't speak French, but I know a lot of bits and pieces - numbers, phrases, directions, introductions, etc. And I can understand a lot. Heck, I get by just fine in Paris. So I thought...

Let's just say that the intake lady at the Alliance Française had a different opinion of my self-assessment :-( In fact, after briefly 'talking with me' in French, she said I didn't have to take the placement exam (which by the way I looked at and it had nothing basic on it - it was all essay questions and reading comprehension!) and that I should start in the "absolute beginners" class. Grrrr.......

This was annoying for three reasons: 1) "absolute beginner" classes only start on certain Mondays, and of course last Monday was not one of them; 2) the actual fact that I'm NOT an absolute beginner! I bought my books and I know most of what will be covered the first week; 3) I now will only be able to take classes for 2 weeks instead of 3.

{sigh}

But since I didn't know the words to argue with the lady in French...

Things happen for a reason though and it will all work out for the best. I've put this last week to good use, got totally settled into the apartment and into a routine and have seen and done quite a lot. And in the end, I will end up with more instruction anyhow - here's how:

The original plan was to take the 'light' course which was 9-12, Mon/Tues/Thurs (so 9 hours a week) - for 3 weeks - for a total of 27 hours of instruction while I was here.

But with the plan 'nouveau' I am going to take the 'intensive' course which is 9-1, Mon-Fri (so 20 hours a week - more than dbl the other one) - for a total of 40 hours of instruction while I am here.

My brain may explode, but I just felt like I needed to get as much out of the school as I could while I have the benefit of being here to practice. Time will tell whether or not this was a good decision...

So that's the scoop on school. My intensive classes start on Monday. I have my books. I have my student ID. I know where my classroom is and how to get to the school on the metro.

Since I am going to be in the 'absolute beginners' class, I'm really not that worried. The first few days at least should be review and mostly me working on pronunciation. The hardest thing for me likely isn't going to be the French - it will be having to getting up at 7am everyday Mon-Fri for the next two weeks. Très horrible!

And they say I don't know French ;-)

Click here to view all of today's photos (11/09/08)