Hello again loyal followers!
I thought it would be important to share a recent journey
Erin and I took before too many of the memories slip away. This tale begins a
few months ago when I initially started making plans and came to fruition the
day after Erin’s birthday on May 25th. May 25th began as
just another work day, driving to a small town known as “Neuenburg” in the
company car to start my lessons for the day, while Erin went to a company in
Freiburg to teach individuals. Teaching hours passed without incident and soon
I was on my way home, walking briskly in anticipation of the coming evening.
Upon my arrival in our attic loft, Erin and I exchanged the
usual pleasantries and polite conversation. Following our conversation I
casually mentioned to Erin that she had about 2.5 hours before our train left
and should probably pack her bags. “Where are we going?” she asked excitedly.
To which I responded “I don’t know”.
Shortly before 7pm we left our apartment and walked to the
train station which is conveniently located down the street and around the
corner. We strolled down platform 4 eagerly looking for a train compartment
with minimal occupants. After passing a number of compartments a voice called
from behind “Manny”. We turned around and that was the moment Erin realized I
had invited our 2 good friends Baddy and Amanda to join us on the weekend
journey.
Hugs and smiles were exchanged and again Erin asked “so
where are we going?”. We refused to give
a straight answer suggesting locations such as Bratislava, Oslo, Barcelona etc.
just to throw her off. Our first train ended in Offenburg, a city 1 hour north
of Freiburg, where we had to find our connecting train. As we approached the
platform there were two options that became available. On the left was a sign
indicating a train going to Moskawoya, Belaruskya and the other indicated
Straßburg (Strasbourg), France. She hesitated for half a second before
realizing the left platform might be a bit too far this time.
The second train traveled for about 30 minutes to Straßburg
where we made our final connection onto the TGV bound for Paris! The train ride
was quite comfortable and also the fastest train we’d ever been on, reaching
speeds of about 320km/h.
We arrived in Paris at 11:30pm determined to find our hotel
as quickly as possible since we were excited to begin exploring the following
morning. The journey was a bit of a
confusion and after 30 minutes of walking in the wrong direction it became
clear that walking with our large knapsacks was no longer an option. Add to
this recipe an injured Amanda who was forced to hobble everywhere due to a
recent accident (that’s another story) and it becomes clear that public transit
was our best and most affordable choice. Our attempts to communicate with the
man selling train tickets was challenging as our French was a bit out of
practice not unlike his English/German. Hand gestures and a medley of broken
French eventually yielded results and we were on our way to our hotel.
As an aside I would like to mention that the Parisian metro
is host to all sorts of interesting and questionable characters. During the
next few days we would utilize the public transit system on a number of
occasions and a few notable persons included; a drunken political critic asking
for donations (I think, my French is a bit rusty), 2 men with a portable
speaker to which they freestyle rapped and did some break dancing to (yes, in
the middle of a train), a man with an accordion giving the train a very 19th
century Parisian feel and so on.
Our first night was spent catching up on much needed rest.
The following morning we readied ourselves and set off once more. Again we
started in the wrong direction and were helped by an elderly woman. We turned
ourselves around and continued our walk, albeit a little more oriented than
previously. To save on costs we found a grocery store and purchased a selection
of fruits, bread, cheese, meat and a few veggies to make breakfast with. We hungrily consumed our first meal in front
of a marble church occupied solely by us and a few homeless people partaking of
their morning beer.
From there we traveled in a general direction towards the
heart of Paris, weaving through the small narrow streets typically associated
with older European capitals. Before reaching the downtown we stopped for a few
moments outside a large building which appeared to have all of it’s walls
removed exposing the complex network of colourful piping encompassing the
building. In front of this was a
courtyard with a large fountain. The fountain had a number of strange creations
made from old iron or steel which had been manipulated and painted into an
assortment of creatures or things which spurt water from one orifice or
another.
We continued walking in the direction of the downtown, crossing
the Seine river as we approached the heart of Paris. Our friend Baddy suggested
a free walking tour (free in the sense
that you pay as much or as little as you wish). Clear sunny skies and warm
temperatures made this the perfect day for a walking tour. After 3.5 hours of
walking we had quickly toured the Pont Neuf, learned a little history of
Napoleon (I and III), saw the only building in Paris to be damaged with bullet
holes during WWII, a monument to Henry the IV and the brutal torture of his
assassin, the Louvre, the Hausmannization of the boulevards among many other
things. We arrived at our hotel late in the evening and after creating a meal
from a number of provisions, had an early night.
The following day Erin and I did a little exploration of our
own and promised to meet our friends a bit later. A little more oriented with
the streets we began to walk in the direction of the Louvre while also making a
point to pass the location of the former Bastille, which is now a historical
monument. Before going to the Louvre we decided to stop at the Notre Dame
Cathedral and take a tour since it was free and might prove interesting. The
cathedral was enormous with an immaculate display of stained glass and
intricately carved masonry. The building was very detailed in every respect and
quite fascinating to see. Interestingly enough the opening of Whitsun mass was
beginning just after Erin and I entered the cathedral. We made our round
through the large church and continued on our way towards the Louvre.
Unlike most tourists we had the foresight to do a little
research and avoided the extremely long lines by taking a different
entrance. The Louvre’s outside
appearance is that of a grande palais, extended over centuries and becoming
evident in the altering architectural styles of the building. It is very
impressive on the outside but the really intriguing parts are found inside.
Many are familiar with the Mona Lisa (which isn’t very impressive), but fewer
are aware of the massive collections of Roman, Greek, and Egyptian collections
which adorn the walls and floors of a large portion of the Louvre. Erin found
the Venus de Milo to be quite fascinating while I really enjoyed the stone
carving of Ramses II. I could rant about
the innumerable treasures to behold but that would probably result in more naps
than a room full of cats.
After spending a good 6 or 7 hours in the Louvre we returned
to our hotel, had a nap, met our friends and made plans for the evening. We
decided to check out the Sacre Coeur in Montmartre district of Paris. Some of
you may recognize the area from Amelie the film, which took place in this
section of the city. We had a few gin and tonics (brought from Germany to save
cash) and wandered the streets until we came to the precipice in front of the
Sacre Coeur overlooking the bright city. A number of Parisians and tourists had
also discovered the location so we were subject to both entertainment by locals
(a fire twirler, a firecracker twirler, musicians) and harassment by unofficial
vendors selling everything from beer to cheesy tourist merchandise. A favourite
quotation came from what one man said to us that night while trying to sell
laser lights “Disco disco party”. A little advice for anyone going to Paris,
speak a language other than English or French and they’ll quickly leave you
alone. That and a stone faced “NON!” also works.
The third and final day of our stay in Paris was spent as
busy as the first two. We began our day in the Jardin du Luxembourg where we
ate a breakfast of breads, cheeses, jam, fruits and nuts. Shortly afterwards we
took advantage of the overcrowded McDonalds to use their facilities free of
charge. Contrary to popular belief, you can find free washrooms in Paris if you
know where to look. I recommend Starbucks, McDonalds or any other busy chain
restaurant.
We took the metro to the Champs-Élysées and enjoyed the fantastic sights that
greeted us. The Arc de Triomphe is very impressive and the street itself hosts
some of the most expensive and lavish stores in the world! Not surprisingly the
price tags on some jewellery items ranged over the 50,000 Euro mark. We avoided
any purchasing here but did stop to enjoy a live dance performance in which a
group of men impressed crowds with flips, twists and spinning on their heads in
hopes of earning cash.
The final point
of interest was during our visit that night just after the sun set. We finally made it
to the Eiffel tower and were impressed by the majestic light show it put on,
lighting up like a series of fireworks for 2 minutes each hour. Of course
simply staring was not enough so we climbed the tower to the second level,
(there were no stairs to the top) pausing to read the occasional snippet of
information. The panoramic view of Paris at night leaves one in a state of awe.
All around the city glows in an eclectic mixture of old and new history which
dozens of photos fail to capture. The dichotomy of light and dark brings out
the more romantic side of onlookers who reach out to clasp the hands of their
loved one, although occasionally resulting in an “Ew no!”.
We left our
hotel the next morning on a train back to Freiburg and back to work. Still, the
moments we had in Paris are fondly reflected upon and produced a rather large
stack of virtual photos.
