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 25^th. May 25^th 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 19^th 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.