Swedish Dreamin'

  As many of you may know August is *the* month of vacation in France.  Paris empties out and restaurants close.  Families go on 4 week vacations; J and I are left in the city, empty as it could ever be.  Well, we decided we should take a trip ourselves.  Yet, only for 4 days, not 4 weeks! We learned four Swedish phrases (more than enough), hopped on my new favorite airline (Ryanair), and headed to Goteborg, Sweden.

View of Sweden from the plane.

  Goteborg was an amazing trip. The people were so nice; they reminded us of our fellow Mid-westerners.  For example, we popped into a small convenience store and asked the clerk if she had advil for sale.  Unfortunately, the store didn't carry advil, but the clerk offered us one straight out of her purse.  Now, I love Paris, but that would NEVER happen here, especially to two strangers.  Overall, the vibe was exactly what we were looking for on short vacation; laid back, friendly, slightly hipster.

 If you are anything like J and I, then you have probably never heard of Goteborg!  We didn't really know what to expect by going there, other than a new experience.  Goteborg is actually Sweden's second largest city after Stockholm.  It's located on their southwest coast, and it has many archipelagos to explore nearby .  Even though it is a big city, there is still a neighborhood feel.  This neighborhood sense might have had something to do with the fact that we arrived during one of their largest festivals, Kulturkalas (CultureFest).  There were slightly-odd performers sprinkled around the city playing their slight-odd music.  Also, there were DIY booths for kids (everything from metalworking to weaving) and hand crafts for sale.  It was a really great way to get a feel for their culture, for sure!  We had a great first day wandering through the city, sampling local beers, and enjoying the festivities.

Weird Swedish performance group.

Culture fest fun.

Our hotel had a fun surprise for us, as wll.  For the most part, when J and I travel we use the Ibis (Accor) hotel chain.  The rooms are always clean and a good value.  So, not straying from our norm, we booked the local Ibis.  Well, surprise!  It's on a large boat.  Staying on the water was great, and it offered us a great deck to relax on at night and enjoy the sunsets.

  In truth though, our favorite part was exploring the small islands and archipelagos in the nearby towns.  The public transportation was easy enough to figure out with a little help from the uncommonly friendly information desk. So, out we went!  We picked Marstrand island for our first island adventure.  The island has the Carlsten Fortress remaining from the 17th century.  The fortress was cool, though we didn't tour the inside.  The best part though was hiking around and exploring the island.  It was small enough that we actually walked around the entire thing!  It was also full of geochaches, so we had a blast finding them.  The island was mostly rocky, but there were some small forest areas too.  We even got to see a sailboat race finish!  So much fun!!

Looking down on the town from the island.

Can you spy the geocache?

Sailboat race in progress!

  My biggest regret on this trip was that it was not long enough!  The Swedish landscape and people really made an impression on J and me.  We are already making plans to go back.  Really people, if you ever have a chance, go to Sweden, you will not be disappointed! 

Seriously, visit Sweden!!  

xo, L

D-Day

  Today marks the 70th anniversary of the Invasion of Normandy, D-Day.  I am thinking about my last trip to Normandy as I sit here and watch the celebration coverage on t.v. .  J and I went there with my parents.  We drove through and visited many of the towns and villages that the military fought to take back from the Germans, from Caen to Saint-Lo to Saint-Mere-Eglise.  We also visited both Utah and Omaha Beach.  This year, D-Day, the landings, and the push through Normandy has come to mean something even more to me.  Yes, I can't deny that seeing these places, being there and witnessing the scars left behind bring a "realness" to the war and to a life  that I never experienced having been born long after the war was over.

Utah Beach, May 2014

  With the help of these new experiences, I was able to learn about my grandpa.  My grandpa on my mom's side died when I was still quite young.  I never really knew him, and even my parents didn't know much about his military experience.  He was a mechanic in the army During WWII, and that's all he would tell people that he did, fix cars.  Now, thanks to the power of the internet, we know so much more about what my grandpa witnessed. 

My Grandpa, Robert W. Early, Tech 5, 29th Infantry 45th Division 729th Company

  To take a few steps back, this quest for knowledge began because there was supposed to be a "wall" of some sort in Normandy where we could find my grandpa's name.  Well, I love to forget something of importance every time we travel, and this time I forgot the paperwork that my grandma sent along with my mom which supposedly detailed this "wall".  Thus, we didn't find it on our trip to Normandy. Why do I keep quoting "wall" and italicizing some form of suppose, you ask?  Interestingly enough, there is not a "wall" to find.  My grandma "donated" $40 many years back (in preparation for the 50th anniversary of D-Day) to have my grandpa's name inscribed on a wall to honor all veteran's from WWII, The Wall of Liberty.  Evidently, it was a poorly managed foundation and it never happened.  It's still unclear to me, after sifting through the internet, what exactly happened to my grandma's money; not to mention money from all the tens of thousands of others who donated. 

  So, trying to find out what happened to the "wall" started this internet investigation on my grandpa.  All I had was the information my mom brought with her to France from my grandma - an informational pamphlet on the "Wall of Liberty" and his discharge papers.  I started by searching for something about his infantry unit.  I knew from his discharge papers that my grandpa joined the Army in March 1943; he had just turned 18 in January. The 29th Infantry (another link detailing the 29th) sent men to Omaha Beach on D-Day.   The rest of the division disembarked as reinforcements the next day.  My grandpa was on Omaha Beach as part of Operation Overlord.  He was 19. 

Mom, Dad, and J on Omaha Beach.  May 2014

   This was just the beginning of his war experience.  After capturing the beachhead, his division marched to Saint-Lo (here's a link to a very detailed battle of Saint-Lo) for a battle that lasted weeks, suffered many causalities, destroyed 95% of the town, and became a key win in taking Normandy from the Germans.  It has even been immortalized in the video game, Call of Duty.

These are some pictures that I found on the internet listed as the 729th ordnance of the 29th Infantry.  I would link the original source, but it is blocked to me.

  In the 29th, my grandpa was part of the 729th Ordnance and Light Maintenance Company.  The 729th was a support company for the division.  Now, I don't know exactly what part my grandpa played in these battles or the others he went onto fight as they moved through Normandy into Germany, but I do know he received 4 Bronze Stars for his efforts.  Bronze Stars are given for valor, and valor isn't something you earn by fixing cars.  I found an article with an interview from men that were in grandpa's 729th Ordnance Company, and he had this to say, "We were supposed to be further back from the front lines," Shindledecker said. "I never thought we were going to be assault troops, but that's what we were on D-Day.".  I suspect from this that my grandpa was there, on Omaha Beach, "Bloody Omaha" on D-Day.  I can't fathom. 

The hill where the Germans were bunkered in at Omaha Beach.  May 2014

  It's no wonder that my grandpa didn't want to talk about what he did in the war.  The amount of death and destruction happening all around you at age 19 had to be beyond words and not something to dwell on.  I'm lucky that my grandpa made it home alive and that, even for a short time, I was able to know him.  As I listen to the ceremonies today, I am proud to say that my grandpa is one of the men they honor.  I am so humbled to learn of what he and so many others did for the world.  I don't have anything particularly poignant or revelatory to add to all that has been already said about the sacrifices that these men, their generation, and the world gave to everyone who followed.  I only want to try to tell my grandpa's story, however incomplete and fractured it may be.  This is a day and a man that I will never let be forgotten. 

My grandpa, Robert Early, digging  foxhole in WWII.  

A Quick Trip to Brussels

  Okay, so last post about traveling for a bit, I promise to tell you some crap about Paris soon!  Anyways, J and I went to Brussels (Belgium) for a quick weekend trip.  We actually took a bus there!  The bus was quite nice and took a bit less than 5 hours for us to get there; it's also much cheaper than the train.  The best part about the ride was the free Wifi!  You would think there would be free wifi everywhere these days, but it sometimes seems hard to come by here in Europe.  For example, when you take the train to Brussels, which costs more than double the bus, you have to pay for the wifi!  Jerks.  Another cost saving tip for traveling in Europe is to stay at an Ibis.  They are always running specials and are usually the cheaper option to begin with anyway.  The rooms are usually pretty sparse, but J and I don't travel with the intent to spend much time in the hotel room.  We just need a place to crash, and Ibis fits the bill (and they are clean, which is a big plus).  Beware, though, when looking for a cheap place to stay as the places that are super, to-good-to-be-true cheap, usually have a couple catches, like no elevator when you are on the 8th floor or shared toilets (no thanks).   Anyways, we made it there safe and sound.

Beautiful old building in the town square.

  Brussels is a very small city, just as is the country - Belgium.  J and I were nearly able to walk around the entire city center in just one day.  We spent our time seeing the architecture, monuments, and parks.  We used geocaching as our guide!  There are a bunch of caches hidden all over Europe and Brussels was no exception.  So, first, what the hell is geocaching?  Check out this link to explore, but the short story is it is a game of sorts using GPS to find hidden "treasures".  Usually, the treasures are just a logbook to sign, but the caches almost always take you to a place of interest when searching for them in cities.  I think we saw all the major tourist spots in Brussels, along with some more rare locations, just by searching out caches.  We even did a small pub crawl through geocaching clues.

My first cache found in Brussels :)

  Truth be told, the popular thing to do in Brussels seemed to be beer drinking.  J and I were surprised by the amount of American hipsters hanging out there.  English was widely spoken throughout the city by all types of businesses (French and Dutch are the official languages).  So, it is an easy city for  mono-lingual Americans to navigate.  There are tons of good beer to sample, and we definitely tried our fair share.  It's weird that a country bordering France produces such variable and high-quality beer.  To try to find any of it in Paris (without breaking the bank) is impossible!  Oh yeah, the beer was cheap there too!  All of Brussels was very affordable.  Then again, anytime we leave Paris, J and I are amazed at how cheap everything is... perspective I guess. Also, "pee" themed artwork is really popular in Brussels.  The most popular tourist destination is probably the Manneken Pis.

Manneken Pis

And for a little gender equality, Jeanneke Pis.

And, what's a European city without some "You're a peeing" graffiti.  I'm hilarious! 

  It was a fun weekend and a nice getaway from Paris.  I wouldn't really recommend spending a whole lot of time in Brussels unless you are just traveling for good beer, but I'm sure there is a lot more to explore in Belgium.  It's also a great city for geocaching if that floats your boat, it does mine!  J and I are actually looking forward to taking more weekend trips to explore all the different cultures at our doorstep.  You all should come join us!! 

Sunset in Brussels.

Roaming in Rome

  Look, I'm posting!  Ha!  And you people didn't believe I would.  So, I though since my last post was something recent I will make this next one a catch up of sorts.  Many of you may already know, but J and I went to Rome this past fall.  We actually went in October for our ten year anniversary.  I never imagined that we would be spending it Rome, but it was incredible and I am sure glad we had the opportunity.

  So, if you watch for deals and don't mind no frill flying, one can actually travel through Europe fairly inexpensively.  It also means that for the most part you are waking up and godly hours and running to multiple transportation systems to get there, but hey, you GET there!  So, the trip to Rome started just like that, waking up before the butt crack of down so we could run to the metro to grab the first train of the morning in order to get to the bus that takes you to the airport with enough time to get patted down and hop on (hahahahaha)!  This trip actually starts my streak of pat downs, I think I'm going on 5 now, whoop!

  To properly explain, let me take you back before October.  J, some visitors, and I were at a French flea market and I was lucky enough to snag an old school Iron Maiden shirt for 50 centimes.  Needless to say, it is my favorite shirt and I wear it everywhere.  So, of course I wore on the plane that day.  Well, turns out the guy controlling the traffic through the metal detector was a huge, HUGE Iron Maiden fan.  He was busy listing every song and record to me.  Me, on the other hand, have like zero Iron Maiden knowledge, so I let him do the talking.  So, in his excitement he fails to adequately control my moving through the metal detector inadvertently waiving me through when I clearly should not have gone.  At least that's what the woman on the other side was saying as she gave the "I know you are a terrorist now" stare.  So, pat down commences.  She evidently was not a fan of Iron Maiden.   I was surprised I didn't make it on some type of list that day because I was also carrying a dangerous weapon in my purse, a corkscrew (in France you never leave home without it).  But, before you know it we are on the plane and on our way to Rome.

  Rome is an ah-mazing city. It doesn't take much meandering around the city to get a feel for how truly old this city is.  Old isn't even an accurate statement, Paris is old, but Rome is ancient!  There are ruins from hundreds and thousands of years ago.  Every once in a while you come across where they have dug up a bit of the city only to have unearthed a remnants of another city below.  I told J I bet global warming is in part due to the fact that we are so much closer to the sun now than people so many years ago.  I'm sure you'll be hearing breaking studies on this very theory soon enough.  Take note who you heard it from first!

Some unearthed part of a building near the Forum.

  Rome is a small city and easy to walk, but nearly all the roads and sidewalks are cobblestone which made for sore feet at the end of the day.  I ended up blowing up the pair of shoes I brought, they made a weird squeaking sound for the rest of the trip which J seemed to really enjoy. 

Cobblestone.

  Since we were there just for a long weekend we made sure to hit up all the major attractions.  We saw the Colosseum (pro-tip: skip the tour and don't get suckered into one at the last minute, you'll probably just end up ditching it), the Forum, Vatican City, Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, a good dose of churches, and a bunch of Roman architecture. We did get a tour for the Vatican  and it turned out well worth it.  We were super lucky as our tour consisted of J and I and one other American our age on a European tour.  It turns out his next stop was Paris, so I got a chance to show him around a bit while he was there.  It's crazy making random friends all over the world, but there just seem to be so many chances here! 

Trevi fountain - It's said if you trow in a coin then you are guarnteed to return.  We threw one in!

Not sure this needs a caption...

St. Peter's Basilica, this place was MASSIVE!

  We also found some time to hop on a train and head a bit south to the beach.  We went to the city of Anzio.  Even though it was October and the beach business was essentially closed, the water was plenty warm for our Ohio weathered bodies.  It was actually really cool to swim in the Mediterranean.  I'm pretty sure it would take a lot of effort to drown there, I could barely dunk my head under the salted water.  Where we were swimming was not only the home to Nero's villa way back when, but also a sight of an American beach invasion during WWII.  There is an American Cemetery in Anzio also, but we didn't have time this trip to visit it.  It would have been nice to have spent a bit more time in this town, it was somewhat off the beaten path, especially with the it being past the beach season.  We did stop for lunch and had some amazing super cheap pizza by the slice. 

  I really could go on for longer about Rome, it really is an incredible city with a great vibe.  We liked it so much that we are planning on returning to explore more of Italy this fall.  I can't wait for the trip and hopefully I'll blog about it in a more timely manner than this trip!  Hold your breath!

Happy travels, L

Bonne Année

  Happy New Year people!  So, I know my blog has turned into a sad desert of emptiness.  Good news though, I have made a new year's resolution to make this forgotten tumbleweed into something near awesome.  I can't go all the way for complete awesomeness yet because that would just be too much pressure.  In the upcoming weeks I hope to fill in some of that wide open space that fell blank, so there won't be a lot of timeline continuity to start.  Pretty sure all you hungry hoards can deal with that though.  To start I thought I would share about J and I's mini-vacation to the Austrian Alps.

  We left for Munich on the day after Christmas.  Because we are crazy, we had to get up at 3am after staying up way too late on Christmas with some friends and family.  After the bus, train, plane ordeal we finally made it to Munich around 8am.  Here our Russian friend, who invited us along on this ski trip in the first place, picked us up.  At this point all I want is a nap, but our friend had maybe a better idea.  Right off he says "I advise that you not delay in drinking a beer".   Weeeelll, twist my arm.   So, this will be my new way to greet people visiting J and I in Paris.  I might take it up a notch with some wine.

A quick pit stop in Munich.  Here we are watching the Glockenspiel in action.

  Our Russian friends had been to this area for skiing before and they had booked us at a little out of the way mom and pop hotel in Austria.  This place was crazy adorable.  The owner shook all our hands as he greeted us in.  They also have an restaurant that cooks fresh caught trout for dinner.  It waaas amazing.  Well, except for the bones in the fish, I'm horrible at picking those things out...I'm slightly convinced there is still one caught in the back of my throat.  Anyways, the hotel was located near several different ski resorts and off we went!

Me, looking into the abyss.

  That might be better said as of they went!  See, I am new to skiing, I only learned a few years ago and have had minimal experience since then.  Once we got up to the top of the mountain the idea of skiing down it grew more and more terrifying in my mind.  After finally pulling together some determination, J escorted me to the baby hill.  Here's where I truly flipped out, full on panic attack.  I couldn't even feel my knees under me.  It was a hot mess for sure.  So as soon as we reached the bottom I frantically ripped off my skis and decided a day drinking in the lodge sounded like a good idea. 

I picture from the top!  I made the trip with the help of ski lifts ;)

  Luckily for me, the trip wasn't all skiing.  We visited a swimming pool/sauna center in the mountains.  The swimming area was extremely cool.  They had an inside and outside portion.  Outside, there was a heated pool and extra heated jacuzzi portion.  Swimming and floating around with mountain peaks dotting the sky was truly an awesome experience.  The sauna, on the other hand, was a learning experience!  Zoinks!  Turns out J and I should have read up on the rules of sauna before we went...let's just say that now we know!  We also had the chance to walk around Munich a bit, eat tons of German and Austrian delicacies (shnitzel galore!),  and even made it to Neuschwanstein. It was a great trip and even though there were some language barriers with a few of our Russian friends we had a great time and got to meet some truly kind people.

J and I at Neuschwanstein.

  Well, I hope this starts to satiate my hungry followers out there!  I am aiming to post at least twice a month, but maybe more.  So, hopefully you will hear from me again soon!

~L

Remeberance

  The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of activity!  J and I were lucky enough to have a couple friends come and stay with us.  We didn't rest for a second and soaked in as much as Paris as we could together.  We were also lucky enough to make a trip out of the city to the Normandy area.  Since today is 9/11, I thought it would be a good time to share our experience at Omaha Beach, the American Cemetery and some Normandy cities. 

  Before 9/11 finding scars of war left on our country wasn't easy, not to say that there aren't any (Civil War battlefields come to mind).  It is completely different here in France.  You can't walk a few blocks and not come across bullet holes or evidence of shellings, mostly from WWII.  It's embedded in every town, reminders of the not so distance past and the sacrifice given by all.  Some towns were so damaged it is wondrous that any building was left standing at all.  In Caen (where we stayed the night), there was heavy damage, but the Chateau built in 1060 still stands.

Eglise Saint-Pierre in Caen that we visited in the early morning fog.

Le Chateau de Caen.

  After walking around Caen in the morning we drove to the Normandy Beaches.  It was a beautiful day for a walk on the beach.  The beach was so peaceful, at first glance there seems to be no reminders of D-Day. 

Omaha beach.

The hills behind the beach.  From here it looks like any other part of the landscape.

  As you walk up the hill pockets of the war left behind begin to appear.  Old carved out bunkers and leveled out pieces of land where heavy artillery stood still remain.  It's surreal to climb down into one of the bunkers and look out down the hill.  This is where machine guns fired relentlessly at the men on the beaches.  The terror and the anguish are nearly palpable, yet softened by the beautiful scenery.

View from a bunker.

 Truly the most powerful part of the experience was at the American Cemetery.  The Visitors Center, which was dedicated in 2007, was incredible.  There were so many personal stories of men (and a few women) who fought, died, and were true heroes.  The entire experience is beyond words on how it touches you and brings you in to that time.  If you are in France for any period of time, make this a priority.  The cemetery itself is beautifully laid out and landscaped meticulously.  It over looks the sea and there is a true sense of calm and peace there. 

~President Truman

  I feel like I should end with something profound or some piece of wisdom.  Truthfully, I have none, words don't really feel like enough when it comes to summing up an era of war.  Needless to say, I am thankful for all soldiers and volunteers, men and women, who stand up everyday and fight for the United States.  It was a privilege to be able to visit such sacred ground.

~L

Happy Belated Bastille Day!

  Some of you may know, but I had another flare or iritis.  Since this affects my eye and vision, blogging was put on the back burner.  I have been on the mend though and I am ready to get back into the swing of things!  First, big shout out to the French healthcare system that has given me superb care and has been relatively easy to navigate despite the language barrier. 
 
  Anyways, for the La Fête Nationale I was determined to watch the fireworks (feux d'artifice) on the Champs de Mars which is a length of grass (and other bits) that lay at the feet of the Eiffel Tower.  The fireworks are set off from behind the tower and also incorporate a laser light show installed on the tower as well.  So, you might imagine that the Champs de Mars is quite the popular place to go on Bastille Day.  J and I got there early to have a picnic and stake claim to a piece of grass.  Here are a few pictures to show the crowds grow:

Early in the afternoon.  Just a few peeps so far.

  As you can see, it was a beautiful day!  The picnic we put together and a day in the sun was a good time in itself. 

Here's J channeling his inner Baba!

 

Things are starting to fill up!

Oh, it's going to get even more crowded than this!

  As it got more and more crowded it eventually turned into standing room only.  The crowd was mostly friendly and never got pushy.  We had plopped down next to an Australian couple that have lived in France for several years now.  They were super nice and we shared our cheeses because that's a French thing to do. I would recommend making a pit stop to the port-a-pots before it gets too crowded though.  I had to leap tippy toed to get back to our spot when I made a last minute dash!  Also, as a warning, none of the markets near the Eiffel Tower are allowed to sell any booze on the 14th, so bring your own or buy some at a premium from the "entrepreneurs" roaming the champs.  I successfully bargained with a nice "business" man for a bottle of bubbly.  This was a pretty big achievement for me because not only was it in french, but I am horrible at haggling (a national pastime in France).

  The firework theme was "Liberté, égalité, fraternité" (liberty, equality, brotherhood).  Now, here are some gratuitous firework shots, cue the oohing and aahing:

The French embracing their new gay marriage equality!

  The fireworks lasted forever, I thought it was the grand finale three separate times.  I could easily bore you with about a hundred more pictures!  I'll save it for a slideshow when I come visit the states.  I did find it amusing though that 80% of the music that accompanied the fireworks was American.  Including a piece of music that could only be more incongruous then hardcore gansta rap (which is played surprisingly often in the grocery stores), any guesses?  Try this.  HA!  Oh people of France, you make me smile!  Overall, it truly was quite a fantastic sight and beautiful night.  I feel really lucky that we were there and that I can share a little piece of it with you all. 

  Stayed tuned for more to come as I catch up on a back log of posts.
~ L