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

Bones

   Guess where we went??  Hint: See above picture. If you guessed the Catacombs you would be right.  A friend from school, J, and I visited the Catacombs this past week. It was quite an interesting tour and by Paris standards a pretty good value.  I should have taken a picture of the line, it really never ends!  We got there an hour before they opened and there was a small line already forming.  By the time they opened the line was already 3 hours long.  There were literally people being dropped of by the tour busload.  So, pro tip: get there early.

 The Catacombs basically came about because the rotting bodies in the sub-par cemeteries inside of Paris were infiltrating the water system and overflowing into unsuspecting basements around town.  So, they decided to haul 6 million remains to the old quarry system underground Paris.  At some point the workman decided to arrange the bones into interesting designs.

  Overall, it was a nice way to spend a morning, especially a hot one.  There were lots of steps and slippery paths, so I would recommend only for the sure-footed.  Also, according to the French warning sings, people with a "nervous disposition" should take caution and stay away!  I'm not exactly sure what that means and why, but it sounds so adorable.  The French really do have a way with words.
~L

Je parle francais?

  I guess an apology is due to all my loyal followers (you know, those related to me) for not posting more regularly these past few weeks.  Je suis vraiment desolée.  I guess I have been a little tied up having the French language crush my soul.  Seriously!  French is not an easy language.  I fumble and stumble, hum and haw, just to make a barely understandable sentence.  There are SIXTEEN vowels in french!  For those keeping count, that's 12 more than English (8 more if you consider the different sounds available to make).  Good gravy!  They all start sounding the same, but a mispronunciation is evidently very confusing to the french.  I really should get a necklace or sign of some sort that apologizes up front for my shotty language skills.  For my defense, I wouldn't really say I am that great at English. 

  Though, I must say I have learned beaucoup since starting at my school.  You should of heard me thoroughly destroy the language before I arrived.  I have also had the immense pleasure of meeting some truly great people who can relate to all the same things that I feel, frustrations mostly, but the good as well!  I never thought I would have such an international group of friends.  As I close up my time at school I thought I might show you some of the things we have been up to these past few months.

  My school is actually in a beautiful old building, go figure right?

  If you didn't catch on, I go to Alliance Française.  I'm taking the intensive classes, 4 hours each morning, Monday through Friday.  It's 100% in french and each of my teachers have been very helpful and help take the edge off learning by injecting some fun.  I still have lots more to learn, but I am going to take a break until the new year.  J and I have lots of upcoming traveling plans and I would miss too much school for my own good.  Of our few French friends they all seem to have faith that I will be communicating like a pro in no time.  Bets are on.

La Tour

  What!?!  I haven't posted in forever and I am going to bore you with *another* post about the Eiffel Tower?  You think it was the national symbol of Paris or even France at that.  Don't fret, this post is about a different tower, La Tour Montparnasse.  Before we go any farther, click that link!  Seriously, it is pretty sweet and it will give you a good idea of where J and I live because it is just a few blocks from Montparnasse Tower.  We can see it from our apartment's balcony:

  For a few euros (actually it was kind of steep for an elevator ride, the Louvre was cheaper) you can take a ride to the top.  It is the highest point in Paris at 210 meters.  I'm not sure what 210 meters means, but it seemed really high when I was up there.  Okay, I looked it up and it converts to 689 feet, still unrelatable to me.  I do not have a brain that understands height or distances well.  Anyways, they have an open air viewing patio at the top that you can enjoy and take in the sights.  Here are some pictures from my trip:

The viewing area from the top of Montparnasse.

The other Tower.  I guess it did make it into this post after all!

Montparnasse Cemetery, no Jim Morrison's tomb is not here.

More Eif and a bit of perspective.

 J and I want to try to get up there at sunset on a nice day and get some nice pictures that way.  They are open until 11:30p so we could grab some night pictures too.  Like most things in Paris and the surroundings it would have been best if I bought my tickets ahead of time.  Doing this would have saved me probably 20 minutes of waiting in line.  You may have noticed that J and I took no pictures of the Palace at Versailles.  That's because the line was basically just a giant cluster of people in no particular order.  This seems to happen a lot here.  Be prepared for line cutters or get the insiders track so you can skip some of the congestion.

 Since I don't have anything else to add, let me close with this:

What.was.that?!?

 

Gardens at Versailles

All apologies for the delay between posts...

J has had the last 3 days off work for VE Day and Armistice Day.  We've been out and about around Paris - you know, touristy things like the Louvre, Versailles, and outdoor markets.

I figured now would be a good time to post a few pics of our recent outings.  Feel free to PM me if you would like links to the various albums.

Statue at the Marie Antoinette gazebo

Painting (MA ?) inside the Petite Trianon

Sitting room at Versailles

Gazebo at Versailles

 Window latches in the Petite Trianon

Just one of hundreds of amazing statues at Versailles

Happy self picture...difficult to do with a Rebel T3i

We will post some more topics soon....