Here it is almost a month since we returned and I am finally finishing up our blog. Better late than never. :)
July 8th was our last day in Paris, as well as our second wedding anniversary. (If someone had told me on July 8, 2005 that I would be spending July 8, 2007 in Paris with my husband, I don't know if I would have believed them!) On the agenda: gather food for a picnic, visit the Orsay Museum, take a trip to Versailles and spend the evening at Sacre-Coeur and Montmartre. A grand farewell to an even grander trip.
After the usual morning routine, we headed out onto Rue Cler to assemble our picnic. We had been looking forward to this since we arrived on our little street because it is a jumble of specialty food shops and markets. We selected apricots, apples and raspberries from a local produce stand, ham from this amazing Italian deli called Davoli (where we had to wait in line with all the locals...it was a pretty happenin' place!), and this little baby wheel of soft cheese from La Fromagerie. We tried to purchase bread and breakfast from our favorite bakery, Boulangerie Patisserie Artisnale, but the line was stretching so far into the street we decided it wasn't worth the wait. After carefully packing our goodies in the daypack we were off to the Orsay.
We decided to walk to the Orsay because Rick said we could, and because seeing the city on foot is just such an unbeatable experience. On the way, we stopped at a bakery and purchased two croissants for a light breakfast. They were scrumptious! We kept walking and walking and walking, finally reaching the Seine. Eventually we arrived at the museum, skipped the rather long line with our handy museum pass and entered the beautiful building. There was a special section on Picasso on the lower floor, so we checked it out since we didn't make it to the Picasso Museum, but there were sooo many people that we scrambled through the displays and moved on.
I have to tell you, the building that houses the Orsay is AMAZING. Karen told us it is a former train station, and it has this beautiful glass ceiling and amazing curves. I loved it.
We checked out some Art Nouveau furniture and then headed up to the Impressionist galleries. We saw lots of Manet, Monet, Renoir, some more of our friend Van Gogh, and much more. It was getting late, so we headed outside and across the street to the handy metro/RER stop that would take us to Versailles. When we got to the ticket line we could hear the teller being rude to the people in front of us, so I told Jason to use simple words and his fingers to tell her we wanted two tickets to Versailles. Well he did just that, but she goes "HOW MANY" and Jason again told her two. They went back and forth like this for a bit, and finally he gave her 50 Euro and she goes "No." He was like, "What?" "No. Too big." She wouldn't break a 50 for our tickets that cost 12.20. So we went back, dazed, into the daylight. Where would we find a place to get smaller bills?
Jason does not get mad easily, and he really doesn't swear very often. So when he looks at me and says "We're not going to f****** Versailles", I got a little worried. I told him we had to, it would be cool, and it was our anniversary. "No. I'm not going back down and talking to her. This is shit." Hmmm. Finally I convinced him we could buy a bottle of water from a street stand, break the 50 and go buy our tickets. My plan worked, she was still rude, but we made it onto the metro, switched to the RER, ate our little picnic, and eventually got off at Versailles.
It was sprinkling at Versailles, and chilly, but we made our way to the Palace. It actually doesn't look all that impressive when you see it head on, and we had to struggle walking over some topsy-turvy cobblestones to get there. And it seemed that every tourist in France must have converged upon Versailles the same day we did. As we stood in the massive front courtyard, we had to decide if we should see the inside of the palace first, or the gardens. Since we didn't know how long it would be before the weather really broke, we went with the gardens.
When I say "gardens" I really mean freakin' Central Park. The grounds at Versailles are MASSIVE. Even Jason was impressed. We had to pay extra since it was Sunday and the fountains were supposed to be running, but much to our disappointment they were not. We decided to walk down past the Grand Canal (back in the day it housed 9 ships including a warship with cannons), stopped for some ice cream, and headed to the Grand Trianon Palace. This little place was the "summer home". Yeah. We toured the inside since it was starting to rain, and for a "summer home" the place was pretty fancy.
We kept walking and saw the Petit Trianon, which was where Marie-Antoinette spent a lot of her time, and wanted to walk out to her peasant hamlet, but by this point the weather was really not cooperating. Jason and I turned around, sharing our little umbrella, and waited for a tram to take us back to the main palace (would have been a 25 minute walk in the POURING rain). We had to wait through two trams before one came by that was not full, and then enjoyed a damp, bumpy ride back up. And, figures, the fountains were now on in full glory.
After some confusion, and waiting in the drenched, unevenly surfaced front courtyard, we made it inside the main palace. Basically we wandered through the rooms with about a bazillion other soggy tourists and ogled at the absolute wealth that built the place. Everything was just so ornate. Gilding was everywhere. Not my idea of interior decorating, but shoot, it was impressive. I loveloveloved the Hall of Mirrors. We found out later that it just came out of a long restoration. Marie-Antoinette's bedroom was pretty cool, even though there were so many people that I literally could not move for a good 60 seconds. Finally we got to the gift shop, I bought a cute magnet, and we high-tailed it to the train station.
When we arrived back in Paris it was after 5:00 PM and rainy, so we decided to nix our excursion to Montmartre. It took me a bit to get over my disappointment because both Martina and Karen had said this area was lovely, but Jason reminded me that we WOULD be back someday. So we headed back to Rue Cler, ate a delicious dinner at the Chinese place across from our hotel, and then walked to our bakery so I could finally purchase one of those macaroons I had been eyeing. I decided to try the pistachio flavor. It was flat out the best piece of food I had on the entire trip! This delicious cream is sandwiched between two cookies with crunchy shells and soft, cakey interiors. Oh man. A trip back just to have another macaroon would be worth the cost. :)
We went back to our hotel, reminisced about our trip and our two-year-old marriage, packed and fell asleep.
The day we left Paris, we got up early, caught the metro, transfered to the RER, experienced one of the cities biggest metro stations, I bought two more macaroons (one crossed the Atlantic with me and arrived in the mouths of my parents) and we finally made it to CDG. The airport was huge, we took a bit to find our bearings, and then we had to take a freakin' shuttle just to get to our terminal. Crazy. Our flight home was wonderful due to the fact that each seat had it's own TV screen and a large choice of movies. I watched four straight and didn't even mind the 8 hours of sitting. :) Jason was able to see a couple movies he had been really wanting to see, and it was just a much more enjoyable flight than the one coming over.
We landed in Philadelphia, had to go through customs, get our bags and re-check them, go through security, walk through the airport to our terminal, and we were supposed to go through security AGAIN. But it was 5:00 PM and our flight left at 5:20. The line was so long we couldn't see the end. So I went up to this woman and told her, "We just landed from Paris. We've been gone for 23 days. We are not going to stand in line AGAIN and miss our flight." She was really helpful and got us to the head of the line. We made our flight, and by 10:45 PM PST we were happily in my parents living room.
This was a trip of dreams for me, and while Jason has not wanted this since the time he was 10 (like me!), by the time we got home he couldn't stop talking about all the things we saw and experienced --- and he was already speaking of "when we go back" and "where we'll go next" (perhaps the UK and Ireland?!). I believe we have found true travel partners in each other. I would so strongly encourage people to travel if they have that desire. The memories we have will last us a lifetime, and that is worth more to us than any material thing we could buy. Here's to the future and whatever travel adventures it holds in store. :)
Monday, August 6, 2007
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Two Americans in Paris, Day Three
Saturday the 7th was our third day in Paris, and we were both excited because we knew we would be able to meet up with my cousin Laura later that day. We started our morning by getting some delicious croissants from the bakery down the street and then walking to the metro to ride to the Arc de Triomphe. It was another cloudy, gray morning but as we stepped out from the metro entrance and that grand monument was before us, a few sprinkles didn't matter. We took the underpass to actually reach the monument (a massive round-about keeps it rather isolated from foot traffic) and marveled at our own smallness.
After paying our respects at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, we stepped into the right base of the arch and made the 284 step climb to the top. We had to stop about mid-way for a breather, and a few others joined us. Finally we reached the top, or rather the bookstore. They are in the midst of renovating, but we sat and rested a few minutes while viewing the dried palms they have on the walls (saved from the tomb below). After a few more flights of stairs, we were overlooking what I imagine is one of the grandest cities in the world. We had wonderful views of the Eiffel Tower and Sacre-Coeur and all of Paris, really. We soaked in the scenery for awhile, and then made the dizzying climb back down.
From the Arc de Triomphe, we strolled down the Champs-Elysees (not impressed much) where we passed store after store. We did make a stop at the GAP, where I hoped to purchase a pair of ballet flats that were all the rage over there, but no such luck. We finally made it to the Place de la Concorde, where thousands lost their heads to the guillotine and where city workers were setting up massive bleachers for Bastille Day celebrations to be held on July 14. After making our way across the busy intersection, we entered the lovely Tuileries Garden, where we had hoped to lazily stroll and relax. The weather turned on us though, so we stopped at an outdoor cafe and ate a lunch in which Jason's sandwich cost 5,40 euro and his coke 6,50. Who knew soda could cost more than a meal?!
After lunch we headed to one of the city's most famous sites: the Louvre. Justing standing in the square surrounded by the grand palace and facing the modern pyramid made us feel a little like Tom Hanks in The DaVinci Code. But just a little. :) We entered through the pyramid and took the escalators down into madness. There were sooo many people! At this point of the trip, we were getting a little museum-ed out so we decided to see the highlights and leave the rest for another time. Due to Jason's handy map reading skills, we were able to see Venus de Milo which is an actual Greek statue (not a Roman copy), and Winged Victory. From there we headed to the granddaddy of them all, the Mona Lisa. She hangs on her own wall in a big room, and is covered by bulletproof glass. I fought my way to the front...and decided I was a little disappointed. The painting itself is actually quite small (if comparing it to others in the museum). After spending what seemed like forever finding and then waiting for a bathroom, we toured some rooms on ancient Rome and Egypt and finally finished by viewing Michelangelo's Slaves. We had seen his unfinished Prisoners in Florence, so it was cool to see the finished product here.
From the Louvre, we followed the Seine as the sun was coming out on our way to meet up with Laura and Karen and Harry. It was a nice walk and the sun lifted our travel-weary spirits. Rainy weather can take a lot out of a person in a foreign city meant to be seen on foot. We made it to our meeting point about half an hour early, so we people-watched until I saw familiar-looking females headed our way. I walked over and Karen and Laura and I talked excitedly, as would anyone meeting up in a city as grand as Paris. After some hello hugs, the five of us found a cafe and ordered ice cream and caught up. It was soo good to see them!
After some discussion, we all decided to walk to the Luxembourg Gardens through the Latin Quarter. It was good to hand the reins over to someone else for awhile. Jason and Harry chatted while us girls did as well. We stopped to look at a few cool cars that Karen and Harry recognized and finally made it to the gardens --- which were lovely. We found a nice place to sit and Laura called my mom with her cell. It was crazy to be hanging out with Laura IN PARIS. :)
From the gardens we decided we'd split up, but Jason and I convinced them to ride the metro to their next stop, the Eiffel Tower (and besides, I don't think Laura or Harry's feet could hold out much longer!). So we helped them figure out the metro system, and the five of us were able to ride together part of the way. I hadn't planned on having to say my goodbyes to Laura in a crowded metro, but I think it worked out better in the end because there was no time for tears. Jason took a quick picture of us, and then we had to get off. After walking BACK to our transfer spot due to construction, we finally made it to Rue Cler.
We ate another delicious meal at Cafe du Marche (fried duck for Jason, steak for me) and then headed over to the Eiffel Tower around 9:30 PM. As we were walking, we heard these people say "Hey we know you!" We turned, and saw this great couple that we had met on the train in Switzerland. He had had a Gonzaga hat on, so we struck up conversation and discovered they were both in the Education program and studying in Florence for the summer. They were so cool, and now we were seeing them in Paris! We struck up conversation like travelers would, and the four of us made our way to the Eiffel Tower.
The Tower, as Jason called it, was so amazing to see in person. The sun was set, darkness was descending, and the four of us got in some great photo opportunities. Then at exactly 10 PM, as I was snapping a picture of our new friends, the tower exploded into sparkling lights. It was sooo pretty! We walked down to the base of it to climb up (the sucker is really HUGE in person and up close and personal) and were bombarded with insanely long lines. We decided not to wait in line. Instead, we attempted to catch a boat cruise, but we just missed it. So we walked back to our hotel, constantly turning around to view one of the most romantic sights probably on earth. All in all, it was a good day.
After paying our respects at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, we stepped into the right base of the arch and made the 284 step climb to the top. We had to stop about mid-way for a breather, and a few others joined us. Finally we reached the top, or rather the bookstore. They are in the midst of renovating, but we sat and rested a few minutes while viewing the dried palms they have on the walls (saved from the tomb below). After a few more flights of stairs, we were overlooking what I imagine is one of the grandest cities in the world. We had wonderful views of the Eiffel Tower and Sacre-Coeur and all of Paris, really. We soaked in the scenery for awhile, and then made the dizzying climb back down.
From the Arc de Triomphe, we strolled down the Champs-Elysees (not impressed much) where we passed store after store. We did make a stop at the GAP, where I hoped to purchase a pair of ballet flats that were all the rage over there, but no such luck. We finally made it to the Place de la Concorde, where thousands lost their heads to the guillotine and where city workers were setting up massive bleachers for Bastille Day celebrations to be held on July 14. After making our way across the busy intersection, we entered the lovely Tuileries Garden, where we had hoped to lazily stroll and relax. The weather turned on us though, so we stopped at an outdoor cafe and ate a lunch in which Jason's sandwich cost 5,40 euro and his coke 6,50. Who knew soda could cost more than a meal?!
After lunch we headed to one of the city's most famous sites: the Louvre. Justing standing in the square surrounded by the grand palace and facing the modern pyramid made us feel a little like Tom Hanks in The DaVinci Code. But just a little. :) We entered through the pyramid and took the escalators down into madness. There were sooo many people! At this point of the trip, we were getting a little museum-ed out so we decided to see the highlights and leave the rest for another time. Due to Jason's handy map reading skills, we were able to see Venus de Milo which is an actual Greek statue (not a Roman copy), and Winged Victory. From there we headed to the granddaddy of them all, the Mona Lisa. She hangs on her own wall in a big room, and is covered by bulletproof glass. I fought my way to the front...and decided I was a little disappointed. The painting itself is actually quite small (if comparing it to others in the museum). After spending what seemed like forever finding and then waiting for a bathroom, we toured some rooms on ancient Rome and Egypt and finally finished by viewing Michelangelo's Slaves. We had seen his unfinished Prisoners in Florence, so it was cool to see the finished product here.
From the Louvre, we followed the Seine as the sun was coming out on our way to meet up with Laura and Karen and Harry. It was a nice walk and the sun lifted our travel-weary spirits. Rainy weather can take a lot out of a person in a foreign city meant to be seen on foot. We made it to our meeting point about half an hour early, so we people-watched until I saw familiar-looking females headed our way. I walked over and Karen and Laura and I talked excitedly, as would anyone meeting up in a city as grand as Paris. After some hello hugs, the five of us found a cafe and ordered ice cream and caught up. It was soo good to see them!
After some discussion, we all decided to walk to the Luxembourg Gardens through the Latin Quarter. It was good to hand the reins over to someone else for awhile. Jason and Harry chatted while us girls did as well. We stopped to look at a few cool cars that Karen and Harry recognized and finally made it to the gardens --- which were lovely. We found a nice place to sit and Laura called my mom with her cell. It was crazy to be hanging out with Laura IN PARIS. :)
From the gardens we decided we'd split up, but Jason and I convinced them to ride the metro to their next stop, the Eiffel Tower (and besides, I don't think Laura or Harry's feet could hold out much longer!). So we helped them figure out the metro system, and the five of us were able to ride together part of the way. I hadn't planned on having to say my goodbyes to Laura in a crowded metro, but I think it worked out better in the end because there was no time for tears. Jason took a quick picture of us, and then we had to get off. After walking BACK to our transfer spot due to construction, we finally made it to Rue Cler.
We ate another delicious meal at Cafe du Marche (fried duck for Jason, steak for me) and then headed over to the Eiffel Tower around 9:30 PM. As we were walking, we heard these people say "Hey we know you!" We turned, and saw this great couple that we had met on the train in Switzerland. He had had a Gonzaga hat on, so we struck up conversation and discovered they were both in the Education program and studying in Florence for the summer. They were so cool, and now we were seeing them in Paris! We struck up conversation like travelers would, and the four of us made our way to the Eiffel Tower.
The Tower, as Jason called it, was so amazing to see in person. The sun was set, darkness was descending, and the four of us got in some great photo opportunities. Then at exactly 10 PM, as I was snapping a picture of our new friends, the tower exploded into sparkling lights. It was sooo pretty! We walked down to the base of it to climb up (the sucker is really HUGE in person and up close and personal) and were bombarded with insanely long lines. We decided not to wait in line. Instead, we attempted to catch a boat cruise, but we just missed it. So we walked back to our hotel, constantly turning around to view one of the most romantic sights probably on earth. All in all, it was a good day.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Two Americans in Paris, Day Two
We started our second day in Paris by following Rick's Historic Core of Paris walk. We took the Metro to Notre Dame, which actually sites on the Ile Cite in the Seine River. The church was impressive, but after Rome and St. Peter's it has been pretty hard to floor us. Still, it was cool to be at a place that is steeped in so much history and lore.
The lines were crazy, but it didn't take too long to get inside. I had read to be sure and see the rose windows that fill each transept, and they were beautiful, impressive and the subject of several photographs. I imagined it would be wonderful to attend mass here, with music and prayers filling the domineering space. Back outside we walked around the church to see the spire and the flying buttresses --- cool because I taught about this stuff when I was in Mr. Funke's classroom at LHS.
We wanted to visit the Deportation Memorial that is located right across from Notre Dame, but we arrived right at noon, when it closes for two hours. We decided to continue with our walk and hopefully get back to it.
From the Ile Cite we crossed a bridge to the Ile St. Louis. It was very cute and felt like classic Paris. We found the ice cream parlor that we were to meet Laura and Karen and Harry at on Saturday, and then ate a relaxing lunch at a tiny little cafe. Luckily for us, our walk took us back to the Ile Cite and we arrived just as the Deportation Memorial opened. This site honors the 200,000 French victims of the Holocaust. Part of it consisted of a dark hallway lite by 200,000 crystals, with the flame of eternal hope shining bright at the end. The sign above the exit read "Pardonne n' oublie pas..." --- "Forgive, but never forget."
Our walk continued into the Latin Quarter, which was the city's main university district in the Middle Ages. Since educated people back then all learned Latin, the district earned its name. The area was filled with little shops and lots of tourists. We stopped at a bakery so I could buy a macaron (I had been eyeing them since we arrived) but no such luck. As we were walking out of the district towards Sainte-Chapelle we witnessed some sort of protest, and I remembered from my International Relations course that the French are known for this. We just wished we knew what was being protested.
The line for Sainte-Chapelle was ridiculous. Even though we had our Paris Museum Passes, we had to wait because the line was for security and not tickets. After 45 minutes, we passed through security and made our way to the chapel. It supposedly has the best Gothic stained glass windows in all of Europe, but I was skeptical. As I said before, Rome was pretty impressive. But nothing could outshine what we saw. Other churches are bigger and richer, but these windows are amazing. Just thinking about the craftsmanship blew our minds. Initially this church was so important because it held a very important relic, the Crown of Thorns. While the Crown is now housed at Notre Dame and rarely seen, the glory of the stained glass shines on.
We continued on, walking past the Palais de Justice and an original early-20th-century Metro entrance. Most of these were torn down over the years, but a few remain and they are great examples of Art Nouveau. We walked past the prison that held Marie-Antoinette before she became a foot shorter and ended our trek at Pont Neuf, the city's oldest bridge. After looking over the Seine for awhile, we decided we could walk to the Marais neighborhood for some more sightseeing and a trip to the Right Bank.
The area of Paris known as Marais seemed artsy to me, and a little hip. We had wanted to visit the Picasso Museum ("he's an artist I've heard of" said Jason) but it was too late. Instead we visited the Pompidou Center and the National Museum of Modern Art. The center itself is pretty interesting looking, and the square surrounding it had some cool street entertainers. The museum was an eye-opener for our uncultured eyes, and I actually really enjoyed most of the displays, even if I didn't understand them. I was just grateful we weren't looking at more Madonnas and angels and altarpieces, oh my. There were some rather humorous (although I don't think they were supposed to be) film pieces that Jason really got a kick out of.
After the museum we needed to figure out a way to get back to Rue Cler, but we still wanted to walk to the Place des Vosges, so we were glad to discover a bus stop near it --- although bus travel in Paris would be new to us. Place des Vosges was cool. It was a lovely square where all the rich Parisians used to live, and then Victor Hugo. We relaxed our feet in its little park, and then found our bus stop. After some waiting, we rode our cramped bus home and saw some sights along the way.
We ate our dinner at the Cafe du Marche, a favorite with tourists and locals. While we were surrounded by smokers, we were pleasantly surprised to discover that we received FREE water with our meal --- a first in Europe. I ordered fried duck, which was delicious, and Jason ordered the plat du jour, which was veal and rice. Skeptical at first, he ate it right up. To finish off our meal, we had two scoops of vanilla ice cream. While tasty, it didn't compare to the Italians and their gelato. :)
The lines were crazy, but it didn't take too long to get inside. I had read to be sure and see the rose windows that fill each transept, and they were beautiful, impressive and the subject of several photographs. I imagined it would be wonderful to attend mass here, with music and prayers filling the domineering space. Back outside we walked around the church to see the spire and the flying buttresses --- cool because I taught about this stuff when I was in Mr. Funke's classroom at LHS.
We wanted to visit the Deportation Memorial that is located right across from Notre Dame, but we arrived right at noon, when it closes for two hours. We decided to continue with our walk and hopefully get back to it.
From the Ile Cite we crossed a bridge to the Ile St. Louis. It was very cute and felt like classic Paris. We found the ice cream parlor that we were to meet Laura and Karen and Harry at on Saturday, and then ate a relaxing lunch at a tiny little cafe. Luckily for us, our walk took us back to the Ile Cite and we arrived just as the Deportation Memorial opened. This site honors the 200,000 French victims of the Holocaust. Part of it consisted of a dark hallway lite by 200,000 crystals, with the flame of eternal hope shining bright at the end. The sign above the exit read "Pardonne n' oublie pas..." --- "Forgive, but never forget."
Our walk continued into the Latin Quarter, which was the city's main university district in the Middle Ages. Since educated people back then all learned Latin, the district earned its name. The area was filled with little shops and lots of tourists. We stopped at a bakery so I could buy a macaron (I had been eyeing them since we arrived) but no such luck. As we were walking out of the district towards Sainte-Chapelle we witnessed some sort of protest, and I remembered from my International Relations course that the French are known for this. We just wished we knew what was being protested.
The line for Sainte-Chapelle was ridiculous. Even though we had our Paris Museum Passes, we had to wait because the line was for security and not tickets. After 45 minutes, we passed through security and made our way to the chapel. It supposedly has the best Gothic stained glass windows in all of Europe, but I was skeptical. As I said before, Rome was pretty impressive. But nothing could outshine what we saw. Other churches are bigger and richer, but these windows are amazing. Just thinking about the craftsmanship blew our minds. Initially this church was so important because it held a very important relic, the Crown of Thorns. While the Crown is now housed at Notre Dame and rarely seen, the glory of the stained glass shines on.
We continued on, walking past the Palais de Justice and an original early-20th-century Metro entrance. Most of these were torn down over the years, but a few remain and they are great examples of Art Nouveau. We walked past the prison that held Marie-Antoinette before she became a foot shorter and ended our trek at Pont Neuf, the city's oldest bridge. After looking over the Seine for awhile, we decided we could walk to the Marais neighborhood for some more sightseeing and a trip to the Right Bank.
The area of Paris known as Marais seemed artsy to me, and a little hip. We had wanted to visit the Picasso Museum ("he's an artist I've heard of" said Jason) but it was too late. Instead we visited the Pompidou Center and the National Museum of Modern Art. The center itself is pretty interesting looking, and the square surrounding it had some cool street entertainers. The museum was an eye-opener for our uncultured eyes, and I actually really enjoyed most of the displays, even if I didn't understand them. I was just grateful we weren't looking at more Madonnas and angels and altarpieces, oh my. There were some rather humorous (although I don't think they were supposed to be) film pieces that Jason really got a kick out of.
After the museum we needed to figure out a way to get back to Rue Cler, but we still wanted to walk to the Place des Vosges, so we were glad to discover a bus stop near it --- although bus travel in Paris would be new to us. Place des Vosges was cool. It was a lovely square where all the rich Parisians used to live, and then Victor Hugo. We relaxed our feet in its little park, and then found our bus stop. After some waiting, we rode our cramped bus home and saw some sights along the way.
We ate our dinner at the Cafe du Marche, a favorite with tourists and locals. While we were surrounded by smokers, we were pleasantly surprised to discover that we received FREE water with our meal --- a first in Europe. I ordered fried duck, which was delicious, and Jason ordered the plat du jour, which was veal and rice. Skeptical at first, he ate it right up. To finish off our meal, we had two scoops of vanilla ice cream. While tasty, it didn't compare to the Italians and their gelato. :)
Two Americans in Paris, Day One
The last leg of our trip was spent in Paris --- 4 nights to be exact, which meant three whole days plus a half a day in ONE place. We didn't know what to do with ourselves. :)
We left Switzerland early Thursday morning and arrived at the Paris train station (one of 6 I believe) around 1:30 PM. The only way (or I should say only reasonable way) to reach our hotel was to take the Metro. While we had used public transportation plenty of times on our trip, for some reason the Paris Metro seemed daunting. Oh wait, that's because to the novice, non-French speaker it IS daunting. Even with the Rick, we had a tough time figuring it out. Finally things made sense, and once they did we realized the system is really quite simple. Good thing because we used it a lot.
It was crummy weather the afternoon we arrived, cloudy and chilly and sprinkly. We got off the Metro at "our" stop (Ecole Militaire) and rather easily found "our" street, Rue Cler. This was one of our favorite parts of Paris. It had several outdoor markets, a DELICIOUS bakery spot, and a handful of good cafes. Plus, it was only a 10 minute walk to the Eiffel Tower. We checked into our hotel, rode in the Starship Enterprise elevator (seriously, it beamed us up to our room) and then decided to go see Les Invalides, known to English speakers (and us) as Napoleon's Tomb and Army Museum.
The dome covering the building that houses the height-challenged emperor's remains is covered in gold, and quite imposing. His coffin seemed to be a purple-y color and it was massive. We also saw some of his personal effects, like a jacket, a hat, and several of the swords he actually carried in battle. Pretty cool. Then we toured just the WWI and WWII wings of the museum. Despite the fact that English explanations were limited, we both found this to be very interesting. The French, like the Dutch, fiercely resisted their Nazi occupiers. One of my favorite displays was a real taxi car --- one of 670 that were used in a single day to transport over 6,000 French troops to fight those Nazi SOB's. The museum also had a little bit on the Pacific Theater, where both of my grandfathers served.
After Invalides, we wanted to go to the gardens at the Rodin Museum to see the famous statue of The Thinker. We knew the museum would be closed, but that the gardens were supposed to be open. When Jason tried to buy tickets, they told us to get them from the machine. But the machine only accepted change, which we didn't have. This incredibly rude French woman wouldn't even acknowledge Jason, and finally another worker asked her to make change from his 10 Euro. The woman refused, and we walked home. A nice welcome to France.
For dinner, we ate at this little Chinese deli right across from our hotel. It was fast, easy and delicious. One dish we tried was chicken with caramel sauce, and Jason said it is the best Chinese food he's ever eaten. Thank goodness we're slowly discovering dishes he approves of, because I enjoy foreign cuisines! After our meal, we watched a little CNN in our room (we've been so out of the news loop) and went to bed.
We left Switzerland early Thursday morning and arrived at the Paris train station (one of 6 I believe) around 1:30 PM. The only way (or I should say only reasonable way) to reach our hotel was to take the Metro. While we had used public transportation plenty of times on our trip, for some reason the Paris Metro seemed daunting. Oh wait, that's because to the novice, non-French speaker it IS daunting. Even with the Rick, we had a tough time figuring it out. Finally things made sense, and once they did we realized the system is really quite simple. Good thing because we used it a lot.
It was crummy weather the afternoon we arrived, cloudy and chilly and sprinkly. We got off the Metro at "our" stop (Ecole Militaire) and rather easily found "our" street, Rue Cler. This was one of our favorite parts of Paris. It had several outdoor markets, a DELICIOUS bakery spot, and a handful of good cafes. Plus, it was only a 10 minute walk to the Eiffel Tower. We checked into our hotel, rode in the Starship Enterprise elevator (seriously, it beamed us up to our room) and then decided to go see Les Invalides, known to English speakers (and us) as Napoleon's Tomb and Army Museum.
The dome covering the building that houses the height-challenged emperor's remains is covered in gold, and quite imposing. His coffin seemed to be a purple-y color and it was massive. We also saw some of his personal effects, like a jacket, a hat, and several of the swords he actually carried in battle. Pretty cool. Then we toured just the WWI and WWII wings of the museum. Despite the fact that English explanations were limited, we both found this to be very interesting. The French, like the Dutch, fiercely resisted their Nazi occupiers. One of my favorite displays was a real taxi car --- one of 670 that were used in a single day to transport over 6,000 French troops to fight those Nazi SOB's. The museum also had a little bit on the Pacific Theater, where both of my grandfathers served.
After Invalides, we wanted to go to the gardens at the Rodin Museum to see the famous statue of The Thinker. We knew the museum would be closed, but that the gardens were supposed to be open. When Jason tried to buy tickets, they told us to get them from the machine. But the machine only accepted change, which we didn't have. This incredibly rude French woman wouldn't even acknowledge Jason, and finally another worker asked her to make change from his 10 Euro. The woman refused, and we walked home. A nice welcome to France.
For dinner, we ate at this little Chinese deli right across from our hotel. It was fast, easy and delicious. One dish we tried was chicken with caramel sauce, and Jason said it is the best Chinese food he's ever eaten. Thank goodness we're slowly discovering dishes he approves of, because I enjoy foreign cuisines! After our meal, we watched a little CNN in our room (we've been so out of the news loop) and went to bed.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Switzerland, Day Zwei
When we woke up this morning and looked outside, we could tell it was going to be iffy taking the lift up to the top of Shilthorn. Still, we got ready, ate quickly and booked it down to the tourist office to buy our tickets and hop on the bus. When we got there we discovered the office didn't open for 15 minutes but the bus left in 5. So we thought we missed our chance. Then we looked at the schedule more closely and realized another bus left at 9:20. Perfect. But as we waited for the office to open, we checked out the livecam of the Schilthorn and everything was covered in clouds, it was 2 degrees C and snowing. We decided not to spend 140 francs to look at whiteness. As Jason said, we'll do it next time.
We got over our disappointment by hanging out in the cozy TV lounge of our hotel and then taking an earlier train into Interlaken. We wanted to window shop, but Interlaken Ost was not near the town center so we walked over to the Coop instead and had a tasty lunch. As we waited for our train into Bern Jason took a nap and I inwardly shunned the rainy weather.
As our train pulled into the Bern station I eagerly looked for Martina, and when I saw her I started to wave madly. Thankfully she waved madly back. :) It was nice to see a familiar face, and good to have someone to show us around. She helped us navigate the station, as it is in a state of construction because the city is hosting the Europe Cup next summer and expecting loads of tourists. On the way we were able to sample leckerli, a traditional (and delicious) Swiss treat. It sort-of reminded me of gingerbread. Sort of.
From there (as the weather had temporarily cleared) we headed into the Old Town --- the original city mostly focused around the Aare River. A fire in the early 1400s forced the city to rebuild, and they used beautiful sandstone. We saw the old prison, the city cathedral (gorgeous, and perhaps the first Protestant church we have toured) and walked under the trademark arcades. We saw the clock in action at 16:00 and then headed towards the river and the city mascots --- the bears. Two bears live in pits near the river and people came come and look down on them. As it had started to rain again, we couldn't linger long, but we got a few pictures of these creatures. We also figured out that they are older than Jason by 4 months. :)
Martina wanted to show us a movie on the history of Bern that started at 17:20, so we sat in a cafe and had a very tasty Swiss soda called Rivella that is made of 30% milk until the show started. It was pretty entertaining, with a film and a model of the city and lights and water oh my --- all in about 15 minutes.
From the film pits we walked up to the Rosengarten (rose garden) and ate at a restaurant overlooking the old city. It was a gorgeous view, and fantastic food. For me, it was good to eat something not involving pasta or potatoes. :) Jason had sausage and potatoes, but didn't eat his spinach. :) After we ate, we talked for a good hour and then the three of us split the most scrumptious strawberry sundae of our lives. Mmmm good. Why is the food, even simple things, so much better over here??
After our meal, we took a bus back to the station because it was chilly, picked up our bags from the lockers and said our goodbyes to Martina as we boarded our bus. She is such a nice girl (and a great tour guide!), and will be visiting Idaho with her family next year. I will be glad to see her. It was a short trip to our stop and a shorter walk to our pension. Somehow I booked us a room with two twin beds --- not very romantic, but perfect for resting up before 4 nights in Paris.
Sidenote: it barely dawned on us that today is Independence Day at home. When it did, I became quite homesick as we always spend today with extended family and friends. And what is July 4th with no fireworks? Alas, it was just another rainy day here in Switzerland. We'll have to make up for it next year. To our families, we love and miss you. Have fun celebrating. :)
We got over our disappointment by hanging out in the cozy TV lounge of our hotel and then taking an earlier train into Interlaken. We wanted to window shop, but Interlaken Ost was not near the town center so we walked over to the Coop instead and had a tasty lunch. As we waited for our train into Bern Jason took a nap and I inwardly shunned the rainy weather.
As our train pulled into the Bern station I eagerly looked for Martina, and when I saw her I started to wave madly. Thankfully she waved madly back. :) It was nice to see a familiar face, and good to have someone to show us around. She helped us navigate the station, as it is in a state of construction because the city is hosting the Europe Cup next summer and expecting loads of tourists. On the way we were able to sample leckerli, a traditional (and delicious) Swiss treat. It sort-of reminded me of gingerbread. Sort of.
From there (as the weather had temporarily cleared) we headed into the Old Town --- the original city mostly focused around the Aare River. A fire in the early 1400s forced the city to rebuild, and they used beautiful sandstone. We saw the old prison, the city cathedral (gorgeous, and perhaps the first Protestant church we have toured) and walked under the trademark arcades. We saw the clock in action at 16:00 and then headed towards the river and the city mascots --- the bears. Two bears live in pits near the river and people came come and look down on them. As it had started to rain again, we couldn't linger long, but we got a few pictures of these creatures. We also figured out that they are older than Jason by 4 months. :)
Martina wanted to show us a movie on the history of Bern that started at 17:20, so we sat in a cafe and had a very tasty Swiss soda called Rivella that is made of 30% milk until the show started. It was pretty entertaining, with a film and a model of the city and lights and water oh my --- all in about 15 minutes.
From the film pits we walked up to the Rosengarten (rose garden) and ate at a restaurant overlooking the old city. It was a gorgeous view, and fantastic food. For me, it was good to eat something not involving pasta or potatoes. :) Jason had sausage and potatoes, but didn't eat his spinach. :) After we ate, we talked for a good hour and then the three of us split the most scrumptious strawberry sundae of our lives. Mmmm good. Why is the food, even simple things, so much better over here??
After our meal, we took a bus back to the station because it was chilly, picked up our bags from the lockers and said our goodbyes to Martina as we boarded our bus. She is such a nice girl (and a great tour guide!), and will be visiting Idaho with her family next year. I will be glad to see her. It was a short trip to our stop and a shorter walk to our pension. Somehow I booked us a room with two twin beds --- not very romantic, but perfect for resting up before 4 nights in Paris.
Sidenote: it barely dawned on us that today is Independence Day at home. When it did, I became quite homesick as we always spend today with extended family and friends. And what is July 4th with no fireworks? Alas, it was just another rainy day here in Switzerland. We'll have to make up for it next year. To our families, we love and miss you. Have fun celebrating. :)
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Trains, Planes...and Switzerland
Before we left Vernazza on Monday morning we headed up to this restaurant at the top of town called the il Pirate. It doesn't have views of the water, but as the two joksters who run the place told us, "What is more important, the view outside or the view on the plate?" How can you argue with that logic? The man at the counter immediately asked us if we were Americans, and if we wanted the specialty. I remembered that Rick had mentioned a delicious pastry. He pulled it out and asked, dead pan, "Do you like fish and chips? The inside is of fish and chips." We stared blankly and finally realized he was kidding. So Jason took it and I had some sort of apple pastry, which was tasty. But I SHOULD have had what Jason did. It was pastry dough filled with ricotta cheese mixed with sugar and cinnamon --- and it was amazing. I had cappuccino with mine and Jason had a strawberry granita (made from FRESH strawberries topped with the most scrumptious whipped cream either of us has ever had). It was the tastiest breakfast of the trip thus far.
From Vernazza we spent 9 hours and 10 minutes traveling by train to reach our next destination. We passed by some of the prettiest scenery of the trip, especially northern Italy. Fields of sunflowers and sleepy towns set into the hills allowed me to daydream the time away. As we passed into Switzerland, the views began to remind me a little of home, but on a much grander scale. I can see now why the Benedictine sisters at St. Gertrude's (who came from Switzerland) chose to settle where they did. Except the prairie doesn't of course have massive mountains. :)
Finally, at 7:40 PM we arrived in our homebase of Lauterbrunnen. Both of us were immediately disappointed as while we were surrounded by beautiful rock walls, there was not a snow-capped mountain in sight. Everything was covered by clouds, and a light rain. We trekked to our very quaint hotel, dropped our bags off, and found a warm meal at Hotel Oberland. I ordered traditional Swiss Rösti (fried potatoes smothered in cheese with ham, onions and mushrooms) and --- being true to my Idaho roots --- it was the best meal of the trip for me so far. It probably didn't hurt that I was starving either. Jason ordered pizza and he also felt that it was tastier than the ones he had in Italy. Again, hunger may have played a part. :) To cap off the meal, we split an ice cream sundae. While it was more like our ice cream at home, and not delicious gelato, it was still incredibly satisfying.
Today we woke up early and I scurried across the hall to the balcony and squealed as the mountains were now in sight. I went and grabbed Jason and we both gawked for a minute before going back to our room to get ready for the day. After a good breakfast of cereal, bread with homemade blackberry jam and yogurt with granola, we headed off to the train station. From there we took a scenic train to the touristy town of Wengen; from Wengen we took the Männlichen lift to the top of the ridge high above us. As we departed into the wind and cool weather, we both commented that this may in fact turn out to be our favorite spot (and neither of us had thought we'd have a "favorite"). As we soaked in the spectacular Alpine vista, I sang (poorly mind you) "The hills are alive with the sound of music". Jason acted like he didn't know me. :)
The walk we followed took us from the Männlichen lift station to Kleine Scheidegg (where you have the option of taking a train to the top of the Jungfrau and the ability to say you've been to the top of Europe). We walked past meadows filled with wildflowers and small glacial lakes as blue as the sky and little streams that gushed down the mountainside to the valley below. It was magical --- even with the wind. We stopped many times for photos and the views. Always ahead of us were the north faces of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau (the monk is protecting the young maiden from the ogre). Really, it was the most awe-inspiring sight of my life. As we got close to Kleine Scheidegg, the clouds started to come in and the rain. This dampend our plans to have a grand alpine picnic (and to hike back down to Wengen) so we ended up eating lunch in one of the restaurants at the stop and taking the train back down to Lauterbrunnen --- a 4152 foot elevation drop.
After going back to our hotel and dinking around for a bit hoping the rain would stop (it didn't), we decided to go visit Trümmelbach Falls --- actually 10 waterfalls mostly inside the mountain. This is the home of the glacial melt from the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau that scours away at the rock at 20,200 liters per SECOND. It's some powerful water. We took a bus to the falls, walked to the ticket booth and then rode a lift up into the mountain to witness the wonder of nature at work. You actually hike around inside the mountain viewing the various falls as they are lit either from natural light above you or from lights set up inside the mountain. It was pretty darn cool --- not to mention loud and wet. :)
After all that force, we stopped off to do our last load of laundry overseas and then came back to our hotel to eat the picnic we never had. Now I'm sipping menthe (mint) tea and contemplating a hot shower. Tomorrow we are taking a trip up to the top of Schilthorn peak, seeing the restaurant that James Bond exploded, heading back down the mountain and going to Bern to see Martina and her city (also, for geography nerds out there, the capitol of Switzerland).
We have found Switzerland to be wonderful. Both of us wish we were here longer --- but there is always a next time. We have also found the country to be quite expensive and are grateful that we have been keeping under budget up to this point --- because we cannot not sightsee here. We would be denying ourselves one of God's great gifts to mankind --- and the Swiss people a decent chunk of income. :)
From Vernazza we spent 9 hours and 10 minutes traveling by train to reach our next destination. We passed by some of the prettiest scenery of the trip, especially northern Italy. Fields of sunflowers and sleepy towns set into the hills allowed me to daydream the time away. As we passed into Switzerland, the views began to remind me a little of home, but on a much grander scale. I can see now why the Benedictine sisters at St. Gertrude's (who came from Switzerland) chose to settle where they did. Except the prairie doesn't of course have massive mountains. :)
Finally, at 7:40 PM we arrived in our homebase of Lauterbrunnen. Both of us were immediately disappointed as while we were surrounded by beautiful rock walls, there was not a snow-capped mountain in sight. Everything was covered by clouds, and a light rain. We trekked to our very quaint hotel, dropped our bags off, and found a warm meal at Hotel Oberland. I ordered traditional Swiss Rösti (fried potatoes smothered in cheese with ham, onions and mushrooms) and --- being true to my Idaho roots --- it was the best meal of the trip for me so far. It probably didn't hurt that I was starving either. Jason ordered pizza and he also felt that it was tastier than the ones he had in Italy. Again, hunger may have played a part. :) To cap off the meal, we split an ice cream sundae. While it was more like our ice cream at home, and not delicious gelato, it was still incredibly satisfying.
Today we woke up early and I scurried across the hall to the balcony and squealed as the mountains were now in sight. I went and grabbed Jason and we both gawked for a minute before going back to our room to get ready for the day. After a good breakfast of cereal, bread with homemade blackberry jam and yogurt with granola, we headed off to the train station. From there we took a scenic train to the touristy town of Wengen; from Wengen we took the Männlichen lift to the top of the ridge high above us. As we departed into the wind and cool weather, we both commented that this may in fact turn out to be our favorite spot (and neither of us had thought we'd have a "favorite"). As we soaked in the spectacular Alpine vista, I sang (poorly mind you) "The hills are alive with the sound of music". Jason acted like he didn't know me. :)
The walk we followed took us from the Männlichen lift station to Kleine Scheidegg (where you have the option of taking a train to the top of the Jungfrau and the ability to say you've been to the top of Europe). We walked past meadows filled with wildflowers and small glacial lakes as blue as the sky and little streams that gushed down the mountainside to the valley below. It was magical --- even with the wind. We stopped many times for photos and the views. Always ahead of us were the north faces of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau (the monk is protecting the young maiden from the ogre). Really, it was the most awe-inspiring sight of my life. As we got close to Kleine Scheidegg, the clouds started to come in and the rain. This dampend our plans to have a grand alpine picnic (and to hike back down to Wengen) so we ended up eating lunch in one of the restaurants at the stop and taking the train back down to Lauterbrunnen --- a 4152 foot elevation drop.
After going back to our hotel and dinking around for a bit hoping the rain would stop (it didn't), we decided to go visit Trümmelbach Falls --- actually 10 waterfalls mostly inside the mountain. This is the home of the glacial melt from the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau that scours away at the rock at 20,200 liters per SECOND. It's some powerful water. We took a bus to the falls, walked to the ticket booth and then rode a lift up into the mountain to witness the wonder of nature at work. You actually hike around inside the mountain viewing the various falls as they are lit either from natural light above you or from lights set up inside the mountain. It was pretty darn cool --- not to mention loud and wet. :)
After all that force, we stopped off to do our last load of laundry overseas and then came back to our hotel to eat the picnic we never had. Now I'm sipping menthe (mint) tea and contemplating a hot shower. Tomorrow we are taking a trip up to the top of Schilthorn peak, seeing the restaurant that James Bond exploded, heading back down the mountain and going to Bern to see Martina and her city (also, for geography nerds out there, the capitol of Switzerland).
We have found Switzerland to be wonderful. Both of us wish we were here longer --- but there is always a next time. We have also found the country to be quite expensive and are grateful that we have been keeping under budget up to this point --- because we cannot not sightsee here. We would be denying ourselves one of God's great gifts to mankind --- and the Swiss people a decent chunk of income. :)
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Lazy Days in the Cinque Terre
Our Saturday morning train from Rome left the station 45 minutes late, and we were in a cramped 2nd class compartment with two Italian men and a hip priest with James Bond sunglasses and shoes so shiny I bet I could see my reflection in them if I tried. We made the best of our travel time by reading up on our destination, sleeping and eating a light lunch. Finally bright blue water began flashing past our window between tunnels and we knew a few days of relaxation were near.
The Cinque Terre translates, I believe, to "the five (cinque) lands (terre)". Basically it is 5 towns along the coast of the Ligurian Sea, all connected by train, boat and scenic hiking trails. And after three days (and two weeks) of busy travel, it offered us a break from sightseeing and a chance to catch our breath.
We arrived around 3:30 in the 4th town (if you are heading North) of Vernazza. As we stepped off the train and into the mass of tourists waiting to board, we could smell the sea air. We walked for 5 minutes through town, past pastel colored buildings and narrow streets with laundry hanging out of windows and reached the town's small harbor --- the only one among the towns. Our albergo faces the harbor (and was apparently once used as a guardhouse) and we had no trouble finding it. After climbing over 80 steps to the top floors, with the final stretch rivaling the final climb to the cuppola of St. Peter's, we had our little attic room. The small window overlooks the harbor, and everything was just perfect. Nothing fancy, but perfect all the same.
As seems to be our pattern, we took a two-hour siesta, and then decided we better explore the town. After purchasing (surprise!) gelato, we took Rick's town walk and oriented ourselves. By this point many of the day-trippers had left, and the town was quieting down as twilight descended.
We stopped at the local Internet Point to check on email and such things, and I made fast friends with four cats whose permanent perch seems to be on the stairs outside the door. Jason finally convinced me to leave the felines and we began our search for dinner. The first two restaurants we tried were reserved, so finally we ate at Piva's. Jason had basic, and delicious, spaghetti, and I tried the pesto --- and discovered that while it is tasty, it is not my cup of tea. With full stomachs, we headed down to the water to soak in the sunset.
Today we slept in a little, and then took a train back towards the first town of Riomaggiore to begin our hike. The trail between Riomaggiore and the next town of Manarola is called the Via dell'Amore and along its path are the professions of love of numerous couples carved into the rocks. It also offer some "oh wow" views of the water and scenery. I have never seen water so blue or clear. Jason said it is very similar to Hawaii.
When we reached Manarola, we continued on the slightly more strenuous hike to the third town of Corniglia. Along the way we could look down at the sunworshippers soaking up the rays (Italians haven't seemed to get the message that UVA rays equal skin cancer and wrinkles) and witnessed a few women without their tops on. Just another European experience for us.
In Corniglia we opted to hop on the train which took us past Vernazza to the last town of Monterosso. This seemed to be the most resort-y of the five, so we didn't waste any time finding the boat to take us home. Once we had fought through the tourist group crowd to board, it only took a few minutes before we were back in our familiar harbor. We went up to our room to cool down a bit and then stopped for some more delicious gelato as we strolled the town. After talking to both of our families, we made the start of the steep, strenuous hike towards Monterosso for some breathtaking views of Vernazza. It also allowed us to see the vineyards up close.
For dinner, we ate at Ristorante Castello, which sits right below the old town castle and offers gorgeous views of the Ligurian Sea. Jason ordered spaghetti with tomato and basil, and I stepped out on a limb and ordered "spaghetti on the rocks". It was noodles with mussels and clams and a whole crawfish as a little surprise --- and it was DELICIOUS. My dad would have LOVED it. We also ordered wine for the first time in Italy --- made from the famous Cinque Terre grapes. Between the two of us, we only ordered a little 375 ml bottle, but it still gave us a slight buzz. We're lightweights. :) After thoroughly enjoying our meal and the views, we headed back down the steps, strolled through town and ended up here at the little Internet Point.
Next stop: the Swiss Alps. Then on to Bern, and our finale in Paris. What a trip this has been! And we still have a week to go. We're looking forward to new adventures and also to coming home. But we have caught the travel bug, and it doesn't look like it will be going away any time soon. :)
The Cinque Terre translates, I believe, to "the five (cinque) lands (terre)". Basically it is 5 towns along the coast of the Ligurian Sea, all connected by train, boat and scenic hiking trails. And after three days (and two weeks) of busy travel, it offered us a break from sightseeing and a chance to catch our breath.
We arrived around 3:30 in the 4th town (if you are heading North) of Vernazza. As we stepped off the train and into the mass of tourists waiting to board, we could smell the sea air. We walked for 5 minutes through town, past pastel colored buildings and narrow streets with laundry hanging out of windows and reached the town's small harbor --- the only one among the towns. Our albergo faces the harbor (and was apparently once used as a guardhouse) and we had no trouble finding it. After climbing over 80 steps to the top floors, with the final stretch rivaling the final climb to the cuppola of St. Peter's, we had our little attic room. The small window overlooks the harbor, and everything was just perfect. Nothing fancy, but perfect all the same.
As seems to be our pattern, we took a two-hour siesta, and then decided we better explore the town. After purchasing (surprise!) gelato, we took Rick's town walk and oriented ourselves. By this point many of the day-trippers had left, and the town was quieting down as twilight descended.
We stopped at the local Internet Point to check on email and such things, and I made fast friends with four cats whose permanent perch seems to be on the stairs outside the door. Jason finally convinced me to leave the felines and we began our search for dinner. The first two restaurants we tried were reserved, so finally we ate at Piva's. Jason had basic, and delicious, spaghetti, and I tried the pesto --- and discovered that while it is tasty, it is not my cup of tea. With full stomachs, we headed down to the water to soak in the sunset.
Today we slept in a little, and then took a train back towards the first town of Riomaggiore to begin our hike. The trail between Riomaggiore and the next town of Manarola is called the Via dell'Amore and along its path are the professions of love of numerous couples carved into the rocks. It also offer some "oh wow" views of the water and scenery. I have never seen water so blue or clear. Jason said it is very similar to Hawaii.
When we reached Manarola, we continued on the slightly more strenuous hike to the third town of Corniglia. Along the way we could look down at the sunworshippers soaking up the rays (Italians haven't seemed to get the message that UVA rays equal skin cancer and wrinkles) and witnessed a few women without their tops on. Just another European experience for us.
In Corniglia we opted to hop on the train which took us past Vernazza to the last town of Monterosso. This seemed to be the most resort-y of the five, so we didn't waste any time finding the boat to take us home. Once we had fought through the tourist group crowd to board, it only took a few minutes before we were back in our familiar harbor. We went up to our room to cool down a bit and then stopped for some more delicious gelato as we strolled the town. After talking to both of our families, we made the start of the steep, strenuous hike towards Monterosso for some breathtaking views of Vernazza. It also allowed us to see the vineyards up close.
For dinner, we ate at Ristorante Castello, which sits right below the old town castle and offers gorgeous views of the Ligurian Sea. Jason ordered spaghetti with tomato and basil, and I stepped out on a limb and ordered "spaghetti on the rocks". It was noodles with mussels and clams and a whole crawfish as a little surprise --- and it was DELICIOUS. My dad would have LOVED it. We also ordered wine for the first time in Italy --- made from the famous Cinque Terre grapes. Between the two of us, we only ordered a little 375 ml bottle, but it still gave us a slight buzz. We're lightweights. :) After thoroughly enjoying our meal and the views, we headed back down the steps, strolled through town and ended up here at the little Internet Point.
Next stop: the Swiss Alps. Then on to Bern, and our finale in Paris. What a trip this has been! And we still have a week to go. We're looking forward to new adventures and also to coming home. But we have caught the travel bug, and it doesn't look like it will be going away any time soon. :)
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