For the past several weeks, I have been attending a local Pub Quiz in Highgate. Although I feel I have little to contribute--I am not one to know much trivial knowledge--I have been able to answer about 4 questions correcty.
Question 1: Who was the solo singer for the When Harry Met Sally Soundtrack?
Harry Connick Jr.
Duh. This was an obvious question deliberately assigned for ME to answer.
Question 2: What movie stared Kevin Bacon and had a hit single from Bonnie Tyler?
Footloose.
Another, duh. I told them it was either Footloose or Tremors...I was almost positive it wasn't Tremors.
Question 3: What was the burger McDonalds put out as a leaner alternative?
This was a silly guess: The McLean. I got it right. hahaha.
Question 4: Who was the backing group for Gloria Estafan?
(I got a little help from this one...) Miami Sound Machine
There were many, many American questions that I couldn't answer, however.
Like:
How many boys does George Foreman have that are named "George"?
5--I should have known this...
What is the oldest University in the U.S.?
Harvard--I said William and Mary just because it was too easy to name Harvard.
What was the movie where Elvis played two roles?
Can't remember the answer...I just knew I should know this with all the Elvis movies my Mom watches.
Despite my lack of quiz knowledge, I have had a wonderful time the past few weeks getting to know some of Amanda's Med-School friends.
I will miss going out for a glass of wine, talking with witty Brits, and being filled with the excitement of possibly knowing an answer to a quiz question. YES! I will miss the bus ride to Highgate with Amanda where we discuss a multitude of things, the hike up the never-ending hill, and our tradition of making French Toast when we get back.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Monday, May 11, 2009
Goodbye Picnic...
The one thing I wanted to do all semester--a picnic on the Heath--came as a goodbye gift from my friends at Bartrams.
I didn't think anything could surprise me this far into my stay but Amanda pulled out some scotch eggs, and I was a bit confused. Scotch Eggs are fried balls of meat with egg inside...Also, Clarisse brought her celebrations candy bars to share as well which had horrible candies inside. The milky way was NOT a milky way, and there was a crunchy candy that was no different from Nestle Crunch. I liked the Mars bar, which was, in theory, a Milky Way. The British mess up everything.
We have fights over how to pronounce "Aluminum", which does NOT have the additional "i" after the "n". And how they propose that English language is from ENGLAND, not America. I proposed that since America is so amazing, however, that English is no recognized with England because it was a second rate country...hahahaha. Needless to say, we didn't solve anything. Oh well.
The grass fight was particularly terrible. I am still picking it out of my hair two days later. Ugh.
I didn't think anything could surprise me this far into my stay but Amanda pulled out some scotch eggs, and I was a bit confused. Scotch Eggs are fried balls of meat with egg inside...Also, Clarisse brought her celebrations candy bars to share as well which had horrible candies inside. The milky way was NOT a milky way, and there was a crunchy candy that was no different from Nestle Crunch. I liked the Mars bar, which was, in theory, a Milky Way. The British mess up everything.
We have fights over how to pronounce "Aluminum", which does NOT have the additional "i" after the "n". And how they propose that English language is from ENGLAND, not America. I proposed that since America is so amazing, however, that English is no recognized with England because it was a second rate country...hahahaha. Needless to say, we didn't solve anything. Oh well.
The grass fight was particularly terrible. I am still picking it out of my hair two days later. Ugh.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Germany
Julie left Sunday morning for New York and I left Monday afternoon to stay over in a hostel in Stansted. I had been traveling non-stop for two weeks already and I was starting to feel it. I awoke Tuesday morning at 4 AM to catch my 6:30 flight. It was a good flight, no interruptions, but when I got to Bremen to meet up with my friend, customs held me back about an additional hour. When I finally got out, I found Rebecca and we headed to her house. On the way I saw the highlights of the city--the old churches, the town hall, the city center, and the Becks brewery. We stopped for some bread for breakfast at the local bakery--I got a bagel and a pretzel, which was very good--and made it to her house a little after 10:00. There she showed me her house, which was very cool--a row house with a balcony, roof terrace, and large rooms with big windows. After I got settled, we headed straight for the stables. With me not being used to horses, I was a bit nervous when I walked into a stable full of them. All were anxious to see what was going on with me and Rebecca, and all were pretty big. I am used to dogs, but apparently horses enjoy the same attention. So, after a while, I warmed to them as much as they warmed to me initially. Rebecca took out Freestyle and after we were done grooming her, Rebecca took her out to ride. I stood watching and taking pictures next to another stable for the younger horses. While I was taking pictures, one of the horses came right up to me and started sniffing my hair. Nice. It was funny trying to keep this horse occupied while figuring out what Rebecca was doing. After about 30 minutes of riding, Rebecca decided that Freestyle wasn't up for riding anymore, so she then asks me if I would like to ride her. I thought, great--I would love to ride a horse, for the first time ever, that doesn't want to be ridden. I said, "sure". So here I am on this horse trying to tell it what to do, you do so with your legs, and the horse realizes that I have no clue what I am doing. So she decides to head back to the stables, lol. Rebecca stops her and I figure out how to convince her to do what I want. It was really fun and not as difficult as I thought. We got back to the stables, went to see a few more horses, while Rebecca tells me their story, and then headed back to her place to take the bikes out.
Rebecca on Freestyle
Freestyle leaving to go to the stables.
This is the other horse that Rebecca rides--a male.
One of the stables
Oh, yes, bicycles. Apparantly, I am extremely short, because the bike I was given, when altered, was stillto tall for me to eve touch the ground. It was terribe. I haven't ridden a bike in years and wen I finally do, I look like a complete idiot! Hahahaha. I only fell a couple of times. The bike ride was really quite nice, despite my difficulties. I was so surprised how many people actually bike to work and school, even to do errands. Bikes are the vehicle of choice, without a doubt. So on the bikes, we decided to get some Bavarian food, which is what you think when you think German food, at a restaurant downtown--something Rebecca had never tried, lol. When we finally arrived after riding through a park, into a fair, and over the river--about 30 minutes. It was quite the experience eating the German food--bread that you spread, not with butter but a fat concoction, sausages with pretzels, spreadable meats such as liverworst, and fatty cheeses like brie. We couldn't finish the meal after sharing it! And then, we had to ride home after this. Ahhhh. It was actually okay. I didn't have any mishaps on the bike on the way home. But when I finally got off, I was very, very sore. We called it a night after that and went to bed watching Sex and the City.
Bavarian food, Mmmmmm...
The next day we decided to explore the city-center. So we went to the church erected in the Middle Ages, the town hall, the market, and the famous chocolate shop--Hachez. We go lunch at the famous, Rathskeller, which I thought was cool because we have a Rathskeller at UT. I got some soup--kinda like Italian Wedding--and Rebecca got salad with chicken livers--hers was very good. After that Rebecca took me down a street that reminded me of Saint George St. in St. Augustine. Very cute. There, we saw the smallest house in Germany! To finish the day we went back to the park and rented a row boat. Again, not so good with this vehicle of choice either. I am used to canoes and kayaks I told her. After a while, I got a hang of it though. Already in two days I have probably had more exercise--biking, rowing, walking--than I have had in my entire vacation, minus the 7 hour walk through Paris, of course, lol. Because of that, we were exhausted and went to bed around 9.
This actually makes Bremen famous. There is a story about how all the animals wanted to go to Bremen because it was animal paradise. This is a representation of the story. If you hold its hooves and make a wish, it comes true. Mine hasn't.
Smallest house in Germany
Me, trying to avoid the trees.
The following morning we woke up to enjoy a lovely assortment of breads and jams with tea and grapefruit juice. We had a big day ahead of us--we decided today we would head out to Lubek--most popularly known for their marzipan (which isn't as bad as I anticipated). There we saw princess castle-type structure, chocolate, and old ships. The town was really quite small--we walked the whole thing in about 2 hours. When we saw everything there was to see, we went further east a bit to the beach. I could not believe how cold it was! The day was nice up to the point when we went to the beach. In Florida, the beach is always warmer. Here, it is the opposite. You don't get a nice warm salty breeze, you get blistering cold gusts of wind. People were wearing ski coats and here I was determined to go out in a tank top because "I knew what it would be like on the beach". Terrible. But it was nice. I hadn't seen a beach in 4 months up to that point. When I was sufficiently cold, we got back in the car and headed home.
Princess Castle
Beach house
The next day we were supposed to go to Hamburg, but since I had been living in a big city for the past 4 months, Rebecca suggested we go to the place where her family goes sailing. Excellent idea, thought. We drove about 100 miles per hour to get to Bad Zwischenhan in, oh, an hour or so. When we got there we got lunch--we got snitzel--and wandered around the quiet town. We headed back home early to enjoy a lazy afternoon. On the way, we picked up a few beers that Rebecca wanted me to try out. In Germany, they have "girl beers" for girls that don't like the real stuff. It is basically beer with fruit flavoring. One was orange, for instance, while another was tropical. We shared about 7 bottles between me, Rebecca, and her mom. I found a few hard to drink--very sweet. But outside of that, some were okay. I liked the Grapefruit beer best. Anyway, after it became too cold to stay outside, we went in and shared some brownies I had made earlier that day. Yep, the outrageous brownies. The parents were impressed, but quite overwhelmed, lol. After this, I was feeling a bit drowsy so we went up to Rebecca's room to watch the end of a soccer match and went to sleep.
A little over 100 MPH
View from the restaurant
"Girly beers"
Saturday we went to the Netherlands--Gronghing. I have never seen more bikes before in my entire life. It was very odd, yet very practical. It took Rebecca and I about an hour to park in a garage. Once we were out, we were greeted by a beautiful day. We walked around the city for about 3 hours, saw some shops, lots and lots of flowers, and some old buildings. We got some lunch and headed back. Relativly easy day. The town was really quite cute and the canals outstretched all over the country, were really different from anything I had seen. It really felt like a completely different place. When we made it home with some mini-pancakes, a specialty in the Netherlands, Rebecca's father brought home some real beer for us to try. We all sat out on the porch and had a really nice night. When Rebecca and I headed upstairs, we fell alseep to another soccer match. Not a bad way to end the day.
We saw plenty of these.
These as well.
Weird, right?
One of the many canals.
MAN beer!
Rebecca's dad
Sunday...my day of relaxation. We got on the dreaded bikes again and went to a park known for flowers. Since the weather had been so beautiful when I was there--no rain for 7 days and wonderful temps, prob in the 60s--the flowers were starting to come out. It was really nice. We jumped over to another park after and got lunch. I got the raw meat on bread--yay! Quite the experience. Wasn't as bad as thought...I prob wouldn't get it again though, lol. Then we went back home to sunbathe on the roof terrace. By the end of the day, I was sufficiently sun burnt--which shows how terribly white I have gotten living in England. Oh dear, I must hit the beach when I get back in two weeks. Later that night, the entire family took me out to eat at an italian restaurant. It was really wonderful..got quite a few drinks I had never tried, which definitely allowed me to get some good sleep. :)
Yep. I ate that.
The next morning I left for London. My vacation had ended, and I have been studying ever since. We will see what happens in the next few weeks.
Rebecca on Freestyle
Freestyle leaving to go to the stables.
This is the other horse that Rebecca rides--a male.
One of the stables
Oh, yes, bicycles. Apparantly, I am extremely short, because the bike I was given, when altered, was stillto tall for me to eve touch the ground. It was terribe. I haven't ridden a bike in years and wen I finally do, I look like a complete idiot! Hahahaha. I only fell a couple of times. The bike ride was really quite nice, despite my difficulties. I was so surprised how many people actually bike to work and school, even to do errands. Bikes are the vehicle of choice, without a doubt. So on the bikes, we decided to get some Bavarian food, which is what you think when you think German food, at a restaurant downtown--something Rebecca had never tried, lol. When we finally arrived after riding through a park, into a fair, and over the river--about 30 minutes. It was quite the experience eating the German food--bread that you spread, not with butter but a fat concoction, sausages with pretzels, spreadable meats such as liverworst, and fatty cheeses like brie. We couldn't finish the meal after sharing it! And then, we had to ride home after this. Ahhhh. It was actually okay. I didn't have any mishaps on the bike on the way home. But when I finally got off, I was very, very sore. We called it a night after that and went to bed watching Sex and the City.
Bavarian food, Mmmmmm...
The next day we decided to explore the city-center. So we went to the church erected in the Middle Ages, the town hall, the market, and the famous chocolate shop--Hachez. We go lunch at the famous, Rathskeller, which I thought was cool because we have a Rathskeller at UT. I got some soup--kinda like Italian Wedding--and Rebecca got salad with chicken livers--hers was very good. After that Rebecca took me down a street that reminded me of Saint George St. in St. Augustine. Very cute. There, we saw the smallest house in Germany! To finish the day we went back to the park and rented a row boat. Again, not so good with this vehicle of choice either. I am used to canoes and kayaks I told her. After a while, I got a hang of it though. Already in two days I have probably had more exercise--biking, rowing, walking--than I have had in my entire vacation, minus the 7 hour walk through Paris, of course, lol. Because of that, we were exhausted and went to bed around 9.
This actually makes Bremen famous. There is a story about how all the animals wanted to go to Bremen because it was animal paradise. This is a representation of the story. If you hold its hooves and make a wish, it comes true. Mine hasn't.
Smallest house in Germany
Me, trying to avoid the trees.
The following morning we woke up to enjoy a lovely assortment of breads and jams with tea and grapefruit juice. We had a big day ahead of us--we decided today we would head out to Lubek--most popularly known for their marzipan (which isn't as bad as I anticipated). There we saw princess castle-type structure, chocolate, and old ships. The town was really quite small--we walked the whole thing in about 2 hours. When we saw everything there was to see, we went further east a bit to the beach. I could not believe how cold it was! The day was nice up to the point when we went to the beach. In Florida, the beach is always warmer. Here, it is the opposite. You don't get a nice warm salty breeze, you get blistering cold gusts of wind. People were wearing ski coats and here I was determined to go out in a tank top because "I knew what it would be like on the beach". Terrible. But it was nice. I hadn't seen a beach in 4 months up to that point. When I was sufficiently cold, we got back in the car and headed home.
Princess Castle
Beach house
The next day we were supposed to go to Hamburg, but since I had been living in a big city for the past 4 months, Rebecca suggested we go to the place where her family goes sailing. Excellent idea, thought. We drove about 100 miles per hour to get to Bad Zwischenhan in, oh, an hour or so. When we got there we got lunch--we got snitzel--and wandered around the quiet town. We headed back home early to enjoy a lazy afternoon. On the way, we picked up a few beers that Rebecca wanted me to try out. In Germany, they have "girl beers" for girls that don't like the real stuff. It is basically beer with fruit flavoring. One was orange, for instance, while another was tropical. We shared about 7 bottles between me, Rebecca, and her mom. I found a few hard to drink--very sweet. But outside of that, some were okay. I liked the Grapefruit beer best. Anyway, after it became too cold to stay outside, we went in and shared some brownies I had made earlier that day. Yep, the outrageous brownies. The parents were impressed, but quite overwhelmed, lol. After this, I was feeling a bit drowsy so we went up to Rebecca's room to watch the end of a soccer match and went to sleep.
A little over 100 MPH
View from the restaurant
"Girly beers"
Saturday we went to the Netherlands--Gronghing. I have never seen more bikes before in my entire life. It was very odd, yet very practical. It took Rebecca and I about an hour to park in a garage. Once we were out, we were greeted by a beautiful day. We walked around the city for about 3 hours, saw some shops, lots and lots of flowers, and some old buildings. We got some lunch and headed back. Relativly easy day. The town was really quite cute and the canals outstretched all over the country, were really different from anything I had seen. It really felt like a completely different place. When we made it home with some mini-pancakes, a specialty in the Netherlands, Rebecca's father brought home some real beer for us to try. We all sat out on the porch and had a really nice night. When Rebecca and I headed upstairs, we fell alseep to another soccer match. Not a bad way to end the day.
We saw plenty of these.
These as well.
Weird, right?
One of the many canals.
MAN beer!
Rebecca's dad
Sunday...my day of relaxation. We got on the dreaded bikes again and went to a park known for flowers. Since the weather had been so beautiful when I was there--no rain for 7 days and wonderful temps, prob in the 60s--the flowers were starting to come out. It was really nice. We jumped over to another park after and got lunch. I got the raw meat on bread--yay! Quite the experience. Wasn't as bad as thought...I prob wouldn't get it again though, lol. Then we went back home to sunbathe on the roof terrace. By the end of the day, I was sufficiently sun burnt--which shows how terribly white I have gotten living in England. Oh dear, I must hit the beach when I get back in two weeks. Later that night, the entire family took me out to eat at an italian restaurant. It was really wonderful..got quite a few drinks I had never tried, which definitely allowed me to get some good sleep. :)
Yep. I ate that.
The next morning I left for London. My vacation had ended, and I have been studying ever since. We will see what happens in the next few weeks.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Paris really is for lovers
After Wales, Dad and Kath left and Jules and I headed for Paris via the Eurostar. At King's Cross we found, yet another coffee place that couldn't figure out how to make ice coffee--it was a good start to the trip, lol. While on the Eurostar we met some more Americans--from Minnesota, I believe. Very nice people, but they wouldn't stop talking. It was a tiring trip for me having to listen and talk while Jules just fell asleep. About 3 hours later, however, we made it to the hotel after a crowded trip on the Metro. The day ended well--the weather was beautiful so we decided to get a sandwich at a Patisserie, which was an experience in and of itself--pointing aimlessly to things we wanted--and headed to Jardin de Luxembourg to enjoy it. While there, Jules and I noticed we were surrounded by couples. It was quite an odd experience to see so many at one time. As the title appropriately states--"Paris really IS for lovers". We got a kick out of that, as we walked through the park. I remember, I was so amazed by Paris and how "un-city" like it was. I think it is the trees lining the streets and the quiet. It was strange to feel relaxed in the middle of a metropolis. We made it back just as it was starting to get dark and enjoyed a good night's rest.
Beginning of the gardens.
Lovers #1.
Quintessential Parisian architecture.
The next day was our trek. I believe we walked in total of about 7 hours or so...from one end of the city to the other. Nice. I wanted to die, lol. But, despite the pain, it was really good to see the city by foot. I feel I have a good understanding of how the street system in Paris works and a good idea of where everything is in relation to another. Really, Paris wasn't too big of a city. At that, I was quite surprised. We decided that we would try to hit the main spots of interest--not necessarily do them...just see them. Notre Dame was the first stop, which really was incredible. I couldn't believe the detail in the architecture--it was overwhelming to think of all the work put into it.
Notre Dame
Garygoyles
Flying buttresses.
Walking further, we decided that it would be good to hit the Louvre--which I assumed would be relatively touristy and small. When we got there, the size of the museum made me cringe. The building(S) took up about an entire block. We almost got lost looking for the giant glass pyramid. I dd not want to go in that museum in fears I would never come out. Huge! The glass pyramid was pretty cool though. I, mean, it is one thing to see it in a picture and think--that is neat--but to actually see it in person, you really become captivated by it. I saw it through an entrance from the middle of the Louvre courtyard and I got all excited. Awesome.
Walking up to the back of the Louvre.
Pyramid
In the distance we saw the Arc de Triumph, and decided to head in that direction. The arc is really quite huge, we later realized, and seemed much closer than it actually was. I believe from the point we saw it, which was outside the Louvre, it was around 3 miles away. Right. After walking for about 4 hours already we wanted more! to our left as we passed the Museum and approached a phallic monument, not sure what it was, to our left we saw the Eiffel Tower and made a mental note to check that off the things we needed to see. About an hour later, I was left complaining to poor Jules that I was sore and tired, so we decided, when we got to the Arc, by passing the Champs de Elysees, we would take the tube. I decided that during tourist season, I hate the Champs de Elysees...it is a giant strip of globally popular shops--where EVERYONE goes to shop and eat evidently. Terrible. I suppose it would have been better, if I had gone to shop, but at the moment it was merely an obstacle prohibiting me from sitting on the metro to get back home, lol.
Eiffel Tower (taken from the metro, not the street we saw it on)
Arc de Triumph
On the way home, we stopped at a Kid's shop to get Maddie an outfit and then, at some point, we got some cheese as well--a recommendation from the lady at the Kid's store--along with baguette and fruit. It was really, really amazing. I don't think I have ever had fruit that was so good. I am from Florida and I think that the clementines there were more amazing than the ones we get in Florida in season. The strawberries were the best I had had, also. I was blown away. It was a good ending to a long day, despite the fact that all we could watch in bed on television was MTV's "Rock of Love". Wonderful. Jules and I became quite attached to a few of the girls.
The next day we decided we would take it easy and just walk around our area and get some shopping done. It was a rainy day anyway, so we figured it would be better. I remember we went to the cute little Parisian kid's store again to exchange the outfit because we got the wrong size. While there we found out where the really good ice cream place was located, which wasn't too far from Notre Dame. We took the Metro, lol. We arrived at the ice cream place and I ordered a Sundae with Chocolate and Coconut ice cream and Jules got french toast, caramelized pears and Salted Caramel ice cream. Hers was amazing! I have never tasted ice cream that was so intense in flavor! Really, really good. After walking about and looking through some more shops, namely, chocolate shops, we realized we were stuck in the middle of a student protest. Nice. We decided to take the long way home to avoid any disruptions only to realize they were going in the same direction. We got home early despite this and splurged on a movie--Momma Mia. I was a good night.
The following morning, we were supposed to go to Versailles, but I woke up pretty sick. So, instead, we decided to check out some other places we hadn't been to yet. First stop of the morning was the catacombs, which was pretty much right outside the hotel. We waited in line for about an hour and a half and then went down below the city to a crampt and dark prison of bones. Cool, right? It was entirely worth the wait, I had never seen anything like it before. I couldn't believe how many people were actually down there--tens of thousands, probably. It was odd to see the organization of it all--the bones placed in intricate patterns. Very odd, indeed.
After we got out, which was probably the most terrifying part of the whole thing--spiral staircase, without rails, about 7 stories up, that was barely big enough to fit one person--we realized were were about a mile away from where we started. Great. We decided that we should go to the cafe' that I wanted to see, where some of the famous existential philosophers went--Sartre and Camus. Then we headed to a crepery, since we figured, before we left, we needed to get at least one crepe. I was not all too impressed, however, I enjoyed the ones I get in London, much more. We headed home after this, so I could get some sleep before we headed to Monmontre to see a cabaret. Although I didn't initially feel up to going out, I was quite happy by the end of the night to have seen a show that didn't acquiesce to touristy demands. It was purely Parisian--friendly, egregious, and bold. It was what I needed, I think.
Stop. Here it is: The Empire of the Dead.
Le Deux Magots--a hangout for Camus and Sartre.
Lovely Pianist at Au Lapin Agile Cabaret.
The singers and entertainers.
Ah, Friday...the last day--the day of our cooking class. I was quite happy to come out of it with a lot more knowledge about food, in general. I learned what standards reveal quality meat and vegetables. It really made a difference in the food as well. Better ingredients=better food. Simple formula. As far as the cooking technique, I didn't learn too much, but the food itself was different from anything that I would cook. I will have a good time recreating it at home, I think. After a large lunch, Jules and I headed back to London one last time. We arrived tired after carrying around the luggage, and went out to look for some food, which ended up being ready made at Tesco. Not as bad as one would think. We slept well that night.
The following morning we headed back to Hampstead and enjoyed a relatively lazy day. Jules got crepes one last time and we headed in for the night. The next morning she left for New York, and I headed back to the Convent to enjoy a day's rest. Germany was my next stop.
Beginning of the gardens.
Lovers #1.
Quintessential Parisian architecture.
The next day was our trek. I believe we walked in total of about 7 hours or so...from one end of the city to the other. Nice. I wanted to die, lol. But, despite the pain, it was really good to see the city by foot. I feel I have a good understanding of how the street system in Paris works and a good idea of where everything is in relation to another. Really, Paris wasn't too big of a city. At that, I was quite surprised. We decided that we would try to hit the main spots of interest--not necessarily do them...just see them. Notre Dame was the first stop, which really was incredible. I couldn't believe the detail in the architecture--it was overwhelming to think of all the work put into it.
Notre Dame
Garygoyles
Flying buttresses.
Walking further, we decided that it would be good to hit the Louvre--which I assumed would be relatively touristy and small. When we got there, the size of the museum made me cringe. The building(S) took up about an entire block. We almost got lost looking for the giant glass pyramid. I dd not want to go in that museum in fears I would never come out. Huge! The glass pyramid was pretty cool though. I, mean, it is one thing to see it in a picture and think--that is neat--but to actually see it in person, you really become captivated by it. I saw it through an entrance from the middle of the Louvre courtyard and I got all excited. Awesome.
Walking up to the back of the Louvre.
Pyramid
In the distance we saw the Arc de Triumph, and decided to head in that direction. The arc is really quite huge, we later realized, and seemed much closer than it actually was. I believe from the point we saw it, which was outside the Louvre, it was around 3 miles away. Right. After walking for about 4 hours already we wanted more! to our left as we passed the Museum and approached a phallic monument, not sure what it was, to our left we saw the Eiffel Tower and made a mental note to check that off the things we needed to see. About an hour later, I was left complaining to poor Jules that I was sore and tired, so we decided, when we got to the Arc, by passing the Champs de Elysees, we would take the tube. I decided that during tourist season, I hate the Champs de Elysees...it is a giant strip of globally popular shops--where EVERYONE goes to shop and eat evidently. Terrible. I suppose it would have been better, if I had gone to shop, but at the moment it was merely an obstacle prohibiting me from sitting on the metro to get back home, lol.
Eiffel Tower (taken from the metro, not the street we saw it on)
Arc de Triumph
On the way home, we stopped at a Kid's shop to get Maddie an outfit and then, at some point, we got some cheese as well--a recommendation from the lady at the Kid's store--along with baguette and fruit. It was really, really amazing. I don't think I have ever had fruit that was so good. I am from Florida and I think that the clementines there were more amazing than the ones we get in Florida in season. The strawberries were the best I had had, also. I was blown away. It was a good ending to a long day, despite the fact that all we could watch in bed on television was MTV's "Rock of Love". Wonderful. Jules and I became quite attached to a few of the girls.
The next day we decided we would take it easy and just walk around our area and get some shopping done. It was a rainy day anyway, so we figured it would be better. I remember we went to the cute little Parisian kid's store again to exchange the outfit because we got the wrong size. While there we found out where the really good ice cream place was located, which wasn't too far from Notre Dame. We took the Metro, lol. We arrived at the ice cream place and I ordered a Sundae with Chocolate and Coconut ice cream and Jules got french toast, caramelized pears and Salted Caramel ice cream. Hers was amazing! I have never tasted ice cream that was so intense in flavor! Really, really good. After walking about and looking through some more shops, namely, chocolate shops, we realized we were stuck in the middle of a student protest. Nice. We decided to take the long way home to avoid any disruptions only to realize they were going in the same direction. We got home early despite this and splurged on a movie--Momma Mia. I was a good night.
The following morning, we were supposed to go to Versailles, but I woke up pretty sick. So, instead, we decided to check out some other places we hadn't been to yet. First stop of the morning was the catacombs, which was pretty much right outside the hotel. We waited in line for about an hour and a half and then went down below the city to a crampt and dark prison of bones. Cool, right? It was entirely worth the wait, I had never seen anything like it before. I couldn't believe how many people were actually down there--tens of thousands, probably. It was odd to see the organization of it all--the bones placed in intricate patterns. Very odd, indeed.
After we got out, which was probably the most terrifying part of the whole thing--spiral staircase, without rails, about 7 stories up, that was barely big enough to fit one person--we realized were were about a mile away from where we started. Great. We decided that we should go to the cafe' that I wanted to see, where some of the famous existential philosophers went--Sartre and Camus. Then we headed to a crepery, since we figured, before we left, we needed to get at least one crepe. I was not all too impressed, however, I enjoyed the ones I get in London, much more. We headed home after this, so I could get some sleep before we headed to Monmontre to see a cabaret. Although I didn't initially feel up to going out, I was quite happy by the end of the night to have seen a show that didn't acquiesce to touristy demands. It was purely Parisian--friendly, egregious, and bold. It was what I needed, I think.
Stop. Here it is: The Empire of the Dead.
Le Deux Magots--a hangout for Camus and Sartre.
Lovely Pianist at Au Lapin Agile Cabaret.
The singers and entertainers.
Ah, Friday...the last day--the day of our cooking class. I was quite happy to come out of it with a lot more knowledge about food, in general. I learned what standards reveal quality meat and vegetables. It really made a difference in the food as well. Better ingredients=better food. Simple formula. As far as the cooking technique, I didn't learn too much, but the food itself was different from anything that I would cook. I will have a good time recreating it at home, I think. After a large lunch, Jules and I headed back to London one last time. We arrived tired after carrying around the luggage, and went out to look for some food, which ended up being ready made at Tesco. Not as bad as one would think. We slept well that night.
The following morning we headed back to Hampstead and enjoyed a relatively lazy day. Jules got crepes one last time and we headed in for the night. The next morning she left for New York, and I headed back to the Convent to enjoy a day's rest. Germany was my next stop.
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