Posted by Petra | Posted in travel | Posted on 07-07-2009
Paris has, to date, been the most sightseeing that I have done on this trip. Caro and I did some in Barcelona over a few days, but Paris was a condensed series of hardcore sightseeing opportunities. Museum after museum after park after cathedral after museum. It was overwhelming. To start off the trip, as I mentioned in a previous post, we spent the day at the Louvre. This, if you weren’t aware, is an incredibly large museum that I would have quickly lost my way in if it weren’t for Carolynn and her amazing ability to read maps. (Add that to her skills at changing in tight spots and you’ve got a great date
. )
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Petra | Posted in travel | Posted on 01-07-2009
Keeping in theme with how our trip started out, Italians have continued to make me smile as our Paris trip comes to a close. As I sit enjoying the fact that the airport is on the same wireless network as my hotel and therefore I can get online, a large Italian man heading to Bologna begins yelling loudly at two airport security guards. It’s gibberish to me, however he’s passionate and it’s a scene to watch. Digging into my freshly opened package of chocolate biscuit cookies I enjoy the show. Caro takes notice of the action and stealthly hides her passport (total side note – it appears Caro might be more paranoid than I am, but that’s the subject of it’s own blog.)
As we wait in the cluster-fuck that is the Paris Beuvais (??) airport I am reminded of cattle or, as Caro referenced while doing a crossword puzzle, “#23 Down, another word for a Disorderly Mob.”
Posted by Petra | Posted in travel | Posted on 30-06-2009
Caro and I decided to, after a long day of sightseeing, to treat ourselves to a nice dinner in a Parisian restaurant. On the street of our hotel there are a number of cute ones, and we chose one advertising itself as a “Pizza Resto.”
“Pizzaria” seems to be used pretty broadly here and in Spain, but this particular one did indeed have pizza on the menu, as well as other Parisian/Italian fare. It also looked pretty reasonably priced, so we went in.
Now, it must be mentioned this was our first opportunity eating a real meal at somewhere other than a cafe. Multiple courses were available, as were lots of wine choices (much to the enjoyment of the person in our party whose name starts with a “C” and ends with “arolynn.”) We were seated by a very friendly waiter/manager/owner who I swore was speaking some sort of French-Spanish hybrid and was quite a smiley guy.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Petra | Posted in travel | Posted on 30-06-2009
Is the best! After much hesitation and sweating on my part, Caro and I were able to abscond with some extra food from the hotel breakfast this morning. Though the breakfast wasn’t free it was a buffet, and everyone knows that’s what you do at buffets. Or maybe it’s just what Americans do which is why I got cold feet for a minute there. Luckily Caro has no qualms about stealing food and now I am the proud owner of two slices of bread, cheese, and an orange! Fuel for sightseeing, which we will be doing a lot of today!
On the agenda: Cemetary, catacombs, some garden, Musee d’Orsay, and Eifel Tower in the evening.
Posted by Petra | Posted in travel | Posted on 28-06-2009
And other happenings from Paris, France.
Caro and I arrived in gay Paree after waking up alarming early to catch a shuttle to the Girona airport at 4am. Shuttle ride was smooth and we arrived with 2 hours to spare at the aeropuerto. Preparing to fly on RyanAir, the self proclaimed “cheap fare airline”, was a challenge considering their baggage restriction of 10kilos (20lbs) per person. The amount they pound it into your head that this is the MAX per passenger, you’d think it’s punishable by death. Or just a 25 euro fee… Which to someone with no income for 3 months is a similar fate. Anyway, Caro and I were up to the wee hours of the morning packing and weighing our luggage, getting them to 9.8 and 9.9 kilos, respectively. We are packing goddesses!
Read the rest of this entry »