Category Archives: France

May 04 2010
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France, Rant, Travel

The Trip is Underway

Just landed in JFK Airport from Atlanta. One half of my plane rides is now complete.

A bit of travel advice to anyone ever flying thru JFK…
Don’t do it. Reroute thru Laguardia. Holy jeez – it was about as organized as Robin Williams’ thought process. I felt like a Costa Rican rooster wandering around aimlessly – don’t ask me why.
So that’s that.
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Jun 12 2009
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France, Travel

Stateside

Dan and I made it back to Atlanta last night from Paris. As with most things in my life, there is a story to be told about our flight home. I promise to write the details on it later, but let’s just say it includes old people, vomit, and a near emergency landing in South Carolina. It’s always interesting!

I know I haven’t done an update since we left the Riviera, but I want to update you on everything in sequential order. My plan is to attempt to pick up from where I left off with pictures and such in Juan-Les-Pins and continue thru to Paris and then our flight home.
I’m super jetlagged. Apparently I was overly ambitious in thinking that I could fly home on a Wednesday night and be at work Thursday morning. Dan convinced me I was crazy and needed to take a personal day to catch up on rest and get the body clock back on schedule. He was right……I slept today off and on until 5:07pm. Feels good.
I’ll try to update as much as I can before bedtime tonight. Back to work in America tomorrow!
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Jun 12 2009
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France, Travel

Paris – Day 1

We took an early flight from Nice and landed in Paris at 9:30am Sunday morning.  All of our luggage came through just fine and we grabbed a cab to our hotel.  Having only gotten 5 hrs of sleep in the last 2 days I was exhausted — and so was Dan.  We decided since we had landed so early we could spare a couple hours to lie in the room and rest before we hit the pavement to explore the city.  Our power nap turned into a long nap, but we felt GREAT when we woke — ready to get outside with enough energy to appreciate the sights we saw.

Our hotel was a block away from the Vivain metro stop in the Montparnasse area of town.  I knew exactly where to go from here…hop on the metro line and take it straight up 5 stops to St. Michel (my old stomping grounds)!  Emerging from the underground metro we walked up the stairs right out to the front of the St. Michel fountain.
From there we walked across the street toward the River Seine and watched some boats float by below.  I told Dan to turn his head to the right and -boom- there was Notre Dame.  We took some pictures out front then headed for the doors to check out the inside.  Turns out we were right in time for Sunday evening mass, so our tour of the interior was even more beautiful as we were accompanied by the live singing of hymns.  The incense began wafting through the air as we moseyed through the crowds staring up at stained glass windows, chandeliers, and equally as intricate gothic, arched walkways.  I’ve always loved it in here, but it made it even better hearing Dan say he had never experienced anything like it.  I’m so glad we saw it together.
Leaving Notre Dame we noticed that the rain had turned into a drizzle.  I decided we had to walk back across the Seine over to the best little bookstore in Paris:  Shakespeare & Co. –  a must see!  Love it there and, yes, I bought a book (another one of Stephen Clarke’s hilarious British commentaries on the French).

We walked outside this time and noticed that the drizzle had turned into an unexpected moment of dryness with sun poking through the clouds.  I told Dan it was imperative that we run to the metro and go to the Eiffel Tower that second since it was supposed to rain the entirety of our time in Paris and we must take advantage of the weather gods temporarily smiling on us –  so that’s what we did.  Even though in my lifetime I have spent a total of nearly 6months in this city, I had NEVER been to the top of the Eiffel Tower.  It was closed in 2002 when I went with my high school class as it was less than a year after 9/11 and when my family tried to go during my study abroad semester in 2005 it started snowing, so they closed it down for fear that the cables would snap from the cold.  So, this was the day I was meant to go to the top!  We stayed there for hours…taking our time strolling along the river from the metro to the monument, grabbing a nutella crepe at the carousel right across the street from the Tower, waiting in line with many an American high school group to go up the elevator, being silly with my camera at the bottom of the Tower before our ascent, keeping Dan calm at the top due to the crazy height which was not helped by the whipping wind, and finally gazing up at the glittering Tower lights that flickered on at 10pm sharp.  (*Note- If my memory serves me correctly then the lights usually twinkle for 10min at the top of every hour beginning at 10:00 each evening…however, this time they only stayed illuminated for 5min.  Result of the economy?  Too high of a power bill?  Just curious.)
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Jun 04 2009
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Cannes, France, Travel, Visitors

Finally some pictures

Here are some pictures from our first week together in France…

SATURDAY — Eze, Monaco

Pulling in to the hillside town of Eze on the grafitti’d train.
Attempting to find the nearest bus stop.  We had been told by students who visited Eze the day before that we HAD to pay 5euros and take the bus 20min up the mountain where we would be met with a beautiful garden which would pale in comparison to the view overlooking the Mediterranean down below.  Apparently our bus ride up to the top of the hill was not meant to be because our timing was off.  It was 45 min until the next bus went up, 20 min to get up to the top, and the next train we needed to catch to Monaco was shortly thereafter.  Too shortly thereafter, in fact, that our bus trip plans were squelched as we headed back to the train station and decided, “we’ll see it next year.”
The train – in very French fashion – didn’t show up until 25min after it was due to arrive.  Thus, Dan and my trip to Eze turned into an hour-long detour on our way to Monaco.  We took plenty of pictures at the train station in an attempt to appease our boredom and distract ourselves from the fact that we were a mere two train stops from Monaco and still had to wait so long to get there.  So close, yet so far away…
We made it!  (P.S. – NICEST train station I’ve seen in Europe.)
This church we stumbled upon has been there since the year 304 (!!).  America is so young. 
Dan being a good Catholic…dipping his fingers in the holy water and doing the 1-2-3-4 thing.
  
Dan paid 1 euro and we lit a candle together.  We walked through the church passed all of the wooden pews, finally taking a seat in the second row at the front and prayed together.  I thanked god for sending Dan to me…both in France and in life…and wished for god to continue granting us his “traveling mercies” (b/c I ALWAYS remember my youth group leader in middle school mentioning that in the group prayer anytime we got on a bus. Gotta love the Methodists!).  I don’t know what Dan prayed about.

After our brush with religion, Dan and I headed straight to the Monte Carlo casino.  Our arrogance was palpable as we strutted along the shoreline flaunting our cash in euros.  Breezing by the single security guard at the door we perused the casino’s interior and its clientele.  We were the only Americans in there.  However, Lady Luck spat in our faces quicker than you could shout, “Le Blackjack!”  Within seconds we were down a combined 25euros on the daggum slots (i.e. the world’s fanciest trash cans for money).  Our spirits were still high despite our misfortune as it was a cool feeling to simply be gambling in the ACTUAL area of Monte Carlo in Monaco versus its American counterpart, the infamously charred hotel/casino version of Monte Carlo in Vegas.
This is the shopping mall in the Monte Carlo section of Monaco.  Yeah, this area has some money…
Dogs are allowed in restaurants, stores, hotels, and offices….but heaven forbid they be allowed in the park!
Here are a few more pictures from our afternoon/evening in Monaco:
 

 
SUNDAY — Antibes

A street performer came to the outdoor restaurant where we were dining for lunch.  He set up shop for a 15-20min performances perfectly situated behind Dan’s chair.  Dan didn’t mind too much as he was engulfed in the spicy/pepper olive oil that they serve here (Warning:  To all Customs agents who may read this do not be alarmed when Dan’s suitcase is weighed down by bottles of these on the return trip).  Also, the performer ended his set with the crowd-pleasing song choice of, “La Bamba.”  Viva France!

After lunch we walked along the harbor and into the city’s walls.  At first glance I thought these flags said “Arby’s”.  Ha
As soon as we entered the Antibes’ walls we found ourselves being welcomed by a jovial, seemingly impromptu parade.

Typical street in Antibes.  Love it!
Here’s another cute little alley.
We bought three paintings (3!) from this artist at the open-air market.  One of a nearby street in Antibes, one of Cannes’ harbor, and one of the Monte Carlo Hotel where we visited the day before.  They are all gorgeous and distinct in their own way.  Thank you to our artist friend, Vincent!
Beautiful city walls along the Med.
Gorgeous, yet treacherous, water and rocks below.
Napoleon wuz here.
The afternoon quickly digressed as soon as we reached the landmark Absinthe Bar… (see below) …

MONDAY — Cannes
We ventured over to Cannes Monday afternoon after Dr. Kohn’s journalism class let out.  It was rainy the whole time we were there, so we didn’t really get any pictures.  We did however shop like CRAZY and eat a good meal at Cafe Roma.
TUESDAY — Nice

Tuesday morning we let our rebellious sides run wild and grabbed a train to Nice without paying.  (Read: heavy sarcasm here.  No one ever pays for trains around here.  Riding for free is well worth the risk of being fined – which is rare.  I’m waiting for the day when my making statements like this comes to bite me in the ass…)
Anyway, we spent a couple of hours walking and shopping in the lovely city of Nice.  P.S.  – This was probably the fourth time I’ve been to Nice in my life and it was the 1st time EVER since I’ve been that the town and general infrastructure was not under construction.  Nice is now actually nice.  Hats off, local government and construction teams.


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May 30 2009
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France, Juan-Les-Pins, Travel, Visitors

Danny has landed!

 After an 8-hour flight, a 6-hour layover in Paris, and another flight down to Nice complete with a 40-min delay…..Dan has made it to me in the south of France!

He arrived jetlagged, yet excited — so we hit the ground running in my home base of Juan-Les-Pins right away in an attempt to prolong Dan’s head hitting the pillow and get his body clock adjusted to France time.
Living just half a block up from the blue Mediterranean Sea makes for a lovely view from my balcony as well as easy access for strolling along the boardwalk.  Dan and I did just that as soon as we unpacked his very well organized suitcase.  🙂
 
On the way to the restaurant-lined beach we made a quick pitstop for some mid-afternoon gelato (which I seem to have adopted as a daily ritual).  Dan LOVED his cone full of Snickers and chocolate goodness.  We then walked out on a rocky point to admire the distant yachts and crystal clear water just at our feet.  Dan can’t get over the scenery of Juan-Les-Pins…restaurants with couches and tables that allow its patrons to dine with their feet in the sand, colorful awnings from the shops and apartments looming just behind, and not to mention topless French sunbathers as far as the eye can see.
We got him some good handmade French pizza that is as thin as our Arby’s FSI’s.  He LOVED that too.  We had a great (cheap!) bottle of French red wine with our pizzas which you could’ve mistaken for warm milk as it began to lull Dan to sleep while he was still seated at the table.  At one point during our conversation I had to inform him that only one of his eyes was still open — I’m pretty sure he doesn’t remember most of that first day/night as I’ve had to repeat a lot of what I said – but I can understand.  I’ve already dealt with the exact same thing with our 25 students when they arrived.  I’m a pro now.
The next morning we got up and went to my favorite spot for breakfast crepes – “Pan & Cake.”  We enjoyed ingredients like ham, cheese, mushrooms, and egg warmly wrapped into our soft crepes.  Yum!  Grabbed two ‘pain-au-chocolats’ to go and headed toward the train station for a day on the beach in the neighboring town of Golfe Juan.  Below are some pictures from our afternoon – it was great and so relaxing.
                       
 
Today is Dan’s third day on the ground here and the students have been given a day off class to allow time for a “travel weekend” of their choice.  We are going to use this time to take a day trip over to Monaco and hopefully stop in Eze on one of the legs of the train ride.  It’s another beautiful day with a bit of a breeze so it should be perfect for walking around and exploring new areas.  I’ve never been to either of these places, so I’m excited to see them for the first time today with Dan.  I’m sure we’ll have SO many pictures to post after today.
Okay, better go check the train schedule before the entire day gets away from us on the internet.  Talk to you soon.
-ab & dd
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