France
Île-de-France

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    • Day 1

      Paris mit Lili

      April 14, 2022 in France ⋅ 🌧 13 °C

      Als ich nach Flügen gesucht habe, war der von Westjet mit ab Paris mit Abstand der günstigste. Damit auch kein Stress aufkommt und nichts schiefgehen kann, habe ich mich dazu entschlossen, in Paris eine Nacht zu bleiben. Als Lili das mitbekommen hat, kam sie auf die Idee auch nach Paris zu kommen. So ist sie Mittwoch Abend schon mit Zug nach Paris gefahren und ich dann Donnerstag Morgen ab Hamburg per Flugzeug.
      Nach anfänglichen Internetproblemen haben wir uns in Paris dann zusammentelefoniert😅
      Als erstes wollten wir zum Louvre, da gab es für den Vormittag allerdings keine Tickets mehr, daher sind wir dann erstmal zur Seine spaziert. Dort am Ufer haben wir uns ein Crêpe geholt. Dann ging es weiter zur Notre Dame. Die Türme sind ja zum Glück unversehrt geblieben. An den Seiten konnte man auf Infotafeln den Wiederaufbau nachverfolgen, das war sehr interessant. Danach sind wir dann am Ufer entlang wieder Richtung Westen geschlendert. Für uns der erste richtige Sommertag dieses Jahr: bei 22 Grad und strahlendem Sonnenschein ☀️
      Nach einer kleinen Stärkung auf dem Vorplatz von Louvre sind wir dann endlich reingegangen (schlauerweise über den nördlichen Eingang, der normalerweise für Gruppen reserviert ist, wo wir überhaupt nicht anstehen mussten). Dort haben wir uns einige Ausstellungen herausgesucht, die uns interessiert haben, alles wäre uns zu anstrengend gewesen. Für die Mona Lisa musste man extra anstehen, das haben wir uns dann gespart. Zwischendurch waren wir mal draußen in der Gartenanlage Sonne tanken.
      Gegen Abend haben wir uns dann etwas bei der Patisserie geholt und am Ufer der Insel gegessen. Hammer lecker 😋
      Danach ging es dann per Metro und Tram zur Jugendherberge und dort auch direkt zu Bett: totmüde und mit schmerzenden Füßen, so viel bin ich lange nicht mehr gelaufen - aber daran werde ich mich wohl gewöhnen müssen…

      Freitag morgen nach dem typischen Jugendherbergenfrühstück sind wir dann direkt los nach Montmartre, um uns Sacre Cœur anzuschauen. Von dort hatten wir einen super Blick über Paris, wieder bei strahlendem Sonnenschein. Wir haben sogar einen Teil des Karfreitag-gottesdienstes mitbekommen. Dann zu Fuß zum Gare du Nord, dort hieß es dann wieder Abschiednehmen.
      Ich werde dich vermissen Lili❤️
      Ab in den Zug zum Flughafen und das erste mal den Kontinent verlassen…
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    • Day 43

      Paris!

      May 3, 2022 in France ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F

      We started at the airport in Costa Rica on May 2nd at 11:00am and touched down in Paris on May 3rd at 5:00pm. Taking out the 8 hr time change, we traveled 22 hrs to get here. It was definitely tiring, but also so exciting.

      We’re staying in our first official hostel - no private room this time. 8 bed dorm bunks with privacy screens - actually very nice set up. Some won’t allow me to stay, if it’s a “party hostel” — no one over 35 yrs old. But many do.

      So we arrived, took the metro to the hostel, dropped everything and headed to where else but the Eiffel Tower for the first night! So amazing! Can’t wait to see all the history and sites. It doesn’t get dark here until 9:00 so lots of time to explore every day.
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    • Day 44

      Ile de la Cite

      May 4, 2022 in France ⋅ ☁️ 59 °F

      We had an exhausting day today - the adrenaline couldn’t hold the jet lag back any longer. But what a beautiful city Paris is!

      We’ve mastered the metro and are getting around pretty easily. (Adam would be proud). We headed to Ile de La Cite (a small island) and saw Notre Dame (the outside as it’s still being repaired from the fire in 2019), St Chapelle Cathedral, The Conciergerie (prison where Marie Antoinette was held), the Luxembourg Palace & gardens and finished it up with Musee d’Orsay. (Impressionist museum built in an old train station). It was a full day seeing places I’ve only seen on TV or in the movies. Crazy.

      Paris’s public water is some of the best in the world. It is natural spring water that is piped in everywhere. We saw a documentary on it at home. Jordan found one of the fountains. Have to say, it DID taste better!

      We went back to fall asleep early at 8:00 but we’re so messed up our bodies won’t let us fall asleep (probably because in our heads it’s only noon). Oh well, I’m sure we’ll adjust eventually!
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    • Day 46

      The Louvre … just wow

      May 6, 2022 in France ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F

      Each day on this trip brings a new wonder to behold, it seems like. Today we saw SO much again … Paris has a remarkable affordable public transit system, and the city is surprisingly walkable - in sections.

      We started our morning at The Louvre. It is the largest museum in the world, and it was obvious. I found the building itself to be a work of art! We only scratched the surface there. Did see some amazing statues - Nike of Samothrace (winged) which Jordan sketched - 190 BC, and the Venice de Milo! 100 BC. Other noteworthy piece we saw was the Mona Lisa - the crowds were intense, but we managed to get to the front eventually to see her.

      The French have created magnificent gardens everywhere - reminds me of what I’ve seen in Canada. They are just gorgeous. There were also two arches - one smaller and one massive. Really massive. The biggest surprise was seeing the Place de La Concorde - this is a square (where kings/queens were beheaded during the revolution) with what looks like a small version of the Washington monument from far away, but as you get closer it is clear it’s different. It’s an Egyptian obelisk!! No kidding. It’s 3300 years old! The Egyptians gifted the 230 ton Luxor obelisk (it has a twin still in Egypt) to France in the mid 1800’s. It took SEVEN years to transport it across the Atlantic, the Mediterranean, up the Nile and finally up the Seine river. And then it took a feat of engineering to raise it.

      We took a metro ride out of the historical district to what looked to be the suburbs of Paris - Wandered the canal and then what else to do when in Paris with the biggest Marvel fan ever (Jordan), we went to opening night of the Dr. Strange movie. Found one playing in English. It felt familiar, kind of.
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    • Day 47

      Last day in Paris

      May 7, 2022 in France ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F

      Our bodies finally let us sleep in today - we’ve been pretty confused, physically - so it was nice to get some good rest.

      Today was a nice relaxing day. We started with the Sacre Couer Basilica, a church which was beautiful!! Then we hit Montmarte - it is an artists haven, and authentic Parisian village. Gorgeous. We decided to go to a different area of the city and stopped at the Galerie Lafayette Hausmann - basically a shopping mall. But like all things in Paris, it was FANTASTIC. We finished our final day in Paris as we started it, sitting in the grass at the foot of the Eiffel Tower eating crepes.

      I would definitely give Paris a 10! It’s been a wonderful way to start our time in Europe.
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    • Day 8

      Meaux

      May 16, 2022 in France ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

      Heute noch in Luxemburg eingekauft.
      Dann ein Stück durch Belgien gefahren.
      Dann war ich in Belgien auch mal.
      Jetzt haben wir einen Platz in Meaux gefunden.
      Liegt schön am Ufer der Marne und ist sauber.
      Meaux liegt ganz nahe bei Paris.
      Mit dem Zug ca. 25 Minuten.
      Jetzt sind wir am Überlegen.
      Gleich nach Paris, oder auf dem Rückweg.
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    • Day 2

      Auf Entdeckungstour

      June 4, 2022 in France ⋅ 🌧 18 °C

      Halbwegs von der kurzen Nacht erholt, wachten wir gegen 07.30 Uhr auf. Dann gab es erstmal ein gemütliches Frühstück in einem typischen französischen Café.

      Dann ging es zu Fuß weiter zum zwanzigminütig entfernten „Sacé Cœur“. Noch regnete es, doch der Himmel riss auf und die Sonne kam langsam heraus. Vorbei an den kleinen Läden und den gemütlichen Restaurants entdeckten wir die nähere Umgebung.Read more

    • Day 60

      CINQ FOTOS-Paris Day 1

      June 12, 2022 in France ⋅ 🌙 17 °C

      We bid a temporary farewell to Amsterdam as we will return later this week. We had an easy fast train trip to Paris, and we passed through a few major cities in Belgium on the way. With the exception of the cities, we mostly appeared to travel through farmland. We arrived in Paris a little before 3 pm, and we made our way to the room that we are renting.

      I do think this is one of the nicest weather days that we've had since we left Portland in April. It was dry and sunny with a slight breeze.

      We were greeted by Stephan and Stephane, two very sweet men who welcomed us with hibiscus tea and a fruit galette. They live on a spacious 5th floor flat, and we have a very nice guest room. They gave us many recommendations of walks to take, and we enjoyed learning about the highlights of the city through their eyes.

      I shared with them that my actual surname should have been Fortin. Although, I have very deep French-Canadian roots, we located the areas where my French ancestors lived not too far outside of Paris.

      We decided to head on a walk near a canal towards the gay district. As we crossed the River Seine we caught our first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower an impressive figure in the distance and the visual reality check that we were really in Paris and not Las Vegas.

      We stopped by the gay district for a drink and then we strolled the streets in the area without a set destination. We did find Notre Dame which is still closed and under reconstruction after the devastating 2019 fire. The construction site has very detailed panels about the efforts to rebuild and replicate what was lost.

      We ended the evening with dinner at TaTa Hamburgers, and I had probably the best hamburger that I've had since time in the states.

      We retired for the night, and we look forward to our first full day tomorrow.

      Bonne Nuit!
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    • Day 61

      CINQ FOTOS-Paris Day 2

      June 13, 2022 in France ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

      We woke up this morning to a generous breakfast made by our hosts to start the day.
      I managed to sleep in a bit, and I'm grateful for the rest before an eventful day.

      First on the agenda this morning was a trip to the Louvre Museum. Our hosts sent us tram connection routes, and it was a crowded, but easy ride over.

      The tram stop was very close to the Louvre, and we walked over to get in line. Although we had a timed entrance, getting into the Louvre still required a fairly long wait before getting into the museum.

      It was interesting to see additional Greek antiquities and compare them to our travels in Sicily and the Museo Archaelogico in Naples.

      We decided to explore the Islamic exhibit, and it was really quite beautiful. I admittedly hold some deep prejudices about some Islamic countries, particularly as it applies to horrible treatment of women and GLBT people. The exhibits were beautiful, particularly the pottery.
      Jim C offered a poignant reflection that it was a missed opportunity to create displays of artwork on a time continuum rather than socio-political divides. I'd further offer the thought that the creation of art in all forms is an opportunity to demonstrate commonality rather than differences.

      We did see all the popular attractions at the Louvre. The Venus de Milo was incredible, abs I enjoyed getting close to the Mona Lisa. It's smaller than I expected, but I still thought it was cool to see it in person.

      In some of the Biblical portrayals, I find it interesting, and a little creepy, that there is "spoiler alert" foreshadowing of the crucifixion of Christ. One such portrayal is of Jesus and John the Baptist playing together as toddlers under the watchful eye of Mary. John is holding a small crucifix in the painting.

      Once we witnessed some of the popular pieces, we talked about how downplayed the fact that the Louvre was once a significant palace. This contrasted our experience at the Hague where both Escher's artwork and the palace were acknowledged and celebrated.

      When we left the museum, we walked near the adjacent garden with several sculptures. There were also a couple of small reservoirs with chairs and reclining chairs around the perimeter. It was a beautiful day, and many took the opportunity to bask in the sun and chat.

      When we left the museum and gardens we looked for a place to grab lunch. We found a great outdoor café and we split a dish of croque monsieur, a ham and cheese grilled sandwich that was grilled and smothered with gruyere cheese. It was quite rich and tasty with a glass of Chardonnay.

      After lunch we went to the Opera House which inspired the writing of the "Phantom of the Opera". The hall was beautiful and ornate. We thought how fun it would be to see a performance in the Hall like we did in Barcelona's Palau de Música nearly twomonths earlier.

      We returned to our flat and we enjoyed sums relaxation time. We made plans to go to dinner at a restaurant close to Moulin Rouge, at the recommendation of our hosts. We had the added bonus of joining a couple we met online, and we were reminded of our "small world" as we have many friends in common in New England and the Pacific NW.

      We wrapped the evening with a very late-night performance at the Moulin Rouge, a performance hall dating back to the late 1800's that has witnessed performances from the likes of Edith Piaf, and Collette, a performer who almost caused Moulin Rouge to be closed when she gave a lengthy kiss to one of the other female performers.

      We were seated next to a couple from New York who had recently married and were on their honeymoon. We enjoyed our conversation with them, and we compared some of our favorite European experiences.

      It was noticeable that the women performed with very little clothing and the men, in contrast were fully clothed. Similarly, the women often made many sexual gestures, and the men's dancing was a bit sterile in comparison. There were some unusual circus type acts including a woman who swam in a water tank with pythons, as well as amazing balancing acts by men. A big hit with the audience was a couple who did amazing choreographed maneuvers on roller skates. The show concluded with a rousing performance of the Can Can

      We made the most of our first full day in Paris, and we look forward to time with friends tomorrow.
      Bonne nuit, amis et famille!
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    • Day 62

      CINQ FOTOS- Day 3 Paris

      June 14, 2022 in France ⋅ 🌙 19 °C

      We started the day with another wonderful breakfast prepared by our hosts. The feature pastry was a clafoutis, a rich cherry cake.

      When we booked our travels to Paris, it was a bit of an afterthought. We realized that the proximity by fast train from Amsterdam made an easy trip. We also knew that it would be impossible to select too many attractions in such a large city with so much to do.

      Our learning in two months on the road is that some of the most priceless adventures have been to just wander and explore. This was one of those days as we had the opportunity to meet the mother and her husband of one of our good friends back home, Judith and her husband Chris and our friend Khoa later in the day.

      Judith proposed that we meet in Place du Trocadero, a plaza and gardens with spectacular views of the Eiffel Tower. After a warm greeting, we enjoyed our walk near the tower and the adjacent greenspace. Judith told us about the different neighborhoods that we were ealking through. We had a leisurely lunch at a classic French restaurant, and we enjoyed our conversation. After our farewells, we returned to the flat, and I took a very long nap. I had been up late after Moulin Rouge realizing that too much Coke Zero at dinner meant Sleep Zero due to excess caffeine consumption.

      Our friend, Khoa, who we've known for about ten years offered to meet us for drinks and dinner. It was fun to visit with him to catch up as we last hosted him in our home in 2018.

      The restaurant was also a traditional French Restaurant, and I enjoyed the lamb. While Jim C enjoyed the baked Camenbert cheese with fries. As we were leaving the restaurant, we met Khoa's partner and exchanged greetings.

      We decided to skip the metro and make the two-mile walk home on a beautiful Parisian night. The temperature was perfect, and we enjoyed the walk. It looks like Paris is going to heat up to about 38°C this weekend, and I'm glad to miss it as I really don't like the heat.

      When we returned to the flat, our hosts Stephan and Stéphane were still awake. We had a great conversation about politics in our respective countries, while sampling their offerings of home-made apertífs.

      I think some of the best parts of our trip have been sharing times with the new people we've met as well as enjoying adventures with friends and family.

      We will have a bit more time in Paris tomorrow before we return to Amsterdam. It's been a wonderful visit. Ciao!
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    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Île-de-France, Ile-de-France, Isla de Francia, 일드프랑스, Ilha de França

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