France day trip, villages and vineyards

July 30, 2007 | Filed Under Germany |  Posted by: Dena | Leave a Comment 

Yesterday I woke up to the pitter-patter of rain on my window. The sky was completely grey, and it was pouring; I felt as if I was back in Vancouver!

When I walked into the kitchen, I was surprised with 18 candles on a chocolate mousse cake, wishing me a happy birthday! With a huge piece of delicious cake in me, I was ready for our journey to France.

The road was absolutely beautiful! Every shade of green could be found in the vineyards, the trees and the hills! Horses were running about, deer were prancing, and cows were munching away at the green; I felt like a country girl in an idyllic little town! Our first stop was at the Gates of Germany’s Wine road. The top of these gates held a lovely view of many charming little towns and colourful fields stretching for miles and miles. Once we passed these gates, the land of Frenchmen welcomed us and the vineyards slowly morphed into wheat fields, redolent of some Van Gogh paintings.

Our next stop was in Wissembourg, in front of a cute and colourfully decorated Patisserie, which is listed among the top ten bakeries in Europe! Here we enjoyed amazingly delectable éclairs.

With a little taste of France on our tongues, we carried on our way to Strasbourg where we walked along the wet streets. The town itself was filled with old apartments, small bridges, cute houses right by the edge of the river, and many quaint restaurants. In one such restaurant, I enjoyed a traditional Flambé for Lunch. Afterwards, we visited a beautiful church (Cathedral of our Lady) with impressive gothic architecture! Inside, the church was ornate and had lovely stained glass windows. The main piece of the church was a beautiful organ in the centre, and we had happened to visit the cathedral during a special service featuring a famous organist; we enjoyed some of this music and then prepared for our journey back to Germany.

On our way back, the sky began to clear up, sun rays stole through the grey clouds and then slowly, a wonderful sunset tinted the clouds with a hue of purplish colours.

Once we had passed the now non-existent border between France and Germany, I noticed very old houses sandwiched between much newer ones. My uncle explained to me that these old houses were remnants of the Second World War and that all the other surrounding houses, bridges and buildings had been bombed and destroyed. It was interesting to me that they had incorporated these old apartments into the new plan.

Back at home, I enjoyed a light dinner and watched “L’Auberge Espagnole,” which is a movie about a young Parisian who decides to spend a year studying in Barcelona. This movie was especially interesting to me because when in Barcelona, we had seen many of the sites and Spanish culture displayed in this movie!

Today, I spent the day exploring surrounding villages, paying a second visit to the ever-bustling Mannheim and walking alongside a vineyard (a magical experience because of the gorgeous sky and general serenity of the vineyard). In one of the villages, my aunt and I had lunch in Deidesheimer Hof, which is a famous restaurant frequented by politicians, diplomats and royalty from all over the world. I ordered a traditional German dish, unique to this region, and a crème brûlée- they were delicious!At night, I went down to the festival (it was its last day today). This was much like a mini PNE but with much more drinking of wine and eating of Bratwurst!

Tchüss for now and I wish my friends a safe journey home from Paris,

Dena

Paris day 3: Dali Museum, Sacre Coeur, Moulin Rouge and ‘shopping?’

July 29, 2007 | Filed Under Paris |  Posted by: Meghan | Leave a Comment 

Before leaving our hotel this morning, we were surprised that it was raining in Paris. We found this quite interesting since the last time we experienced rain was on our first day in London, and now this was to be our last full day in Paris.

Our first plan was to visit the Dali Museum in Montmarte. When we arrived at the metro stop, we realized that we didn’t know the exact location of the gallery, and there were no signs pointing us in the right direction. So, Meghan popped into a nearby store and received some general directions. We headed up Montmarte, at which point Mel pointed out that the rain was light – almost misty – and not nearly as bad as the downpour in London. She spoke too soon. By the time we had to climb the stairs to the upper portion of Montmarte, we were caught in another downpour. For a moment, we paused in a random apartment doorway, hoping that the rain would cease and that we wouldn’t be greeted by the people who lived inside.

The rain had hardly lightened up when we decided to continue. After some time in the rain, we finally found the Dali museum. We were happy to be inside, admiring Dali’s unique work, dripping from our soaked hair and rain jackets. All three of us thought the Dali gallery was excellent. It contained several sketches and sculptures, as well as costumes by designers who were inspired by Dali. All of the sculptures were very impressive, each containing an imaginative quality and thought-provoking symbolism.     

Once we were finished at the museum, we headed to Sacre Coeur. By this time, it had stopped raining (thankfully), and the sun was actually peeking out from behind the clouds. From the church, we could see an excellent view of the city. Inside the grand building, there were several large arches, stained glass windows, and mosaic covered ceilings. Many people were visiting the church; some were there to light a candle or say a prayer, while others just admired the stunning atmosphere.

Next, we hopped on and off the metro to have a quick look of the Moulin Rouge. It was as expected – a building with a large windmill on top and red lettering that said “Moulin Rouge.”

We got back on the metro and took it far away from the city center in search for a shopping mall. We did find the mall, but it was closed and under construction. Still in the mood for shopping, we got back on the metro and took it to Chatelet (a stop near the Louvre). Again, we found stores and a shopping mall, but they were all closed. Now we know that if you want to go shopping in Paris, Sunday is not a good day.

At this point Meghan and Mel decided to go back to the hotel, and to find something to eat. They spent a little while freshening up at the hotel after being in damp clothes all day, then headed out to find Chinese food. This took a little while, as many Chinois restaurants were closed for Sunday or closing early. However, seeing as there is an odd abundance of Chinese restaurants in Paris, they managed to find once to satisfy their hunger.

Meanwhile, Steffi decided to continue exploring the city. She had wanted to go and find the quarter of Paris that has been the setting of a book that she had recently read. She was delighted to find that is was exactly as described in the book, and eagerly strolled around in took in the charm of the city. One random French cd, three chocolates, a piece of lasagne later, she was back at the hotel and ready to start packing for the trip home.

Now, we are all resting and getting ready for our last MOTing experience of Europe 2007. We’re glad to hear that Candace made it home safely and is enjoying her vegetables, and that Dena made it to Germany and is enjoying her visit.

Allo from Dena

July 28, 2007 | Filed Under Germany |  Posted by: Dena | 1 Comment 

Hello from Neustadt, Germany!

I got here two days ago after I said goodbye to my wonderfully amazing friends and fellow MOT packers at the Madrid airport. It was quite an adventure getting to my gate at this massive airport, which has an abundance of terminals; I had to take a bus and a special airport metro in order to find my gate. The plane ride was really comfortable, and I had a wonderful view of the Alps as we flew over them; this completely quenched my thirst for mountains! A Spanish girl was seated next to me on the plane, and we became fast friends, talking all the way to Frankfurt where we exchanged emails.

When I finally arrived at the airport, I was greeted by my aunt and uncle who took me to their town- Neustadt. The ride there was beautiful and filled with rolling hills, green fields and lots of grape vines! They live on “Wine Road,” so most of their town is filled with grape fields. This weekend, the town is holding a wine festival where everybody eats, drinks and is merry! I love it here because it’s lively as well as quiet and from the house, I have a view of an ancient castle where a rebellion took place as well as a view of wine fields, red roofs and amazing sunsets.

Yesterday, I visited the rest of Neustadt which consists of narrow streets filled with cute stores, magnificent churches, and many strangely designed fountains. I visited a church that was both Catholic and Protestant: half of it was decorated ornately with golden statues and used by Catholics while the other half was much simpler (decorated with a few paintings) and used by Protestants. It was a very strange combination and quite interesting for me. The fountains in the town were also extremely interesting; I saw the Fountain of Paradise (Adam and Eve), as well as another famous fountain which was decorated with strange mythical birds from an old Neustadt story.

Today, I visited Mannheim, which is known for its concerts, parties and of course, shopping. It is a huge town and filled with store after store of merchandise. We spent some time walking around here, had lunch and then headed off to Heidelberg.

Heidelberg is famous for its university and its ancient castle. The streets here were very nice to walk along and the castle was absolutely incredible.

Only partially rebuilt since its destruction in the 17^th century, this castle has a long history that dates back to the 1100s. The building itself is magnificent and tucked away on a green hill. The view from the top is enchanting and the Rhine can be seen in all its glory. I loved it up there and spent a while admiring the castle and its remarkable view. Tomorrow, I’m heading to France for the day; for now, it’s sleep time!

Tchüss

Dena

Paris day 2: the Louvre, Laundry, and L’Arc de Triomphe

July 28, 2007 | Filed Under Paris |  Posted by: Meghan | Leave a Comment 

Today it was rather hard to get up after our late night. The plan of the day was to go and see the Louvre. However, Steffi did not feel up to the long day of museum-ing, so she opted to stay and sleep a while more. So, Mel and Meghan headed out, grabbed a quick breakfast of salad and muffins, and some lunch for later, and headed towards the Louvre. To their surprise, the entrance to the Louvre was directly connected to the Metro line. It was rather weird to turn a corner and see the inverted pyramid at the entrance to the museum. After purchasing their tickets, they headed into the Denon wing. In there, we saw the Mona Lisa, which was surrounded by throngs of people, and rather hard to get a good look at. From there we ventured through the Italian paintings and saw other works by da Vinci. Next, we went on a hunt for the Venus de Milo. After much searching, we finally found her also surrounded by several viewers. Once we spent a few minutes admiring the sculpture, we wandered out of the Denon wing and into the Richelieu wing where we saw paintings by Rubens and Vermeer. This area was quite enjoyable because there were fewer people since the works there are lesser known, but still equally magnificent. We continued to wander into the Sully wing passing by religious and historical French works, as well as the famous paintings of bathers by Ingres. By the time we had made the loop around the Sully wing, our feet were tired and we were ready to say goodbye to the Louvre.

Meghan and Mel found a spot to sit around one of the many fountains located outside of the Louvre. We took in the grand architecture of the building, including the older sculptures that adorn the building, and the contemporary glass pyramid that serves as the main entrance.

An hour… or two after the other two had left, Steffi got up and ventured out into the big city. The few extra hours of rest worked wonders, and with a bounce in her step she decided to take in the architecture of the Louvre! After spending a few long minutes ogling the grandeur of the building, she crossed the Seine and started out for Notre Dame. Instead of taking the direct route, she twisted and turned around the back streets of Paris, and attempted to get a better feel for the city. A wonderfully crafted black jacket called to her from a store window. In a daze, she tried it on and fell instantly in love, however one look at the price tag had her sadly leaving it behind. Notre Dame proved to be exactly as she remembered it, and the large number had her moving quickly towards le Palais de Justice in order to get away from the mayhem. An architecturally stunning building, it was a fitting place to sit and simply admire the wonderful view. At this point all of the walking had taken its toll on her tired legs, and she leisurely made her way back to the hotel to meet up with the others.

After resting and surfing the internet, we headed out to a ‘libre service’ laundromat. We were very excited for clean clothes! Once we figured out the laundry system, with the help of a friendly Frenchman, we walked down to a nearby Italian restaurant for dinner. We all ordered the same meal – a plate of three cheese penne- and recalled our time in Italy. By the time we finished, our laundry was ready to be put into the dryer. This took some time, as the dryer only allowed us to dry our clothes for 6 minutes at a time. When our laundry was finally finished, we rushed back to the hotel before heading to the Arc de Triomphe. We arrived at the shopping section of the Champs Elysees, and walked up toward the Arc.

After climbing the 284 steps to the top of the Arc, we stood in wonder of the spectacular view of Paris. In the distance we could see the lights of buildings and cars twinkling, and, of course, the Eiffel Tower illuminated with an amber glow. While we were up there, we also got to see the Eiffel Tower light show, and got our picture taken by the most attractive guy. We stayed until closing, at which point we headed down, took more pictures, and went for crepes before heading back to the hotel for the night.

Candace’s Adventure Home

July 27, 2007 | Filed Under Madrid, Post-trip |  Posted by: Candace | 2 Comments 

Hello Everyone!  The girls still in Europe and the families here at home.

I made it safely home, after spending hours and hours in airports and on airplanes.  Since leaving my incredible travelling companions of 3 weeks (sniff sniff), I sat around in my terminal on the other side of security waiting for the Madrid duty free shops to open (only one of them did before my flight left at 7am).  That flight was rather uneventful, although there was no assigned seating so I was free to grab whichever seat I wanted (not much was available by then, however).  The plane arrived early in London Gatwick, which would normally be exciting but in this case it only meant I had even more time to waste.  I picked up my bag and lugged it around the airport with me as I bought a sandwich from Marks & Spencer (Lots of veggies on it!!) and asked about the vegetarian meal option for my flight.  (By the way Mel, the response was that I should have called 2 days in advance).  Then I hauled my baggage upstairs where I gave myself a mini manicure in the airport washroom (basically I cut and cleaned under my nails, trust me it was much needed) and then used the airport internet.  I had good timing for the internet because a guy was just leaving and he had extra time he wasn’t going to use, so I got to e-mail Meghan for free, just to let everyone know I had survived the Madrid flight.  After that I had a bit of a shock as I saw two soldier/security guys walk right past me carrying huge guns at the ready.  That’s one thing I really missed about Canada, a lot fewer weapons.  Later, I met some people looking for somewhere to sit and when they saw the flag on my backpack they asked if I was from English Canada or French Canada.  I’m not sure why, but I found that weird. 

About 2 hours before my flight was scheduled to leave, I went down to the check-in desk, only to find the line up winding all the way around the corner and past the Marks & Spencer.  After waiting 45 minutes and still being unable to even see the check in counter, I asked the guy in front of me where he was flying, thinking I had gotten there way too late.  As it turned out though, he was on the same flight and that line up was highly unusual.  He told me that most of the planes had been leaving late because there were no people on them, everyone was held up in line.  That made me feel a bit better, because I had also been worrying about the length of the security line up.  When I got closer to the front, they started calling people from my flight to the front of the line up, and then the security line had shortened some so I got through with just enough time.  I still hurried off to my gate and didn’t even stop when I saw Harry Potter for sale for 10 British pounds.  In retrospect, I definately should have stopped and bought it, it would have made great in-flight reading material.  However, I hurried on and only stopped to pick up some pasteries for the flight when I could see the line up at my gate.  When I went to give them my ticket, I discovered I didn’t have a seat number so I got passed around to different airline staff who each didn’t want to deal with me.  When I was finally given seat 1D, the lady kept my entire ticket so I walked up to the plane without one.  The stewardess there said I couldn’t get on without a boarding pass, so I was pulled to the side to watch everyone else go by as another crew member ran back to the desk to retrieve my ticket.  It all turned out ok, though, because my seat was in first class (or Premium Economy) without my having to pay for it and the more comfortable seat came with more leg room and a free bottle of water.

Once the flight started, the cabin crew informed all passengers that there was one person on the flight who was deathly allergic to peanuts and if we had peanuts on board could we please not open them.  That’was all well and good, except I had purchased a bag of mixed nuts to eat on the flight in case they didn’t have a spare veggie meal.  There were no peanuts in the mix, but as I pulled the bag out to check the label for ‘traces of peanuts’ another passenger reprimanded me.  I told her to calm down, I was only checking the label, which only said ‘traces of sesame’ and nothing about peanuts.  Just in case, I asked the stewardess, who asked me to step behind the curtain so that other passengers wouldn’t know she was allowing me to eat them.  The person with the allergy was sitting further back on the plane (I was in row one) and I promised I would only use the washroom at the very front so I had no need to go that far back.  She was very understanding because I told her I was vegetarian and hadn’t requested a meal in time.  She then told me she would let me know if they had any extras on board.  With that sorted out, I went back to my seat to try and sleep.

When meal time came, they didn’t have an extra meal for me so I only had the bread roll, salad, and dessert, plus my mixed nuts that I had to eat in secret.  After that I slept for a couple of hours and then watched the end of Walk the Line, one of the in flight movies.  There was not much of note after that; the plane stopped in Edmonton and over half of the passengers got off, and then I tried to sleep more before I landed in Vancouver.  Chris and my mom were at the airport to greet me, and I had chinese food with vegetables for dinner.  As soon as I arrived home, I had a wonderfully long shower and went to bed, where I stayed for 18 hours until my dad woke me up at 3pm the next day.  Now I’m getting back into the pattern of everyday life and waiting to hear more from my comrades overseas.

Ciao everyone!

Candace

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