July 21, 2007 by Tiffany.

Today Jason, Blake, Andrea and I drove about an hour out of town to Provins, a former medieval town that still retains much of its character with a fortress and cathedral that date back to the 12th and 13th centuries.  The town is charming, the views beautiful and the fortress, Cesar’s Tower, is fascinating.

Not for the weak of heart, the fortress has steep, narrow stairways and minuscule doorways, all which lead to the bell tower atop the edifice.  The bell still works, mind you.

It definitely was a nice day trip from Paris.  Tonight we’re going to eat at a Mexican food restaurant in the St. Michel area of Paris.  Mexican in Paris?  I guess it’s the California coming out in us.  Today we had some delicious crepes: a ham and cheese crepe for lunch and a nutella crepe for dessert.  Mmm!  Good stuff.  Hopefully the Mexican food will be as satisfying.

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July 20, 2007 by Tiffany.

Today was a slow day.  I was pretty wiped put from yesterday, and by the time Andrea and I returned from Auchan to do some grocery shopping, I was not motivated to do a lot.  One cool thing I accomplished today was booking a weekend trip August 4-5 to check out the Normandy beaches of D Day.  We’re looking forward to that.  Other than that, the biggest thing I did today was dinner at King Ludwig’s Castle at the Disney Village.  Disney Village is the equivalent to Downtown Disney with the given assortment of resort-ish, hyper-themed restaurants and Disney stores.

Tonight we arbitrarily picked the castle since Jason decided to venture into uncharted territory and savor some bratwurst and sauerkraut.

Despite the extreme kitch, the food was quite good, and Jason enjoyed his new culinary adventure.

We did lament periodically that instead of taking in the glory of Paris at a sidewalk cafe, we were sitting with King Ludwig.  Sadly, Paris is quite a haul for dinner especially after Jason has been at work all day.  Luckily, we managed to find a great pub close to home that we’ll likely visit more in the future.  It’s literally the only thing that’s open after eleven in the area, if you don’t count the nightclub Hurricanes at Disney Village.  For the time being, the pub seems like a better option.  No set plans for tomorrow.  Maybe Provins, a medieval town, or a tour of champagne country.  We’ll shall see.

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July 19, 2007 by Tiffany.

The size isn’t the only grandiose thing about the Palace of Versailles.  I’m quite glad that Andrea and I went today, but I have never been around that many tourists ANYWHERE!  It makes the worst day at Disneyland you can think of seem like a walk in the park.  Sadly, we got there at the absolute worst time.  Of course, we left out place at 9am, thinking this would afford us plenty of time to get there “before the crowds.”  HA!  As if!  For starters, it took two and a half hours to arrive on the train, not really because it’s so far away, (although it completely on the other side of Paris), but one of the transfer stations we were planning on taking was inexplicably closed, and all other trains seemed to stop every 200 feet for another station.  Needless to say, we arrived at Versailles at approximately the same time as 10,000 tour buses.  The line to get simply buy the tickets was incredible.

It took an hour and a half simply to BUY tickets!  Afterwards, the line to enter the palace was probably two blocks long.  It was the day of mind-boggling lines.  Bathrooms, trams, tickets, entrance, you name it, it had a killer line.  With that off of my chest, let me actually comment on Versailles.  It’s enormous.  In it’s heyday the palace housed 20,000 people!  The grounds are also spectacular.  Back in the day it occupied nearly 8,000 acres, but not it’s down to 700 or 800 acres.  No matter, it’s still gigantic.

The interior is somewhat disappointing because the rooms are not complete.  I have a feeling the palace was likely ransacked and seiged during the war, so little of how it actually was remains today.  It’s merely more of a gallery for various pieces of furniture and several paintings that have survived the years.  It’s also poorly maintained.  The furniture is gray with dust.  I know it is old and fragile but please, the Getty Museum manages to keep their 17th and 18th century furniture looking clean and fresh.  I’m sure they could too.  Basically, the place is abused to a certain degree: it’s exploited as a total tourist cash cow money maker, while the interior isn’t properly maintained.  There were definitely some highlights, however.  The Royal Chapel was gorgeous, as was the Hall of Mirrors, where the 1919 Treaty of Versailles was signed ending World War I.

The gardens were very beautiful, and the houses of Marie Antoinette, which were just opened to the public for the first time last year, were also very interesting.

I’m very glad I went since the rich history makes it all worthwhile.  I  simply would have enjoyed it more with less people and less standing in line for hours in the blazing midday sun.  Tomorrow’s plans?  At the moment I haven’t a clue, other than a much needed trip to the grocery store.

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July 18, 2007 by Tiffany.

Day of the dead?  Well, not exactly but it could have been.  Today I went into Montparnasse and visited the Catacombs and nearby cemetery famous for its celebrity residents.  The catacombs were much as I expected, creepy and cool at the same time.  The actual bones didn’t freak me out nearly as much as the teeny, tiny stairwell that keeps twisting further and further into the unknown, and the subsequent miniscule “hallway” of the quarry underneath the subways and sewers of the city that and incredibly dark and damp.  The arrangement of the bones is really bizarre, and makes you almost forget that they are the carefully placed bodies of the deceased.

It took two years to unearth the cemeteries of Paris and fill the underground quarry.  Each night they would exhume the graves, pile them in a large wagon, drape a black cloth over the heap, and take them down into the quarry with a priest in tow reciting prayers and such.  The director didn’t like how they were initially throwing the bodies into piles, so he recommended they make designs with the femurs, tibias and skulls.  There are two places in the quarry tunnels where the ceiling forms a bell shape.  This is apparently what happens when the ceiling begins to weaken and is ready to cave in.

Supposedly they have methods of injecting it with concrete so that it won’t cave in, and businesses above those areas have to fill out special paperwork indicating that they realize the risk.  Let me tell you, this is not a fun thing to read when you’re standing underneath the bell.  Ugh.  Here’s a random skull someone must have thought to take outside and then reconsidered upon exiting.

Here’s one more picture I snatched off of the internet to show what it looks like.  It actually very dark and flash photography is not permitted but this picture shows it very well.

Afterwards I walked into this cemetery since the guidebook recommended it.  Very interesting how packed together and grandiose all of the graves are.

I managed to run across the graves of Jean Paul Sarte and Simone de Bouvoir.  I won’t pretend to know tons about either person, but thought it was cool to randomly run across their tombs.  Finally, I checked out this restaurant, La Coupole, where once again, famous Parisians dine before they end up in the famous cemetery down the street.

To be honest, I thought it was the restaurant in the area where Hemingway is said to have written most of The Sun Also Rises, but I was wrong.  I’ll have to check that one out another day.  Tomorrow: The Palace of Versailles.

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July 17, 2007 by Tiffany.

Today Andrea and I visited Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney Studios, the neighboring park.  I am told it is no longer called EuroDisney.  I don’t know why.  In any case, I enjoyed Disneyland.  It is very similar to the California park in some ways, such as Main Street and having many of the same principal attractions, but the attractions themselves can be quite different.  Take, for example, Space Mountain.

Obviously the exterior is quite a bit different, but the ride itself is as well.  This Space Mountain is much more of a thrill ride with corkscrew turns and a loop-the-loop.  No stars either, just giant meteors and such whizzing by.  Pirates of the Caribbean is much the same but the scenes are in a completely different order.  No Jack Sparrow/Captain Barbossa animatronics yet, either.

The park is very beautiful, especially the castle, but the interior of the rides aren’t as well maintained as the other parks.  I didn’t get a chance to go on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Haunted Mansion, (called Phantom Manor), or Indiana Jones, so we’ll be going back to check that out.  The Walt Disney Studios park is pretty small and has few grand attractions.

Since we didn’t go until afternoon, all of the stunt/movie shows a la Universal Studios were finished for the day.  In addition, their newest ride, a rollercoaster based on Crush from Finding Nemo, was out of order.  We did get to go on the Aerosmith rollercoaster, however, which was a good kick in the pants.  It’s a good thing they are putting in the new Tower of Terror, (Tada!!  This is the ride Jason is programming right now), because the park needs some help.  There simply isn’t enough to do to warrant the admission I’m sure they charge, but there is hope!  The Tower, as usual, looks great so far.

Plans for tomorrow?  Not sure yet.  Plans for tonight?  A good night’s sleep.

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July 16, 2007 by Tiffany.

Today I decided to see the Arc de Triomphe and stroll down Champs-Elysees, which is a major street that is used for parades and such, and is also apparently a boulevard for very expensive shopping if that is what one goes for.  The Arc was much larger than I thought it would be.  It is very impressive especially as it stands in the middle of a roundabout and several large boulevards extend out from that point.  You can go to the top and look out for what I imagine is an awesome view, but I think I’ll wait until perhaps I can go with Jason.  I did not know that the Arc also stands as a tomb of an unknown French soldier from World War I.  Having seen the U.S. version at Arlington National Cemetery in January, I thought it was pretty cool.

Otherwise, Champs-Elysees (which I found mean Elysian Fields) was very nice.  I did not appreciate the scarcity of restrooms, (which actually goes for Paris as a whole), but enjoyed the wide sidewalks and variety of shops and restaurants.  The street itself is a madhouse.  Cars everywhere and it seems few rules. The roundabout at the Arc is approximately four lanes wide but you would know since there aren’t actually lines on the street and the cars just maneuver how they must to survive.

A few tips about Paris.  Feeling like a quality hamburger?  How about the Quality Burger Restaurant!

Need a Louis Vuitton purse?  How about the Louis Vuitton superstore!

Finally, how about some chic French men’s couture?  Try this place!  (Eeeeeek!!)

Coming up tomorrow?  EuroDisney!

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July 15, 2007 by Tiffany.

Jason had the brilliant idea of getting a hotel room close to the Eiffel Tower for Bastille day, the French Independence Day.  We had no idea what to expect, but some of his French colleagues at work recommended going there with some sandwiches and wine for a free concert and a fireworks show in the evening.  Since we are staying about 40 minutes outside of Paris, they highly recommended accommodations nearby that didn’t require taking the train with the rest of the Parisians.  We picked our grassy spot in between the stage and the Eiffel Tower at about 4:30, although the concert didn’t start until 7:00.

We nearly died in the blazing, interminable rays of the sun, (have I mentioned that the sun does not set here until 10:00 pm?), but we survived thanks to Jason’s trusty yellow umbrella.  All said, Bastille Day at the Eiffel Tower was completely awesome.  It definitely has to be in the top 5 coolest things I’ve ever experienced, maybe even the top three.  By the time 7:00 rolled around, the place was packed.  I am not very good with numbers, and I’ll be looking online to see if I can find anything concrete, but J and I estimate that between 150,000 to 200,000 people were there.  It was a complete international madhouse… French, Americans, British, Spanish, Italians, you name it.  Tons of people from everywhere were there camped out on the grass and beyond.  Nearly all of the streets in the vicinity were closed down to vehicles, and paratroopers kept jumping out of helicopters continuously for nearly three hours.

The concert itself was a blast and ran for 3 1/2 hours.  There was a DJ from Chicago, some Italian singer, a hard core heavy metal band, Nelly Furtado, (the concert highlight for me), and some crazy French singer who was exiled in the U.S. for a couple of decades due to tax evasion, Michel Polnareff.  Think present day Elton John if he had never grown out of his “Captain Fantastic” stage.

After the concert was the best part of the entire night: a fireworks display choreographed to mostly movie music set behind the Eiffel Tower.  Other than shoddy audio that kept giving out, the show was really incredible.  We didn’t leave the park until midnight, and even still the place was packed with people sitting, drinking wine and setting off their own fireworks.  J and I both agree that we likely have already peaked only a few days into the trip.  It’s hard to imagine what could be more spectacular than that, but who’s to say.  All said though, it’s nice to be back at MySuite Village and I’m sure a good night’s sleep is in order.

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July 13, 2007 by Tiffany.

I told myself last night that today would be the day that I tackled the issue of transportation, meaning the local bus and the train that goes into Paris.  I really didn’t know much about either but figured that the only way to figure it out would be to go out and do it.  By far the most intimidating part of the day was trying to buy the monthly pass with next to no French.  I did, however, manage to not only buy the pass, but also travel into Paris, meaning Paris Paris.  The kind of Paris that blew me away when I walked out of the Metro station because it looked so, well, you know, like Paris!  Absolutely awesome.

I made my way to Notre Dame Cathedral but did not enter due to the 75,000 others who wanted to do the same thing.  I figure I can go later when it’s not so packed.

I found the train system to be easy to use and had no problem finding my way around.  Unfortunately, I also found that the stories about body odor on the hot trains are indeed true.  I did a lot of walking around but mostly figured out the logistics of traveling around Paris.  I did come across a certain monument of some notariety:

Coming up tomorrow: Bastille Day!  Jason and I have a room at the Hilton right by the Eiffel Tower to celebrate the holiday.  Should be great.  Pictures coming soon!

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July 13, 2007 by Tiffany.

Last night we experimented with our combination microwave/grill (it’s basically a microwave with some oven elements on the top) to make chicken enchiladas.  It was Jason’s idea.  I was a bit skeptical to be honest, but other than some minor burning on a couple of the enchililadas, (again, thanks to the microgrill), they were actually good!  The chicken was tender, the spices were just right, etc.  We were impressed.  I’ll keep you updated of any more cooking adventures with the microgrill.

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July 12, 2007 by Tiffany.

The nearest place of commerce is called Val d’Europe, which is a mall, outlet mall, several restaurants, a train station and a gigantic Walmart-type store called Auchan all in one. I think there might even be a nursery as well. Last night and again today I have ventured to Auchan for various items. Last night I needed to invest in a new hair dryer as mine blew up immediately upon plugging it in, (yes, yes I had the converter and adapter and it worked well last time I was in Europe… can’t say what happened this time). We also bought some food and other provisions. The word for supermarket in French is “supermarche,” but Auchan proudly calls itself a “hypermarche,” I suppose since it is much more than simply a market.  A few things are very different about this market, including the need to pay 1 Euro for a cart outside the market if you’d like anything with which to carry your items. There are hand baskets, but given the immense size of the place in addition to having to pay for a cart, the baskets are indeed a hot commodity.  Plastic grocery bags also must be bought, and you must tell them in advance how many bags you intend to use so they can include them in your total bill.  You have approximately one second to pack your own groceries and you’d better be out.

One cool thing, however, is the stairless escalator on which you can place carts.  Instead of stairs, the escalator is sloped so that carts can also go on the escalator.  Don’t the carts roll, you might ask?  The answer is no!  The wheels on the carts are hollow toward the center and exterior part of the wheel fits perfectly into the grooves of the escalator.  You don’t even need to lock them into place.  It just happens.  Very cool.

I have a feeling I’ll be at the Auchan quite a bit, not only due to proximity but need.  My need today was olive oil to cook chicken for chicken enchiladas tonight.  This will be cooked in the combination microwave/grill, which is in place of a conventional oven.  More about that later.  Wish us luck.

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