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Summer Chasers

~ Sharing the Thrill of Travel

Summer Chasers

Tag Archives: Paris

Back from Europe!

17 Tuesday Apr 2012

Posted by Summer Chaser in Travel

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Tags

Back from Europe, Brussels, Channel Tunnel, Czech Republic, Euro Tour, Eurostar, London, Old World, Paris

I’m back and have more or less recuperated from the most amazing, memorable and (These days most people take this word lightly, but still…) EPIC European Adventure!

Before diving into the details of the trip, let me apologize to everyone for not being able to update my blog as I journeyed. Yes… Europe was THAT good. So much so, that I couldn’t concentrate on blogging as I went. The experience was just too intense!

So, here’s what we did. There were three of us who trekked across the Old World. My good friend, Never Winter Again (NWA) along with Pizzarol (Code name explained later), who is NWA’s former co-worker that I have come to call a good friend as well.

Now, I’d like to state this upfront that I do NOT recommend what we did for just anyone taking a trip to Europe. It can get expensive, physically and mentally stressful and may even take away from the enjoyment of your travels. That said, if you are young, single, unburdened by finances and trust the people you are traveling with then by all means, feel free to have an adventure of your own in our footsteps! 🙂

The thing about our grand endeavour (I’ve been to England now and have every right to spell ‘endeavour’ with a ‘u’ 😛 ) is that the only plans we had made was to get in and out of Europe. A flight into Heathrow Airport in London and a returning flight to the U.S. from Arlanda, near Stockholm were the only two things that were set in stone. Everything in between, we decided, would be figured out as we were confronted with it.

That probably makes some people cringe, but we wanted this kind of uncertainty to add excitement to our undertaking.

I shall describe in detail each city we stayed in during future posts, but right now, let me present you with the outline of our enterprise. Upon landing, we spent a couple of days exploring majestic London. Getting the lay of the land, so to speak. Having our fill of fish and chips, we took the Eurostar train under the Chunnel (Tunnel under the Channel, therefore, Chunnel) and found ourselves lost in a dangerous part of Brussels. Recovering from a riveting experience, we acquire a vehicle and make our way up to Amsterdam (Henceforth to be known as Amster-DAMN!), where a good seven and a half hours of my life remain unaccounted for…

From the Netherlands, we journeyed southwards to lovely Paris, where we took on a more cultural tone. After staying in our Five Star Opel, we drove it to San Sebastian, Spain to meet NWA’s aunt. Then, it was back across the Pyrenees and onward to Monaco and Italy. Charming Pisa and Ancient Rome where our hosts in the Italian Peninsula and afterwards we cut through the Austrian Alps towards Germany. Ahhhh… Deutschland, where I have made many good memories and many more good friends. Setting this as our home base, we struck out towards Karlovy Vary and Prague in the Czech Republic to meet and make new friends and to Switzerland and Liechtenstein afterwards.

Lastly, we flew off to lonely Stockholm and spent our remaining two days there before reluctantly returning to the US.

In the coming days, I shall regale you with the tales of our various experiences. Right now though… I really want to update something I’ve been meaning to update for a while now. Last we saw the Travbuddy map, I was at a measly 4% of the World Seen. I am quite glad to have more than doubled that.

Percent of the World Seen after Euro Tour '12

Percent of the World Seen after Euro Tour '12

European Tour Wishlist: France

09 Friday Mar 2012

Posted by Summer Chaser in Travel

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Tags

Arc de Triomphe, Champ de Mars, Eiffel Tower, France, Languiole, Louvre, Mona Lisa, Musée du Louvre, Pari, Paris, Souvenir


I’m definitely more of an anglophile, so I don’t have a whole lot planned to do in France for this leg of the Euro tour. Franky, (*snicker* Frankly – get it? Franc… nevermind…) I’ve heard a lot of negative stereotypes about the French. That, being the rudeness towards and dislike of [ignorant] Americans, and general distate of English speakers. Not to mention their strict, martinet sense of etiquette. While I tend not to discriminate others as I have had the awful experience of being discriminated against, the pragmatic side of me has set down a low expectation; one of caution, so that if France exceeds the expectations, I can be pleasantly surprised and report here on the misconceptions, if any, of said stereotypes.

All in all, I promise to enter their borders with an open mind.

Despite my (admittedly) conservative attitude towards what to expect, here are the few things I wish to do in the City of Love:

 
 
 
Français : La Tour Eiffel, vue du Champ-de-Mar...

Is a caption really necessary?

 
What:
 
Eiffel Tower
 
Where:
 
Champ de Mars, Paris, France
 
Why:
 
For years since its construction by Engineer Gustave Eiffel, this has been one of the most prominent symbols of France. Movies often feature the tower to establish the fact that it is taking place within the country. You simply can’t go to France and not take a picture near the famous tower. Also, I can’t wait to eat at one of the restaurants on the lower levels of the elegantly tall, La Tour Eiffel. That would be quite an experience!
 
 
 
 
The Arc de Triomphe (Arch of Triumph), at the ...

Arc de Triomphe by night

 
What:
 
Arc de Triomphe
 
Where:
 
Place Charles de Gaulle, Paris
 
Why:
 
This Iconic French Monument is a remembrance/tomb for those who died in the French Revolutionary War as well as the Napoleonic Wars. One thing I can appreciate from the French is the trait of not bowing down (anymore) to any King or Monarch. Liberté, égalité, fraternité for all!
 
 
 
 
English: Richelieu wing of the Louvre museum F...

Louvre Museum, home to many famous works

 
What:
 
Louvre Museum
 
Where:
 
Palais Royal, Paris
 
Why:
 
It is perhaps the world’s largest and most visited museum. Oh come on! Don’t you want to see the Mona Lisa with your own eyes!? I sure do! Even waaaaay before Dan Brown (Damn you! >.< ) made the museum a highlight of his novel, I sat in my classroom dreaming of the day I could see the famous paintings (printed in black and white on my workbook) in full color with my own wide-eyed amazement. I know Leo da Vinci won’t let me down! 🙂
 
Must-see exhibits are The Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, The Winged Victory and Madonna of the Rocks.
 
 
 
 
 
French Souvenirs of Choice:
 
 
For the Monsieur: 
 
 
Languiole Pocket Knife. It’s small enough and comes for different functions, you could even get one that looks like a cheese knife. Might as well buy some cheese. France should be the best place to shop for cheese, considering they have hundreds of different varieties…
 
 
For the Madame or Mademoiselle:
 
 
France being a leader in the world of fashion, I figure it would be smart and trendy to stick with this category for gifts. However, I’m down to two choices and can’t seem to decide what to get the ladies in my life. Perhaps you can help a guy out? Should I be getting a Parisian Pocket Mirror or a French Shawl? I will probably end up getting both, but let me know which would YOU prefer to receive? Merci!
 
 

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