I'm On Top Of The World!

Taking full advantage of this porch at our chalet and gazing at the mountain peak that I went to the top of today. Yup you heard that, I stood 12,600 feet above where I am sitting now. To backtrack, we decided to do a pass that combined both the cable car up to the top of Aiguille du Midi, and to the Mer de Glace, a glacier that you could walk through. We started with Aiguille du Midi. It was 2 separate cable car trips to the very top. Between the crazy height, the extreme jerks of the car, and the very crowded car, I was experiencing everything that terrifies me all at once. There just needed to be clowns there and then it would have been perfect. Hahaha....anyway, im all about conquering my fears so here was a way to do it! We finally got to the top and the view was absolutely amazing to say the least. By far one of the coolest things I have ever done. We took a bunch of photos and then did this glass bottom box thing over one of the voids that was crazy. From the peak you could see the valley and the endless Alps all around. Switzerland, France, and Italy were all in our gaze. 12,600 feet up, thats pretty freaking high! We headed back down to head to the glacier because it closed pretty early. There was a train that took you up to the mountain.  From there we had to take another cable car down towards the glacier and then 400 stair steps down. At one point in time the glacier was all the way up where the train is and signs show where the glacier level was at certain points in time. Global warning isn't a problem?? My butt!! It's insane to see how quickly the glacier has receded and shrunk down, and of course its been faster in the more recent years. You could see the glacier melting and there was a definite stream of water rushing down the rocks. Definitely makes you think about it and shows you some real perspective to see global warming at work. We went inside and they lit it with a bunch of different colors which was really pretty. They even had ice sculptures of furniture in there which was interesting. It was relatively small so after a quick trip through the ice cave it was 400 steps back up. We took the train back down and headed back into town to wander before dinner. We wanted fondu and found a place that had a 3 course fondu meal for a good deal. We started with the best french onion soup I have ever had followed by cheese fondu with bread to dip and cheese potatoes with bacon. What we were thinking that we would be able eat all of that bread and cheese is beyond me. But of course we were able to eat the most yummy chocolate mousse. Be jealous ma, you would have looooved it. We took the bus back home but of course it was the wrong bus. A mile later I am now chilling on the back porch enjoying my view!

Loving the Lourve

Yesterday was Louvre day! After our usual breakfast of lots of bread and yummy hot chocolate we made our way to the monstrosity ( I use that term in a good way) which is the Musee De Lourve. The museum is huge. Even one wing of it is overwhelming,  it extends many blocks. Once you realize the museum in in the shape of a U and 2 other sides are just as long, well you can imagine my shock and awe. I knew it was big, but not THAT big! We entered into the courtyard where those 3 glass pyramids protrude from the ground. Whether its because they have become famous and associated with the Louvre or because the designer actually created a successful juxtaposition of architecture, it was a beautiful site. Michelle wanted to wait on the ridiculous line there but I had read about another way to get tickets so I finally was able to drag her to find it. It was located in this fancy underground shopping center and the line was much better. We finally got our tickets and headed in. What a mad house! To make it worse it was just a lot of people but a tonof tour groups...and yes, a lot of them were Asian tour groups, my favorite! My mom thought we couldn't do the Louvre in a day so the bet was on!
We started in the ancient Greek and Egyptian art. Now mind you I took many art history classes in school so I knew what I was looking at and taking pictures of. When we came to the Venus de Milo, the famous Greek statue of the woman with no arms I was excited,  so cool to finally see it in person! Of course there was a huge crowd around it pushing and shoving because its the real version of a picture they've seen in a Greek restaurant...sigh... Of course another Greek favorite of mine was...wait for it...under renovated!! Of course it was, story of my life. We pushed on nonetheless and just walked through our art history books, finally seeing the real thing.
Right before we broke for lunch, we walked through the apartments of Napoleon. So freaking cool! I hate to say it but I might have been more impressed with those than the ones from Versailles. While these rooms were just as elaborate, they seemed much less crazy than Versailles. Definitely one of the highlights for me. We had lunch at some cafeteria where the best thing about it was Michelle mistaking an anchovy for a slice if bacon. Now was time for the paintings. Never have i been so impressed with a painting collection. Most museums have only a few large works and the rest are on a more normal scale. Not here! Giant rooms filled with giant paintings,  one right after another. A giant hallway filled with famous masterpieces was another highlight for me. Just to stroll down there, surrounded by incredible talent was inspiring. Right off this hall resided the home of the one and only,  Mona Lisa. And what a crowd was in front! After some pushing and shoving I finally made my way to the front. After a bunch of pictures I actually stood there to really look at it, something no one else did or seemed to care to do. Its a great painting,  it really is, and I love Da Vinci, his style is different from his fellow artists, but I don't get how that is the most famous painting in the world. There are so many other incredible works out there that are filled with more symbolism and mystery and just so much more dynamic than of Miss Lisa. I wonder if Da Vinci is watching the scene that takes place every day in front of his work and just laughing his head off. Enough artistic criticism from me. It was humorous though, there was almost a rumble in the Asian jungle in front of the Mona Lisa.  Some botox injected old blonde asian lady was getting pushed and it seemed like a fight might break out.
We wandered around some more, checking out more and more art when we decided we couldn't do anymore. We may not have seen the ENTIRE Lourve but we did everything we wanted to see plus some. We easily could have finished it if we stayed longer. See Ma!! What did we tell you?! Granted, we definitely hustled through there, but we saw a lot and got to admire what we wanted to see.
There was this Japanese noodle place I had read about and so we headed to Japantown for dinner. We couldn't find it unfortunately and found out later my book said the wrong street. We ate at another Japanese place, which was good, but still wanting to try the noodle house that originally brought us there. Michelle had been talking about macaroons non stop the entire trip so we finally went to a bakery to pick some up. After being super tourists and getting our berets( there is a reason for getting them, I promise!) we headed back to our hostel. We instantly broke open the macaroons and devoured them. I had never had them before and they were sooooo good!!
Right now we are in Geneva,  waiting for our bus to Chamonix. The site of the snow capped Alps were gorgeous and I cant wait to see them up close!

The Hills Are Alive With The Sound of Music

So today we temporarily left Paris to see what the rest of France has to offer. We wanted to see the Alps so we decided to go to a little mountain town called Chamonix. Train tickets were ridiculous and had horrible times so we found it was faster and a bit cheaper to fly into Geneva and then take a shuttle bus to Chamonix. Once again we had a time crunch to get to the airport but we did make it in time...once again. The flight was nice and quick and we thought we were going to get lucky and have the shuttle bus leave earlier than planned. But apparently it was the driver's first day so he was 30 minutes late. Luckily we didn't have a schedule to keep now that we were in Geneva. There was this guy with us who we initially thought was super obnoxious but he just turned out to be a friendly dude. He said he's been coming here for 7 summers to be a climbing guide so he gave us great tips. He told us that Chamonix is one of the climbing (or probably more so mountaineering) capitals of the world. This killed me because it just reiterated how much climbing I'm missing out on because of my janked up back. I did have a brief climbing escapade in Florida but had to stop because of said back. So obviously I'm quite frustrated I have to keep my feet firmly on the ground. It was the most incredible sight driving through the mountains to Chamonix. The Appalachians are about as grand as it got for me so my mind was blown. Snow capped peaks and ridges soared above us. Absolutely stunning. We got to our hostel which is also a chalet and it is the most homey and cozy place. The owners live here too so its almost like a cheap bed and breakfast than a hostel. We stepped outside into the backyard and the Alps just loomed above us. I instantly felt so much more relaxed and it was great to breath some fresh air. We attempted to ride bikes around but kept getting stopped due to crazy hills. I haven't ridden a bike in years so that was gonna be an issue. Public transportation isn't the best here since its the off season so we managed to get a ride to the train from the girl who works at the chalet. We took the train into town and it was so lovely! Very quaint bit tons of shops and restaurants. We chose a traditional French restaurant and just as I was about ti go super classy with some escargot and french onion soup, a salmon dish stuck out at me and it was amaaazing. Salmon with a butter sauce with basmati rice and sauteed veggies. Incredible!! We headed back to the chalet and are now sitting on the back porch with the beautiful Alps beyond, accompanied with some wine and chocolates. Its so quoet, all you can hear is the birds and the stream. What a  perfect evening. Tomorrow we will do some exploring in the mountains!

Let Them Eat Cake! A Day In The Life of French Royalty

Today was a trip to the magnificent Versailles. Lucky for us its not far away from Paris so we could get there on the metro. Before we left we had breakfast at the hostel...I'm telling you those chocolate croissants are to die for. We had the most awkward boy's sitting next to us because all the other tables were full. They just stared straight down at their plates...whats with me and awkward people at hostels?! Anyway we left for Versailles and 45ish minutes later we arrive. We got tickets at the soveniers shop to avoid the crazy line at the site. As we approached the front gates, the sight was astounding. I'm talking about both the château itself and the ridiculous lines of people. It's a good thing it wasn't sunny out because all the gold on the gates and facade would've been blinding! Hahaha... We asked a guy who worked there which was the line for the château and he looked at us like we had 3 heads. He said the crazy line was to get into the palace and we should do the gardens first because the line will be shorter later. We wandered through out the gardens which were just so vast. They were divided up into sections but each section was like a maze to find the fountain in the middle. I felt like Harry Potter racing in the hedge maze, minus the running for my life part. The fountains were pretty cool, all were different and looked even cooler when the water was actually on. Once AGAIN there were renovations going on and of course it was on part of the palace exterior and right where the grand staircase into the gardens is located. Ughhhhhh. And then some genius decided it would be really cool to put modern art pieces on the site. Really?!
We got lucky that it didn't pour rain since it looked really threatening and we were outside for over 3 hours. We headed back to the château and lo and behold there was no line. We started in the secondary apartments and while they were cool, it was nothing to write home about. But then was the next part of the palace and THAT was incredible! So much gold, detailed wood work, and painting went into these spaces, its just mind blowing. If it wasn't so amazingly extravagant,  it would be on the tacky side of gaudy.
Now of course since it IS Versailles, it is tour bus central. And on the majority of these tour buses are Asian tourists. The came in hordes,  it was ridiculous!! Now Asians are great, don't get me wrong, but Asian tourists? Nothing drives me more crazy. And the sheer numbers they come in makes it that much worse. Now while I was trying to squeeze through the masses, I came upon the Hall of Mirrors. What an amazing room! The great length of the hall mixed with the wall of mirrors, rows of chandeliers, and painted ceiling which probably could rival the Sistine Chapel, created an interior masterpiece. I'm glad we did the palace last because it was a great ending to Versailles.
We headed back home, and of course,  it was rush hour. Being clostraphobic it was quite an unpleasant metro ride. And no, the New York subways were never that bad from what I've experienced. After a quick nap with the calming sounds of the city and a saxophonist in the background (yes, im an old lady, I need my naps), we headed to check out the Moulin Rouge area. Between the ignorant, fratty boys walking behind us and entering what is essentially the red light district of Paris, I did not enjoy it. And then we came to the famous red windmill that was completely underwhelming. And then from what I've gathered, its more like a Vegas show than what you imagine as a traditional show with can-can dancers that are actually clothed. So obviously we left there quickly. We didn't find any place that appealing for dinner so we settled on the Thai restaurant near our hostel. It was the best decision. Never had I had such delicious thai food before! We got dumplings to share that were AMAAAZING and I got chili chicken and fried rice while Michelle got chicken in a pineapple. That's right, IN not with a pineapple. Mango sorbet finished off our yummy meal. You may criticize us for ordering non-french food, but let me tell you all of it has been out of this world!
Tomorrow is the Lourve, ready to see some world famous art and meet Mona Lisa!

A Date With Quasimodo

So today was the day to finally see Notre Dame. The glimpse i had of it the day before was enough to get me excited but what I saw today up close was enough to take my breath away. This beautiful stone structure nis so detailed, so tall, and just incredible. And that was just the outside. As soon as we got inside I almost teared up it was so magnificent. Pictures cannot do it justice. It was so dark inside but that only enhanced its grandeur and mystery. It may be slightly smaller than other cathedrals I have seen here and in England but it is by far my favorite church I have seen. I would totally go to church again every Sunday just to see it! Anywho our next place to visit was the Conciergie, something I had no idea what it was before but thought the pictures were cool. Turned out to be something that started out as a residence for French Kings but turned into an official building and then a prison during the French Revolution. So I got to see where poor Marie Antoinette was held prisoner. Apparently prisoners could pay to have nicer cells with beds and desks....kind of amusing.
We headed back to the square where Notre Dame is and sat at a cafe for lunch overlooking the cathedral. I had been eyeing these sandwiches called croques where the cheese is melted on top and finally got to order one for lunch. Sooo good! We were shocked to get ice in our water but I guess thats what happens in touristy restaurants. There is nothing like sitting near this grand church and hearing the bells going off, its Quasimodo at work i guess! We sat in the square for a bit, waiting for our next place to see to open up. OF COURSE there once again had to be a creepy clown following us around...this time whistling the Tequila song. He may not have come up to me but he kept wandering near us and freaking me out. Other characters in the square consisted of beggar women sitting near the line into the cathedral and then running away when police cars drove by. I think its illegal to beg in Paris because there really haven't been too many around.
Next was Sainte Chapelle, a beauifully decorated church,  all painted with gold and tons of stained glass.  Once again,  like everything it seems, it was being renovated. We wandered around a bit more, saw this super cool tower that was only a tower and not connected to anything and this grand building that looked like it should be a palace but had no idea what it was. Some maps and guides we've got...
We headed back to the hostel,  took a quick nap (man have I been exhausted) and headed back out for dinner. We roamed close by and found an Italian cafe and had some of the best pasta ever. I had gnocchi wnd Michelle had risotto.  Paired with a bottle of wine and creme brulee for dessert,  it was a delicious dinner. There is honestly nothing like dining at an outdoor cafe, and since there seems to be more space than cafés in New York,  its a whole different experience.
I keep falling more and more in love with this place every day. Tomorrow is the château Versailles,  soooo excited!!

Van Gogh and Monet and Rodin, Oh My!

So today was museum day. Minus the Louvre. That gets a day to its own. We started with breakfast at the hostel which included chocolate croissants...holy moses those things are incredible. Thank goodness for all the walking we do because those Frenchnsure love their bread. On the way we saw Notre Dame and words cant describe how excited I am to see it. We headed over to the Musee d'Orsay and thought we were being smart tourists and visiting the museumson free museum day. When we saw the looong line to get in we figured there were quite a bit of tourists who were smart and did their research. 45 minutes later we entered and went around the museum.  Famous artists that we learned about in school had works plastered all over the place. The highlight for me was the Art Nouveau section and the Van Gogh special exhibition. My favorite style and my favorite artist. I found a second favorite painting by Van Gogh, though nothing can top Starry Night. We strolled on over thru the Louvre Gardens, had another crepe for lunch, and went to the next museum. Musee l'orangerie was smaller but its highlight was Monet's HUGE water lily paintings. 2 oval rooms had several if his paintings stretched along the walls, they were just so long. Next we went to the Musee Rodin where the exhibits featured raw nude photography, classic Rodin work, and a rose garden with sculptures. Interesting combination. We headed back to the hostel after because Michelle wasn't feeling too well. After a quick nap I headed to find a place to eat.  Thankfully my late hours and long commute in New York have prepared me for late European dinners.
I found a little cafe and pretty much had the waiter order for me. We chatted a liitle a first and he found out I was American. Apparently I don't look it at all, but more so eastern European or Russian; i was told its my eyes. Oddly I find that a compliment so thanks Pops! Dinner consisted wine (of course) chicken and noodles with some delicious sauce and panna cotta with raspberry sauce for dessert. Neverhad panna cotta before and I was in love. I chatted with my waiter a bit more and come to find he is the owner and actually cooked my meal himself! Honestly one of my favorite things about travelling is talking with locals and other foreigners. Its the coolest thing having a conversation with them and learning about their home and trying to find the words to explain and help them comprehend.
So tomorrow is another day in this amazing city...we will see what it has in store for us!

Sacre Bleu! We're in Paris!

Today started with a quick train ride back to Paris. So much better than the train to Reims, minus tge assigned seating which forced ys to lug our bags to the second level and listen to loud Frenchmen the whole ride. But no matter,  we were going to Paris! We took a cab to our hostel as soon as we got off the train. The woman at the front desk seemed like she would be very unfriendly but then made a remark how people were going to take Obama to replace their president because apparently he was coming to Paris next week, and not to be surprised if all of a sudden we had short white president when he returned. It was hilarious and was nice to know the staff were so friendly. Our room is really nice, surprising for a hostel! Whoever renovated gets a thumbs up from me! The best part is the large window that opens up to the whole city. You can see the towers of Notre Dame, the financial district,  and smell the incredible baked goods from the patisserie down the street.
What to do now? The Eiffel Tower of course! We took the metro over, and while Michelle was creeped out by metro entrances, I loved their art nouveau style. I after this experience with the metro, I have decided that New Yorks subway suck in comparison to Paris and Londons. It is so much dirtier and much more complicated. London has the best, but only because the strong smell of pee here was horrible. Anyway,  as we crossed the river on the train, the Eiffel Tower soared above. Seeing that with the train performer playing some super french song on his accordian set the mood, and i was just so happy. We walked down the river side toward the Tower and we were in awe of how big it was! Now i know why so many people are in love with this structure...it is so magnificent and beautiful. Definitely my new favorite piece of architecture. We noticed this super sketchy clown smoking and strolling around near us and I was not a happy camper. For those of you who know me well, you know that I hate, despise and am terrified of clowns. So OF COURSE as we were trying to take a picture together the clown comes over to offer to take it for us. In addition to being scared of him, i was terrified he was going to take my camera so i denied. He kept pushing and I said no, praying he would go away. He did, but just HAD to touch my arm as say au revoir. AHHH!!! He was either really French or just really creepy. I think it was a mix.  We took about a million pictures and ate some delicious crepes on the lawn. Eating lunch in Central Park is nice, but there is nothing like eating and hanging out in front of the EIffel Tower...NOTHING!! We headed over to the Arc de Triumph after but couldnt go into the main area of it as you had to pay. Once again, scaffolding ruined our view of a beautiful monument. We headed back to the hostel to get ready for dinner with a French friend of Michelles. We met at the Sacre Cour, a beautiful church that doesnt look like something that belongs in Paris. We went to a cute restaurant that had a perfect outdoor dining square...so Parisian. Dinner consisted of wine, bread and cheese and some yummy dessert. Once again, so Parisian. Michelle's friend did study abroad at her school so her english was very good. We had a great time chatting away and learning things about each others cultures. For instance the sterotypical  phrase "Sacre Bleu!" (Which we kept repeating the entire day) is a French term....from 300 years ago! Hahaha...before we knew it it was almost 10 and it was still light outside. We went to the girls flat and hung out there for a bit, getting a taste of how the locals live. Such a nice, and oh so French evening.
It's free museum day tomorrow, ready to see some art!