Hello, everyone...
current location: Chamonix, France, home of fondue, in the Alps, with a clear view of Mont Blanc (tallest Mt in Europe, which Blair intends to climb in the future).
former destination: Paris, France
next destination: Cinque Terre, Italy
Well, we survived the nastiness of our hotel in Paris, did we mention it was a few blocks from the Moulin Rouge? (Giuchie, Giuchie, ya ya dada) Paris was, first of all, freezing, but we quickly got used to wearing the same clothes each day, as we only had one pair of pants and one long shirt each. We were able to meet up with Chris Seuc, Marissa's cousin, who showed us the French side of Paris. The food in France, is indescribably delicious. We cannot emphasize this enough. Warm crepes, fresh french bread, rosemary olive oil, FALAFELS, steak and frites, and great cheese. AND Blair now likes espresso (especially when there is enough sugar). Marissa almost passed out from excitement while viewing Monet's waterlilies, and Degas' paintings and sculptures of dancers. The Louvre was a bit of a disappointment, the Mona Lisa has turned into a one-stop photo opp, rather than a masterpiece one can sit and ponder in awe. Seriously, there was so so so so much art there it was overwhelming. We enjoyed an afternoon picnic in the Jardins Luxembourg, where small children rent miniature sailboats and push them around with sticks in the fountain pool. One evening, we were able to catch a break/hip hop impromtu dance performance on a plaza with a perfect view of the Eiffel Tower across the river. After a French dinner, we walked back to watch the Tower sparkle with lights. (On another dance note, one of Chris' friends introduced us to French techtonic dancing, check out this MUST SEE video, then try to imitate the moves, the footwork is critical- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqYhuwu614Y ) Overall, Paris was a bustling city with tons to do.
Well, we survived the nastiness of our hotel in Paris, did we mention it was a few blocks from the Moulin Rouge? (Giuchie, Giuchie, ya ya dada) Paris was, first of all, freezing, but we quickly got used to wearing the same clothes each day, as we only had one pair of pants and one long shirt each. We were able to meet up with Chris Seuc, Marissa's cousin, who showed us the French side of Paris. The food in France, is indescribably delicious. We cannot emphasize this enough. Warm crepes, fresh french bread, rosemary olive oil, FALAFELS, steak and frites, and great cheese. AND Blair now likes espresso (especially when there is enough sugar). Marissa almost passed out from excitement while viewing Monet's waterlilies, and Degas' paintings and sculptures of dancers. The Louvre was a bit of a disappointment, the Mona Lisa has turned into a one-stop photo opp, rather than a masterpiece one can sit and ponder in awe. Seriously, there was so so so so much art there it was overwhelming. We enjoyed an afternoon picnic in the Jardins Luxembourg, where small children rent miniature sailboats and push them around with sticks in the fountain pool. One evening, we were able to catch a break/hip hop impromtu dance performance on a plaza with a perfect view of the Eiffel Tower across the river. After a French dinner, we walked back to watch the Tower sparkle with lights. (On another dance note, one of Chris' friends introduced us to French techtonic dancing, check out this MUST SEE video, then try to imitate the moves, the footwork is critical- http://www.youtube.com/watch?
We stayed an extra day in Paris, to fit it all in, and ended up skipping our original intention to visit Giverny and Monet's gradens in favor of Chamonix, a mountain town that is currently hosting the World Cup for Rock Climbing. We are super excited to watch the French Finals and perhaps some other events tonight. After our nasty hotel experience, we were so blessed and excited to arrive at SkiBandB, our latest home (which is a tiny ski lodge in the winter). Imagine the fresh smell of pine and a thick, warm duvet protecting you from the chill night air. Now add a homey living space in front of a fireplace, with a hot tub on the deck, and fresh cooked eggs for breakfast, overlooking the Alps, all for 2/3 of the cost of your Parisian disaster. Yesterday was spent on three trains, after we missed the reservation for the direct route. It took us nine hours by train to arrive in the next town over from Chamonix. Apparently, at that late hour, taxis have to be reserved. Luckily for us, a few miracles were in store. First, we met an amazing woman on our train, who gave us pointers about Chamonix, where she had lived for 30 years. Then she translated our situation for a cab driver and his passengers, and arranged for us to hitch a ride with them. If it was not for them, we would have been sleeping on the ground at the train station in the wrong town. After a few wrong turns in the teensy mountain lanes, we found our place and were greeted with tea, coffee, and biscuits at midnight. :)
We are off to hike some glaciers and check out the panoramic view of the mountain range, all for free (Paris was too expensive)! Tomorrow evening, we will cross into Italy on an overnight train and head to Cinque Terre to stay on a campsite and check out the beauty and warmth offered on the coastline.
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