MissDTravels

Today I spent some time exploring the remains of the Berlin Wall and visiting Checkpoint Charlie. It's remarkable how all those historical facts (you know, the ones you're "supposed" to learn in class by looking at a textbook but which you had forgotten within 5 minutes of taking whatever exam you had on them) come to life and have real meaning when you're standing right in the middle of it all. Not only did I love all the graffiti that is now displayed at the East Side Gallery, but I also genuinely enjoyed taking in the history and reading through the documents regarding the struggle for power post WW2.  Checkpoint Charlie. At the East Side Gallery. SwissMissD

After 3 days of copious hours of walking, sightseeing, and battling the Parisienne sun, I decided to take it easy today - just some leisurely strolling through the 1st and 4th arrondissements, some true "sit and look like I just can't be bothered" time at a café and to finish it all off, a cheese, baguette, and wine filled pique-nique (picnic) at Paris' largest park. So, after a quick pass at Notre Dame, I sought the best and truest pique-nique food I could find. First, les fromages (cheese). I found a wonderful fromagerie (cheese shop) somewhere shortly past Place des Vosges (Paris' oldest square) and the young vendeuse (saleswoman) working was very helpful when I explained I needed pique-nique fair for one (which I did in French, of course!). Dizzy with gratitude and more than a bit overwhelmed, I took the first two she suggested.  Next, du vin (wine). Easy. Pop into any market in Paris and you'll find a half decent selection of demi-bouteilles (half...

Yesterday I strolled the streets of the Quartier Latin (Home of the Sorbonne) and Montmartre. On these streets passed some of the greatest philosophers, artists, and doctors in history, including many a person I had read about recently in David McCullough's  Americans in Paris . I felt something lingering here, particularly in the small back streets of Montmartre; there is a great feeling that comes from knowing you are standing on the same ground that the likes of Van Gogh, Picasso, Renoir, and Toulouse once did. Below are two photos of my favorite moment of the day - a picture of the exact spot that Renoir depicted in La Balançoire (The Swing).  SwissMissD

I've commenced my "23 day, 5 capital cities, one 35 liter pack tour" in Paris. Yesterday I visited the Eiffel Tower, Jardin de Tuileries, and took a boat tour on the Seine.  Today I visited the Catacombs and watched the final stage of the 2014 Tour de France on the Avenue of Champs-Élysées.  Below is my favorite photo from today. The young girls sitting on the sign post with the yellow umbrella accurately portray the entire crowd's ambition - to see the cyclists as clearly as possibly as they came whizzing past!  And one other - the military planes displaying the colors of France as they flew over just before the cyclists arrived.  SwissMissD

This past weekend I embarked on a solo bike journey through the Loire Valley. I got the idea several months ago when researching activities in the area and discovered that the valley boasts an impressive, well groomed, and safe 600+kilometers of bike paths, all situated on or close to the Loire river.  Since I had a three day weekend (Monday, July 14th, being a French holiday), I chose to go then. I rented a bike from one of the many companies that cater to people like me, and chose one that allowed drop off in a different city than pick up. This way I was able to maximize the amount of things I saw without having to backtrack to come home. I simply bought a train ticket to return home on Monday evening.  I biked somewhere around 150km, visited the chateaux of Villandry, Langeais, Azay-le-Rideau, Chinon, Ussé and Saumur, tried some of the well known loire wines, explored the vineyards, and met some wonderful French natives during the ride. Although it rained the bulk of the fi...

The Castles! Last weekend, I visited two of the many glorious Chateaux found in this region of France. I travelled on a guided excursion provided by the school, which included transportation, entry tickets, and a "we're all here learning so don't speak too quickly" French guide for a very reasonable price. I was proud that I understood upwards of 95% of what our guide was telling us and learned some new vocabulary. First, we went to Cheverny, the smaller and more "modest" of the two chateaux we visited that day. Unbelievably, the place was practically dead. I was shocked as it was a Saturday morning in July, but it worked out well for our tour group as we got a good view of everything. The exterior of Cheverny is clearly less impressive than many of its neighboring castles but the interior is one of the better due in part to its consistent ownership and history of inhabitants (more here ). In particular, I was in love with the private apartments as well...