Blogs from France, Europe - page 1617

Geo: 48.8567, 2.35099... read more

Wednesday (Temp. 9deg. Overcast) 6:30am breakfast, left at 7am to walk 5km to train, got there 8:30am. Train left 9:25am. Lovely 5hr ride, even saw the sun briefly for the first time in 10 days. Pretty countryside. Got to Strasbourg about 3pm. Short walk to hotel (Monopole Metropole). Place is very pretty, had some drinks in a pub. Called Americanos again. Had a fight about sensitivity to foreigners, lost each other on way back to hotel. Nothing to eat since breakfast, hungry, angry & feeling terrible about being here. Ordered strange looking & tasting room service. Watched another movie in English with French subtitles. Went to bed wishing we'd gone somewhere where they speak English, tired of feeling like idiots.... read more

Monday (Temp. 8deg. Rainy) (Rob dictating) Glad to leave Paris. Leisurely hour walk to the Gare de Lyon (train station). On scale of difficulty 8/10 to get reservation & tickets validated. Lovely 2hr trip to Lyon. Paid $8 (4Euro) for Heineken served by rude French woman after attempting to speak French. Sat next to boring French guy & fat Englishman. Arrive Lyon 12pm feeling good, Rob bought map, Thea amused by strange gypsies. Discovered hotel a long way from station, walked 5km complaining all the way. Found hotel (Saphir Hotel) middle of nowhere. Had drink at the bar, immersed in French culture from banking seminar. Bought lots of goodies including little plastic bottles of wine from next door supermarket, pigged out in room, watched CNN...again. Pushed twin beds together.... read more

Saturday (Temp. 10deg. Overcast) Out at 9:30am. Long walking day! Walked to Saint Marie Madeleine, Place de la Concorde, crossed Pont de la Concorde, Musee Rodin, Musee de l'Armee in Hotel des Invalides, Eglise du Dome (Napolean I's tomb), Parc du Champ de Mars, Eiffel Tower, crossed Pont D'lena, Musee de la Marine, Arc de Triomphe, walked home. Ate at Quick (like McDonald's). In at 3:30pm. Went to go for a walk to see night lights at 7pm but it was raining. Back to room to drink beer & bourbon & practise our French, German & Italian while watching the winter sports world cup.... read more

Off on Magoo and daughter's European Adventure! For those of you who know me, you know that bad things happen to me all the time! But I don't let that stop me! So me and daughter (6 years old!) fly into London, Heathrow, take the tube over to the train station; and take the Chunnel over to Paris! We took a taxi to our hotel for a much needed nights sleep. Daughter can't wait because tomorrow we are going to Euro Disney! We are making this important stop here for a few reasons. Soon it will be Christmas and right after daughter's birthday. Since her bday is so close to Christmas, sometimes her special day gets lost in all the holiday activity. Also, since we will be in Italy for 2 months, I wanted something just ... read more