This and That

Here are somethings that I neglected to put in earlier posts, things that I learned on this trip and general info.

The next time I rent a car I will make sure to take a credit card that has $2,000 available on it. While I was at EuropCar in Metz I read a notice at the counter. I couldn't read all of it, but did notice a figure of 1,330 Euros, so I think that is the standard deposit for Europeans.
I don't consider it a scam, but after I landed at Charles de Gaulle airport and was headed out to the taxi stand a man approached me and asked if I needed a cab. My first thought was that a "real" cabbie would be in his cab waiting for a fare. I have run into this once before and it is for a ride in a limousine. A treat, but one I can do without. I'd rather spend my money on other things. Besides my cab was a Mercedes!

One advantage of having bathroom attendants is that the bathrooms are clean and fully stocked. The only time I ran into a bathroom without any toilet paper was the one at Sainte Chapelle (no attendant) I had a little package of kleenex in my purse, just in case.

If you ask for bottled water at a restaurant you will pay dearly for it. Instead ask for tap water, it is perfectly safe (and good) and free. Instead of buying a new bottle of water every day I would just refill my bottle from the bathroom sink. Soft drinks are expensive too (they are mainly considered a drink for children), I saw prices from 2.30 to 3.50 Euros ($3.25 to $5.00). Wine or coffee will be less. I usually just ask for the house wine, and it has always been very good.

One thing I noticed is that people are much more serious about recycling. When we were in Antwerp (or was it Brugges?) I noticed all the shops hauling their boxes out to the street. The following day was paper pick-up day, and all the shops seemed to be complying. They also seem much more energy efficient, as I found out at Gina's. People turn the lights out when they are not in a room.

People speak more softly in public, so you aren't going to hear more information than you ever wanted to know from the table across the restaurant.

There was good and bad with going on this trip by myself. Staying with Gina and Monique and meeting Pat in Paris it was a good combination of both being alone and being with someone. I don't regret going alone, but sometimes I thought it would have been nice to have someone to share the trip with. Since I knew I was going to stay with Gina and Monique I was hesitant to dump another person them. But they are both so gracious they would not have minded. On the upside, I always agreed with myself as to what I was going to do each day! It did take a little while to become comfortable with eating alone and I think I would have been a bit more adventurous if I'd been with someone. The picnicking worked out OK, although it would have been better if any of the places I stayed had had a small refrigerator in the room. To me the best travel companions are those that are also independent and don't feel we have to be joined at the hip. If one of us wants to go off on their own one day, that is fine.

Yes the French, in particular, are crazy about their dogs taking them everywhere. I saw dogs at Mont Saint Michel..........and not just on the lower levels, but w-a-a-a-y up there.

Paris has a reputation of being dirty, but I did not see this. During a garbage strike I can see how it would be. But there are trash receptacles all along the street. I think they have made a real effort to clean up the city. The only thing I saw was two doggie calling cards that their owners failed to pick up. Considering how many dogs I saw being walked I think that is pretty good.

Twice in Paris when I was at a restaurant a person sitting nearby got up and went to the toilet (to them a "bathroom" is where you take a bath) and left their stuff at the table. I know that I would not do that here. Not only would I not leave my purse, but I would worry that an overzealous waiter might clear off my table! I have learned a little more about the Basilica of the Holy Blood in Bruges. The legend is that after the Crucifixion, Joseph of Arimathea wiped blood from the body of Christ and preserved the cloth. The first historical record to mention the Holy Blood in Bruges dates from 1256. The real story seems to be that it came from Constantinople, which had an extensive collection of relics including one of the Holy Blood. Constantinople was sacked by the Crusader army of Count of Flanders Baldwin IX in 1204, during the Fourth Crusade. Baldwin IX probably sent the Holy Blood, looted from the Byzantines, to Bruges shortly thereafter. The manner in which the rock-crystal vial is cut also suggests an origin in Constantinople.

Budget wise I did pretty well. In retrospect I probably could have spent a little more........

Knowing that gas in Europe is much higher than here, I budgeted $350 for gas, but spent just about half that much. A pleasant surprise.

Outside of Paris, when I wasn't staying with friends, I budgeted $125 per day for food and lodging. In Paris I budgeted $200. This is only food and hotel, not any entrance fees, taxis, tolls, souvenirs, etc. Most days I met, or beat, this goal.

Someone had told me that it would be hard to find a room for less than $300-400 per night. Maybe if you stay in a large hotel chain, but I always prefer B&Bs and small hotels. In Europe B&Bs are less expensive than hotels--unless you go for the really posh ones.

The B&B in Dijon cost 65 Euros per night. I figured one Euro was between $1.40 and $1.45, so figuring by the higher number that came to $94.25. At Mont Saint Michel it was 55 Euros per night---$79.75. Both places included breakfast. At Mont Saint Michel they cut me a little break since I was a single. The rate for two people would have been 70 Euros ($101.50). In Paris I paid 90 ($130.50) for the room (no single break there) and 12 E ($17.40) for breakfast for a total of $147.90.

Meals were generally around 12-15 Euros. ($17.25-21.50). However, tipping is not expected. I have been told that waitstaff are paid a decent wage so they do not have to depend on tips. If service is good you might round up...say if your bill was 14.30 Euros you could leave 15.

Oh, in Europe they use a comma when we use a dot and a dot when we use a comma. So that would be 14,30.

How could I forget to mention the sex shop in Antwerp? I have included one photo on the slideshow, but there is another one--with more detail--that I have in my camera if anyone wants to see it. The city did not come to a halt because this shop is in existence.

What would I have done differently. I would have triple checked with Kemwel about the car. That was a waste of 5 hours.

I would have done a little more shopping. I would have spent an extra day in Normandy so I could have gone to the D-Day beaches and spent more time with Osu. Maybe I would have splurged a little more on meals. I had wonderful meals-and some of the best were in Belgium-but I would have splurged a little more. I think it would have been easier if I'd been traveling with someone. That is something I need to work on. I would have taken more photos, and stopped driving when I saw a really good shot. I would have gone to a French beauty shop to see how I came out---and/or had a massage, or mani/pedi or some other girlie treat. One of my travel "rules" that I didn't follow so well on this trip is to take a "break day" once every week or 10 days. A nice slow paced day (a good day for that girlie treat)

I am already thinking about where I want to go on my next trip.

French Rudeness

OK, let me say right off the bat that you will never convince me that the French are rude. Honestly I did not encounter one instance of rudeness. I swear.

I think part of this reputation is because the French are much more formal than Americans. There is a certain protocol and courtesy that must be followed. You would never walk up to someone and ask, "Hey, where's the Eiffel Tower?". You say " Excuse me, can you help me please?" then you ask directions, or whatever you need. You always greet the people in a store when you enter and say goodbye when you leave.

I think if we don't follow this etiquette they see us as rude and are frosty back. I admit that one (at least) one occassion I was a rude American. I'd had a great converstion with the guy at The San Francisco Book Store and had left. When I left there was no one else in the store. I got about half way down the block and thought he might know where an Internet cafe was. So I went back and as I walked in the door started asking my question. There was a woman at the checkout counter and I had obviously interupted them. There was a man about my age who seemed concerned that something was wrong (why else would I barge in like that??) and asked if something was wrong.........or maybe he was making a point...........

I lost count of how many people I asked for directions (I really should have taken a photo of each of them!) and no matter what their English skill, if any, they were unfailingly polite. Often they drew maps for me.

I would hope that if a French person who spoke little English went into a store or stopped people on the street here to ask directions they would be treated as well. I have a mental picture of this person walking into a Wal-Mart.........

I think the general attitude in France (and Europe) is "the good of the many outweighs the good of the one" but too often here I think there is the opposite attitude.

Last Day in Paris

I woke up sad that it would be my last day in Paris. To be honest, the first time I visited Paris (and France) in 1999, I did not expect to like it. But, to my surprise, I felt like I had "come home". I thought one factor might be because I didn't have high expectations. But, this is my third trip to Paris and that feeling has not changed.

When I went to Ireland in 2000 I had heard so much about it and just expected it to be the end- all-be all. It was OK, it wasn't bad and I did have have a good time. But I just didn't get what all the fuss was about. Maybe on that trip my expectations were too high. I would like to go back someday and give it another shot. I will say that driving in Ireland was an experience. But, that is another story.

First thing on my list was to go to Saint Chapelle. It is a cathedral and the stained glass is just unbelievable. I have made stained glass pieces and I know how much work goes into a 2 foot square piece. I have tried to find out how many artisans worked on the glass but so far haven't found anything. The cathedral was built in five years, which seems amazing (Notre Dame took over 200 years). It was built to supposedly house the Crown of Thorns. While the lower chapel is nice with some lovely artwork and decor the real jewel is up a circular stone staircase to the upper chapel. There are 15 towering stained glass windows below a beautifully painted domed ceiling. The windows tell the Biblical story of man--from Creation to redemption through Christ; Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Judges, Isaiah, the Tree of Jesse, Saint John the Baptist, Daniel, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Tobias, Judith and Job, Esther, the Book of Kings, and the History of the Relics. The first window to your left as you enter begins the story and it continues around the room. At the back of the chapel is another window, it is large and round and tells the story of Judgement Day.

After I left Sainte Chapelle I wandered through a nearby flower market. Then I headed for the Orangerie Museum, for a final Impressionist fix. For the first day since I have been in Paris it is cloudy and looks like it will rain. Did I bring my umbrella? No, it was safe and dry in my hotel room. Oh well, I knew I wouldn't melt...... I walked along the right bank of the Seine this time. When I got to the Louvre I crossed the street and had to run to keep from getting flattened by a l-o-o-o-o-ng stretch limo that was, I am sure, carrying it's occupants to some terribly important meeting.

One note about a scam. Just that morning I had looked at Rick Steves' Paris book and it mentioned that while Paris is a very safe city, of course there are scams and pickpockets. One of the latest scams it mentioned is the "found ring" scam, where a person picks up a ring lying on the ground and asks if you dropped it. When you say no, they look at the ring and, lo and behold, there is a jewelers mark on the ring proving it is pure gold. The person then offers to sell it to you at a "good price". Well, after I went under the arches toward the Louvre guess what happened, a woman "found" a ring on the ground. It was a text book example of what Rick Steves had warned about. I just said it wasn't mine and kept walking. I looked back a couple of minutes later and didn't see the woman....guess she'd gone on to greener pastures. Later, I thought I should have said "Yes, that is my ring" to see what she would have done.

I didn't go to the Louvre this time, but turned left and walked through the Tuileries Gardens. This park is much more formal that Luxembourg Gardens, with statues lining the gravel walkways, pools, a precise layout and symmetrical shrubbery. At one end is the Louvre and at the other the Arc de Triomphe. By now the sky was very cloudy and it looked like it could rain at any second. I thought having lunch at one of the outdoor restaurants with umbrella covered tables nestled under the trees. But considering my family's history of having had a few brushes with lightening, I decided that might not be the best place for me to be during a storm. I decided to go on to the Orangerie Museum and eat there. Before I got there it started raining, so I tried to walk under the trees. Faced with getting wet or getting toasted by a stray bolt of lightening I went for staying dry. There was a long line waiting to get into the museum, due to the fact that they were only letting a few people in at a time. I managed to stay under trees most of the time, and along with using a small street map as cover I managed to stay mostly dry. There was an entrepreuner going up and down the line selling umbrellas. When we entered the museum they provided long, thin plastic bags for the people who had wet umbrellas. Unfortnately I learned that the Orangerie does not have a restaurant. So much for that idea. The main reason I wanted to go to this museum was for the Monets. The highlight (to me) of the museum are two large oval shaped rooms and each one has four Monet paintings of the water lillies at his house at Giverny. Each painting reflects a different time of the day. They are not sequential, going from one time period smoothly to the next. It is amazing to see the differences in the same scene at different times of the day. The paintings are quite large, at least six feet tall (I was judging this on my height) and I'd say at least 35 or 40 feet long. They were painted specifically for these two rooms and Monet was going blind (due to cataracts) when he painted them. I find his work amazing. Looked at up close a part of the painting just looks like random blobs of paint. But viewed from a distance it all blends into a beautiful scene.

After I left the museum I did stop at one of the outdoor restaurants for lunch. It was definitely cooler and I had a wonderful cup of hot chocolate to chase away the chill

I started walking back to the hotel. I really wanted to go to Sacre Coeur, but have to admit my feet over-ruled me. I resented my feet for this...but they didn't care! When a group of us went to Italy we talked about the "death marches" the tour guide led us on---but I think I walked more on this trip. On that trip to Italy one of the women would soak her feet at night in the bidet. If there had been a bidet in my bathroom I would have done the same thing. I longed for a pedicure and/or foot massage. I was so jealous when Monique told me that a woman comes to her house to give her a pedicure.

Sacre Coeur is a Catholic church high on Montmarte Hill which is the highest point in Paris. It is gleaming white, even with the passage of time and the assault of pollution. This is due to the stone it is made from which secretes calcite when it rains which acts like bleach. Just thinking about it being at the top of a hill was enough for my feet. Oh well, next time..........

On the way back to the hotel I turned the other way off the street to my hotel and went a different way and found a fantastic patisserie. Although I don't know if it is possible to find a bad patisserie in Paris. If someone would like to fund it I would be willing do exhaustive research on this topic........... I felt like I needed a pick me up (any excuse!) and went inside. The shop was jammed with people buying the most delicious looking pastries---everything was a work of art. I settled on a chocolate eclair (along with lasagna few things say comfort to me like chocolate!). Some of the offerings were so beautiful I would have had a hard time eating them...although I would have managed. I went back to the hotel, put my feet up and had my treat.

After a while I felt refreshed and headed out again. For my final dinner in Paris I ate at a restaurant around the corner. The waiter was very friendly and funny. I noticed him talking and joking with a couple of women who were obviously regulars. I could picture myself being a regular at this restaurant. I sat there, lingering over my glass of wine and enjoying the ever changing street scene, savoring my last night in Paris. I have to admit that having dessert was overkill after the eclair.......

I enjoyed a last stroll through the streets and then went back to the hotel to pack. This was when I discovered that I had left the box of chocolate in the rental car.

I knew that half way through the flight I would feel differently, but at the moment I was looking forward to sitting down--and not walking!--the next day.

Sunday----

After breakfast I went back to the room to finish up the odds and ends of packing. I paid the bill and the front desk called a cab. It was there within a couple of minutes and off we went. The cab driver tried to talk to me, but he didn't really speak English and I couldn't hold up my end of the conversation in French, so we settled into silence after a few minutes. Luckily since it was early Sunday morning and most people were sleeping in there wasn't much traffic and we made it to the airport in about 30 minutes. As I got out of the cab I noticed that a policeman approached the driver. I don't know if he parked where he shouldn't have or what was wrong. I watched from inside for a while and saw another policeman joining the first and the cab driver giving them his registration. Who knows......one of those unsolved mysteries of life. I finally decided that I needed to get in line.

Charles de Gaulle airport seems to be a manageable size---at least the terminal I was in (#2) seemed much more compact than DFW. No endless walking from one point to another,, I'd noticed that when I arrived too. I did get patted down at security--cheap thrill of the day. There weren't many shops in the terminal, but enough for me to get what I needed. Had an uneventful and smooth flight home. Once again I lucked out and the middle seat was empty. The only glitch is that something was wrong with the entertainment system. Every five minutes the movie was interrupted by an announcement on how to stow baggage in the overhead bins. The flight attendants tried to reboot the system, but no luck. So we saw that announcement about 50 times.

Friday--3rd day in Paris

My plan for the day was to go to the Internet cafe then to the Deportation Museum before meeting Pat for lunch at 12:30 However I woke up with a sinus headache (the first I'd had on this trip) I'd noticed that my allergies hadn't been bothering me on this trip like they normally do. I went back to my room after breakfast to take an aspirin and lie (lay?) down for a bit. So I got a late start and ended up blowing off the Internet cafe.


Went to the Deportation Memorial....very moving. This memorial is dedicated to the nearly 200,000 people arrested in France by the Nazis and deported to work camps. Not only were Jews targeted, but also Slavs, gypsies, gays, political prisioners, Resistance fighters, political opponents, stateless persons, social misfits, Jehovah's Witnesses, professional criminals, the handicapped, and anyone who didn't fit the Aryan ideal...... You know, I've always wondered about that. If I were going to name a superior race you can bet it would be green-eyed brunettes--what I am. I wondered why it didn't dawn on Hitler that after a while his "superior race" might turn to him and say, "Uh, excuse me, you are not one of US"...... Even though you are behind Notre Dame and right on the Seine as you descend a long, narrow set of stairs (only wide enough for one) the sights and sounds of the city fade away. You are in an open area surrounded by high walls and with just one opening (covered by bars) giving a slight glimpse of the Seine. Through another narrow passage into the memorial. There are triangular insets on the walls with the names of the different work camps along with ashes gathered from each camp. The most striking feature is a long narrow passage with small lights on both walls. There is a light for each person who was deported but did not return. At the end of the passage is an eternal flame.

I tried to find the famous English bookstore, Shakespeare and Company but finally gave it up so I could get back to the hotel to meet Pat. When I got to the hotel Pat was waiting out front for me. We set off walking to find a place where we wanted to have lunch. Around the corner from my hotel she pointed out a restaurant where the portion of Sicko she was in was filmed. She took me to an area near my hotel that she said was one of her favorite parts of Paris. We had a good lunch and a really good talk. It was interesting to hear a fellow American's take on living in Paris. She told me about the bureaucracy (which seems to make it's American counterpart pale in comparison).We discussed the different medical systems a little, both agreeing that the insurance and pharmaceutical companies in America have such a stranglehold we don't see how there can ever be a national health plan. She did say that they had stressed to Michael Moore that their health system isn't perfect........but it is still much better than ours. She said that when a woman has a baby in France (with no complications and not by Caesearean) it is standard for her to be in the hospital for a week. I was astounded by the way French companies and the government take care of citizens, and others that are there legally, if they are ill. Sigh...........

Pat is from the Northeast and on a trip to Paris with friends several years ago she met her future husband---when he tried to pick her up as she was walking down the street. That didn't work, but they ended up writing to each other and as they say the rest is history. I was hoping some man would try to pick me up as I walked down the street...........but no.

We spent the rest of the afternoon visiting and wandering around. Then she had to leave for a parent-teacher conference. I feel like I have made a new friend in Paris. Pat told me of some good shopping areas so that is where I headed. On the way to shop I stopped by Sainte Chapelle, but the last entry was 30 minutes before closing and I had just missed it. Something else to put on tomorrow's list.

I did go into a Sephora (on the Rue Rivoli--the street behind the Louvre), and it was larger than any store I had been to here. There were several men in the shop buying cologne. I have to say that I don't think I have ever seen a man in a Sephora here.

One thing I really like about Paris is that there are so many tiny, individually owned shops. A shop were I bought some earrings was no more than 10 feet wide and maybe at the most twice as deep (not including the part in the back). I love that all these small businesses can survive and are not pushed out by large chains. There are chains (such as H&M, C&A, etc) but Pat said they co-exist with the small shops. People are loyal to the shops in their area. Makes me wonder what the small shops pay for rent. The first time I was in Paris I went into a shop that sold bar utensils and cork products. I had never really seen cork before (this was 10 years ago), but they had cork placemats, bowls, floor tiles, etc....more things than I could imagine being made out of cork.


For dinner I went to an Italian restaurant and had a pizza. When I was about halfway through it I recalled a conversation Monique and I had about pizza toppings. She swore that tuna pizza was really good and I promised that I would give it a try. But, I didn't think of it until then. Monique, I promise I will try it. Although I am pretty sure I will have to come back to Europe, as that is the only place I have seen tuna pizza.

2nd day in Paris

Today was Ascencion Day............yet another French holiday

I had planned to meet a friend of a friend in Paris. She is an American who has lived in Paris for several years. She was also one of the Americans interviewed by Michael Moore in his film "Sicko". Since it was a holiday her kids were out of school so we made plans to meet the next day

After breakfast I walked to a nearby Internet cafe and passed Luxembourg Gardens (Jardin du Luxembourg) on the way. I decided to explore it after finishing at the Internet cafe.
The park is huge and was full of people. People were running, sitting on benches, eating, reading, kissing (this is Paris after all), kids were playing, etc. There were also some of the fattest pigeons I have ever seen and they had their own pigeon house. There is a large open area in front of the Luxembourg Palace with a round fountain. People were sitting all around, reading and just enjoying the beautiful sunny day. You could rent boats to float in the fountain and quite a few kids were doing that. In addition to playgrounds there was an area where kids could ride Shetland ponies, or ride in a pony-pulled cart. Sprinkled all through the park were statues, fountains and busts---George Sand, Chopin, Beethoven, etc. Most of the statues were traditional, but there was a huge bronze face looking over the boat fountain. In the middle is a gazebo for concerts. I read later that there are over 100 statutes, monuments and fountains. There is also a replica of the Statue of Liberty and a plaque commemorating those who died on 9/11. I wandered all over the park and decided to have lunch at one of the restaurants in the park. I sat under the trees enjoying my meal and watching the fascinating parade of people

Then I headed to the Mussee d'Orsay, which was about a 45 minute walk away... by now after weeks of walking, walking, walking, my feet were starting to protest. I hadn't planned on going to very many museums so I didn't buy a museum pass. The pass does save some money- if you go to enough museums-but the real bonus is that there is a separate and shorter line for people who have the pass. The line was long, but it moved pretty quickly. It was quite warm but there was a nice breeze coming off the Seine. The museum has a huge arched glass ceiling and I thought that it looked like a train station ceiling. I later read that the building actually was a train station to begin with---the Gare d'Orsay.

I covered most of the museum, but my real interest was the Impressionists exhibit on the 5th floor. It was interesting to see early works of Monet---before he got into his (and may my artist friends forgive me) "dabby" period. I love his "dabby" pieces, I just hadn't realized that he had also done more "regular" and realistic art. One of the places I am happiest to have seen on my travels is Monet's garden at Giverny.

There was one painting (and I can't remember the artist's name---but he was part of the "realist" Impressionist movement) titled "Birth of the World" which was a painting of a reclining nude woman with a full-on view of her crotch area. In the short time I was in that room several men took photos of the painting.

By now I was thoroughly tired of walking and I was getting hungry so I decided to eat (and rest) in the museum restaurant. I had the lasagna--I wanted comfort food and few things say comfort to me like lasagna! I'd noticed that my eating schedule had moved back a couple of hours, which I'm sure is partly due to the fact that it gets dark so much later.You know the joke here that senior citizens eat dinner at 4:30, I wonder what time French seniors eat........

I was also on art overload, I love art--but after a while it all seems to blend together. Ho hum another masterpiece........

After dinner I was feeling refreshed so I set off for the Deportation Memorial. It is behind Notre Dame on the Ile de la Cite (one of two small islands in the Seine). It was almost 8:00 pm and I wasn't sure if it would be open, although most museums are open late on Thursday. I had such a good time walking along with the Seine to my left--watching the traffic (and the sometimes inventive parking), looking in the shop windows to see what goodies they might have inside, watching the people walking their dogs, checking out the menus at cafes I passed, watching the people sitting outside at cafes. Unfortunately when I got to the Deportation Memorial there--a good 45 minutes later--I found it had closed at 7pm. Ok, on the list for the next day.

Several times I have seen nondescript doors set into the wall between shops. I didn't really pay any attention to them, just assuming they were a service door for a store. But then I noticed people entering codes on the keypads and when the door was opened I got a glimpse of a little alleyway leading to a courtyard, with two or three story buildings in a U shape around it. So these are apartments tucked away, in the heart of Paris but sort of removed too. I could picture myself living there!

Wandered around some more---Paris is a city made for wandering. Maybe it is because I live in a suburban area and we drive everywhere, but I was struck by how much Parisians really use their city. I never felt frightened walking around at night, no matter what time it was people were out and about. One thing I really like is that you can sit at a cafe nursing a cup of coffee, glass of wine, whatever, as long as you want and they are not rushing you out the door to make way for the next customer. When I walked by St. Michael's square a crowd was gathered. I could hear Prince's song"Kiss" playing and apparently some guys were dancing or doing some sort of routine. I don't know what they were doing because I couldn't get close enough or see over the crowd, but whatever- it was a big hit. On the way back to the hotel my feet took me to the Haagen Dazs shop where I had some ice cream and used the Internet.

Wednesday--Normandy to Paris

Sad to leave the wonderful B&B near Mont Saint Michel. It would be a great base from which to explore this region The owners, Danielle and Kin are fantastic. Here is the link
www.bnb-normandy.com

Also here is the link to the B&B in Dijon--www.chambre-hote-dijon.com

I was disappointed that I didn't have make it to the Normandy beaches, that was definitely on my list. Simple solution......I will just have to go back.

I headed towards Caen where I would drop off the car and catch the train to Paris. I looked at mapquest before I left the B&B and had a general idea of the location of the train station, but didn't print out a map..............not that I have had a lot of luck with those anyway. I figured there would be signs pointing the way once I got to Caen.

In Caen I stopped to top off the gas tank and made my way to the train station. I found all the other car rental places except National. Typical...... When I bought my ticket the agent told it was on the next street. The office was closed for lunch, so I did my best French half-on-the-curb parking, dropped the keys in the box and headed to the train station. Unfortunately I left a box of Belgian chocolate in the car. At least that is the only place I think I could have left it. It must have been pushed under the passenger seat and I never noticed it. I hope whoever found it enjoys it as much as I planned to. Maybe the Universe's way of telling me I don't need it....? But I still regret losing it. Simple solution......I will just have to go back to Belgium.

When I bought my ticket I was told that I didn't have a reserved seat but just to find one that wasn't reserved. When I found a place to stow my luggage I didn't see any non-reserved seats in that car. I knew I sat in a reserved seat--there is a little ticket about the seat. But decided I could always move if I had to. At Liseaux I had to give up my seat, but did find a non reserved one nearby. Two kids had the reserved seats. They got on with their dad or granddad. He and I moved to a 2 rows of seats that face each other with a table in between them. He was coughing to beat the band. I think it was a terrible smokers cough......at least I hope so. There was a 10 minute delay getting into Mantes la Jolie. No idea why, I couldn't understand a word of the announcement. But since there wasn't a mad dash to the exits I didn't worry about it.

Gare St. Lazare is a huge train station in the N-NW region of Paris. Monet did paintings of it, but his depiction is much more romantic and peaceful than the reality. It was huge and crowded with a swarming mass of people. I was sort of swept along by the tide and wasn't sure I took the right exit towards the taxi stand. I crossed the street and in front of a posh hotel there a man was just getting out of a taxi and the doorman held it for me. I was glad because it was almost 5pm and I thought it might be hard to find a cab.

I don't know that I would ever attempt to drive in Paris. It is a controlled (I think) chaos and seems to exist in its own dimension and reality. Buses, cars, motorcycles bicycles, rollerbladers and pedestrians all co-exist in some weird, unfathomable dance. It can look like a chaotic mess, but obviously there is a method to the madness. The drivers do give way to the pedestrians, motorcyclists, bicyclists and the truly insane on rollerblades. Cars dart in and out, pulling in front of each other, cutting each other off. There is a little honking, (but not as much as I expected) gesturing (and muttering) but if they tried this in Dallas I think they would be dragged from their cars and beaten. The motorcyclists are especially daring, weaving in and out of traffic.

One night at dinner near Mont Saint Michel I started talking to the couple at the next table. They were from Australia and were doing a nine week vacation of Europe. (huge jealously on my part!) But, if you are going to fly 20 hours to Europe I guess you aren't just going to come for a long weekend! They had picked up their rental car in Paris and headed out in the middle of the day--plus to them they were driving on the "wrong" side of the road.

You can rent bicycles in Paris, but I saw a lot of people (and many older than me) who obviously use this as their way of getting around day to day. One evening as I left the Musee d'Orsay there was a couple heading down the busy street over looking the Seine on rollerblades. He obviously knew what he was doing, but she was just as obviously an absolute beginner. Everyone waiting to cross the street turned to watch their progress down the street.

On Friday nights and Sundays some streets in Paris are blocked off for roller-blading. I was going to give it a shot, even though I have never rollerbladed. When I was young I roller skated a lot and even did a few competitions.....but that was many, many years ago. But I read that Friday night session (starting at 10pm--3 hours long) is for experienced skaters and if you can't keep up you will be left behind. There is also another session on Sunday with a slower pace. So maybe next time I will plan to be in Paris on a Sunday.........and (novel idea) try it out here beforehand. The first time I was in Paris, 10 years ago, I saw a rollerblader hanging on the back of a bus for a free (and fun) ride.

My hotel in Paris is the Grand Hotel des Balcons-- www.balcons.com
It is a nice 2 star hotel in the 6th Arrondissement. The location is great, on the Left Bank, about a 10 minute walk to the Seine. When you reach the Seine you are about half way between Notre Dame and the Louvre. It is less than a 10 minute walk to the lovely Jardin du Luxembourg (Luxembourg Gardens). It is a great area of Paris too, with all kinds of restaurants, shops, and little alleyways to discover. The standard rooms are basic, small and very clean. But I am not in Paris to spend time in the room. I think the triple/family rooms are a bit nicer. The people at the hotel are very nice. Another huge draw for me is their breakfast buffet. It does cost 12 Euros, which is a lot. But it is huge--bacon, eggs, sausage, potatoes, croissants, all kinds of breads, cheeses, meats, cereals, fruit, yogurt, tea, coffee...... They also had some sort of pressed duck loaf but I just couldn't give a shot early in the morning. Most hotels charge 6 to 8 Euros for coffee, croisant and a roll so I think it is well worth it, especially with a full day of walking and sightseeing on the agenda. I would really load up at breakfast, eating more than I normally would. Although you might have noticed that I am a breakfast person.

After settling into my room I headed out to do a bit of exploring. I'd stayed in this hotel 3 1/2 years ago and was eager to see if the neighborhood had changed. There was a great, tiny little shop around the corner where a woman sold clothes, scarves, hats, etc. I was sad to see that it was no longer there. I had bought a scarf there and she showed me a cool way to tie it---I went right back to the hotel and tried, but never could duplicate the way she had done it. The Internet cafe that was on that block was also gone, but everything else seemed to be the same. There is one shop that seems to sell medical supplies. There are all these forms of human parts--hands, feet, hearts, etc in the window. I don't know if they are used by medical students, or what. It also seems to be some sort of herbal, acupunturist shop. I've never noticed anyone going in and have never really been able to tell if it is ever open.

I did find the short pedestrian street where we went for our nightly Haagen Dazs fix. I discovered that the Haagen Dazs has internet access. I got a cone and wandered some more. There was an Italian gelato shop a few places down that had a line out the door. Thought I would have to try it out at a later time.

I had dinner at a restaurant around the corner from the hotel. By now it was 10 pm and I was tired so I headed back to the hotel.

In search of Osu

At breakfast the first morning at the B&B by Mont Saint Michel I heard the couple at the next table talking and realized they were Americans. I said "good morning". Then I remembered something Monique had mentioned. She wondered why Americans always ask someone where they are from--even other Americans. The thought had barely formed when the woman asked "Where are you from?" I had to laugh and told them what Monique had said. None of us have any idea why we do that..... Their names were Jolene and Jim and there were from California. BTW.



The second morning I decided I needed to do some laundry to get me through to the end of the trip. Jim and Jolene had used the laundry in the next village the previous day so I went there. The local farmers were protesting the low cost of milk (set by the government) and they had the supermarket entrance blocked off with farm equipment. They were also giving out free samples of milk. Unfortunately the laundromat was close to the supermarketand I had a hard time finding a place to park. People just parked where they could and went on into the supermarket. Worse for me, they had also blocked the entrance to the gas pumps. Gas is usually cheapest at supermarkets. I was trying to figure out how to buy soap when an Englishman, who looked to be a few years older than me, offered to give me some of his. We started talking and I learned that his name was Kevin and he had moved to the area from England a couple of years earlier. He said it was the best thing he'd ever done "even with this" (nodding towards the blockade). He had bought an old barn for 7,500 Euros (about $10,000) and was in the process of renovating it. He thought he was just buying the barn and a little plot of land, but when he went to sign the papers learned that he also had a piece of land next to the barn and 5 acres of ancient wood behind it. He is doing all the renovating himself. He described his plans and said he expects it will take another couple of years.



Bought gas at another station--paid 49.68 Euros for over 3/4 of a tank.



Then I went to a local restaurant for lunch, having the bad luck to arrive at the same time as a bus of Japanese tourists. I should have gone somewhere else, because lunch took a lot longer than I had planned. Didn't feel so bad about my poor French when I heard a woman ask for two of something using "dos".



One more toilet tale.....I went into the toilet at the restaurant and headed for one of the stalls. When I came out and was washing my hands I realized there was a Japanese man at a urinal on the wall to my right. I noticed there were two urinals. I had heard that sometimes men and women share the same bathrooms in France, but had never run across it before. The man discreetly took care of his business and that was all there was to it and we each went on our way.



That is one thing I really like about Europe, people are more open about bodily functions, including sex. They are just considered natural, a part of life, no big deal. I don't imagine comedians have whole routines based on them either. By making things "dirty" or taboo we give them more importance than they deserve.



I could just imagine some American mothers running out of the toilet, screaming and covering their children's eyes.



My friend Gina in Germany works at a video store. We went by there one day and I admit I was surprised to see a section of X-rated videos, along with all the normal videos. She explained that no one under 18 is allowed in the store. None of the customers seemed to be shocked, if they didn't want an X-rated video, they just didn't go in that section. Gee, that makes sense.......



I finally headed off to Portbail, which is on a pennisula north of Mont Saint Michel. I was trying to find Osu. She was the childhood best friend of a British friend of mine, Nancy, who died a couple of years ago at age 88. Osu and her late husband had lived in France for many years. When Nancy developed Macular Degenration I started writing to Osu for her and continued after Nancy's death. Osu was 91 the previous week and I hadn't heard from her in a while, so I honestly wasn't sure if she was still alive. She is extremely deaf, so calling her was really out of the question. In one of her letters she mentioned that she still enjoyed her evening cigarette and whiskey...and that she still drove a little.



On the way to Portbail I made the mistake of exiting into a Granville instead of going around it. At least I saw the route to the casino where I hoped to stop on the way back. Then I got to Coustances and it went downhill from there (I know you are shocked). I was supposed to take the small D2 road towards Portbail, but could not find it for anything. I stopped at a bar and went in to once again ask for directions. There were only two people in the bar, they didn't speak English and my French was pathetic, but they were so nice. They did draw a map, so off I went again. I never could find the road and had decided to just give it up and head back to Mont Saint Michel. Wouldn't you know it, on the way back I saw the D2. By now it was 4:30, but I thought I was so close I had to go for it. I called Osu and got no answer, but I though I could at least leave her a note. I was relieved that I didn't get the French equivalent of "the number you have reached is not in service", which to me would mean that she had died and her number disconnected.



Once I got toPortbail, which was much larger than I expected, I still had to find her house. I have seen photos of it, so I know it is not in town. She converted one side of an old Normandy barn. I stopped and went into a shop to ask for directions. Again they were so nice and drew a map. Off I went, sensing success was close at hand. I knew her road/lane was a right turn off another small road. I went down the road for a while, but never saw her lane. I turned around to see if I had passed it. I saw an old woman in her front yard and swallowing my pride asked her for directions. In a flurry of French I gathered that I needed to go past the chapel and it would be to the right after that.



You know, I wish I'd taken photos of everyone I asked for directions.........



I managed to finally find her house, wth the help of yet another woman who walked me to her house. It turned out that Osu's barn did not face the lane. Her half is fartherest from the lane and the only number showing is for the other half. Whew! The woman gestured that Osu is very deaf so I should just go in and shout for her. Which I did! She finally heard me and gingerly came downstairs, wondering who this strange woman was in her house. She was speaking French so I wrote a note that I was Judy from Texas, Nancy's friend. Ahhh! She invited me to sit down and we talked for a bit. She was thrilled that I had come by to see her. I didn't stay too long, as it really was hard to carry on a conversation since she is so deaf. I also wanted to make it back before dark. But I am so glad I went.



I found a more direct route on the way back, thank goodness, and it only took about half as long as going.

Driving in France

Having survived being on the road in France and Belgium I have a few comments.


The Good-----

They REALLY adhere to the concept of slower traffic keeping to the right. On the highways everyone stays in the right hand lane, unless they are passing. As soon as they pass they pull back over to the right.....usually even if they can see that they will soon need to pass another vehicle. I love that. People pretty much keep to the speed limit too. Not sure if they have cracked down with radar or not. But people seem much more likely to follow the rules in general here anyway. In France if the weather is clear the limit on the highway is 130 Kilometers per hour (roughly 78 mph), in rain it is 110 (66 mph).

In French cities the lights don't hang in the middle of the intersection, but are at each corner. This way you have to stop behind the pedestrian crosswalk to see the light. There are two sets of lights, one high and another low so you can easily see.


Even with the crazy traffic in Paris they do (usually) stop for pedestrians.



On French highways there are rest stops very frequently. I think the longest distance I saw between stops was 33 kilometers (about 20 miles). At the least they have a place to pull over, but usually have more--such as a toilet, gas station or playground area.



These people are whizes at whipping their little cars around each other and into tiny parking spaces. I have seen people fit into spaces where I didn't think it was possible to fit. I have a feeling that gently bumping bumpers while parking is standard practice here.

Driving through the countryside was great. It was beautiful, just like something in a movie. Sometimes I expected to see Hobbits! Through most of France there were gentle hills. The landscape was flatter in Belgium and in the NE part of France. But everywhere were fields of well tended crops and fat cows, sheep and horses. There is one crop of bright, bright yellow called rape---rapeseed oil is made from it. Sometimes, depending on the landscape, all I could see was bright yellow. I went through a lot of heavily wooded areas too--a treat for someone from mostly flat Texas. Then when I saw a sign warning of deer crossing for the next 12 kilometers, I knew it was not an idle warning.

Belgian highways are more like American higways, which was welcomed after the French tollroads. I think the standard speed limit there is 120 kph (72 mph). Again everyone pretty well minded the speed limits.

The major thing I didn't like was that in French cities the street signs are not on a pole at the corner, but on a blue plaque on the side of a building. That is OK if you know where you are going, but if you are trying to find your way as a lost tourist it's not so good. Just about the time I could read the sign I would realize that was where I needed to turn, but by then it was usually too late.

Also as an American used to nice wide streets (and cities arranged for the benefit of cars) the streets took some getting used to. They are narrower than I am used to and sometimes they wind around, are one way or end abruptly.

Mont Saint Michel

I know it isn't possible, but no matter where I went in Mont Saint Michel I seemed to be going uphill. There is one major "street" that is crammed with shops, restaurants, tourists and ever present steps. There are a few little off shoots from this main drag. I went up one and found a small chapel with beautiful stained glass windows. A service was being held, so I quietly entered. There were ten other people in the chapel. I didn't understand all that was going on as I am not Catholic and of course it was in French. But, it was still peaceful and uplifting. A Japanese couple entered when I did and as they left they bowed in respect. Mont Saint Michel is a working abbey.

After moseying around for a couple of hours and taking a load of photos I decided it was time to take the Abbey tour. Up, up a very long set of exterior steps to the area where the tickets are sold. I also got an audio guide. After I showed my ticket and started the tour I was faced with the highest staircase yet----90 steps (I counted).

It is almost beyond my comprehension how they managed to build this Abbey, and the entire town too. Monique and I marveled at how they built the towers and buildings we saw, without any modern tools. But Mont Saint Michel is way beyond that. I am astounded at the architectural and engineering skill it took. How laborious it must have been to haul the stone to the island, drag it up the hill and put it into place. It is a marvel to me.

The tour was very crowded and I kept trying to get away from a huge group of Japanese tourists. There are 15 stops on the tour: After stop number 6 theh battery on my audio guide died. I did manage to go faster after that!

When I finished the tour I told the woman at the return counter that the battery had died. She said I could take the tour again. Since it was now 3pm I went to have lunch first. So down all those steps I went to the "lower" levels. I really, really debated blowing off taking the tour again....the idea of climbing all those steps again......But decided that it is not like I could come back again next week.

Got a new audio guide with a fully charged battery. The good news is that there were far fewer people now, the tour buses had left for the day. It was much more enjoyable.

Down the steps and hill one more time. By now my legs and feet were protesting. Trudged to the car, silently cursing the parking attendant who made me park so far away from the entrance. Felt enormous joy that I wouldn't have to climb any more steps that day.

About 10:45 I drove back to Mont Saint Michel, I wanted to see it at night. I took some photos, but my point and shoot camera really couldn't do it justice. Even driving that short distance made me sure that I have no business on small, dark French roads at night.

Sunday---Belgium to France

I awoke to the sound of rain on the roof. It would have been a great day to sleep in, but I had to leave Belgium and drive to France. I said goodbye to Monique and Pim, I had a wonderful time there. Monique had made me a sandwich and with my other goodies I set off.



Miracle of miracles, I did not get lost! As I came to an ever present toll booth near Calais there was a spectacular view to my right of the coastline and English Channel. There was a large ferry about a mile out to sea. But there was nowhere for me to pull over and take a photo.



Monique had told me there was a very tall toll bridge at Le Harve. As I descended from the hills I saw a very tall bridge and thought, wow! this is it. As I started up it I wondered where the toll booth was. When I got to the top I saw the second bridge---OMG! It looked like an enormous ski slope. I wondered if I was going to be Evel Kneviel on this trip. There was no turning back now. The toll was 5 Euros, with the added bonus of a faster beating heart. I told myself, don't look down, don't look down. But of course I did--and it wasn't bad at all. There was a fantastic view of the Seine meeting the English Channel. If going over high bridges bothers you I would definitely suggest taking a different road though. There was also a walking/bicycling path. As I came down the bridge I saw a group of young people walking.



As I got closer to Mont Saint Michel there was a heavy rainstorm. I thought---here I am again driving through the rain trying to make it somewhere before dark. As the rain lessened I looked over to my right and there was another perfect rainbow. It will have to be a mental photo as I didn't dare pull over to the shoulder with such poor visibility. I looked in the side mirror for a last glimpse of it and noticed there was a rainbow in the spray from the tires! I felt like I had my own personal rainbow following me!



As I got closer to Mont Saint Michel it also got a lot windier. I was really glad it hadn't been that windy as I went over those bridges. That would have been scary.



When I exited the highway towards Mont Saint Michel I drove down a small, winding road that went through several tiny villages. Some of the large stone houses and buildings were only a foot or two off of the road. I could see glimpses of Mont Saint Michel off to my right. When I got my first good look at it, I had the thought that perhaps I should have climbed those towers in Dijon and Bruges as preparation........

Saturday--Antwerp

Before going to Antwerp we bought gas and I went to the ATM for some cash. I was glad that the machine did not eat my card. As I said, it has never happened to me, but I do feel vulnerable on a trip and try to withdraw money during the week. It could really mess up you plans to have to wait for the bank to open on Monday.

We also stopped by the grocery so I could get somethings to eat the next day as I drove to France. I also bought gas-- it cost 37 Euros for about 3/4 of a tank.

We took the train into Antwerp, instead of driving. They have an area at the train stop labeled "kiss and ride", where people just drop off someone who is catching the train. All routes into Antwerp must go under the river (I think it is the Schelde--sorry, Monique if I got it wrong), whether car or train. There is a proposition to build a bridge, but there is much opposition as there is a lot of ship traffic and people think it will cause too many traffic jams when the bridge is up.

Antwerp is not as cute as Bruges, but is also not as touristy and feels more liveable. I am not sure where the people who live in Bruges actually live, hopefully away from the packed tourist areas.

As we walked past a statue outside a church one of the figures suddenly started to move!! It was a man dressed and made up to look like the other figures. If he hadn't moved for the benefit of some children walking past I never would have know he wasn't a statue. Later on we also saw a "statue" of Nostradamus standing on a pedestal. Monique knew it wasn't a statue because she knew there wasn't normally anything in that spot. But I had to stare very closely to see his eye twitch. There were also a few other street performers and a small group of Hare Krishnas walking through the streets singing.

There was a church Monique wanted to show me but a wedding reception was in progress. So we went to a nearby restaurant for lunch to wait for the reception to end. I had a wonderful salad with warm goat cheese--yum. At the restaurant was up two flights of a circular staircase.

I have eaten more cheese, bread and butter since I've been here than in the previous six months or a year. One morning I saw a scale in Monique's bathroom and couldn't resist finding out the bad news. Once I went to the internet and converted the kilograms to pounds I found that I had lost two pounds at least. Hmmm............guess what they say about exercise being the key is true. Imagine that! Monique and I estimate that in three days we'd probably walked about 12 miles.

After visiting the church we went to a large open-air market. The food looked fantastic and we got a few free samples. We had a reservation at a Moroccan restaurant at 7. (have you noticed that I have gone from "the toilet tour" to the food tour!) We still had time after the market so we took a tram to a street full of many different architectural styles. The houses were gorgeous, and none of them tiny of course. Some were in the midst of renovation. At the Moroccan restaurant I had a tagine of chicken and apricots. Once again----YUM!

I will say one thing about my poor French pronounciation----it is WAY better than my Flemish pronounciation. I had Monique in tears of laughter at my garbled attempts to pronounce the names of the stops on the train back to her village.

Thursday/Friday--Bruges, etc

We got up and headed to Bruges. I had been there briefly once before about 10 years ago. One thing I've noticed in Belgium is that the highways are more like in the US, in that you can exit and cross over to turn around (so handy if you happen to go the wrong way). In Belgium, Germany and The Netherlands they do not have toll roads. In France the major roads are toll and if you have to exit you pay and then must pay again to get back on.

Bruges is charming and quaint with cobblestone streets, tiny little passages off the streets and canals. It is known as the Venice of Belgium. But it is full of tourists, I heard more American accents there. If you are not mindful you end up paying tourist prices for meals. But, it is still well worth going. Bruges was once a prosperous port town, but then the port silted up and it declined. It was largely forgotten until the 1960's and 70's, when it was rediscovered. The upside of this is that it was perfectly preserved. I have read that the only Michaelango statue outside of Italy is there too. Although I have never managed to see it.

One of our first stops was the Beginuage (hope I spelled that right). It was a place of safety for single or widowed women to live in the Middle Ages. There is a plaque over the entrance that translates to Safe Haven. Even in times of war these places were considered off limits for maurading armies. It was also the home of a religious order. The women who were not in the order could leave at any time, if they wanted to. The one in Bruges still houses a religious order. It is such a peaceful place, with white houses and buildings surrounding a large green area. Monique said in the spring the center commons would be full of daffodils. The sounds of the city and tons of tourists melted away as we entered. We could see elderly nuns heading towards the chapel. I wondered if I could take a photo of one of them. Monique said she was sure they wouldn't mind, but she did ask one. Well, this one told her that I must take her photo she would agree, but preferred not to. So I didn't. I could have taken a photo of several of them walking to the chapel, but I felt that would be intrusive.

The streets are full of shops selling chocolate, lace and tapestries. When I was here before I bought two tapestry pillow coverings. But I am past the tapestry phase now. It was interesting to see that almost every shop I recall from my previous visit is still there. They also have horse-drawn carriage tours, which look charming with the patient horses plodding through the streets. But not something I wanted to do, especially for the price.

One of my favorite stops was The Chapel of the Holy Blood. Legend says that soldiers returning from the Crusades brought back some of Christ's blood and it is at this chapel. Now sceptics might ask how the Crusaders got this blood about 1,000 years after the Crucifixion, and who collected the blood in the first place. But I will say the chapel was breathtaking, small but so beautiful. I did see the vial of blood. Whether it is real or not, it was moving. There was a service going on, so we quietly left. I regret that I was not able to buy a souvineer book for this chapel. But we were unable to go to the giftshop since the service was in progress. We lqter checked at theh gift shop in another church, but they just sold books about that church.

After lunch we went to the main square where I had real Belgian "french fries". Actually fries were originated in Belgium, not France. I think the Belgians are a bit touchy about that. Plus, it makes the silly movement a few years ago of boycotting "French Fries", and calling them "Freedom Fries" even more ridiculous. The fries were thick, like the hand sliced ones you would find in a mom and pop restaurant. They are less greasy and have more of a potato taste. Not sure how they accomplish the less greasy part, as Monique said they are fried in pure lard. I ate them the Belgian way, with mayo instead of catsup, interesting and actually very good. Different. You could get catsup, but it costs 20 cents more.

We could have climbed the tower, but with 366 steps to the top I gave it a pass. Plus it was raining and the view would not have been good. How is that for a rationalization? We were very close to the North Sea and clouds blew in quickly, but seemed to leave almost as quickly.

The next day we went to an open air museum, showing how life was in the past. There were restored houses, barns, watermills, etc. It was a peaceful, wooded setting and you really felt that you had gone back in time. Monique said that period films were shot there. It was a huge area and I think we covered most of it. I have been to a similar museum in southern Texas and one difference is that the old houses in Texas are almost always wooden, which makes them seem less substantial. We ate lunch at a little shop on the grounds, one item they offered was what would have been a typical farmers bowl of soup/stew. I passed when I saw how enormous it was. I think it was about the size of five large bowls. In one building theh woman was showing how they made felt "back then". I admit that I have never really thought about felt, or how it was made, but it was very interesting. She had made little purses, baby shoes, baby dresses, hats ad toys---all without any seams. Another thing I found interesting was how there was a "dog run" (not sure what to call it), an area where the dog was harnassed to a contraption and as he ran it caused the butter to churn. All members of the family had to earn their keep. I have seen farm implements where a mule walked in a circle and crushed grain, but never anything to do with a dog.

Of course as we were leaving we stopped for a restorative hot chocolate!

If it's Wednesday this must be Belgium

I will say that the reason I am making to places before dark is because this is very far north, especially compared to the states, so it gets dark later. I always think of Rome, Italy as being in such a tropical location, but when you look at a map it is about level with New York City. One night I looked out the kitchen window at 10:45 and there was still a sliver of light in the west. It is also light at 5am. The nights are a bit shorter here than in Dijon. When I was in Scotland it didn't get dark until after 11 and was light at 4am


I was thrilled to finally arrive at Monique's house. I had never met her before either. I think we have been penpals for about a year. She reminds me of a combination of my best friend, Pat, who died almost 14 years ago and my friend Rhonda (who is alive and well in Virginia). So I immediately felt comfortable. We both have a sarcastic sense of humor and a great love of cheese too. She has the cutest little dog, named Pim. He is 14 and recently had a stroke, so he is still a bit unsteady. Poor little guy. But within a day or so he had me trained as his second personal servant.



Belgium is very green and so far flatter than the region in France that I drove through. I would soon find out why it is so green! Monique warned to me to be sure to bring an umbrella. I noticed straight lines of trees planted here and there, Monique said they were planted on the levees to provide more support. Theh horses grazing in the fields are just beautiful. Monique's village has about 10,000 people. It is very cute. People do bike a lot here. I have seen women who are well into their 60's pedaling down the road. Monique sometimes rides her bike to work and to do her shopping. I only live a little over 3 miles from my office, but would never think of riding a bicycle (never mind that I don't have one) since for at least half of the way there are no sidewalks and I would end up as a hood ornament on someone's car.



I am not a World War 2 history buff, but on the way to Belgium I could not help but think that many battles were fought in this area. It is so calm and peaceful now, it is hard to imagine it was the scene of so much bloodshed. I do think that one reason Europeans are much more reluctant to go to war now is because so many wars have been fought in their countries. It is horrible that we have to send our young men and women off to fight, but I can't help but think that if battles had been fought in our own backyards we would be much more reluctant too. We are very fortunate that way.

Dijon

So there I was, hightailing it down the road to Dijon. First there was a pretty heavy rainstorm and then the traffic was tied up outside of Nancy due to a wreck. My major goal was to make it to Dijon before nightfall as my night vision is not the best and I had no desire to try to find my way in the dark. I do regret not stopping for just a few minutes for some photos along the way. But I thought that since I would be going back along the same route on my way to Belgium I would just take photos then. There was a spectacular rainbow though and I REALLY regret not stopping for a photo of it...........duh. I stopped at a roadside gas station and bought a croissant, coke, some cheese and yogurt to eat as I was driving.


The major highways in France are toll roads and the cost for this one was 12 Euros. I did get a little lost in Dijon, but everyone I asked for directions was so helpful. Twice the people said they could tell me how to get to a certain point and once I was there to "ask someone you see and they will tell you where to go from there". That is exactly what happened.


The B&B I stayed at in Dijon is called the B&B Marcs d'Or. It is gorgeous, an oasis of quiet. You forget that you are in a city. The two guys who own it have done a fantastic job with the landscaping. The stables have been converted to bedrooms. My room was red, with two windows overlooking the grounds. The bathroom was small, but sleek and modern.........although I never quite figured out the shower. I had to press a large button to get the water on, but it only stayed on for about a minute. Then I had to repeat the process. I think it probably was for water conservation. But to be honest, I think I stayed in the shower longer than I would have normally.......it was like a snooze control for the shower. After settling in I wandered out to the front patio where the two owners, Olivier and Ludovick, were sitting with the other guests--a young couple from England. We sat around drinking wine and talking for quite a while. Olivier speaks very good English, but Ludovick not so much. There is a German Shepard dog named "One-two". She is 12 years old and had been a breeding dog. When her breeding days were over Olivier adopted her. She is sweet, but is definitely devoted to him. She was also a bit stressed since the arrival of "the Intruder", a tiny black and white kitten named Nanette, the previous week. Nanette is supremely unconcerned about One-two, but the feeling is not mutual.


The next morning I set out for Dijon, the B&B is a little to the west of the center of town. Olivier marked the best route on the map, along with the best place to park. He assured me it would be so easy to get there. That should have set off warning bells....but it didn't. I gave it a shot, really I did. But after getting lost again I finally gave it up, drove back to the B&B and took the bus. Well worth the 1 Euro cost each way. French streets don't have street signs at the intersection, the street name is on a little plaque on the side of a building.


Dijon is a beautiful town, with a very good feel. Unfortunately, it was Tuesday and all the museums are closed then. So I just wandered around, looking at the architecture and exploring what lay down the tiny alleyways. I could have climbed to the top of the tower, but passed when I learned there were over 300 steps! I really liked Dijon, but don't seem to have too much to say about it.



The next morning Ludovick was manning the B&B. He printed out directions from the Michelin site for me. I was heading to a village just west of Antwerp, Belgium; The Michelin map had me retracing my route back to Metz, going through Luxembourg and Brussels. I almost asked him to print directions from Mapquest, but decided they would be similar..........



I got out of Dijon easily, without losing my way. Hooray! A couple of hours down the road I stopped for lunch and pulled out the directions my friend Monique, had given me to her house. She mentioned the Mapquest route, which went through Reims, France and then entered Belgium from the west, through Lille, France. Swell...... I wasn't crazy about going through Brussels, especially near rush hour, so I decided to cut over to the road going through Reims. This was not a highway just a tzo lane road so it was slower going, especially when I was caught behind a big truck. I admit I did get lost once, but was lucky enough to stop at a gas station where I met a man from Wales. You know, I really am not an inept driver. My excuse is that it is hard to be driver and navigator. That is my story and I am sticking to it! But I did manage to arrive at my destination in Belgium, again making it before dark.

Germany to France

The day started out so well...... Gina and I left for the train station at 7:30am. It was raining heavily, so no chance for a photo of "my" hill. But I do have the mental photo. I bought a ticket from Saarlouis to Metz. I managed to change trains in Saarbrucken and Forbach without missing either train. In Saarbrucken I had 25 minutes between trains and decided to obey the first rule of traveling............if there is a bathroom available, use it. I figured 25 minutes was plenty of time. Of course I had to pay, 1/2 Euro. There was no attendant, just a turnstile. There was no way both me and my luggage could make it through at one time. I had about decided to just leave it on the outside of the barrier: There was a woman and her mom already through the turnstile and by gesturing and with limited English she offered to catch my luggage if I lifted it over the barrier. Oomph....we managed it....mission accomplished. Then I headed towards the platform. I kept thinking there must be a different Platform 11, as this was the same one, and going in the same direction, as when I went to Saarlouis. It felt like I was going back to where I'd just come from. I looked for another platform 11 and finally decided this had to be the right one. Once again I had to hurry to the train. But at least this time the doors didn't close in my face. Plus now I know about the magic button on the outside of the door!

German trains don't dawdle at the station either. When I got on the train in Saarlouis it started moving before I'd found a seat. I timed some of the intermediate stops.......about 40 seconds, so you'd better be ready to board when the train pulls into the station. The same for getting off. The schedule must be obeyed.

Once I arrived in Metz I went looking the car rental area. This is where it started to go downhill. I'd rented the car through Kemwel. They shop around for the best price so they use a variety of companies. This rental was through EuropCar. In addition to the Collision Damage Waiver Insurance I had chosen the "no insurance excess" option. Car rental firms in Europe require a hefty deposit but with this option I paid a bit more for the rental, but wouldn't have to pay the deposit. All was going well until the agent asked for my credit card. Since I'd already paid for everything, except about $60 in local fees, I asked why. To pay the deposit I was told. I explained that I had taken the "no insurance excess" option. Well, they didn't know what I was talking about. I asked how much the deposit was, imagine my shock when I was told 1,300 Euros (about $1,900)!!!!!!!! It was about 11am in Metz, which made it 5am on the East Coast. I couldn't get through on my cellphone so I started looking for a shop where I could buy a phonecard. The young woman in the shop was so nice she spoke about as much English as I do French. But she went in search for someone who spoke English, finally finding someone in the shop next door. I have worked in telecommunications for more years than I'd like to think, but I could not get either my cell or the phone card to work. I was really feeling like a dummy! By the time I found out that I was entering the International code for the US wrong, EuropCar had closed for lunch. The lunch hour(s) must be obeyed.

Thee people at Kemwel told the people at EuropCar that I should not have to pay the deposit. EuropCar insisted that they could not rent a car without the deposit. Which I refused to pay. Kemwel offered to put the charge on their card, but EuropCar refused since I was the driver, not Kemwel. The agent at Kemwel called National Car rental and they agreed to just charge a 1 Euro deposit. By this time I'd spent far longer in the Metz train station than I ever intended or wanted to and I was thoroughly tired of the place. I was starting to feel like the character in the movie, "The Terminal". Just when I thought I might get out of there, the agent at the National counter couldn't find any record of the reservation. The Kemwel agent had called National at the Metz airport. So it was decided that I would go there to get the car. I would take a taxi and Kemwel would reimburse me. I practically fled the station. Everyone I met there was so nice, but I have no desire to ever go to Metz again! Once I got outside I could see that the train station is really a beautiful building--with intricate carvings, including gorgeous Celtic knots.

So off I go in a taxi. The people at the National counter said it was about 20 kilometers (about 13 miles) to the airport and it would cost about 60 Euros ($87). We drove and drove, and seemed to be going out to the middle of nowhere. By this time my nerves were a bit frayed (to say the least) and I was thinking that the cab driver was taking me for a ride, literqlly I couldn't even see any signs that said l'aeroport. But, lo and behold, we did arrive at the Metz/Nancy regional airport. It is about 5 miles past the middle of nowhere. Another pleasant surprise is that the fare was "only" 43 Euros.

The rental was a breeze and soon I was in a nifty little Citroen C4 headed towards Dijon..........hours behind schedule;

Good morning from Dillingen, Germany

Happy Mother's Day to all my friends/family who are mothers. Whether you have two or four-legged children (or both)
It is a quiet morning here. I am the only one up so far....old habit die hard. I slept till 7:30 which is late for me. I am going wild on this vacation, aren't I??? LOL! The sun is out and it is a beautiful morning. There are beautiful wooded hills surrounding us.......a nice visual treat for a person from flat Texas. I saw one yesterday that just captivated me, Gina says it is the tallest one in the region. Did I take a photo........no. But will today!
Today we are driving to Luxembourg. The route usually goes through a tunnel but it is closed for repairs so we will HAVE to take the scenic route through some villages.
I did find out about the comforter situation. Sarah explained that this way they don't have to mess with a top sheet when they make the bed. All they have to do is fold the comforter and VOILA the bed is made. They have winter and summer covers, they are still using the winter ones now. OK, that makes sense.
At the last minute I decided to bring some warmer sleepwear ("winter" sleepwear by Texas standards) and I am glad I did. But I am loving this weather........as all my friends who hear me complain about the Texas heat can imagine. I think it is going to be around 68 degrees today (20 Celsius).
Tomorrow morning I will catch a train at 8:38 going to Metz, France. There I will pick up a car and be turned loose on French roads!

Good morning from Germany

My friend Gina was waiting for me at the train station. I had never met her before, we have been email penpals for over a year. She also writes to a man who lives near me and is leaving in 10 days to visit him. I have had penpals off and on since I was in junior high. I've always liked learning about life in other places. I am staying with another email penpal in Belgium too. I have another email pal who lives in France and I might see him when I am there.

We drove to Gina's apartment---third floor, no stairs. Her daughter, Sarah, is visiting at the moment too. Sarah is a contrator with IBM in Scotland. She has been there for six years and speaks perfect English with a slight Scottish accent. Sarah also lived in Michigan for a year as an exchange student.

Gina is a small woman with a cheerful disposition and a ready laugh. You always wonder if you will really get along when you first meet someone, but I feel like I am part of the family already. Gina's English is not as perfect as Sarah's but I am impressed because she has taught herself to speak, read and write English. This is a small town and there really isn't anyone for her to practice with.

We had a great dinner.........I can see that I will need to run though a lot of train stations and do a lot of walking to make up for all the food I am going to eat!

The jet lag finally hit me...........a couple of times I went right to sleep even as Gina was talking to me! Except for the short naps on the plane I had been up for about 34 hours.

I woke up around 7:30 feeling human again. Gina has to work until 3 and I tried to stay out of her way as she was getting ready.

One thing I have noticed in my travels is how many ways there are to flush a toilet! I think it was different in every bathroom I was in yesteday. One place there was a pedal low on the wall to the right. Another place there was a button on the wall behind the toilet. Here there is an integrated lever on the top of the tank. Several times I have stood in a stall searching for what to push, pull, flip, etc. Here there was also a knob behind the toilet that I turned at first (before I noticed the top of the tank) and managed to turn off the hot water heater for the shower. OK, enough of that .........before this turns into a Toilet Tour blog.

It is just that you realize how common, everyday things are done slightly differently in other places. The coffee maker for instance, the filter basket is not attached to the coffee maker, but rather sits on top of the coffee pot. I kept trying to make it attach, until I noticed that the cutouts matched up with the pot. There is a handy little attachment on the toaster, two little wire pieces that will flip up so you can heat a croissant or roll there.

One thing I have always read that is that electricity is very expensive in Europe and people try to use natural light as much as possible. I turned the light on when I went into the kitchen this morning. When Gina came in she turned the light out and raised the blinds. She also turns off the power strip to the kitchen appliances when she is not using them. On her way to work this morning she took a bag of bottles to be recycled.

Another thing I don't understand is German bedding......I have come across this before in hotels. They have nice comforter, but no top sheet. So it seems an either/or situation. I wonder what they do in summer? I will ask Sarah about this.

Arrival in Paris

Had a good flight.........well, as good as can be sitting in a coach seat in a metal tube hurtling through the air. Luckily the middle seat was empty so the woman in the other aisle seat and I could spread out a bit. Once again I really couldn't sleep on the plane, just dozed a couple of times for 30 or 45 minutes. Don't understand that at all----I can sleep anywhere. I could have had a great career as a mattress tester. BTW I do think one way airlines are saving money is by using the flimsiest toilet paper imagineable!

We were scheduled to arrive at 9:40 but made it earlier. I estimated that it would take util 10:30 to get through customs and get my luggage. Actually I was getting into a cab by 10. Customs was a non-event---no questions. Seems like the last time I went to England there were all sorts of questions...are you here for business or pleasure, where are you going, how long will you be here, do you have a return ticket? This time just a quick stamp on the passport by a bored looked official. I wonder if all this info, along with background info, is stored in a big computer somewhere and unless you are flagged they just wave you through.

As I was hauling my suitcase I wondered (and it would not be the first time) if I could have packed less. But I felt better when the woman in the other aisle seat mentioned that her bag barely made it under the 50 pound limit----and she is only going to be in Paris for a week.

My teacher at Alliance Francaise told me to speak confidently when I told the cab driver where I wanted to go. On a scale of 1 to 10 I was probably a 7 but I did get the line out....."Allez a la Gare de l'Est, sil vous plait". Apparently it was understandable enough that I did end up at the right place! Taking a cab was not the most economical way, it cost 43 Euros, but it was the fastest and easiest. Charles De Gaulle airport is north of Paris, about 17 miles from the center of Paris. I could have taken the train, but have read stories of pickpockets targeting jet-lagged tourists. Which, from a pickpocket or thief's point of view makes good business sense--easy pickings. I could have taken a couple of buses, but would still have to get from one point to the East train station.

The cab was a Mercedes and I thought.......hmmm, the cab business must be pretty good! But on the way in I noticed the cars on the road. Most were hatchbacks and as small, or smaller, than my Civic. So I guess you'd have to have what is considered a bigger car for a cab. The first time I went to Germany I was surprised to see that the city work trucks were Mercedes.

On the ride in we went past several blocks of open air markets with great looking fruit and veggies. Fresh food is very, very big in France.

I arrived at the train station with two and a half hours before my train left for Germany. I spent some time scouting out the different cafes before settling on one. I had a salad and a little bowl of fruit. In the fruit bowl I recognized the kiwi, pineapple and mango, but had to ask what the big white bits were--lychee fruit. All very good.

While I was eating I looked out the window and saw three armed officers patroling in front of the station. I don't find that disconcerting, I like that they make their prescence known. This is not just since 9/11 either. The first time I went to Paris, in 1999, there were armed officers in the Metro (subway) and in front of the Eiffel Tower. Back then, when we thought "this could never happen to us" I found it surprising and a little un-nerving. The three I saw at the Eiffel Tower seemed to be in different services, they had on different uniforms. I, very politely, asked if I could take their photo, and they agreed. I think Europeans have known for a long time they are targets and are more vigilant than we are. They accept it as necessary and as a matter of course. I could tell the difference in airport security 15 years ago. Even then in London you did not go past a certain point without a ticket.

There were quite a few shops at the train station, but since it was a holiday some of them were closed. There was a Sephora, which was open, but I managed to keep myself out of it because I didn't want to have to haul my luggage through the store. I just recently learned that Sephora is a French store, and supposedly the stores in France have tons more than the US stores. BTW, Sephora sells makeup, skin care, perfumes.........all those girly things. But I am sure I will make it to one before I come home.

There was a flower stall at the train station that was doing a fairly brisk business. I guess it is more noticeable than in the states where you can buy flowers in a grocery store. I bought a small bouquet for the friend I am staying with in Germany. Ahead of me a young man was buying a large bouquet and he and the clerk were picking this flower and that to make it look just right.

One word of warning about public bathrooms in Europe, like at train stations--you will pay for the priviledge. At the train station the cost was half a Euro, but the bathrooms are spotless.

I have worn my contacts on overseas flights before but have no idea how I managed it. This time even wearing my glasses my eyes were so dry and light sensitive. Once on the train I kept going to sleep. I wanted enjoy the countryside but just couldn't stay awake. I finally went to the bathroom to freshen up and that revived me a bit. A good thing! I had left the train schedule at home and my ticket just said Paris to Saarlouis with no mention of changing trains. Luckily the announcements were made in French, German and English so I knew we were arriving at Saarbrucken (the major city in the area). There was no conductor around so I luckily talked to a young woman (who as it turned out wanted my window seat!). She told me Saarlouis was in a different direction than this train was going. So I decided to get off--hoping I wouldn't have to call Gina to tell her I was stranded at the station. I found a conductor who pointed towards the very last platform and said that was the regional train to Saarlouis ("Sar-louie"). There were quite a few people already at the train and I was hoofing it, trying to make it on time. German trains are exceptionally punctual, they leave when they are scheduled--no exceptions. Just went I got to a door it closed! I hurried to the next car and made it in just as the doors were closing. I didn't realize that you could press a button on the outside and the door would open. I knew it wasn't far to Saarlouis and didn't want to risk missing the stop, so I just stayed in the area by the door. I looked at the map of the stops on the wall and saw that Saarlouis was the 4th stop. Imagine my surprise when the first place we stopped wasn't on the map! The announcements were only in German now. Thank goodness the next stop was Saarlouis and I managed to get off without mishap.

A little about my trip to England in 1994

Even though I came down with a very bad chest cold on my trip to England I had a great time. I finally went to a doctor in Scotland who told me, "Your chest is a wee bit moist" (I hadn't realized that Scots really used the word wee in converation). I wanted to tell her, "wee bit moist my ass, I've got pneumonia!" But I refrained. This was my first encounter with the British National Health system--the office visit and 28 antibiotic pills set me back a whopping 7 pounds ($10.50). It was interesting to read the literature that came with the pills too. I had taken the same ones here and was familiar with the warnings of possible complications of everything from in-grown toenails to death. Their warning stated that a very few people experience stomach upset with this medication, but if you develop any side effects to please contact your physician. That was it.

On that trip I just took the train, no rental car. I started in London, took the train to York (great city), then on to Scotland where I stayed with a friend's nephew and his family, outside Edinburgh. Then to Bath, with a side trip to Wales one day, then back to London. I thought--the UK is small (by US standards) I can go here and here and here and here. First lesson learned---do not try to go too many places. It is better to see one area thoroughly.

At the Airport

I am at DFW airport. I splurged on a one day membership to the Admiral's Club. La-ti-da. Partly because I had to be here three hours before the flight. I also admit with the media frenzy over swine flu I thought of removing myself from as many people, coming from who knows where, as possible. At first I wondered if it was worth the $50. Now that I have found the computers I am happier with my decision. There is a great view over the runway. (worth $50--nope.) But I have to say that the new DFW International Terminal looks really cool. So I think I could have been almost as happy there.

Just looked out the windows and see there is some sort of fire just past one of the runways. Think it is a grass fire.

I already have 300 Euros, but am thinking of buying some more. Too bad the rate here is worse than at my bank. But, it will be better than getting the money from an ATM. It has never happened to me, but my concern is if an ATM machine eats my card I will have to wait until the bank opens on Monday. This is a holiday weekend in France too, tomorrow is Ascension Day.

My teacher at Alliance Francaise told me that last Friday was a national holiday for May Day, tomorrow is a holiday for Ascension Day, there is another holiday on May 31st AND since Mother's Day is celebrated in France on the last Sunday in May, they have moved Mother's Day until June 7th. My God, they will have more national holidays in six weeks than I've had all year!

About this Blog

I am hoping to share my experiences (good and bad) on this trip with friends and family. This is my first attempt at blogging, so bear with me. I freely admit that I am not the most technically savvy person on the planet, so this should be interesting. I am also hoping to download photos to my Flickr account. Keep your fingers crossed. I also want to share any hints and lessons learned. I just hope I don't bore everyone to tears!

I am heading off to Europe (France, Germany and Belgium) on my own. None of my friends were able to go with me this time, so instead of waiting I decided to strike off on my own. I also want to encourage others to travel, either on their own or with others. Both ways have their pluses and minuses. I want to show that a lone woman "of a certain age" can do this. So, it doesn't matter if you are in your 20's or, like me, shocked to realize that you qualify for an AARP card.

I have gone to Europe before on my own. A friend and I planned to go to England in 1994, but she bought a new car instead. I decided that I had wanted to go to England since the 60's and I was going to do. It was only my third plane trip (just having flown to and from Houston for company schools previously). Back then you could still get a flight as a courier, which is what I did. But I have to admit that this trip feels a bit different. At least with England though we speak the same language (sort of). This time I do feel a little out of my element. I have taken a few French classes, but realize I didn't miss my calling by not being a linguist! French with a Texas accent---think they will understand me? "Sil vous plait, y'all".