In case you've been checking our blog this week, we've had spotty access to WiFi and haven't been able to post any new updates.  However, it looks like we do have it now, so stay tuned...we'll start posting our Prague experience in the next 24 hours, followed by Vienna and Italy.  And THANKS so much for everyone's comments!  We love reading all of them, so keep em comin :)

Heading to Switzerland brought feelings of excitement and anxiety for us.  Switzerland was a place I had always wanted to go—the images of gorgeous countryside and the snowy Alps had lured me in.  So, I was pretty pumped about the visit.

Going to the Nice train station early in the morning, without a place to stay in Zurich, made us pretty uneasy, though.  The night before, I had requested a place to stay through Airbnb, but I was awaiting confirmation and booking details.  We had a 10 hour travel day ahead of us and didn’t know if we would have a place to sleep when we arrived in Zurich.  There are available hotels, yes.  But, we had recently learned that Switzerland was verrrrrrry expensive.  2 star hotels were running over $200/night, and our budget was well under $100. 

It was on this walk to the train station that we decided to plan better moving forward.  Finding a place on the fly sounds really adventurous and fun, but in practice, it just freaks us out too much.  If we had a much higher budget to accommodate that situation, then we could afford the spontaneity.

So, throughout the train ride, I was obsessively searching for an open Wifi connection.  I wanted to see if we had the confirmation and how to even get there.  During our 8 minute layover in Geneva, I had my laptop open and FINALLY found a free, open connection…and was able to get it for exactly 90 seconds.  That was long enough to confirm that yes, we did have a place to go and directions.  It was not long enough, however, for me to reply back and provide our arrival info.

We arrived in Zurich at 7pm.  I was able to reply to our host (who had offered to meet us at the final bus stop) with the time we would arrive there.  We also witnessed a political demonstration within the train station, which was really bustling at that hour.

While waiting for our train, I asked a lady nearby to confirm that we were in the right spot.  The train tickets were very different than we had used before (I understand some French, so this was the first place where neither of us really knew what was going on).  Midway through our conversation, I hear my name yelled out in a female voice.  Knowing this surely wasn’t Chris, I looked up to see Lisa Epstein.

 Chris and I both worked with Lisa at Sony before she recently left for Zurich with her new husband.  Lisa and I had briefly communicated that we should meet up while we were there, but hadn’t yet touched base on a time.  She just happened to be on the same train platform with us at the exact same time.  Her new husband, Florian, was also with her, so we got to meet him.  They both are awesome people and kindly escorted us through the train connections…even drove us to the bus stop. 

Our host was waiting for us at the bus stop and we walked to his house which was incredible.  It was featured on Airbnb in their “modern home collection” and it was visually stunning—full length glass windows, beautiful mid-century furniture (Chris was giddy), big huge comfy bed, and for the neat freak in me…super clean.  The towels and linens even smelled good!  Andrea and Chris (our hosts) were great people and had Swiss chocolates waiting for us.  They even offered to drive us to Luzerne the next day.

Chris and Andrea live in a rural, countryside area outside of Zurich (we learned that very few people actually live inside tiny Zurich).  After inhaling a lovely breakfast that they had laid out for us (fresh bread, jam, juice, coffee, etc), they drove us to Luzerne, about an hour away.

 There is a huge lake in Luzerne, with a walking path halfway around it, and the mountains facing you.  We first went to one side of the lake with two bridges.  Both were wooden, but one was very picturesque (and apparently famous) and covered in red, yellow, and orange flowers.  The other bridge had intricate, hundreds year old drawings on the inside.  After looking at the buildings surrounding this side of the lake (“old Luzerne”), it became very obvious that the architecture in Switzerland was similar to Germany but different than anything we’d seen.  There were stories told in pictures on the outside of buildings, and they had more rounded roofs.

After purchasing a $7 bottle of water, we walked alongside the other side of the lake which afforded more views of the mountains, although it was still a little foggy.  This was Switzerland’s best weather, so there was no snow anywhere, including the mountains.

There was a McDonald’s near the train station, and we figured they would probably have the most reasonably priced lunch.  We hadn’t really eaten fast food yet, but since we see American specialties McD’s, KFC, and Subway everywhere, we wanted to partake.  It was the most expensive lunch at McD’s we could ever have.  2 kids’ happy meals (and an extra “dollar” menu cheeseburger for Chris) cost us the equivalent of $18!

We caught the train back to the house, and after a brief public transit miss (the name on the buses don’t always say the direction they’re going) we went to Lisa and Florian’s American Football party.  This was actually our first “social” event, since we haven’t known anyone in the cities we’d visited.  Their friends attending the party were really nice and outgoing, and were mainly American expats.  It was so interesting to hear their stories about how life in Switzerland compared to America.  For example, the work life balance is really strong, even more geared toward the “life” end there.  It’s very typical to work only 8 hours each day and have 5 weeks of vacation.  Pay is also pretty good—minimum wage provides about $45k a year—which is necessary to support the high cost of living.

On our way home from the party, we had a bus stop connection in the middle of nowhere.  It was dark and the only sound was cows mooing (they’re EVERYWHERE!) and their bells clinking.  Fortunately, there’s basically no crime in Switzerland so we weren’t too nervous, although if you were in that setting in America you should be.

The next day, we discovered Zurich.  It’s actually a very small city and also has an “old Zurich” area (most towns like to distinguish their old and new parts).  As in all the other main cities we’ve visited, there is a river running through the middle of the city.  Lake Zurich is on the end and is very large with clear, blue waters.  We sat on one side in a park and just enjoyed watching the swans and ducks interact.

There were several cathedrals, including Fraumuenster and Grossmuenster on opposite sides of the river.  Fraumuenster, like its name, was geared more towards nuns and female nobility place of worship.  The architecture was very similar between the two—Roman—and rather simple with basic stone and carvings.  They had the same architects and artisans work on the two, including the man who completed the stained glass.  It was beautiful, and at Grossmuenster, was the most abstract religious portrayal I’d ever seen in a church.

I loved the narrow alleyways with cobblestones (they massage your feet), along with shops and cafes lining each side. We grabbed a bratwurst from a butcher shop and sat ourselves down on the side of a street.

On the way back to the train station, we passed 2 Swiss chocolate shops.  I tried a Springli chocolate, which looks like a mini cheeseburger confection delight.  We also grabbed a truffle and pistachio chocolate from the other shop, and headed home. 

Because my mind is sometimes like a 12 year old, I found some of the Swiss German ads funny.  Phrases translate funny (like “aus haul”), and I found my favorite one on the way home—“Dammit do da.”  That is now thankfully integrated into my vocabulary.

We had picked up a few things from the market earlier, and chef Chris cooked us spaghetti with butter.  Since meals, like everything else in Switzerland, are really expensive, we wanted to cook at the house.  This was actually our first time to cook in someone’s home, and Chris cooked both that night and the next one.  It was yummy and a great way to save money.

On our last day in Switzerland, we traveled to St Mortiz, which is typically a ski resort.  The trip included 9 hours on a train, which sounds long, but really was one of the best parts.  Swiss trains (like their regimented, precise culture) are very high quality and comfortable.  They just glided up the hills and weaved around mountains.  We got amazing views of the Alps, waterfalls, little towns (with a central church in every one), ski slopes, and bridges. 

St Moritz has a lovely, very clean lake lined with a forest.  There were images of what it looks like in the winter time—frozen over.  The Olympics were held nearby in 1928 and 1948, so the area became quite built up then.  It was a strange feeling being in a gorgeous place that is about to become totally packed in just a few weeks.  It’s a little surreal to see it so empty.

At 11pm, after Chris made us dinner #2 (spinach-filled tortellini), we planned our trip to Prague the next day.  I had received an email from my friend Chris Moore—who we were staying with in Prague—was delayed on his flight home and wouldn’t be there.  So, we decided to take a pit stop in Nurmberg the following day.  The train stopped there anyway and we would’ve taken a bus from there to Prague, so we thought Nurmberg could be pretty cool.  I briefly freaked out about the last minute changeup, but Chris deftly calmed me down, and we focused on the positive (our theme for the day) and unexpected benefits this trip to Nurmberg would bring us.

Switzerland was beautiful, and we left feeling refreshed and really grateful at the calming landscapes we had been able to see.  The green, rolling hills with cozy houses and roaming cows, and massive size of the Alps, were all sights we were very fortunate to experience.

Early the next morning, we took a 6:30am train back to Paris on our way to Nice.  We got to indulge in our first 1st class train ride (which are included in our Eurail tickets), and it was so nice!  This spoiled us.  There was a 4 hour layover in Paris, so we made the best of it.  We had never spent time in St Germain/Latin Quarter, so we stopped for lunch in a café. 

Sitting outside, it was really fun to people watch.  I had a glass of wine (my first purchased wine in France), and Chris with an espresso.  We had ordered a “hot dog” for us to split.  The waiter had brought out a pot of honey mustard with a tiny spoon in preparation for the hot dog.   

Then, a homeless man in his thirties walks up to our table and quickly checks out the scene.  He picks up the spoon, swirls it around to pick up more honey mustard, slowly and deliciously licks it, and then puts the spoon right back.  Chris and I were just stunned.  We’re normally rather protective of our stuff, but we were just so surprised, and well…intrigued by this.  And we knew we could always get more honey mustard.  This was a nice part of town, too, right across from the Dior store--so once the waitstaff saw this action, they quickly shooed the man away—of course, he had already gone to another table to receive a cigarette by then.  Parisians never seem to decline giving a person in need a cigarette.  Also worth mentioning, a Parisian “hot dog” is essentially two dogs, with a Baguette for a bun, and some type of cheese baked on top…usually gruyere.  They’re amaaaaazing!

We walked around the area for a while afterwards, and then boarded our train for Nice in the south of France.  This time, there was no availability in 1st class so we re-joined the ranks of 2nd class.  Comfort didn’t really matter, though, when you get to see views of the French Riviera—we rode by Marseilles, Cannes, and Antibes.  There were rolling hills, vineyards, and country homes along the way.  And of course, the beautiful blue waters of the Cote D’Azur (blue coast).  Incredible.

The next morning, we sauntered along the boardwalk in Nice.  The view is just spectacular with crystal clear, salty, blue water surrounded by the old town to the west and mountains to the east.  Beaches are mainly rocky- round rocks, not jagged, but we found a little patch of sand and camped out there.  Chris took a dip in the Med and I just let the waves crash up to my knees.  You could see the very bottom of the ocean, and the water was so clean.  It felt AMAZING to be standing in the waters of Nice.   Chris loved it, too.  He felt so satisfied to be swimming in the Mediterranean.

In the old part of town, there used to be a castle on top of the hill (where most castles throughout Europe were defensively built).  The castle is no longer there, but you can still climb up the steps.  As you ascend, there are gorgeous views of the beach and the city with its orange roofs. 

We walked back towards the beach and discovered that Nice was hosting the Extreme Sailboating championship (which, in concept, sounds oxymoronic to me).  So there were “race sailboats” on the waters with international hosts MCing the event.

A bus ride to Monaco was only 45 minutes away, and I really wanted to check out Monte Carlo before we left.  So, at around 4pm, we hopped on that crowded public bus.  We weren’t exactly sure where Monte Carlo was within Monaco, so we just left the bus at a spot that looked good.  Then, we realized that it was all Monte Carlo! 

The vibe in Monte Carlo was quite different than Nice.  It’s low season in Nice, so the beaches and city aren’t terribly crowded.  As a tourist-geared town, it seems almost bizarre that it’s not packed.  But we found many teenagers and families vacationing there.  In Monte Carlo, it doesn’t seem to have a season or trashy bone in its body.  It’s high class all the way, and business-like, so the two felt a little like polar opposites to me.

Of course, we had to see the Monte Carlo Casino, with Hotel de Paris snuggled up next to it.  Looking outside at the casino, with its gold accents and people just gawking at it taking pictures, it’s clearly the “designer” casino.  It’s what most Vegas hotels aspire to be but with authenticity—the class, elegance, exclusivity, and wealth is unparalleled.  We were able to step inside the building and walk around the lobby, which afforded a quick peek of the casino.  But only high rollers were allowed to actually enter it.  The inside was a tasteful display of extravagance: red carpets leading up the stairs, high arched ceilings, marble floors, suited men waiting to help you.  I felt like I should be wearing a long velvet gown in there.

We were not dressed up at all.  Our outfits still incorporated our bathing suits from earlier that day.  In the land of extraordinary wealth (Monte Carlo is one of the richest cities in the world), we didn’t quite fit in.  So finding a place for dinner was challenging.  After asking 5 café-type restaurants if we could eat dinner, they said they only served food at lunch.  That could have been true, especially since we didn’t see any plates with food around, but we were paranoid that it was because of our unappealing wardrobe.  We finally found a pizza/pasta joint that was a little pricier than we wanted, but the food was excellent.  And he seated us right in front of the window, so that appealed to our vanity a little. :)

The public transportation isn’t really posted, so we were terrified of missing the last bus back.  After failing to catch one bus as we ran up, it seemed that was, in fact, the last one.  But thankfully, one more did come after that, and we arrived back in Nice. 

After 2 nights/one day each in Epernay and Nice, we felt really satisfied at seeing the beauty of the French country.  It’s a completely different environment than Paris and each has its own personality.  We were ready to take on Switzerland the next morning!

We have been extremely fortunate and grateful for this opportunity to travel Europe.  Our experiences have been amazing and unforgettable.  There is always something to do and explore--we constantly see incredible, intricate, unique, and beautiful places/structures/things. 

You can go around these cities all day…and we have.  Although we’ve committed to not having a strict itinerary, our days just evolve into discovering each place for over 12 hours a day.  So…yeah, we’re pretty tired.  Wiped out.  How can you NOT check this stuff out?  We’ve loved every place we’ve visited and almost 2 weeks in, we’d soaked in as much as we could, but also exhausted ourselves in the process!

Perfect timing for our next locations—the French countryside and then Riviera.

For our last morning in Paris, we visited the Pere Lachaise cemetery.  Opening in the early 1800’s, it houses the remains of many upper class French families and famous notables (Chopin, Edith Piaf, Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, Balzac! etc).

It may sound strange that cemeteries are tourist destinations, but it’s a way to get an understanding of different cultures and see a glimpse of their history.  For example, the French bury their dead above ground (unlike most other countries, including what we saw in the UK).  Instead of gravestones for each person, they erect small memorial houses for the family.  These little peaked structures normally just have the name of the family with a locked door, which may enclose pictures, flowers, or other memorable items.

Most of the “celebrity” dead had their own gravesite and were sometimes buried with members of their family.  Chopin had a very tasteful (and well maintained) remembrance and seemed to always have a tour group or someone paying their respects.  Jim Morrison’s was quite modest and fans had written mementos on a nearby tree.  Edith Piaf’s had fresh flowers around with notes from those stopping by.  Oscar Wilde’s gravesite most disturbed me (Chris somehow found it very “Wilde”).  It was a large cream colored slab…with graffiti from those wishing to pay “tribute” to him…on his gravestone!  Apparently, this was an ongoing problem and there was a note asking people not to deface the memory of Wilde, since the gravestone had recently been cleaned to remove prior marks.  People wrote notes to Wilde, thanked him, quoted a line of his (did anybody read anything other than Dorian Gray?), or even just randomly put a heart with a couple’s initials. 

After leaving Pere Lachaise, we enjoyed our final outdoor café visit with a commemorative croque monsieur and an espresso (café).  We hadn’t done any shopping on this trip at all, which with our budget and my general disinterest with extended shopping, was totally fine.  Unfortunately, I won’t be bringing back many souvenirs at all.  But, I did try to look around for a few minutes and found a little boutique.  I tried a few things on and after a quick internal debate, decided to splurge on a shirt.  No can do, though…like many shops in EU countries, they did not accept American credit cards (need a Euro chip set).  Oh well.

We boarded our 5:30pm train to Epernay, which is in the Champagne region just east of Paris.  We arrived at 7pm, and utilized our “just wing it” mindset.  Thankfully, it was a small quaint city, so we only walked around the area for 45 minutes with our backpacks before finding a budget hotel.  During dinner, we found ourselves a little giddy at having very little to do the next day.  It was a beautiful town, but it was a little refreshing to only have a few options and mainly just relax!

The next morning, we didn’t set our alarm (yay!) and just leisurely got up.  We realized that we’d basically spent over 3 weeks constantly together (including pre-trip) 24/7.  While that’s awesome in many ways, it also meant that we were overdue for some needed “me” time. 

I went to do a champagne tour (“when in Champagne!”) at Moet & Chandon headquarters/cellars.  It was interesting to see their process for making the champagne, and the low-lit, 100+ year old cellars cellars were pretty groovy.  Even better, the one hour tour ended with a glass of their champagne!  While I was off boozing it up, Chris elected to go by the river and read (which he said was “perfect”).

There were a few shops around town, so we decided to make our first purchases for ourselves.  I got a shirt from Naf Naf (a French Charlotte Russe type store), and Chris…well, he got a man bag.  He tried to pick the most “manly” purse for a dude, and it actually isn’t too bad.  It’s since carried our camera, snacks, water, etc, so selfishly it’s worked out well for me.

We closed our day in Epernay with a pre-dinner gelato.  Desserts here are way too tempting!  And then, yes, we did have dinner.

Next up...the French Riv!

We began the day with another freshly baked, scrumptious pastry from our favorite boulangerie.  Trying new ones each day is such a great way to kick the day off.

Up the street is an area called Montmartre.  It’s about a 15 minute walk uphill—the last half of which is quite steep.  On the way, we saw a large family picnicking on the pathway up.  We were envious.  The sight was incredible.

We made our way to the Sacre Coeur (Sacred Heart), which is a cathedral at the top of the hill.  It was built in the early 1800’s and provides an exceptional view of the city.  The area was packed with some people going into the cathedral and others outside taking pictures.  We opted to cop a squat on the grass out front and just hang out for a bit.  This Montmartre area, including the Sacre Coeur, didn’t use to be part of Paris city limits.  It later got integrated.  From many places around the city, you can see the white peaks of the Sacre Coeur smiling at you.

Enjoying this organic day, we walked around Montmartre a bit more and chose to eat at a creperie and enjoy a coffee.  It’s interesting that in most areas in Paris, beer and wine are usually just as much (if not cheaper) than a cappuccino.  A simple café (espresso) is around 2-3 euro, but cappuccino or sodas are about 4-5 euro. 

In the Montmartre area, we fell upon the Moulin Rouge with its red windmill and promotions for the upcoming show.  This is the “red light district” of Paris, which can sometimes mean sketchy.  However, this area was full of tourists and not at all a “red light district” feel.  I was a little disappointed about that, but seeing the Moulin Rouge was pretty cool.  Of course, there was a Starbucks across the street.  They have been predominant everywhere, and we’ve been a little impressed at their ability to be such a global brand.

At this point, it was late afternoon and we had decided to join a night bike tour.  The event met at the Eiffel Tower, so we checked it out once again.  Once we had our bikes, we rode around Paris for about 2 hours.  It was absolutely incredible to breeze through the Latin Quarter and see the shops whizz past us.  Other cars were aggressively driving around us, and it was impressive how these cars, motorbikes, and other cyclists all navigated around each other.  We didn’t see any accidents.

We rode along through a forested area and through monuments.  It was a magical way to see and experience Paris.  The weather was perfect, too!  We pulled into the Louvre rectangular entrance surrounded by the Royal Palace, where Napolean III once lived 150 years ago.  This area is usually filled with tourists and so you can’t ride your bike.  But, at night, it’s much more sparse—couples romantically in a corner or walking around holding hands.  Our group of 20 basically had the place to ourselves.  It was very freeing riding around there on our own—something felt a little wrong about weaving your way around statues and historic buildings, which made it even more exciting and fun. 

Finally, the group went on a 1 hour cruise along the Seine River.  This was included in the tour and even supplied 2 glasses of wine.  I had wanted to ride on the water, so this adventure was perfect…and the wine made it even better. J  Both Chris and I were really smitten with this evening and enjoyed every second.

After seeing all the little markets with fresh fruit outside, we decided to make a breakfast at “home.”  We bought fresh pain (bread) from our favorite boulangerie, along with an obligatory chocolate croissant, marmalade, butter, and fruit (peach and pear).  Our feast was incredible.  The fruit just exploded with freshness and juice, and the dressed bread melted in your mouth.  Yum.

We then took our momentous trip to the Louvre.  Only paying 10 euros each (so cheap!) we were a bit overwhelmed at the size of the place.  There are 3 wings/large buildings each containing thousands of artwork.  We chose to begin with the Denon wing, which houses the infamous Mona Lisa.  After passing some marble statues, we found ourselves in a large group of people gawking at her.   

This showed the behavior of people with one common goal (seeing the Mona Lisa) and different tactics to get there.  I thought that I would make my way up in my turn with the crowd, but some other tourists had a very different idea and shoved their way past, using their backpacks as bulky weapons.  I also had a man behind me that reached around my chest to take a picture of Ms. Lisa in front of my face.  Chris and I both gave him a “really?!” face, and with a passing “pardon” he went along his way.  Others simply camped out at the front for 7 minutes taking 400 pictures.

We saw some incredible pieces of art there—David’s “Coronation”—and statues—Michaelangelo’s “Captive” and Vera de Milo (Aphrodite).  It struck me that these people dedicated years of their time on a single work of magic.  Some of them were even skilled in other, related arts professions like poetry, music, etc.  I wondered where they would be if they had TVs and smartphones to distract them.

Finally, we encountered the Naploean III apartments.  Around 1850, he decided to use this section in the Richelieu wing of the palace for his minister’s office and entertaining centers.  Many of these still remain and it was fascinating to see this wealth displayed.  We both noticed that many items, including Napolean’s bed, were very tall…perhaps to compensate for his short stature.

After 5 enriching hours at the Louvre (we actually closed the place down), we went to the Pompadeu modern art museum.  The structure is made of glass—affording incredible views of the city on the way up--and large, white PVC pipes on top.  It’s actually a uniquely beautiful building, but it apparently caused quite a stir when they first put it in a few years ago.  The whole town is very historic, so large modern buildings stick out a bit.  We got to see the Edward Munch exhibit, which was so interesting to get a deeper insight into his early 20th century works.

We closed our evening with dinner at a nearby café, followed by…yes, it finally happened…a nutella and banana crepe.  I had restricted myself from indulging in it, and I love, love, LOVE nutella (especially in a crepe) so this was a delectable event for me.  Especially when they have dedicated creperies to make it perfectly.

On our way home, we stopped by the Arc de Triomphe and took a brief walk along this end of the Champs Elysees—where all the ritzy stores reside.  We had wanted to go up the Eiffel Tower, but we followed our own logic on that one…we didn’t want to cram anything in and feel rushed.  We have actually filled our days with many experiences and culture sites without running around.  There was a quick decision for us where we realized that going up the Eiffel Tower would be cool but not a must do…reserved in the “next time” bucket. J

Total estimated miles walked in Paris: 12 miles

We awoke bright and early the next morning (5:45am) to catch our 6:52am Eurostar train to Paris.  It was a little terrifying that we might sleep through the alarm and miss the train, but thankfully we got up and got it done.

The Eurostar train is quite nice.  It’s only a 2 hour ride, and the seats are comfy with reasonable legroom.  In our area, 85% of the people were American or Canadian, so there was plenty of English speaking in our car.

When we arrived in Gare du Nord (North train station) in Paris, we were totally stoked.  It’s PARIS, which we’d both been craving to experience throughout our lives.  We even thought we’d up the stakes by being adventurous and figuring out a place to stay once we got to Paris.  No plans.  Well…we were hounded in the train station to sign petitions and offer donations, so we were eager to get away and find WiFi.  The closest hot spot was in a McDonald’s across the street.  We set up shop there and looked at hotels.  No luck (ie Katie kept searching for deals and wouldn’t commit, and then we lost the WiFi connection).

Off we went to the metro station and found what looked to be a popular stop near the city center.  So, we got our ticket and rode to Les Halles with no problems…until we tried to get OUT of the metro station.  There were many signs saying “Sortie” (Exit) but they had different numbers attached to them.  When we tried to follow a few of them, they just led to other tube stops.  We basically took about 10 minutes before we were able to escape the metro station.

Heavy backpacks loaded, we aimlessly wandered around—should we look for hotels right away by just walking up?  Should we find an internet café to search for them?  Should we eat, since we’re also hungry?  We ended up at an internet café and after an hour, decided on a hotel across the city. 

By now, we were starving and ready to start enjoying the city we’d been so excited about, so we stopped at a café.  After ordering 2 cokes, we realized they were 4 euros (roughly $6 each)!  Chris got a french hot dog, which is a fascinating use of baguette for a bun, and oven baked cheese on top.  And it’s two hot dogs, not one.  Extraordinary!  Katie indulged in a quiche (so appropriate) with side salad.  This meal invigorated us to continue our 3 mile hike to the hotel, where we checked in, and quickly passed out for a few hour nap.  This slumber was briefly interrupted by a stranger opening the door and quickly shutting it after realizing his mistake.

We stopped for dinner at an upscale area of town near the hotel.  Because of the price, we tried to split a meal, which was still worthy of odd responses.  This time, we were even asked to at least order a side.  We did, and also got dessert—our first Bertillons ice cream!  It was so delicious and would pave the way for many desserts ahead. :)

On day 2, we checked out of the hotel.  Paris hotels (and even French ones in general) are notoriously tiny, and this was no exception.  But, we felt that it wasn’t a good value for the money, so we found an alternate option through AirBnB.   The owner would be out of town for all but our last night there, so it was a nice mix of privacy, value, and local feel.

This time, we did a 2 mile trek with our backpacks (I’m a big fan of just walking at the beginning of a trip to get a feel for your surroundings) to the 18th arrondissement—just outside of Montmartre.   Thankfully, our host had a phone with VOIP, so we made a free call to Orbitz where it took one hour to sort our previous hotel situation (we had booked 2 nights and needed a refund for the 2nd night).

In the area around our apartment, there was an artisan boulangerie & patisserie.  We picked up a pastry which was incredible!  We wanted to explore the city, so we found a central metro stop.  Getting out (immediately, without delay!) of Chatelet, we meandered over to the Seine River and followed it along to see some famous, historical sites.

We walked by the National Palace (mainly used for exhibitions now) and Invalides (where Napolean is buried).  There are a few things we immediately learned/further drove home for us:

1.       As we saw in London with the Thames, the central river was important to the city ever becoming a hub, and is therefore famous within itself. 

2.       French structures are lavish and ornate.  At each site (which is always across from a bridge off of the Seine), there are large pedestals with gold statues marking the entrance.  No expense seems to be spared in making the structures—even everyday ones, like train stations—into magnificent displays.

3.       Parisians are not generally courteous or warm—to anyone.  If they bump into you anywhere, don’t expect an “excusez-moi” or “pardon.”  If you bump into them more abruptly, expect an angry Parisian.  We witnessed one young girl get very upset when another Parisian accidentally tripped over her on the bridge.  They also have no problem cutting in front of you in line.  However, I had heard that most Parisians are rude, especially to Americans.  I really didn’t find this.  It wasn’t rude, and it wasn’t targeted to us.  Just a general sense of indifference to others.

4.       Parisians tend to dress very well and about 95% of them are gorgeous.  You don’t see many jeans or sloppy clothing.  Instead, many dresses and skirts, and well-put together outfits—no matter the person’s age.  The women are especially beautiful…even I found myself staring at them!  And almost ALL of them smoke, which makes eating outside difficult without a side of nicotine. 

5.       While many Parisians can speak English, and appreciate you trying to speak French, they will answer you in English.  They apparently want to practice and show it off.  But, then I end up feeling silly and so “American” when I don’t get replies back in French. J

We then spotted Notre Dame majestically peering over at us across the Seine.  Crossing the bridge (which contained many locks to symbolize couples’ love) we got a better look at the impressive Gothic architecture.  After staring at it for a few minutes, taking in the beauty of the building itself and recognizing its remarkable historical importance (248 years old), we decided that we were up for paying the large fee we expected was required to go inside.

We found ourselves into a long but fast-moving line and discovered that it was free to go in!  Once inside, we were both quickly impacted and awestruck with the emotion this cathedral inspired.  The sight of the magnificent stained glass and archways so high they seem to reach for the heavens; the smell of incense; the sounds of choir music; and the un-ignorable feeling that you are in the presence of something powerful—it was all incredibly intense and in an unexpected way, important.  Both feeling completely drawn in, we decided to stay for Vespar’s.  It was all in French, so we didn’t understand much, but it didn’t matter.  Much like the opera, you don’t really need to understand to understand.

Continuing along the Seine, we came upon the entrance for the Louvre, which is situated inside the Royal Palace.  The famous glass pyramid is in the palace courtyard, which is brilliant really.  A gigantic glass pyramid in the playground of Kings.  The entrance is extravagant (as is everything here) and we were dwarfed by the surrounding buildings.  We stopped and just enjoyed the courtyard, did some people watching.  As it seems to go with globally popular locations, the Louvre is an amazing people watching experience.  The people here are truly from all over the world.  You can’t visit Paris without going in the Louvre, right?  We agreed and decided that we would come back to go inside. 

We had seen the top of the Eiffel Tower at times, but now she fully came into view.  And was she beautiful.  The sun was setting at this point, so we saw it light up and sparkle for 10 minutes, which it does every hour on the hour.  Standing underneath the Tower, you realize just how big and architecturally brilliant the structure is.  Hell, we’ve seen this thing four thousand times in pictures, TV, movies, but only seeing it in real life captured its true magic.

This had been a full day of walking and seeing so many places (many of which we had wanted to see our whole lives), so after about 12 non-stop hours, we headed back, grabbed pizza at a café and quickly passed out.  Within 48 hours of being in Paris, we went from completely overwhelmed and lost to feeling much more comfortable.  Sure, there was a big language barrier, but we figured out how to figure it out.  This put us in a position to truly appreciate this incredible experience.

We left Scotland on Friday evening and flew Easy Jet to London.  Move over, Southwest Airlines.  Easy Jet is the ultimate no-frills airline.  You even have to pay for a soda or water (which we, of course, declined)!


Arriving in London around 11pm, it drizzled as we walked into James's home (also from AirBnB).  He was so welcoming and made us a glass of tea so we could warm up and dry off.  What a great way to start off our weekend!  James's wife works in Glasgow during the week, so he hosts travelers and makes a bit of side money doing it.  He was also a history buff (and from Scotland), so we asked him a ton of questions we had about Scottish and British history throughout the weekend.  We were up until 1am the first night just chatting.

The following morning, we grabbed the Underground and started off at Piccadilly Circus.  We walked ALL day.  First stop: We went through St James's Park to Buckingham Palace.  It's very proper and gorgeous, but incredibly expensive (almost 20 euro) to just see a tiny part of it.  So, we just admired from the outside and proceeded to Westminster Abbey--consecrated in 1065.  The cathedral has stunning architecture and is, of course, the site of most royal coronations, funerals, and burials.  That was also 18 euro just to go in, so we skipped across the street to Parliament and Big Ben.  It seemed particularly impactful that there is a statue of Oliver Cromwell in front of Parliament. Yes, he certainly symbolizes Parliament.  He helped lead the rebellion against English monarchy for their lavish ways which led to the execution of King Charles I in 1649, thereby creating the Commonwealth and eventually becoming "Lord Protector."  That was, of course, shortlived, and the monarchy was reinstated.  

Finally, we walked along the Thames River, which also enjoys a great deal of history, including receiving all the executed bodies hundreds of years ago.  Then, we walked by a very nice hotel where I proceeded to walk in like I belonged there, and use the restroom.  In case you do not know, I have a very small bladder.  That makes it quite difficult when traveling and constantly in public places.  I'm very fond of using luxury hotels because they have the cleanest and nicest restrooms around.  It then occurred to me that I'll be getting to experience all the fanciest hotels...through their restrooms!

We grabbed gelato and coffee at a little joint in Notting Hill Gate before meeting up with a new friend and her boyfriend for dinner.  It was our first social (ie not just Chris and me) encounter, so it was nice to chat with some great people and share stories.  We had a lot of fun!

Since we walked about 8 miles the day before, we were quite exhausted on day 2.  We overslept a little, and basically saw the last 5 minutes of the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace.  We got there just in time to see the uniformed guards march past the crowd.

We decided to spend the money and check out the Tower of London, which was home to British royalty, and also the site of prisoner torture and execution (including Anne Boleyn): http://www.hrp.org.uk/TowerOfLondon/stories
Before the tower tour started, we enjoyed a nice view of Tower Bridge.  Most people mistake Tower Bridge for London Bridge, but the pretty tower you associate with London is Tower Bridge.

On the tour, the Yeoman Warder leading us chose me to demonstrate a beheading execution to the crowd.  It was great fun, although he said my neck was hard to twist around because it kept popping.  I think I need a massage!!!  The tower was really interesting to see (2nd time for me, 1st for Chris) because of the rich and intriguing history and exhibits.  The first portion of the tower was built in the 1080s, and although it has undergone many changes, it's still remarkable to walk in buildings that kings and queens lived almost a thousand years ago.  It's where royalty made key decisions to attack or defend their country, and where some lived their last night before execution.

After the Tower, we again walked along the Thames River (past St Paul's Cathedral) and over Millenium Bridge to Shakespeare's "Old Globe."  It's the most legitimate recreation--the first Globe burned down during a show when the thatched roof caught on fire, and the second abandoned when Charles I instituted a Puritan (ie anti-theater and other unworldly activities) phase.  Nearby, there was a traditional British pub where Chris and I sampled the fare--Fish & Chips for him, and Steak & Ale pie with peas/mash for me.  Truly yummy!!!

Then, we headed home to prepare for our early 4:45am wake up time to catch our train to Paris.  It was a brief 2 days in London, probably our shortest time anywhere.  But, we did a lot and enjoyed ourselves...we can always sleep later, right???

Two cents from Chris:
A few days before we left Sacramento, my mother and her brilliant bohemian spirit talked with Katie and I about her experience in Europe when she was not yet out of high school.  She had moved about the continent with a backpack, some friends, stayed in campgrounds, and rented cars.  While I didnt see KOB and I staying in a campground, the car rental seed had been planted.

And so we did.  We chose to rent a car and head to St. Andrews - a small coastal town 50 miles north of Edinburgh, home of 1000 year old buildings, and the birthplace of golf.  Going there sounded amazing and we were both extremely excited about our trip about the country side.  From the city you can see how majestic and mythic the country is.  Dark green hills with lush grass, trees, and bushes.  You can almost feel the centuries of history just looking at it, knowing that 1000 years ago, some guy (or gal) in a dark cloak was hiking on the hillsides, griping about the exchange rate from GBP to USD.

Fast forward to 8am on our last day.   The reality that I would be driving around a country on the "wrong" side of the road set in.  The reality that these city streets are not grids, or their names aptly displayed, or what a sign with a black circle and a horizontal line means, or how the hell one navigates a "roundabout".   I was terrified.  There was quite a bit of risk involved and it was hard to keep my head in the morning.  Finally, and I think strategically, Katie told me, "Just go get the car.  I'll wait here".  So, I did.  It was about a mile walk and gave me some time to work through my fear.  I arrived at the rental place, confidently paid for my rental, took the keys to a beautiful Chevy Spark, and promptly opened the door to the passenger seat.   Oops.  Thankfully, this wouldnt be the last of this mistake.

After navigating my way back to the place we were staying, Katie and I loaded up the car and headed off to St. Andrews equipped with nothing but written directions and a flashlight.  "We'll figure this thing out", we thought and proceeded to jet away.

Katie is a brilliant navigator of foreign countries.  I will hire her out, if anyone feels petrified to take on the foreign road systems alone.  She was able to get me to the correct exit on the roundabout, she looked out for street names, and reminded me - quite often - whenever I would drift too far to the left (which of course, is off the road pavement).

About an hour and a half after take off, and with absolutely no problems at all, we landed in St. Andrews.  We found a place to park, walked over to a cafe and grabbed a bite and some coffee.  It was lovely.  It's a wealthier town, I suppose.  Reminded me a bit of a 1000 year old La Jolla.  Lots of youngins running around, as well.  We found out that this was also the home of St. Andrews University, which schollared some notables, such as the future couple, William, Prince of Wales and Kate Middleton.  In fact, Katie had a nice chuckle whence we passed another cafe boasting a sign that read "Where Kate met Wills for coffee".  It is funny, really, considering the town is about 1sq mile.  They're really isn't anywhere else to meet.

We walked over to the golf courses, of which there are 5 or 6, but none more significant than the "Old Course".  It was breathtaking for me, to watch some older gentlemen line up on the first tee box of the Old Course.  The course is, of course, about 600 years old, originally consisting of 22 holes in the 1400's.  It's magnificent.  Right on the water front, deep sand traps, thick brush outside the fairways.  I played the course quickly in my head and I think I lost about 25 balls.  After some drooling and dreaming, we made our way over to the other side of town and walked around the ancient cathedral.   

Most of the cathedral is at this point dilapidated, but preserved, having been ruined by fire and mutiny centuries ago.  It was full of gravestones hundreds of years old.  We found one housing a man who died in the late 1600's.  It was the first time I realized that the 1700's was as far back as my brain could tangibly comprehend.  I suspect that is due to our own American history timeline.  But seeing a tombstone from 1685 was incredibly humbling for me.  I think it may have made me feel smaller than the buildings themselves did.  They also display some of the old "tombs", where they buried their religious leadership.  These open tombs, without names or current occupants, were molded in rock to proportionately hold the bodies.  This type of history tends to stop me in my tracks.  Its breathtaking to see things this old and still standing.  KMarts come and go, I guess, but cathedrals and castles do not fall.

We had about an hour left before going back and headed over to the other side of the golf course.  This also happened to be where the driving range is.  I debated for a bit and ultimately decided that golf balls needed to be hit there.  And so there were.  I "hired" a 9 iron and got a 25 ball bucket.  Then proceeded to hit golf balls towards more ancient buildings.  Knowing the history, seeing the landscape, the buildings, sharing this same space that has been traveled for so long and by so many overcame me.  Swinging the club and looking out as the ball took flight I found myself among the more satisfied I'd ever been.  "This is why you're here", I said to myself.  To do and accomplish something that had not been possible for me before was an absolute dream.  To top it off, Katie wanted to take a swing, as well.  I provided a very terrible first lesson and let her have at it.  The result was brilliant, but I'll let Katie tell her own story.

We slowly walked back to the car.  Took a couple of deep breaths, soaked in as much as possible, as this drive back would essentially take us to the airport and off to London.  I loved Scotland.  We both did.  Scotla  We will be back there one day.  Hopefully that is sooner.

We left Dublin around noon on Saturday and headed by bus to the airport.  Chris barely slept at all from jetlag (similar to my first night) so he was quite tired.
I must say, the Dublin airport is fantastic!  It's very modern, clean, and architecturally interesting.  It is also well staffed.  There were about 5 people going through security with 7 lines open.  Needless to say, that was quite easy and fast.
We were also really impressed with Aer Lingus.  The Airbus plane was new, the seats felt comfortable, and leg room was adequate.  This was our favorite travel experience so far.

Once in Edinburgh, we again opted for bus transportation (1 hour) into the city.  It's very cheap and gives you a good feel for the city's geography.  

We arrived at our location at around 4pm...where, you might ask?  Well, we chose to try out a site called www.airbnb.com.  If you haven't heard of this, it's basically a service where people can rent out a room in their place. It came recommended to us by a few different people before the trip.  It's cheaper than a hotel (similar to hostel pricing) and gives you a more "local" feel for the city, versus touristy experience.  Our hosts were out of town the first 3 nights, so we grabbed the keys from the downstairs "chip" shop.  Afterwards, we walked around the area for a little while and then had dinner at a hole in the wall Italian joint.  It was lovely.

On Day 2, we got a chance to more fully explore this gorgeous city.  We walked the Royal Mile--the stretch between Holyrood Palace (where the Queen still stays while visiting in Edinburgh) and Edinburgh Castle.  On the way, we saw this old church and veered off to check it out.  There was a cemetery with gravestones over 300 years old!  It was really tragic reading how many infants and young children died, especially during specific periods of time when there was clearly a plague.  We also saw some people lived to be over 80 years old back in the 1700s, which seemed quite rare.  It struck me, too, that I only saw one woman's name on a headstone that wasn't tied to her husband.

Then, we purchased some fudge (which made me very happy), and proceeded to the Mary King's Close tour.  Just like how every body of water gets a name over here (Loch this, Loch that), every narrow alley ("close") off the Royal Mile also gets a name.  One is named Mary King's Close.  Essentially, a whole block of 1600's-era homes and streets was preserved underground: http://www.realmarykingsclose.com/  This was really cool, and we couldn't get over being in a place--cold, musty, and dark--that used to be inhabited by people hundreds of years ago...with the plague!

On Day 3, we scoped out renting a car for the following day.  Afterwards, we went to the Edinburgh Castle which was built sometime around the 12th century.  It sits on a hill and provides amazing views of the city!  The history was amazing--for example, there was a chapel built back in 1093.  They also housed prisoners of war, so we got to see their barracks and crafty creations they made (like jewelry boxes and etches on wooden doors) while detained.  History has always been a big interest of mine, but it's been very fun for both Chris and me to learn about all of the historical events, monuments, and people throughout this journey.  
Chris note: among the prisoners of war, were Americans captured during the American Revolution.  Carved into the doors Katie mentioned were many detailed ships of the era.  One, in particular, included the American Flag, which I found to be quite astonishing.  A totally different perspective on our own history in the middle of someone else's history.
It was rainy and very cold, so after 2 1/2 hours of visiting the castle, we walked around George's St and then had dinner.  Walking home, we got a bit lost.  Unfortunately, our bladders were not pleased about this delay so we stopped in a "local" bar.  This ended up being quite lucky, though, because the bartender lady was really amazing.  Which brings me to my final point, and I'm just going to say (write) it...Edinburgh folk are so friendly.  People struck up conversation and chatted with us everywhere--in restaurants, at shops, in the ticket line, etc.  This was different from our experience in Dublin, which was not quite as gregarious.  Not only was the scenery in Edinburgh (pronounced "ehdin-ber-uh") absolutely incredible, but it was nice to also encounter such friendly people.

All in all, I'm in love with Edinburgh.  It sits a little deeper in its history yet still carries into the modern world.  Seeing the lush greenery with historical buildings and monuments was truly spectacular.  We even got the sound of bagpipes in the background! :)  One day, Edinburgh, we'll be back... 

By Day 3, we had a generally good feel for the main areas of Dublin.  We didn’t need to consult any maps, and we elected to vary up our routes even more.

We started off with Bewleys Café for brunch (thanks again, Bill and Patricia!).  To save money, Chris and I have been splitting virtually every meal while in Dublin.  This came as a surprise to most waitstaff—“wait, there’s 2 of you, and you want only 1 meal???”  But, it’s been a good method to balance our budget and eating habits.  And a local common practice we’ve seen is prix fixe menus (2 or 3 courses).  So, it’s actually quite easy to split one of those meals and be full.

At Bewleys, though, we decided to splurge on our own meals, which were huge and wonderful.  The café has many levels, even including a theater at the top!  We sat on the James Joyce balcony and finished off brunch with a cupcake…chocolate, of course.

Although we’d visited Trinity College on our first day, we wanted to get a closer look.  We took a tour, led by one of the undergraduate students, around the campus.  About 16,000 students attend Trinity College every year.  There were many interesting facts about the various architects employed to build various buildings over the years.  Over a hundred years ago, some students (while enjoying their culture and getting drunk) decided to walk over to their professor’s residence on campus and throw rocks at his window.  The professor, Ford, was not too happy about this and eventually grabbed his gun and shot at the students.  They, drunk and now not pleased either, went to their dorms a few yards away and grabbed their guns.  Professor Ford did not make it out of that gunfight alive.  The university then instituted a “progressive” no firearms policy.

After the tour, we made our way to the museum showcasing the Book of Kells.  This was a book containing 4 gospels dating back to the 2nd century.  It was eventually passed on to Trinity College for safekeeping during the Viking wars.  The book featured meticulous calligraphy with creative religious illustrations.

We then proceeded to the college library which was enormous and filled with old, oak books and academic memorabilia.  I loved the smell of the musty books and the tall, narrow ladders required to reach them all.  I thought it was all very breathtaking, and they had busts of famous Irishmen and leaders of academia in each alcove.  They had artifacts from the School of Physics on display, so I got to see an old amputating saw from the 1800s and vials of medical remedies. 

Dublin is also rich in arts culture—Irish music, dance, and theater.  We were missing the theater festival by a few weeks but they did have the Fringe Festival running.  So, we saw a play called “Intimacy,” performed by 3 Australian actors.  It incorporated a very honest style with no fourth wall.  We really enjoyed it and found the topics and acting style very unique, engaging, and refreshing.

Post-theater, we stopped across the street for some caffeine.  I thought I’d try an Irish coffee.  Not my brightest idea.  You see, this Irish coffee was just a single shot of espresso and a full shot of whiskey.  That’s all.  It was quite strong and not really enjoyable for me.  Chris mentioned to the waiter that I would prefer changing it out with the Bailey’s coffee, and we got a blank stare.  Another waiter came by and basically was like “yeah, you should’ve gotten the Bailey’s.”  Our tough luck and a reminder of the take-it-or-leave it manner of many Irish citizens we encountered. 

We closed our evening at a random pub (we ate at pubs every night) on Bewley Street.  It was essentially the opposite of everything we wanted, but that made it funny, and we were pretty hungry by then.  So we enjoyed our last evening in Dublin with chicken & leek pie and black pudding.  Yum!

All in all, Chris and I found Dublin to be inspiring.  We were pretty impressed, too, that it never rained on us!!!  The skies were dark sometimes, and the ground wet, but somehow we always missed the rain…

Total walk time: 6 miles