Six months come and gone...

I am currently sitting on our living room couch- it is 9:35am...I didn't set an alarm to wake up to- the apartment is silent except for my fingers on the keyboard. It's very strange. But before I go into the goodbyes...let me tell you about our last week in Paris.

We tried to keep our usual schedule as much as possible for the last week- the kids and I play in the morning, lunch and nap, off to school and then to the playground after school, and back home. Cory was still completely obsessed with his airplane and airport...an activity that he can play on his own for a very long time. I have to steal a story from the dad's blog...so the kids REALLY like to play "traveling"...every single day we play some form of it. Cory starts out "mom, we have an airplane to catch at 8o'clock...let's go" (he calls Addy mom) and off they go. I am their taxi driver to the airport, check them in at the airport, am their flight attendant on the airplane, and then check them in at the hotel they are staying in when they arrive wherever they are going (the destination changes...recently it has been back to Barcelona). Literally, we play this game EVERY DAY. Since maybe 2 weeks in to Barcelona...obviously because travel has become such a big part of their lives. Well, they have recently gotten really into Peter Pan. They watched the movie a while ago and were afraid of Captain Hook, but after much convincing that Captain Hook isn't actually mean, he is only pretending..and seeing lots of billboards in the subway with him, they are finally over it and LOVE the movie. And the songs, and love that I can pretty much quote the whole movie to them. So their airplane game has turned into a mix of airport and Peter Pan...apparently Peter Pan and Captain Hook need to get to Barcelona at 8o'clock. Swords and all. It might be a "you have to be there" kind of story. :)

Moving on...the kids had their Halloween party at school on Friday- they don't do much for Halloween in Paris...in fact, the grocery store is full of Christmas stuff already...no Halloween and no Thanksgiving...we thought the stores at home bring Christmas in too early! I hauled their Halloween costumes with us on the train and got them dressed up at school with all their little friends...super cute! It was their last day of school so we had to do the goodbyes...which was harder than I anticipated. I have really gotten to know and like a few of the moms...so we all exchanged information and promised to keep in touch.

Over the weekend I did a lot of wandering and admiring of the city...we had some nice weather- cold but clear...and I did a lot of walking. I went to a meetup "nightlife" group on Saturday. We went to a restaurant that is supposed to have the best crepes in Paris...I don't know if they were the best...but they were pretty darn delicious. And we drank mucho cider- which is traditionally what you drink with crepes, I guess. After the dinner we all (about ten people) went out to a pub and hung out, and then to a little jazz piano bar to listen to some tunes. It was really fun...met some great new people that I would totally be friends with if I was staying here. Oh well...depending on the election, I may move back. hehe.

Monday was a little bit tough...the kids didn't have school, most of their toys were packed away AND it was raining...so we were stuck inside with not a lot to do. There was a break in the rain for a little while, so we rushed out to the park to get a little bit of running in...and then got caught in a huge downpour. Some nice fellow let us into the entryway of an apartment building where we stood and played "Simon Says" until the rain stopped and then ran back home.

The cab came to pick us up for the airport at 5:45am. I offered to help with the whole airport checking in process...up until security when I couldn't go with them. There were some long lines, but luckily, due to the airport game...the kids are old pros and things went pretty much as smoothly as could be...considering the seven 50+lb bags of luggage, car seats, stroller, snacks, plane activities, etc we were lugging around. I warned the guys ahead of time that I'm not big on the dramatic goodbyes...that I'll visit sometime soon and we can skype...it really isn't any big deal. So we all hugged, said our big thanks...Addy was very sweet and nearly made me cry when she started crying and hugged me and said "I want you to come on the airplane to South Orange"...we waved, blew kisses, and then they were through the security gate.

Conveniently, my friends that were flying in, came in about half an hour after that...so I had a coffee and waited. It was nice to have an instant distraction and not have to think about going home to the empty apartment. So we came back, dropped luggage off and headed out to walk a little bit (before a nap was in order for all). I took them over to Notre Dame, over my favorite bridge as the sun was starting to go down...sigh, I am going to miss that. And we got caught in a little rain, so we ran into a brasserie and had a bowl of soup and some wine. Then headed back home for some yummy baguette, a few different delicious cheeses, apples, wine...sooo good. Again- sigh...I am going to miss that!!

So here I am...sitting on the couch in silence typing up my blog. I am very much looking forward to my travel time and then to returning home...and figuring out what to do with my life next- any ideas?!

Hope you are well...I'll be blogging (and emailing) along my travels (the rest of France, Istanbul, and Italy) so don't worry, just because I am now unemployed (ish) you will still get my stories.

Later...

The pressure is on...

With just over a week left in our 6-month adventure, the pressure to spend it the best possible way is overwhelming. I’m glad I have a couple of extra days in Paris after the family leaves so Ican wind it down on my own.

I finally got back on track, literally, for some running…it had been several weeks of being sick/busy/lazy…and finally, after harassing Matt about not blogging- he told me he would write a new blog as soon as I went running…ouch. So, I went. And I’m sore, but glad to be working out again.

The kids and I had a typical week- play in the morning at the house or playground (depending on the rain). Then lunch, books, nap and off to the metro for our long commute to school. Then to the park after school with their little friends and back home. Cory had his 4th birthday on Monday…Rob and Matt found balloons and decorations and baked a cake. He got an amazingly detailed, huge airplane and airport for a present…and LOVES it…he has been taking such good care of it- I thought we would lose half the pieces by now for sure. On Wednesday(no school) Matt took Cory to a science museum and Addy and I had some time to ourselves. We did some painting and decorated a “pumpkin” (it was actually a squash) and then went out to a café for a croissant and a quick carousel ride.

I went on a meet up adventure on Saturday to learn about urban street art in Paris. It was really cool. The two organizers really know a lot about the street art scene- have met with some of the artists and done interviews and such. Mostly we saw stenciling. Most of the artists are in their 50’s and have day jobs (interestingly, many are teachers) and aren’t doing it to rebel or deface property- they actually usually get permission or else find a wall that is already in pretty bad shape. One of the guys started doing it because he used to walk his son to school everyday and the area they lived was really rundown and depressing, so he wanted to add some color to his son’s day. Very cute. Anyway, I learned quite a bit, and can now appreciate the art (that I usually don’t even notice) that is all around me here, in Paris. I feel a little bit more connected to Paris- like I know something that other people don't...

And in typical “living here for 3 months” fashion, I met some cool people, that I would, of course, like to stay in touch with and would probably hang out with and become friends with if I was here longer…boo. Three months…such an annoying length of time. We had lunch after the art tour- visited a new area of the city which was really cool…had a fantastic morning/afternoon.

Today (Sunday) I got up and strolled over to the Jardin du Luxembourg for a run...it was really nice- too bad I didn't think of doing that before. The path around the outside is just about a mile, so a couple of times around the park is a good workout...and it is pretty...flowers, fountains...you know, typical Paris park. I strolled back home and am working on a couple of projects here and am heading out to mass at Notre Dame and then to a Pub for some live music this evening. Again, figuring it all out, just before leaving.

Other than that, I am still just trying to figure out my schedule for the time I have to travel…constantly.

Hope you are well and I will be seeing you soon.

The countdown has begun...

We have just about two weeks left in our 6 month adventure…which just seems unbelievable. And while you loyal readers are aware of my love for Paris…I really am looking forward to going home. I told Matt the other day that I really miss my favorite cereal- he didn’t find that too strange seeing as I go through cereal on an above average basis. I haven’t written in a little while, so let me catch you up…

I forgot to mention my trip to Versailles in my last blog. I took the train out a couple weekends ago to visit the extravagance that is Versailles. It was actually sort of an annoying experience. Don’t get me wrong, the palace and the grounds were breathtaking…but the crowds and lines were ridiculous. I went on a Saturday…but not during tourist season. I waited in line to buy a ticket to get in for 40 minutes. Then had to elbow my way through a mass of people in a “line” to get my audio guide…and the rooms were a bit hard to get through because of the number of people. They have some art on display inside the palace by Jeff Koons that is….interesting. I understand that many of the pieces had some kind of significant meaning to their placement, etc…but I felt like a big purple balloon dog sculpture and an inflatable lobster hanging from the ceiling sort of took away from the experience of Versailles. Maybe that’s just me.

The kids grandparents- Mimi and Papa were in town for a few weeks…so we had a lot of people in our little apartment, but we all had fun visiting museums, playing at the park and spoiling the kids with all kinds of new toys. Those two left and Rob’s friend Jean and her son Sean came in for a long weekend visit. Sean is ten and Cory just idolizes him.

Last weekend was my last “free first Sunday” at the museums. I went to the Pompidou- which is a modern art museum. The building itself is very modern- one of those places that Parisians can’t decide if they like or can’t stand because it stands out so much against the old stuff. It is huge and had some really cool art in it. Sometimes I think it is really interesting, and sometimes…like in the case of the inflatable chair exhibit…I think, ummm- pretty sure I had these pieces in my college dorm room. How does one decide that is art…but it generally has some kind of social implication. I’m not sure what that was for the inflatable chairs, as most of the information was in French. I also visited the Louvre...which was pretty crowded. I had already spent a few hours in the Pompidou and wasn't up for too much at the Louvre...I visited a couple areas I hadn't seen before- went to the Napoleon apartments area which was actually almost more impressive than Versailles. But that was all I could take for one day.

The kids are really enjoying school- and I am enjoying getting to know the other moms. We have started taking the kids to a nearby park right after school gets out. It is the cutest thing…there are 6 kids involved in the transport from school to the playground…and there is so much hand holding, hugging, running, yelling and laughing that takes place en route. Very cute. The moms asked me about my plans after the family goes home- am I interested in staying in Paris…they figure between the 3 of them, they can give me enough babysitting work to make a living. It was very nice…and not a bad option considering thecurrent job market at home. I could work part time at Disneyland, part time babysitting, make my own schedule…and enjoy Paris for a bit longer. Definitely something to think about after the holidays.

Cory has his 4th birthday tomorrow…I made a trip out to Disney Village today to buy a few birthday presents. And did some good old fashioned outlet shopping at the outlet malls…is there some rule about having an outlet mall near Disney? They don’t even have outlet malls out here, but there was one just a short walk from Disney.

I think that is all I have to report for now. I have been sick with a cold for the past week, so haven’t been out much. I have been doing much research about my 3 weeks of traveling after the family goes home…still unsure of my exact plans, but definitely narrowing it down.

Hope all is well with you…be seeing you very soon.

A surprise trip to Seattle

I broke our little bubble that we have created for the past 5 months in Europe and hit the air for a quick weekend trip to Seattle for one of my very best friend's wedding. It was a trip I had been going back and forth on, basically since May...checking airfare- deciding it was just too ridiculous for such a short weekend trip...and then thinking about the event going on without being there and feeling like there was just no way in the world I could miss it. So after months of going back and forth...I decided that since it was that important to me, I needed to just do it.

So I took off at 4:30am Friday morning, hopped in a cab to the main train station (the smaller stations don't start running until 5:30) and then took the train to the airport. My flight to London was a short hour long flight. And then I had a 7-hr layover. One might think that would be a major bummer...you are tired and just want to get there...but oh no...this 7 hour layover meant I could get a bit of sightseeing done in a city I've never been to. So in the two and a half hours I had (between train time to and from the airport and making sure I had enough time to get back through security) I managed to see: the London Eye, Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace (and they happened to be doing the changing of the colors while I was walking by there), Tower of London and the Tower bridge. The quick trip on no sleep just really reinforced the fact that I most definitely am a rock star. You should be impressed.

Then I climbed aboard the longest flight of my life. Oh my gosh. Despite being exhausted, I wasn't able to sleep at all on the plane...and had the shortest attention span ever...I couldn't bring myself to sit through any of the movies they offered- and they had good movies...I was just totally restless...for ten hours. Ugh. Plus, there was a period of time while we were flying over Iceland with 200mph winds that created quite a bit of turbulence...not fun.

But I arrived safely and was greeted (after the endless line through customs) by my mom and sister...very exciting. We chatted and then Jess had to get back to work and Mom and I grabbed some dinner. After which, I jumped in the car and headed up to Seattle to surprise the bride at her bachelorette party (did I mention that I never told her I booked the ticket-so she had no idea). Funny how normal it all felt- jumping in the car and heading up to Seattle...being totally annoyed as I searched for parking spots near Belltown- after 6 months of being gone. Nothing changed (except apparently south center...which I didn't go to, but heard is amazing now).

After a bit of running around- my insiders at the bachelorette party weren't quite sure what the plan was- I decided to sit at the little french cafe downtown, that I never really appreciated until now- and have my usual Paris Cafe au Lait...and was surprised/overjoyed when I got the bill and the price was about half of what I pay in Paris...in euros- so less than half. It is going to be wonderful to go home and everything will seem so cheap. Anyway...I finally managed to catch up with them...I had been awake for about 29 hours at that point...the girls brought her out with her eyes closed and she turned around and "surprise"...oh my gosh....she was just priceless. Scream, crying, hugging...it was great. Sadly, I could only stay for a few minutes.

I woke up early on Saturday (6 hours of sleep) and met my sisters, dad, nieces and nephew for breakfast at my favorite Auburn spot- Sunbreak Cafe. It was great...they have the best banana bread ever. And it was soooo nice to see the kids...and have them still know who I am. I was a little worried they wouldn't care less about their long-lost aunt Eryn...but they hugged me and wanted to sit by me at breakfast. Pheeew. Then Dad, Danielle, the girls and I headed to Ellensburg to see my youngest sister play in a college soccer game...because my littlest sister is in college now..what?!?! She showed us her dorm room and made fun of her roommates. My aunt Noelle and cousins Tanner and Hunter came out to catch the end of the game and had lunch with us. A big blending of my family...so great. Then us western Washington-ers headed back west. I went back home and fell asleep pretty quickly- so tired.

The next morning was the big wedding day. I met my pal Amy in the eff dub to carpool down to Olympia together. Jen was there snapping everyone's photos and Katy was wandering around making sure all was okay..and wedding pics were being taken...it was all very surreal. Jessica looked absolutely gorgeous...her mom came over and hugged me and I just about lost it right there...but, I kept the tears in. The ceremony/reception overlooked the Puget Sound...the weather was amazing- could not have asked for a prettier day.

After the wedding I went back home for dinner- where my mom made my favorite dinner...what I used to choose for my birthday (before we just started going out to eat for birthdays)...and then went to bed- still not fully sleep recovered.

Monday morning Mom and I loaded up just about EVERYTHING in my bedroom- all the boxes that my mom spent hours and hours and hours packing up- and took them to my storage spot. So I no longer have a bedroom at home. Very sad. I dropped her off at a meeting and jetted back up to Seattle for a quick hello to my old Starbucks store, while having a pumpkin spice latte...oh my gosh, how excited was I for some pumpkin spice?!?! you have no idea....and had possibly the shortest conversation with Ian McFeron in history, caught up with Jessica and Luke for a quick goodbye and then off to the airport.

Mom dropped me off and my dad met me there to say bye. And then, as I was walking to security...out jumps Jessica and Luke with a big "surprise"...I nearly cried (except that I don't)...they got me a pass into the First Class lounge so I could enjoy snacks and drinks while I waited to board...so nice, so thoughtful...and so wonderful to be surprised. So, while I wanted to sit and chat with them- I had a pass for free food and drinks, so I had to book it. hehe.

Now I am back in Paris. Still exhausted. Mimi and Papa are still here and the three of us spent the day with the kids (Matt and Rob went to Rome for a few days)...and they just took them to the park and told me they didn't need me...so I am thinking about taking a nap...although I should try to get back on my normal sleep schedule.

I loved being home. I really do think Seattle is just the greatest place...besides being beautiful and having pumpkin spice lattes...it has most of my favorite people there (with a few exceptions, of course- although you people that are favorites of mine and aren't in Seattle...you really should be) and my favorite people are the best. I can't wait to go home.

Disneyland and Grandparents

We survived our day of Disney...and it was awesome! I woke up a tad earlier than usual- a bit of anxiety/excitement. The kids got up and we fed and dressed them quickly and our group of 6 (Matt, Rob, Grandma Ya-Ya, Cory, Addy and me) all managed to get out the door at the time we were hoping for. We had to catch two trains, and we arrived with a few minutes to spare before the park opened. We made a rookie "picture stop" at the entrance and then we were off to Fantasyland.

The guys had taken the kids to Asterix- a French theme park- a few weeks ago, and I was worried they would think Disney was the same as any other theme park...but they commented immediately upon strolling down Main Street that Disney put Asterix to shame. Phew. We went straight to Peter Pan (well, I detoured to grab a couple of fastpasses to Space Mountain)...I was a little concerned about the rest of the day because Cory was scared of the Peter Pan ride. He is not a fan Captain Hook. So I took them to It's a Small World next...surely nothing to scare Cory there. And they absolutely loved it...sooo cute. They learned the song immediately, and Cory was waving at all the dolls while Addy just sat with her mouth hanging open. They decided to ride a second time while Rob and I dashed off to Space Mountain...which broke down while we were in line...boo.

We met everyone else back on Main Street for the Mary Poppins show. I am fairly certain Cory and Addy are the biggest 2 and 3 yr old Mary Poppins fans around. They perform the songs and dances just about everyday. So needless to say...they were in heaven when Mary, Bert and the penguins danced their way out on the street and sang all the kids favorite songs. There was a particularly quiet moment when Cory yelled out "I love you Mary Poppins" so funny. They got to meet Mary and Bert and get a picture after the show. Their day was absolutely made.

We had lunch in Frontierland at this quick service BBQ place that is pretty darn tasty. We sat at picnic tables outside...and several different characters came out to say hello- rather steal people's drinks, pretend to eat their food...all the silly things those trouble maker characters do. Cory was terrified! Not a fan at all. At one point, Brother Bear pulled a bench away from a table, around a bush, climbed on top...and then belly flopped over the bush onto a picnic table. It was one of those moments I reminded the guys of the differences between Disney Paris and Disney World/land.

There are a couple of playgrounds in the park that we spent a bit of time on, we went on the pirate ship. We took Addy on Pirates of the Caribbean- knowing Cory would flip. I have never been so tense during that ride before! Turns out, it is a pretty life-like, scary ride...especially when you are 2. Addy sat on my lap, squeezing my hand...she never cried, but said she was not interested in doing that again.

The kids were amazing all day long...Addy decided her favorite was Dumbo, Cory's was the Astro Orbitor, Matt's was the Mary Poppins show, Rob's was Space Mountain (he went on a few more times after he and I went), Ya-Ya loved watching the kids faces during the parade, and my favorite moment of the day was on It's a Small World...I knew the magic of Disney found the kids.

The kids each picked out a stuffed animal souvenir- Addy got a baby Minnie and Cory got a Wall-E...which he hugged and kissed the entire train ride home...and is now sitting on his bed with Cory's favorite Thomas the train t-shirt on it. So cute. The dad's took lots of pictures, which I will get soon and post a few. Promise.

In other news, Grandma Ya-Ya has returned to South Orange. She spent a few days here- it was her final visit before everyone heads home. She has been so great to have around. On top of the fact that she visits with the sole purpose of spoiling her grandchildren (which generally gives me a little bit of extra time off), the kids just feel so much more at ease having her around...like they are home. You should have heard the SCREAM that came out of Cory's mouth when he woke up from his nap and realized Ya-Ya had made it here...it was just priceless...he was so excited. This morning, Matt's parents arrived- Mimi and Papa. Cory was all over the place- he wanted to show them EVERYTHING. I just love how excited kids get for their grandparents...it is such a cool relationship.

Finally, I just want to reiterate my love for Paris. I have had a couple of just amazing evening walks lately...the weather has turned pretty cool in the last week, but the sun has been out...creating some gorgeous sunsets over all the unbelievable monuments and buildings in Paris. I love that I can just walk along the street- full of cute shops and yummy cafes, turn my head and see a huge, old, historic building, and then stroll along the Seine- people riding their bikes- a couple kissing on a bridge (I know, sounds gross, but somehow just adds to everything here), and then take a curve in the river- look up and see the Eiffel Tower. I love going running and finding myself in a new park that is more well kept and lovely than anything I have run through before...it is hard not to slow down and enjoy it (okay, okay...I usually stop and walk for awhile...it's too great). I had a moment the other night while I was walking where I realized what I cool opportunity I have been given. I will (most likely) never have the chance to experience Paris the way I am now...getting to casually enjoy all (actually, definitely not all) that Paris has to offer. I had a brief thought that I should stay and live here...but then remembered how much more important people are than places...and I like you guys at home too much. But I can definitely understand how people that have grown up here would have a hard time living anywhere else.

And with that confession of my current love, I'm off to wander some more.

Wow, it's mid-September!

Oh man, seriously…is it already mid-September? When did that happen?! Wowza…

So what is new in Paris? Last weekend I visited one of the famous cemeteries…the one where Jim Morrison’s grave is. The weather was great and the cemetery was beautiful…I took so many pictures, fully knowing the camera just wouldn’t be able to capture the atmosphere…but I tried. There was quite a little group gathered around Jim Morrison’s grave- which was tiny, especially in comparison to the huge family sites all around. There were cigarettes and alcohol bottles and flowers scattered around his grave, and people paying their respects…a few tearful.

Last Sunday was the first Sunday of the month, which means free entrance in to the museums. I got a bit lost on my way (you never REALLY get lost in Paris though…just a roundabout way of getting where I was going). I visited the Cluny museum, only to discover, it does not do the free first Sunday thing. Boo. And then went to the l'Orangerie. It is a small museum, but the main attraction is Monet's "Nympheas"...some really beautiful art there. Then I had to race off to meet Rachel at the train station…pastry in hand, ready to hand off!

The kids started school last week. They go to a little English-speaking (phew!) program from about 2-4pm 4 days a week. The school is 16 metro stops, and a transfer away…yeah. The kids and I have quite the metro adventure every day. We have ditched the stroller for these trips, because there are so many staircases and no escalators or elevators…it would be more of a pain with it. I was nervous about taking them without some kind of restraint, so we talk about the rules each day before we leave the house. They name them for me- no running away, always hold hands, and always LISTEN. They have actually been fantastic. The walking at the end of the day is a bit much for them- it usually takes us 50 minutes to get to school and an hour and ten minutes to get home because they need to sit and rest every two minutes (only a slight exaggeration). But the school is lovely, and they are really enjoying it- I think they have really been missing the interaction with other kids. I have been trying to figure out what to do with myself for those two hours. It is pretty much in the middle of nowhere. I thought I found a track close by, that I could walk to and do my workouts…but after attempting the walk, I realized it was too far and I would never have time to get any kind of substantial workout in. I found a café that I like nearby…but I can’t do that everyday…it is just too expensive. A café au lait is about 4 euros (aka $6) and that is just ridiculous.

Rachel was in town for the week. She just flew in to Leeds for her brand new school year and hopped a flight for a visit. I stayed with her in a hostel a couple of nights…which was quite the adventure. We had to lug sheets with us back and forth, and we were in a different room each night because of the availability. And then she stayed at the apartment for the last three nights. She was great about going out and exploring the city on her own while I was working and then meeting back up for an evening adventure. What did we do….hmmm, we enjoyed many-a- pain au chocolate (choc croissant…yumm). We went to the grocery store for wine, cheese and fruit..and to the boulangerie for baguettes and delicious pastries a few times.

One of the evenings we decided to just picnic in the park near our house. I have seen people picnicking with wine all the time, but wasn’t sure if it was actually legal…but we decided to go for it. As we were sitting there, a man in some sort of suit started walking toward us…oh dear, could that be a police officer. Yes, yes it was. He said “oh you are strangers here. You should know you can not drink wine in the parks. But since you already opened it, feel free to finish it. Next time just put the wine bottle in a bag.” Yeah, the police officer told us how to break the law. So French. And then he returned to invite us to his church…a flyer with his phone number.

Another night, we were going to picnic in the Place de Vosges, one of the oldest squares in Paris. We bought all our stuff and headed out with our blanket…and, typical Paris weather- it was beautiful all day and then the black clouds rolled in. It started POURING. Like, crazy Florida rain. So we grabbed our stuff and sat on a bench under the trees with our blanket over our head. Hey, we are from Seattle…a little rain isn’t going to keep us from enjoying our cheese and wine. And we stuck it out like pros…I was very proud of us.

We also enjoyed several crepes throughout the week. I tell you what, if I ate all the time, like I did this week…oh man, bad news bears…it will take a lot of running to burn off those calories.

Our last night we went to the Eiffel Tower to watch the evening light show. I have been putting it off because it gets dark so late, and it is quite a ways away…but the seasons are changing and the evening comes sooner now. So we saw the 9pm show…and it was beautiful. Such a Paris cliche. I loved it. Rachel did too. I think it took her a little while to warm up to Paris…she didn’t seem overly impressed…but the Eiffel Tower worked its magic.

This morning she did some last minute shopping and I pointed her off to the airport…hopefully she managed to make it back to Leeds!!

Ya-Ya is in town for a few days…we are all going to Disneyland Paris on Monday…should be an experience…none of them have ever been to any Disney’s before. Yeah…I am feeling a bit of pressure to make it amazing.

All for now…later.

More picture problems...hopefully soon- sorry. :(

A visit from Grandma and Amsterdam...

Hi again, I know I promised a blog at the end of last weekend, and here we are- another weekend come and gone, and I still haven’t written. I could give you some excuses, but mostly it is because either my internet is being a pain or I get home too late to be able to spend the appropriate amount of time writing for you. I’m sure my readership has gone down dramatically due to my lack of promise fulfilling…thanks to you dedicated few who still care to check up on me…I appreciate it.

So I last left you anticipating the arrival of my Grandma Cary and Grandpa Don. They had been traveling around Europe for the past month and scheduled a special weekend trip to Paris- a city which neither particularly like due to bad past experience- to visit me. We had a great time…I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to see people I know. I got done with work about an hour and a half early and skipped (truly) my way down to the metro stop to meet them. There was hugging and excitement. We all walked back up to the apartment, they sat and had a g&t with the dads and had a chance to meet the little darlings I take care of…who put on a couple of singing performances for us…and called them “Eryn’s mom and Grandpa Don”. Then we walked through my neighborhood and had dinner at my crepe place. We headed back to their hotel (a little bit of a commute…we def learned and became quite comfortable with the metro).

Saturday we got up and had the free breakfast and coffee at the hotel. We decided to do the batobus- the boat that is a hop on hop off throughout the city, along the Seine. We went to the Musee D’Orsay, Notre Dame, St Chapelle, walked along the Champs-Elysees, visited the Arc de Triumph and had a stop at the Eiffel Tower…it was a full tourist day.

Unfortunately, we had my first rude Paris experience…of course when I am with the people that already aren’t thrilled about Paris…I was so mad. We sat down to have dinner at a restaurant on the Champs-Elysees- a very touristy spot- and our waiter just ignored us…took forever to get a menu, and then several attempts to get his attention to take our order. Finally, after about a half hour, Don managed to flag him down, he came over…started talking to some guy on the street behind us, so we patiently waited…and then he said “I’m waiting. Are you planning on ordering” like he had been waiting on us! I said no, and we got up and left. Went somewhere else. I was so mad.

We didn’t end up traveling up the Eiffel Tower…the line was so unbelievably long, but Grandma and I did eat a dessert crepe while looking at it…which I think was probably just as good.


Last week was a pretty typical work week- nothing too out of the ordinary. Friday morning, my friend Roseanna, from Barcelona (well, she is from Australia, but we met in Barcelona) arrived on the train and hauled all of her stuff into my room. I had my usual work day, and then at 5:30 we jetted to the train station to get our train to Amsterdam. Well, we learned a few things. First, it takes a little longer than expected to get there, navigate through the Friday evening people-traffic, get our tickets and find our train…so we missed the 6:30 train and had to wait for the 7:30- no big deal. Second, turns out if you get your tickets ahead of time, they are significantly cheaper. We had previously looked online and had the price figured out, but figured we would just buy them day of…yeah, prices went up. Sad. But we got there.

And Amsterdam was adorable. A really pretty city. I’m definitely a fan. We got in pretty late, so we walked to our hotel and got some rest. We woke up fairly early on Sat and ate breakfast. We also did the hop on, hop off boat through the canals. We went to the Rijksmuseum…which has several Rembrandts and other great stuff. Then we jumped on the boat over to Anne Frank’s house. That was hard. I mean, it was really amazing to be able to actually go in the annex and see where the family hid, but it is so strange to think that this house is now a tourist spot, you know. It was pretty powerful, and we left feeling fairly somber. After that we did a bit of wandering, both because there isn’t a ton to do in Amsterdam and we were a bit museum’d out…not to mention that the city is a bit difficult to navigate and we got last more than a few times. Luckily, it is a beautiful city and wandering is not a bad thing to do. Later, we checked out the Red Light District. So bizarre. This completely friendly, and tourist loving city has this whole district just available for prostitution. There was glass door after glass door of prostitutes posing in the window, waiting for someone to go in. And while that was strange, it was stranger that it just wasn’t that big of a deal. There weren’t people shouting out obscene comments like you would expect. And then, of course, the coffee shops with the pot menus. You walk along the street and can smell pot everywhere…and then you go in these coffee shops and, of course- we are in Amsterdam…people are just a-smoking away. I am sure you will all be thoroughly disappointed to learn that I did not participate. I know, how could I not in Amsterdam…it is legal. But I did sit in the coffee shop and had a yummy hot chocolate…so I think that should count for something.

Sunday I woke up bright and early, and got in my Human Race gear, sent all the way from Philadelphia, and went out to run my own personal 10k. I was planning on doing the Nike Human Race 10k in Paris, but went to Amsterdam instead. So I mapped out a course and did the run on my own. I had the entire city to myself at 8am…there wasn’t anyone up…it was a gorgeous day. Roseanna and I cruised the canals and did some souvenir shopping , and then caught the train back to Paris. We managed to get in the first class cabin- for some reason, it was actually cheaper. So we got a meal and wine…lovely. It was a great trip…really glad I was able to head out and do some world exploration…there will definitely be a few more weekend trips in the future.

Hope you are all well. I miss you.