WHAT UP, FOLLOWERS?
I have this great site for you to check out if you're a Harry Potter fan. It's called Muggle Hustle, and it's a 24 year old guy who is reading the HP books for the first time! (how he never read them before is beyond me, I can only imagine what his childhood must have been like). Basically he writes his thoughts and reactions in the most hilarious way possible as he makes his way through all seven books. So far he has completed six. It's been a great journey for him. ("These are the greatest books I've ever read and I don't understand why I didn't read them until I was 24!" -Muggle Hustle, probably)
http://mugglehustle.com/
WARNING TO ALL ADULTS: The language is awful. Like for real. He probably says "the F word" once every other comment or so. I cannot be held accountable for said profanities since I wasn't clever enough to think of Muggle Hustle. Unfortunately. Check him out if you are
a) a HP fan,
b) not offended by intense profanity or
c) both of the above. Preferably this one.
Happy New Year, may your resolutions of being more mature, working harder and using less profanity be upheld! And when they don't, never fear. There's always Muggle Hustle to ease the pain.
Love to you all.
Cheers,
Soph
PS I could have written something meaningful about this whole year being a gigantic learning experience and I've learned so much blah blah blah but you know what I've really learned? That that annoys me to no end. So I decided to share some humour instead of some philosophical nonsense that no one really wants to read. YOU KNOW YOU LOVE IT. Cheeky cats. S'laters for real now.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Sunday, December 30, 2012
December 30th: Happy Owlidays!
WHAT UP EVERYONE? Hope your holidays were full of laughter and fruit cake and cheer. (Maybe not the fruit cake, actually. That is gross and I can't really imagine anyone legitimately liking it).
The reason for the "Owlidays" in the title is because I received several owl related things for Christmas. So. Yes. Just to clear that up.
For real, though. I got approximately five owl things. Life is great. In case you're confused, the reason for my owl obsession is this: Sophie means wisdom in Greek, and Athena was the goddess of wisom. THREE GUESSES WHAT HER SYMBOL WAS. If your first guess was not owl, then you are sadly mistaken.
Apologies for not having written in a while. I've been a tad busy here in DC. With what, you ask? Well, I will tell you. I have acquired two internships (one at a scholarship foundation and the other at a Senator's office). I can't go into a ton of detail for fear of breaking some office rule but I can tell you that I enjoy both of them A LOT. I get edit things and I also am being trained to lead tours at the Capitol itself. I am super duper excited about that one but I am also wigging out a little bit. I have no idea how I'll remember everything but I guess if I forget, I can always make stuff up...(that is a joke. I wouldn't actually do that).
Anyway, our departure date for Haiti has been set for the 22nd. We spend two nights in Miami and then arrive in PAP on the 24th. So. It is rapidly approaching and I am starting to second guess myself a little. Maybe second guessing is the wrong phrase. I am so unsure of what to expect that I can't picture myself there yet. I can't imagine what I'll be doing, I can't conjure up smells or sounds or images yet.
However, there isn't really anything I can do except try to go in withOUT expectations. I am not expecting to love it right away, nor to hate it. I am going in with a blank slate. (NO SPOILERS PLEASE). I am very excited though. Eeeeeeeek.
Love to you all and Happy New Year,
Soph
The reason for the "Owlidays" in the title is because I received several owl related things for Christmas. So. Yes. Just to clear that up.
For real, though. I got approximately five owl things. Life is great. In case you're confused, the reason for my owl obsession is this: Sophie means wisdom in Greek, and Athena was the goddess of wisom. THREE GUESSES WHAT HER SYMBOL WAS. If your first guess was not owl, then you are sadly mistaken.
Apologies for not having written in a while. I've been a tad busy here in DC. With what, you ask? Well, I will tell you. I have acquired two internships (one at a scholarship foundation and the other at a Senator's office). I can't go into a ton of detail for fear of breaking some office rule but I can tell you that I enjoy both of them A LOT. I get edit things and I also am being trained to lead tours at the Capitol itself. I am super duper excited about that one but I am also wigging out a little bit. I have no idea how I'll remember everything but I guess if I forget, I can always make stuff up...(that is a joke. I wouldn't actually do that).
Anyway, our departure date for Haiti has been set for the 22nd. We spend two nights in Miami and then arrive in PAP on the 24th. So. It is rapidly approaching and I am starting to second guess myself a little. Maybe second guessing is the wrong phrase. I am so unsure of what to expect that I can't picture myself there yet. I can't imagine what I'll be doing, I can't conjure up smells or sounds or images yet.
However, there isn't really anything I can do except try to go in withOUT expectations. I am not expecting to love it right away, nor to hate it. I am going in with a blank slate. (NO SPOILERS PLEASE). I am very excited though. Eeeeeeeek.
Love to you all and Happy New Year,
Soph
Monday, December 3, 2012
December 3rd
Today we remember the life of my grandfather, Tom Quirk. He had been struggling with cancer for the last two months and today we had to let him go. I would like to dedicate this post to him.
Too often we take for granted our good health and good fortune, forgetting that Lady Luck is as fickle as they come. While I often roll my eyes at the phrase "count your blessings," today I put that aside and ask all of you (my 4.5 readers) to just be glad you're as lucky as you are.
Cheers,
Soph
Too often we take for granted our good health and good fortune, forgetting that Lady Luck is as fickle as they come. While I often roll my eyes at the phrase "count your blessings," today I put that aside and ask all of you (my 4.5 readers) to just be glad you're as lucky as you are.
Cheers,
Soph
Monday, November 19, 2012
November 19th: YEEHAW
'Ello there, you cheeky lot ;). A happy Monday to you, hope it's full of joy.
So here is some grand news about six days late (and in case you are not on facebook or didn't hear from any of us) My father has finally, FINALLY, FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!! passed his dang French exam.
3-3, y'all, yeehaw. So. Yes. We are absolutely, positively, for sure, entirely, utterly COMPLETELY going to Haiti.
Yes indeed. Yes yes. So. Now my gap year (well, gap half-year) can FINALLY COMMENCE.
THIS IS A GRAND MOMENT, EVERYONE.
Alright, well, that is all for now, just wanted to update anyone who didn't already know and to remind everyone who already knew.
S'laters!
So here is some grand news about six days late (and in case you are not on facebook or didn't hear from any of us) My father has finally, FINALLY, FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!! passed his dang French exam.
3-3, y'all, yeehaw. So. Yes. We are absolutely, positively, for sure, entirely, utterly COMPLETELY going to Haiti.
Yes indeed. Yes yes. So. Now my gap year (well, gap half-year) can FINALLY COMMENCE.
THIS IS A GRAND MOMENT, EVERYONE.
Alright, well, that is all for now, just wanted to update anyone who didn't already know and to remind everyone who already knew.
S'laters!
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
November 13th: Ugh.
Hello, you lot. Sorry about my hiatus, let's get ready for some fun, shall we?
So where was I. Oh yes. So I hiked the Appalachian Trail, which was the absolute business. When we returned from that little excursion, my mom went off to Madison, WI to be with my grandparents (hi Grandma & Grandpa!) for almost three weeks. During that time, Dad and I went off to the Assateague and Chincoteague Islands, which are off the coast of Maryland/Virginia.
The two islands are famous for several reasons: they're wildly beautiful, all sand and scrubby salt marshes and snowy egrets. Their real claim to fame, however, is the wild ponies. On Asssateague, the ponies are left almost completely to their own devices, even as far as veterinary care is concerned. The park rangers try to let the 100+ horses be as wild as possible. On Chincoteague, the ponies are technically owned by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department. Each year they are rounded up and sort of herded across the channel onto the mainland, and then auctioned off.
My dad and I saw maybe four ponies during our first visit to Assateague. The next day when we went back, we saw even more. We gave them clever names like Chester & Winthrop, Peaches & Herb, The Captain & Tennille. (for those of you who don't know who the Captain & Tennille are, go to youtube and look up Muskrat Love. It is by far the most...interesting song I've ever heard).
Anyway. That's all for now.
S'laters :)
So where was I. Oh yes. So I hiked the Appalachian Trail, which was the absolute business. When we returned from that little excursion, my mom went off to Madison, WI to be with my grandparents (hi Grandma & Grandpa!) for almost three weeks. During that time, Dad and I went off to the Assateague and Chincoteague Islands, which are off the coast of Maryland/Virginia.
The two islands are famous for several reasons: they're wildly beautiful, all sand and scrubby salt marshes and snowy egrets. Their real claim to fame, however, is the wild ponies. On Asssateague, the ponies are left almost completely to their own devices, even as far as veterinary care is concerned. The park rangers try to let the 100+ horses be as wild as possible. On Chincoteague, the ponies are technically owned by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department. Each year they are rounded up and sort of herded across the channel onto the mainland, and then auctioned off.
 |
| Pretty sure this was Winthrop |
 |
| Salt marsh |
 |
| Entrance to Chincoteague Island |
 |
| Peaches (or was it Herb?) |
Anyway. That's all for now.
S'laters :)
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
October 23rd: I Try To Catch Up
Prepare yourselves, friends, I've got a fair bit of updating to do. Buckle your seatbelts, mind the gap and watch the rudder because HERE WE GO.
For starters, my Appalachian Trail adventure. My parents and I went to this town called Charlottesville, which is in southwestern VA. Home of the University of Virginia and a dang good bagel shop. Very historic and cute. The
'rents and I stayed in a pretty nice hotel called the Boar's Head Inn. Before we even got to the hotel, however, we stopped at Montpelier, the home of James Madison. It was only opened about five years ago and is newly restored-- highly recommended to any tourists of the VA area. That was Saturday afternoon.
On Sunday we got up in the grey, misty 50 degree morning (also I had forgotten to pack jeans because SOMEONE forgot to check the weather, [Dad, this is aimed at you] so all I had was a pair of track shorts. Not exactly ideal cold weather wear) and traveled to Shenandoah National Park.
For anyone who didn't know me as a freshman, two of my best friends and I sang the American classic, 'O Shenandoah' in three part harmony for a solo/ensemble competition and we won a 'Superior' rating. Not that we're arrogant about it or anything...? Anyway, that song has a special place in my heart, so going to the national park was amazing. The colours of the trees were JUST starting to change, and it was even cooler because of how misty and blue the mountains were.
For starters, my Appalachian Trail adventure. My parents and I went to this town called Charlottesville, which is in southwestern VA. Home of the University of Virginia and a dang good bagel shop. Very historic and cute. The
'rents and I stayed in a pretty nice hotel called the Boar's Head Inn. Before we even got to the hotel, however, we stopped at Montpelier, the home of James Madison. It was only opened about five years ago and is newly restored-- highly recommended to any tourists of the VA area. That was Saturday afternoon.
On Sunday we got up in the grey, misty 50 degree morning (also I had forgotten to pack jeans because SOMEONE forgot to check the weather, [Dad, this is aimed at you] so all I had was a pair of track shorts. Not exactly ideal cold weather wear) and traveled to Shenandoah National Park.
After taking the driving skyline tour and looking at the mountains and trees and such, we decided to hike part of the Appalachian Trail! Which was SO COOL!
 |
| Gettin fancy with some black and white |
 |
| Part of the Appalachian Trail |
Anyway. More later.
Cheers,
Soph
Monday, October 8, 2012
October 8th: First World Problems Read By Third World Kids
Bonjou my friends. I'll post another time about what I did this past weekend (it was pretty dang cool) but for now, I just wanted to spread the word about this video (link is below).
"First world problems" is a phrase typically used on facebook or Twitter to complain about something trivial. Unfortunately I have used the phrase once myself, but after seeing this video, I will never do so again. Young adults should watch this and consider the meaning behind this phrase before using it.
Some use it as a joke, others use it seriously. Either way, the phrase isn't one that should be encouraged. Living in a first world country, we take numerous things for granted-- clean drinking water, central heating, food, clothing, a roof over our head. Complaining about the little things that go wrong in our near-perfect world isn't the best way to demonstrate compassion or an understanding of just how much we have.
Please watch the video and share it.
Cheers
http://www.buzzfeed.com/copyranter/first-world-problems-read-by-third-world-kids
"First world problems" is a phrase typically used on facebook or Twitter to complain about something trivial. Unfortunately I have used the phrase once myself, but after seeing this video, I will never do so again. Young adults should watch this and consider the meaning behind this phrase before using it.
Some use it as a joke, others use it seriously. Either way, the phrase isn't one that should be encouraged. Living in a first world country, we take numerous things for granted-- clean drinking water, central heating, food, clothing, a roof over our head. Complaining about the little things that go wrong in our near-perfect world isn't the best way to demonstrate compassion or an understanding of just how much we have.
Please watch the video and share it.
Cheers
http://www.buzzfeed.com/copyranter/first-world-problems-read-by-third-world-kids
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
October 2nd: I Lose My Writing Notebook or How The World Slowly Started To End
Yes, it is true. I have lost my writing notebook. As a writer, this is like losing my right hand. Why my right hand? Because that is the hand I write (right) with. Do you see what I did there? Do you?
Today started off on the wrong foot, literally. I got out of bed and took a step only to realize that my foot was asleep and for some reason my body took this as a reason to hang out with gravity because there I was on the floor. Pins and needles, guys. Pins. And. Needles.
Then after I was reasonably awake at 6:30 in the morning (I say "awake" in ironic tones because no one is awake at that time), I did my usual stuff to get ready to go to my FIRST EVER CLASS at the Foreign Service Institute.
Once I was ready I started to look for my writing notebook because, hello, I'm a writer. I take that dang thing EVERYWHERE. Seriously. But it was nowhere to be found and so my life is over. I may be being a wee bit dramatic but that thing is v. important. So you understand my distress.
On the bright side, I know am slightly more knowledgeable in the history of Haiti. And some more of the language. I will impress you with my knowledge READYSETGO
Did you know that:
-During the American Revolutionary War, the French (who came to help us out) brought along a bunch of Haitian troops. And a short time later, we waved bye-bye to the dang redcoats. So basically Haiti is responsible for our freedom (an exaggeration but still on the path of truth, just go with it)
-Haitian currency is called the gourd because after Haiti won its independence, they had no form of currency. What did they use? Gourds.
-The food prices in Haiti were recently raised 10%, so lots of people have been eating "mud cookies," which are 'cookies' made of clay with a bit of flour mixed in.
-More than 112,000 people are authorized to immigrate to the US but are being forced to wait.
Here are some more phrases and words that are useful.
Kouman ou ye? = How are you?
Mwen tre byen = I'm doing very well
E ou menm? = and you?
M la = I'm okay
M pa pi mal = I'm not too bad
M okipe anpil = I'm very busy
N a we pita = see you later
N a we demen = see you tomorrow
M pa byen ditou = I'm not feeling well.
M bouke = I'm tired.
Ki bo ou ap travay? = Where do you work?
(pronounce Kee bo ahp travai?)
Moun ki peyi ou ye? = What country are you from?
(pronounce Moon kee pehee oo yay)
Mwen se moun Etazini = I'm from the United States
(pronounce Mwen say moon eTAZini)
Ki kote ou rete? = Where do you live?
(pronounce kee kohtay oo rehtay)
M rete ______ = I live in ____
Sinema = cimema
Lopital = hospital
Lapos = post office
Lekol = school
That's all for now! More lessons laytah.
N a we pita. Babay. :)
Today started off on the wrong foot, literally. I got out of bed and took a step only to realize that my foot was asleep and for some reason my body took this as a reason to hang out with gravity because there I was on the floor. Pins and needles, guys. Pins. And. Needles.
Then after I was reasonably awake at 6:30 in the morning (I say "awake" in ironic tones because no one is awake at that time), I did my usual stuff to get ready to go to my FIRST EVER CLASS at the Foreign Service Institute.
Once I was ready I started to look for my writing notebook because, hello, I'm a writer. I take that dang thing EVERYWHERE. Seriously. But it was nowhere to be found and so my life is over. I may be being a wee bit dramatic but that thing is v. important. So you understand my distress.
On the bright side, I know am slightly more knowledgeable in the history of Haiti. And some more of the language. I will impress you with my knowledge READYSETGO
Did you know that:
-During the American Revolutionary War, the French (who came to help us out) brought along a bunch of Haitian troops. And a short time later, we waved bye-bye to the dang redcoats. So basically Haiti is responsible for our freedom (an exaggeration but still on the path of truth, just go with it)
-Haitian currency is called the gourd because after Haiti won its independence, they had no form of currency. What did they use? Gourds.
-The food prices in Haiti were recently raised 10%, so lots of people have been eating "mud cookies," which are 'cookies' made of clay with a bit of flour mixed in.
-More than 112,000 people are authorized to immigrate to the US but are being forced to wait.
Here are some more phrases and words that are useful.
Kouman ou ye? = How are you?
Mwen tre byen = I'm doing very well
E ou menm? = and you?
M la = I'm okay
M pa pi mal = I'm not too bad
M okipe anpil = I'm very busy
N a we pita = see you later
N a we demen = see you tomorrow
M pa byen ditou = I'm not feeling well.
M bouke = I'm tired.
Ki bo ou ap travay? = Where do you work?
(pronounce Kee bo ahp travai?)
Moun ki peyi ou ye? = What country are you from?
(pronounce Moon kee pehee oo yay)
Mwen se moun Etazini = I'm from the United States
(pronounce Mwen say moon eTAZini)
Ki kote ou rete? = Where do you live?
(pronounce kee kohtay oo rehtay)
M rete ______ = I live in ____
Sinema = cimema
Lopital = hospital
Lapos = post office
Lekol = school
That's all for now! More lessons laytah.
N a we pita. Babay. :)
Sunday, September 23, 2012
September 23rd: A CUPCAKE EXTRAVAGANZA
Guess what! You'll never guess. I'll just tell you.
the main sign
LOOK CUPCAKES!
Holy line and a half. On busy days, the line goes around the block.
I went there today with my parents. They have a daily cupcake menu! Some types are there every day, but others only show up on Mondays or Tuesdays, etc. We ordered six cupcakes...hmmm. A chocolate/peanut butter fudge, a strawberry, a bananas foster, a plain chocolate, a plain vanilla, and an apple caramel. HOLY CUPCAKE OVERLOAD. They have over 25 different kinds.
Before that, we were at the National Book Fair on the mall. All sorts of different authors were there. I only knew a few of them, like R.L Stine or Patricia Polacco, who is one of my all time favourite children's authors. We got our picture taken with her as she signed our book! Twas extremely exciting.
Today was much better than yesterday. Something about books and cupcakes can make anyone feel better :) I wish everyone could try a Georgetown Cupcake with me. That would be glorious.
Love and cupcakes,
Soph
Saturday, September 22, 2012
September 22: I Become A Bit Miz
Hello one and all. It is me, your finally mopey, sad sack of a pal.
Today was a bit of a rough one. Up until this point, I've been all positive and happy and eager like an overly enthusiastic Labrador. I figured that at some point I would reach the end of my metaphorical happy leash and become homesick, but I didn't really know when it would hit me. Today it did.
I don't know what triggered it. But woe is me, I am homesick finally. So everyone back home, please know that I miss you. I miss my house, I miss my bed, my friends, my puppy. I have to keep reminding myself that I chose this, that this was what I wanted. No one forced me to do this, I wanted to do this from the very beginning. But the novelty is starting to wear off, and I'm stuck what-iffing. Which is the WORST thing to do.
So now I am sitting in my room all aloney, feeling a bit miz (miserable) because I haven't got any pals with me. It's a tragic existence. Luckily I have the Sheldon Cooper bobblehead that my dad got me. (For anyone who doesn't know who that is, or if you do know who it is and need a good laugh, go on YouTube and watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AA0VwRVUDU4 THANKS)
What I keep forgetting is that even if I wasn't doing this, it would have happened anyway. I would have gone to college and left my parents and friends and house.
But sometimes perspective is hard to maintain when you're 18 going on 5 and all you want is to snuggle your dog.
Babay, my friends. Next post will be happier, PWOMISE.
Today was a bit of a rough one. Up until this point, I've been all positive and happy and eager like an overly enthusiastic Labrador. I figured that at some point I would reach the end of my metaphorical happy leash and become homesick, but I didn't really know when it would hit me. Today it did.
I don't know what triggered it. But woe is me, I am homesick finally. So everyone back home, please know that I miss you. I miss my house, I miss my bed, my friends, my puppy. I have to keep reminding myself that I chose this, that this was what I wanted. No one forced me to do this, I wanted to do this from the very beginning. But the novelty is starting to wear off, and I'm stuck what-iffing. Which is the WORST thing to do.
So now I am sitting in my room all aloney, feeling a bit miz (miserable) because I haven't got any pals with me. It's a tragic existence. Luckily I have the Sheldon Cooper bobblehead that my dad got me. (For anyone who doesn't know who that is, or if you do know who it is and need a good laugh, go on YouTube and watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AA0VwRVUDU4 THANKS)
What I keep forgetting is that even if I wasn't doing this, it would have happened anyway. I would have gone to college and left my parents and friends and house.
But sometimes perspective is hard to maintain when you're 18 going on 5 and all you want is to snuggle your dog.
Babay, my friends. Next post will be happier, PWOMISE.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
September 18th: 20% Thelma & Louise, 10% Jack Kerouac, 50% Elizabethtown and 20% Making It Up As We Go
Bonjou, my friends! That is Creole for hello. Here are a few other useful Creole phrases. Try them on your friends! Astound your family! Insult your boss!
Keep in mind that this is all phonetic. That pretty much makes this the easiest language ever.
Bonjou: hello!
Ki jan ou ye? (pronounced kee-jhan-oo-yay): How are you doing?
Mwen tre byen: I'm doing very well
E ou menm? (pronounced ay-oo-mem): and you?
Mwen pa pi mal, mesi (pronounced mwen-pah-pee-mal, messy): I'm not too bad thanks!
N a we pita (pronounced nahway peeta): see you later
Babay: bye.
See? Now you are fluent too.
On sunday we left our house, the house we've been in for almost my entire life. We drove away, sunglasses firmly perched on our tear-reddened noses, and we did not look back, no sir.
Driving to Madison was pretty nice, actually. The colours were just starting to peek out of the trees, little fingers of red and orange running up and down the wall of green.
We stopped in Madison for a while to say goodbye to my grandparents, both sets. After plenty of hugs and kisses and promises of food to come, we sat down and chatted a wee bit. That is to say, a lot.
I moseyed on over to the UW Madison campus later to see a few friends who go there, which was lovely. After that, we were on our way to Chicago! We stayed the night with my aunt, who pampered us and stuffed us full of delicious food.
All in all we did about 8 hours of driving the first day. Then the next day it was about the same, driving through Indiana and Ohio (I've never been there. There's not much there. I don't think I'll go there again.) We spent the night in Columbus, OH, and it was not that exciting. Then today we drove through the rest of Ohio and then West Virgina, Maryland and finally Virginia.
Our total mile count was about 1150. Jeesh.
I can still feel the hum of the road in my bones. When you're driving cross country, you get in kind of a trance, you're tired but not...sleepy. You're so focused on what you're doing that pretty soon all you know is the grey of the road and the yellow flashing by. It's a nice sort of trance. In reality we've hit Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland and Virginia. In my mind and in my music we've hit London, Boston, Alabama, New York, Tokyo and a million other places.
Here's a sample of our road-trip playlist!
It'll All Work Out by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Midnight Train to Georgia by Gladys Knight and the Pips
My Father's Gun by Elton John
I and Love and You by the Avett Brothers
Io (This Time Around) by Helen Stellar
Save Me, San Francisco by Train
Seven Bridges Road by The Eagles
Take Me Home, Country Roads by John Denver
Barton Hollow/Falling/Poison & Wine/My Father's Father by The Civil Wars
Where to Begin by My Morning Jacket
Always/Northern Downpour by Panic! At the Disco
Long Ride Home by Patty Griffin
Blowin' In The Wind by Bob Dylan
Georgia On My Mind by Ray Charles
Sugar Blue by Jeff Finlin
In Your Atmosphere by John Mayer
Don't I Hold You by Wheat
Nothing Left to Lose by Mat Kearney
Shut Us Down by Lindsey Buckingham
If It Hadn't Been For Love by The Steeldrivers
Let It Out (Let It All Hang Out) by Los Hombres
Rocky Road To Dublin by The Dubliners
Hard Times by eastmountainsouth
Jesus Was A Crossmaker by The Hollies
Square One by Tom Petty
Same in Any Language by I Nine
Ready For Memphis by Neal & Leandra
Come Pick Me Up/English Girls Approximately/Words by Ryan Adams
Listen to these and others and you'll have an idea of what our trip sounded like! Alright my friends. It is time for me to get some rest. In my new apartment. Which is in Fairfax Virginia. Which is not Minnesota. GOLLY. G'night.
P.S. This is what our car looked like the entire trip
Keep in mind that this is all phonetic. That pretty much makes this the easiest language ever.
Bonjou: hello!
Ki jan ou ye? (pronounced kee-jhan-oo-yay): How are you doing?
Mwen tre byen: I'm doing very well
E ou menm? (pronounced ay-oo-mem): and you?
Mwen pa pi mal, mesi (pronounced mwen-pah-pee-mal, messy): I'm not too bad thanks!
N a we pita (pronounced nahway peeta): see you later
Babay: bye.
See? Now you are fluent too.
On sunday we left our house, the house we've been in for almost my entire life. We drove away, sunglasses firmly perched on our tear-reddened noses, and we did not look back, no sir.
Driving to Madison was pretty nice, actually. The colours were just starting to peek out of the trees, little fingers of red and orange running up and down the wall of green.
We stopped in Madison for a while to say goodbye to my grandparents, both sets. After plenty of hugs and kisses and promises of food to come, we sat down and chatted a wee bit. That is to say, a lot.
I moseyed on over to the UW Madison campus later to see a few friends who go there, which was lovely. After that, we were on our way to Chicago! We stayed the night with my aunt, who pampered us and stuffed us full of delicious food.
All in all we did about 8 hours of driving the first day. Then the next day it was about the same, driving through Indiana and Ohio (I've never been there. There's not much there. I don't think I'll go there again.) We spent the night in Columbus, OH, and it was not that exciting. Then today we drove through the rest of Ohio and then West Virgina, Maryland and finally Virginia.
Our total mile count was about 1150. Jeesh.
I can still feel the hum of the road in my bones. When you're driving cross country, you get in kind of a trance, you're tired but not...sleepy. You're so focused on what you're doing that pretty soon all you know is the grey of the road and the yellow flashing by. It's a nice sort of trance. In reality we've hit Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland and Virginia. In my mind and in my music we've hit London, Boston, Alabama, New York, Tokyo and a million other places.
Here's a sample of our road-trip playlist!
It'll All Work Out by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Midnight Train to Georgia by Gladys Knight and the Pips
My Father's Gun by Elton John
I and Love and You by the Avett Brothers
Io (This Time Around) by Helen Stellar
Save Me, San Francisco by Train
Seven Bridges Road by The Eagles
Take Me Home, Country Roads by John Denver
Barton Hollow/Falling/Poison & Wine/My Father's Father by The Civil Wars
Where to Begin by My Morning Jacket
Always/Northern Downpour by Panic! At the Disco
Long Ride Home by Patty Griffin
Blowin' In The Wind by Bob Dylan
Georgia On My Mind by Ray Charles
Sugar Blue by Jeff Finlin
In Your Atmosphere by John Mayer
Don't I Hold You by Wheat
Nothing Left to Lose by Mat Kearney
Shut Us Down by Lindsey Buckingham
If It Hadn't Been For Love by The Steeldrivers
Let It Out (Let It All Hang Out) by Los Hombres
Rocky Road To Dublin by The Dubliners
Hard Times by eastmountainsouth
Jesus Was A Crossmaker by The Hollies
Square One by Tom Petty
Same in Any Language by I Nine
Ready For Memphis by Neal & Leandra
Come Pick Me Up/English Girls Approximately/Words by Ryan Adams
Listen to these and others and you'll have an idea of what our trip sounded like! Alright my friends. It is time for me to get some rest. In my new apartment. Which is in Fairfax Virginia. Which is not Minnesota. GOLLY. G'night.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
September 12th: I Have An Empty House
Our trip (can I call it a trip?) to Haiti has been postponed to November sometime, for those of you wondering why I haven't left yet. Here's the current plan: my mom and I are driving out to DC for about 8 weeks to take an online distance learning Creole class. Then Haiti...sometime.
So the movers came here on Monday the 10th, which I didn't love. They came knock-knocking on the door at like 8:15 in the morning when I was still in my pajamas with a wicked case of bedhead. There were two guys, one who definitely had some special needs, so they were there for 13 hours. Seriously. I am not kidding. I was SO dang crabby by the time they left, because we weren't allowed to leave! UGH UGH UGH. I almost cried. Luckily my lovely friend Chris came over and rescued me, so we went out for a few nice walks around the neighbourhood to preserve my sanity. It took some doing, let me tell you.
And now our house is legitimately empty. There are echoes in all the rooms, weird indents in the carpet where the couches used to be, and my dog looks somewhat bewildered at the lack of off-limits furniture to sneak up on at night. We're a little nervous about leaving her as she's a bit old, but apparently the rules for bringing pets are pretty strict. One family had two cats and a dog en route to Thailand or somewhere and the dog died during the trip, which is so sad and another reason to leave the ol' girl here. She knows something is going on, though. Animals can be pretty dang intuitive.
Well I haven't blogged on here for a while, so I apologize for the stilted, awkward post. It'll get better, I promise! Especially once I have stuff to talk about ;) S'laters.
So the movers came here on Monday the 10th, which I didn't love. They came knock-knocking on the door at like 8:15 in the morning when I was still in my pajamas with a wicked case of bedhead. There were two guys, one who definitely had some special needs, so they were there for 13 hours. Seriously. I am not kidding. I was SO dang crabby by the time they left, because we weren't allowed to leave! UGH UGH UGH. I almost cried. Luckily my lovely friend Chris came over and rescued me, so we went out for a few nice walks around the neighbourhood to preserve my sanity. It took some doing, let me tell you.
And now our house is legitimately empty. There are echoes in all the rooms, weird indents in the carpet where the couches used to be, and my dog looks somewhat bewildered at the lack of off-limits furniture to sneak up on at night. We're a little nervous about leaving her as she's a bit old, but apparently the rules for bringing pets are pretty strict. One family had two cats and a dog en route to Thailand or somewhere and the dog died during the trip, which is so sad and another reason to leave the ol' girl here. She knows something is going on, though. Animals can be pretty dang intuitive.
Well I haven't blogged on here for a while, so I apologize for the stilted, awkward post. It'll get better, I promise! Especially once I have stuff to talk about ;) S'laters.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
April 4th 2012: So Many Baguettes, So Little Time
BONSOIR my little friends! It is ME! Yes, me again, your annoying little pal who blogs to no one.
Guess where I am right now? You'll never guess. I'll just tell you. I am in le belle France! Oui, that is correct. I am in the land of striped shirts and berets, pigeons and tiny dogs, baguettes and crepes (just a quick note: that stereotype of the French always having baguettes is actually true. Practically every other person I see is carrying a baguette. Or wearing a scarf).
My dad is here in Nice (in the south of France, right on the Med) for a few weeks to learn French by immersion for his FSO job. My mother came out here with him, so I was home alone for almost a week (heheheh) before my brother and I joined them.
We traveled from MSP to Amsterdam overnight--torture, I'm telling you. Have you ever slept well whilst sitting upright? Didn't think so. Anyway--from Amsterdam, Tom and I flew to Nice. It was sunny, maybe 75 degrees, and BEAUTIFUL. Dad's rented flat is in Old Nice, which is reminiscent of Venice. The buildings are all crowded together, the streets are cobbled, and the shops are all little hole-in-the-wall boutiques that sell useful things like soap, clothes and clay chickens.
The buildings here in Old Nice were all built in the 1600s, and some look like they haven't been repainted since. It's that quality that makes it more beautiful though. To look down one alleyway is like looking at a child's drawing-- the buildings are all shades of apricot and butter, terra cotta and cream, all those completely edible colours. Each window has shutters with cracking paint, avocado and moss and aqua. Balconies have laundry lines underneath them, so if you look up you'll see the sun shining through t-shirts and towels and the occasional pair of plaid boxers (Tommy). I took over a hundred pictures on the first day alone. Jet lagged and tired, we didn't want to do a whole lot of walking, so we ate Italian food that first night.
Nice was founded by the Greeks of Marseille in about 350 B.C. It also had a ton of Roman influence, and that's completely obvious here. We could almost be in Italy (in fact, we did go to Italy later, but I'll get to that in a minute).
Day two started out with a deligious breakfast of pain au chocolate, which is essentially a croissant wrapped around some chocolate. Can't get any better than that. It also involved going to the local market that is set up in the main square every day. There were tons of stalls with fresh veg and fruit, meat and cheese, flowers and art and other cool stuff. There were several stalls with glace fruit (candied fruit) and it was so beautiful to look at that I wanted to try everything. We only tried the cherries, which were delicious.
Later that day we took the bus to Monaco and walked around, ogling the casinos and the hotels, the rich people and the cars. ONE THING ABOUT THE BUSES! The drivers are nuts. They drive these gigantic buses around tiny curves at practically breakneck speed, and there's always people on mopeds or motorcycles, bikes or in small cars that are getting in the way. Traffic is bonkers. Anyway, we stayed in Monaco for the rest of the day, then returned to Nice for dinner with some of Dad's classmates. Afterwards we got gelato for like the third time, only THIS time the gelato was molded in the shape of a giant rose! Almost too pretty to eat.
Day three invluded another trip to the market and another heartstoppingly delicious brekkie of pain au chocolate. Then we took the bus to another little town just like Nice and went on a lovely hike along the ocean. I don't remember the name of the town but it was beautiful. We went to a different town after that- I'm sure you're sensing a pattern here- called Villefrench sur-mer. I can say it quite beautifully in a French accent for you if you wish. This was absolutely gorgeous. Very old, very labyrinth-y.
Day four- ITALY!! If you know me, you'll know that a) I am extrememly proud of my Italian heritage (Panetti, hello, it means bread) and b) I have never been there. I was super excited. Mom and Tom and I took the train to Ventimiglia, a little town right over the French border. That's honestly its only claim to fame. It was kind of a dead place, especially for an afternoon on a beautiful day. Unfortunately kind of a let-down. However we did have an adventure that involved order sandwiches-- on the menu it said salad, pomodoro (tomatoes) mozzarella, and salsa tonnata. We figured tonnata was some sort of tomato sauce, but we were sorely mistaken. It was tuna. And we are not fish eaters. So what did we do? We didn't eat them but paid up and went somewhere else and had pizza. Then gelato. Then cannoli. We basically ate everything typical of Americans in Italy. but WHATEVER it was delicious.
That night I started feeling a little sick, and the next morning I was feeling awful (with some sort of cold/virus) so I stayed in bed trying to sleep whilst dad was at class and mom and tom went off on their own. Later that day I felt better, so we got dressed up and went back to Monaco and went to the casino!! It was worth the ten Euro to get in- we had drinks and watched the blackjack tables and I tried (and failed) to count cards. So cool. I felt like a female James Bond.
TODAY oh TODAY was lovely. It started out as grey and kind of misty, so while dad was in class, Mom and Tommy and I walked less than ten minutes up the hill from our rented flat to these old castle ruins. The castle was built in the 1200s and there wasn't much left, but oh, the view was incredible. There is also a cemetary which is lovely, especially with the mist. You're not supposed to take pictures but-ahem! I did. Then after that we met up with Dad for some lunch and headed to ANOTHER little town called Eze. We climbed up to another old castle and explored. The mist was so thick- well, I guess it was more fog than mist- that you couldn't see the houses below. There was another cemetay there, so that made it kind of creepy and eerie and cool. Now we're back in the flat, getting ready to go to Paris tomorrow!
*pretend this is a separate post*
I'm updating this about a year later because I forgot to write about Paris! Quelle dommage. I think. Or something.
Anyway, Paris was lovely. Let's see if I can remember the cool bits.
Our first night we met up with our lovely friends the Martins, who were staying in Paris at the same time as us. Our hotel was a Best Western, I think, and it was on the outskirts of Paris in a run down industrial area. We refer to it affectionately as "the Hotel Baghdad" because it looked like it belonged in a war zone. Tres sketchy. Anyway, that night we took a bus to the train station, then the train into the center of Paris...or so we thought. The train stopped about a mile from where we wanted to be. And when I say stopped, I don't mean paused. I mean stopped. Like, "hey, we're kind of tired of driving this train so I think we'll just stop in the middle of somewhere and see where the Americans end up because LOL they don't know where they are!".
No matter. We got off and walked. Keep in mind this is early April in Paris, so it was a tiny bit chilly.
Oh we saw beautiful things. The Eiffel Tower was all lit up, and they did a fantastic light show when it got dark. We also saw the Arche de Triomph (not sure if I spelled that right) which was also lit up and gorgeous.
By the time we got round to dinner, it was going on ten o'clock. And it was freezing. None of us had come prepared, since we had been in Nice the week before, where it was positively pleasant, maybe in the 60s during the day. Paris was so cold, and I had gotten sick back in Nice, so I was feeling rotten and miserable.
We left the restaurant round 11, and had to walk back to the train station. We had to go maybe six-eight stops. When we got off, we realized we'd gone too far. So back on the train we go. Well, once we get to the correct stop, we realize that the bus that we had taken before had stopped running for the night. By this time it was a little after midnight. I'm sick as a dog and all of us are on the verge of freaking out.
Suddenly a police car pulls up. Dad goes over and talks to them in French, learning useful information such as "your hotel is like a few kilometers down that road, I think," or "you can probably hitch a ride with someone driving by."
The short and short of it is that eventually, with the help of a very nice man, we flagged down a white van. It was one of the vans with no seats in the back that's used for catering or transporting band equipment. Dad rode in the front with the driver while the rest of us found perches on boxes or sat on the floor in the back. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the Sketchy White Van story.
The rest of Paris was absolutely lovely. Along with our friends, we went to the catacombs, which was fantastic. Lurking under the streets of Paris are skulls and femur bones stacked on top of each other like honeycombs, morbid and completely fascinating. We also went to one of the oldest restaurants in Paris, La Montparnasse. Absolutely incredible food- very expensive but so delicious.
The next day, we went to the Louvre and saw the Mona Lisa and other famous, incredible works of art. We also traveled to Montmartre, the artist's quarter and home of the famous Moulin Rouge. I am a huge fan of the movie, so this was an unbelievable experience for me. We saw the artists in the square, and the Sacre Coeur, the basilica at the top of the hill. It was huge and had some amazing stained glass windows as well as some lovely carved wood on the inside. There in Montmartre, we parted ways with our friends who were traveling to Germany.
The next couple of days we spent wandering around Paris- the architecture and the street scenery was beyond description. We visited the Eiffel Tower again, thought about getting into line to climb it, then decided against it (it was about a five hour wait). There was also a cool church that we investigated- the Saint Sulpice Les Champs, which is mentioned in the book The Da Vinci Code. The church in the movie was not the same as the real Saint Sulpice, but it was really interesting all the same.
We also attended Easter Mass in Notre Dame. I am not a religious person, but that was an amazing experience. The mass was in French, of course, but we were able to understand the gist of it. The stained glass windows were so beautiful- red and green and blue, and the sun shone through them and hit the floor in such a way that the floor itself looked like a painting.
From there we went to the Musee d'Orsay, another art museum. It's on the banks of the Seine river, and from the top floor of the museum, you can look out on the river through a gigantic clock. As with any art museum, there were paintings and photographs and sculptures. The best part for me was the Van Gogh hall (he's one of my favourite artists).
While in Paris, the weather was grey and rainy, which only seemed to make it more beautiful. Walking along the Seine in the rain, seeing the Bridge of Locks or the street artists, the gold leaf and the ornate churches, it was all magnified by the rain. It was everything a trip to Paris should be, complete with croissants, scarves and berets and striped shirts, men on bicycles with baguettes in the basket, pigeons and a guy roasting snails in a pan on the sidewalk. There was even an accordion player on one of the bridges, so of course I got my picture taken with him. Ah, Paris! What a delight it was, and shall always be.
Guess where I am right now? You'll never guess. I'll just tell you. I am in le belle France! Oui, that is correct. I am in the land of striped shirts and berets, pigeons and tiny dogs, baguettes and crepes (just a quick note: that stereotype of the French always having baguettes is actually true. Practically every other person I see is carrying a baguette. Or wearing a scarf).
My dad is here in Nice (in the south of France, right on the Med) for a few weeks to learn French by immersion for his FSO job. My mother came out here with him, so I was home alone for almost a week (heheheh) before my brother and I joined them.
We traveled from MSP to Amsterdam overnight--torture, I'm telling you. Have you ever slept well whilst sitting upright? Didn't think so. Anyway--from Amsterdam, Tom and I flew to Nice. It was sunny, maybe 75 degrees, and BEAUTIFUL. Dad's rented flat is in Old Nice, which is reminiscent of Venice. The buildings are all crowded together, the streets are cobbled, and the shops are all little hole-in-the-wall boutiques that sell useful things like soap, clothes and clay chickens.
The buildings here in Old Nice were all built in the 1600s, and some look like they haven't been repainted since. It's that quality that makes it more beautiful though. To look down one alleyway is like looking at a child's drawing-- the buildings are all shades of apricot and butter, terra cotta and cream, all those completely edible colours. Each window has shutters with cracking paint, avocado and moss and aqua. Balconies have laundry lines underneath them, so if you look up you'll see the sun shining through t-shirts and towels and the occasional pair of plaid boxers (Tommy). I took over a hundred pictures on the first day alone. Jet lagged and tired, we didn't want to do a whole lot of walking, so we ate Italian food that first night.
Nice was founded by the Greeks of Marseille in about 350 B.C. It also had a ton of Roman influence, and that's completely obvious here. We could almost be in Italy (in fact, we did go to Italy later, but I'll get to that in a minute).
Day two started out with a deligious breakfast of pain au chocolate, which is essentially a croissant wrapped around some chocolate. Can't get any better than that. It also involved going to the local market that is set up in the main square every day. There were tons of stalls with fresh veg and fruit, meat and cheese, flowers and art and other cool stuff. There were several stalls with glace fruit (candied fruit) and it was so beautiful to look at that I wanted to try everything. We only tried the cherries, which were delicious.
Later that day we took the bus to Monaco and walked around, ogling the casinos and the hotels, the rich people and the cars. ONE THING ABOUT THE BUSES! The drivers are nuts. They drive these gigantic buses around tiny curves at practically breakneck speed, and there's always people on mopeds or motorcycles, bikes or in small cars that are getting in the way. Traffic is bonkers. Anyway, we stayed in Monaco for the rest of the day, then returned to Nice for dinner with some of Dad's classmates. Afterwards we got gelato for like the third time, only THIS time the gelato was molded in the shape of a giant rose! Almost too pretty to eat.
Day three invluded another trip to the market and another heartstoppingly delicious brekkie of pain au chocolate. Then we took the bus to another little town just like Nice and went on a lovely hike along the ocean. I don't remember the name of the town but it was beautiful. We went to a different town after that- I'm sure you're sensing a pattern here- called Villefrench sur-mer. I can say it quite beautifully in a French accent for you if you wish. This was absolutely gorgeous. Very old, very labyrinth-y.
Day four- ITALY!! If you know me, you'll know that a) I am extrememly proud of my Italian heritage (Panetti, hello, it means bread) and b) I have never been there. I was super excited. Mom and Tom and I took the train to Ventimiglia, a little town right over the French border. That's honestly its only claim to fame. It was kind of a dead place, especially for an afternoon on a beautiful day. Unfortunately kind of a let-down. However we did have an adventure that involved order sandwiches-- on the menu it said salad, pomodoro (tomatoes) mozzarella, and salsa tonnata. We figured tonnata was some sort of tomato sauce, but we were sorely mistaken. It was tuna. And we are not fish eaters. So what did we do? We didn't eat them but paid up and went somewhere else and had pizza. Then gelato. Then cannoli. We basically ate everything typical of Americans in Italy. but WHATEVER it was delicious.
That night I started feeling a little sick, and the next morning I was feeling awful (with some sort of cold/virus) so I stayed in bed trying to sleep whilst dad was at class and mom and tom went off on their own. Later that day I felt better, so we got dressed up and went back to Monaco and went to the casino!! It was worth the ten Euro to get in- we had drinks and watched the blackjack tables and I tried (and failed) to count cards. So cool. I felt like a female James Bond.
TODAY oh TODAY was lovely. It started out as grey and kind of misty, so while dad was in class, Mom and Tommy and I walked less than ten minutes up the hill from our rented flat to these old castle ruins. The castle was built in the 1200s and there wasn't much left, but oh, the view was incredible. There is also a cemetary which is lovely, especially with the mist. You're not supposed to take pictures but-ahem! I did. Then after that we met up with Dad for some lunch and headed to ANOTHER little town called Eze. We climbed up to another old castle and explored. The mist was so thick- well, I guess it was more fog than mist- that you couldn't see the houses below. There was another cemetay there, so that made it kind of creepy and eerie and cool. Now we're back in the flat, getting ready to go to Paris tomorrow!
*pretend this is a separate post*
I'm updating this about a year later because I forgot to write about Paris! Quelle dommage. I think. Or something.
Anyway, Paris was lovely. Let's see if I can remember the cool bits.
Our first night we met up with our lovely friends the Martins, who were staying in Paris at the same time as us. Our hotel was a Best Western, I think, and it was on the outskirts of Paris in a run down industrial area. We refer to it affectionately as "the Hotel Baghdad" because it looked like it belonged in a war zone. Tres sketchy. Anyway, that night we took a bus to the train station, then the train into the center of Paris...or so we thought. The train stopped about a mile from where we wanted to be. And when I say stopped, I don't mean paused. I mean stopped. Like, "hey, we're kind of tired of driving this train so I think we'll just stop in the middle of somewhere and see where the Americans end up because LOL they don't know where they are!".
No matter. We got off and walked. Keep in mind this is early April in Paris, so it was a tiny bit chilly.
Oh we saw beautiful things. The Eiffel Tower was all lit up, and they did a fantastic light show when it got dark. We also saw the Arche de Triomph (not sure if I spelled that right) which was also lit up and gorgeous.
By the time we got round to dinner, it was going on ten o'clock. And it was freezing. None of us had come prepared, since we had been in Nice the week before, where it was positively pleasant, maybe in the 60s during the day. Paris was so cold, and I had gotten sick back in Nice, so I was feeling rotten and miserable.
We left the restaurant round 11, and had to walk back to the train station. We had to go maybe six-eight stops. When we got off, we realized we'd gone too far. So back on the train we go. Well, once we get to the correct stop, we realize that the bus that we had taken before had stopped running for the night. By this time it was a little after midnight. I'm sick as a dog and all of us are on the verge of freaking out.
Suddenly a police car pulls up. Dad goes over and talks to them in French, learning useful information such as "your hotel is like a few kilometers down that road, I think," or "you can probably hitch a ride with someone driving by."
The short and short of it is that eventually, with the help of a very nice man, we flagged down a white van. It was one of the vans with no seats in the back that's used for catering or transporting band equipment. Dad rode in the front with the driver while the rest of us found perches on boxes or sat on the floor in the back. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the Sketchy White Van story.
The rest of Paris was absolutely lovely. Along with our friends, we went to the catacombs, which was fantastic. Lurking under the streets of Paris are skulls and femur bones stacked on top of each other like honeycombs, morbid and completely fascinating. We also went to one of the oldest restaurants in Paris, La Montparnasse. Absolutely incredible food- very expensive but so delicious.
The next day, we went to the Louvre and saw the Mona Lisa and other famous, incredible works of art. We also traveled to Montmartre, the artist's quarter and home of the famous Moulin Rouge. I am a huge fan of the movie, so this was an unbelievable experience for me. We saw the artists in the square, and the Sacre Coeur, the basilica at the top of the hill. It was huge and had some amazing stained glass windows as well as some lovely carved wood on the inside. There in Montmartre, we parted ways with our friends who were traveling to Germany.
The next couple of days we spent wandering around Paris- the architecture and the street scenery was beyond description. We visited the Eiffel Tower again, thought about getting into line to climb it, then decided against it (it was about a five hour wait). There was also a cool church that we investigated- the Saint Sulpice Les Champs, which is mentioned in the book The Da Vinci Code. The church in the movie was not the same as the real Saint Sulpice, but it was really interesting all the same.
We also attended Easter Mass in Notre Dame. I am not a religious person, but that was an amazing experience. The mass was in French, of course, but we were able to understand the gist of it. The stained glass windows were so beautiful- red and green and blue, and the sun shone through them and hit the floor in such a way that the floor itself looked like a painting.
From there we went to the Musee d'Orsay, another art museum. It's on the banks of the Seine river, and from the top floor of the museum, you can look out on the river through a gigantic clock. As with any art museum, there were paintings and photographs and sculptures. The best part for me was the Van Gogh hall (he's one of my favourite artists).
While in Paris, the weather was grey and rainy, which only seemed to make it more beautiful. Walking along the Seine in the rain, seeing the Bridge of Locks or the street artists, the gold leaf and the ornate churches, it was all magnified by the rain. It was everything a trip to Paris should be, complete with croissants, scarves and berets and striped shirts, men on bicycles with baguettes in the basket, pigeons and a guy roasting snails in a pan on the sidewalk. There was even an accordion player on one of the bridges, so of course I got my picture taken with him. Ah, Paris! What a delight it was, and shall always be.
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