Vacation

Sorry I never write my blog! I forgot about it.

Anyway, things have been going well in France. January was pretty much my normal routine. I worked (a little), took dance class, gave private lessons, had some dinner/cocktail parties with the other assistants, went to Verdun. Verdun was really interesting--I went with my friend in Metz and her boyfriend (who has a car!) so we could drive around to all of the WWI memorial sites on the battlefields.

One day it was really foggy. Which isn't that spectacular of a thing to write about, but it was the thickest fog I have ever seen and it lasted all day.

On Feb. 16 vacation started! I had 2 weeks of visitors and I went all over.

On Saturday the 16th, I met Mom, Dad and A.J. in Monaco. We visited Monaco, Nice, Saint-Paul de Vence, which is a really cool medieval walled city and even drove into Italy.

Mid-week we packed up the rental car and headed to the French Alps (Chamonix) with lovely views of Mont Blanc. It was a gorgeous drive there too--we left really early in the morning so we were driving through the hills along the coast of the French and Italian Riviera for sunrise.

Chamonix was beautiful and it had that irresistable ski-bum culture. Twenty minutes after checking into our hotel, we saw our receptionist heading to to slopes. Many people clobbered around the old chalet-lined streets in their ski boots. Unfortunately, I didn't get to ski, but AJ and Dad had a great time. We only had one day, so Mom and I walked around and took a telepherique cable car to a glacier!

After Chamonix, I showed the family around Nancy, Pont-a-Mousson and Metz. I think they were surprised how nice it is! My parents stayed in the abbey right down the street, which was really cool and my brother stayed in the apartment with me. Everyone especially liked Metz and my Dad tasted the ever-popular kebab (which he claimed was the best meal he ate in France). We also had a nice pizza dinner in my apartment.

The last stop was Paris and AJ was pleasantly surprised by the Eiffel Tower. He also got to go to Roland Garros, where they play the French Open, so he was happy. We went to Notre Dame, Sainte-Chappelle, walked around outside the Louvre and through the Latin Quarter. My mom and I did some shopping. We stayed in a really nice hotel in Paris on the Champs-Elysees and we had some nice meals people watching nearby.

I was sad to see the family go, but Mike arrived the same day. While he slept off the jet lag, I went to an art museum I hadn't been to before. Then we ate a nice dinner listening to saxophone music and headed to the Eiffel Tower. Mike's highlight was seeing an Italian teenager get slapped in line by the ticket taker.

The next day was really nice and we went to Versaille. It was packed! That night we went up to Sacre-Coeur and ate near la Place du Tertre where all the artists and caricaturists set up shop. We ate in the tiny little Italian restaurant with a piano player. Mike was sad I wouldn't request Georgia on my Mind with my French skills.

Our hotel wasn't too far from Sacre-Coeur. I stayed there before with Alison in 2004, so I knew it was good one. Mike liked that there was beer in the vending machine.

Our last day in Paris, I took Mike to Notre Dame and Sainte-Chapelle. We also went to the Louvre and tried to see as much as possible there. It is huge! But we did see the Napoleon Apartments, which I had never seen before. Mike really liked the Louvre, especially the Venus de Milo.

After the Louvre, we walked through the Tuileries gardens and down the Champs-Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe.

That night, we took the train to Metz and I gave Mike a quick tour (toting our suitcases unfortunately). He really liked Metz and Pont-a-Mousson.

The next day it rained, but I still showed him around Nancy a bit. That night we ate dinner at one of the English teacher's houses.

Wednesday morning, we took the train to Strasbourg and spent the day there. It was much quieter there than the last time I went, at the height of the Christmas markets tourism. I liked it a lot better. It is beautiful! There are canals that wind through colorful timbered houses in the Petite France area. And the river encircles the city. Mike really liked it.

That night, we took the train to Munich. Mike was happy to be in Germany. We met my roommate Ana, and her boyfriend at the train station. We stayed with them in an empty apartment that Ana's boyfriends parents own right next to his. It was the perfect setup. On Thursday, we took the train to Schloss Neuschwanstein, Ludwig's fairy-tale castle. Supposedly, the Disney castle was based on it. It is incredible. It is set in the foothills with the Alps as a backdrop. There is also a little (scary!) bridge over a waterfall with incredible views of the castle.

On Friday, we walked around Munich seeing the sites like the New Town Hall and the churches. We also went to the 1972 Olympic Stadium and Mike made walk around on the whole thing in the rain. No, it was interesting and he loved it. That night, we went to the Hofbrauhaus, which was really fun!

On Saturday, Ana, Reiny and I dropped Mike off at the airport and then they dropped me off in Dachau. I spent the day visiting the former concentration camp and museum. It was obviously really sad, but extremely interesting.

Little did I know, however, that Mike spent the entire day in Munich because his flight was cancelled. He ended up having to stay the night in London and going back the next day. He got his luggage a few days later. I didn't even know until he got back to Chicago though because he lost my cell phone number.

The past week, I have been taking it easy taking, hanging out in Pont-a-Mousson and taking more dance classes to make up the ones I missed. I stayed with a friend in Nancy on Saturday, which was fun.

This weekend I am going to visit my cousin Katelyn in Florence, Italy!!! I am really excited. I have always wanted to go to Italy!

Well, that's the update. I'll write again after Italy.