Bathrooms are awful in Paris.
Really nasty, smelly, gross kind of places. I think they're designed to make you shameful that you drank so much water that you would have to use them.
And they'll also often charge you for them, to really drive home the fact that you shouldn't be wanting to use them in the first place. You must be low class. Also, there are scarce - like fat people. Hardly any around.
In Switzerland, they're so much wonderfuller. I think people here sometimes have to use them, and don't really feel bad about it, its kind of a fact of life. They have so far ALL had toliet paper, only one of them smelled a bit, and all have been for free. And when looked for, are usually found without too much trouble.
Just an observation. Not statistically valid.
25 Oct 2007
SUISSE: Its super wonderful fantastic!
Unlike France (which is dirty, lazy and sloppy) Switzerland is just super!
Its so clean and efficient!
And industrious!
We went to the spa town of Yverdon-les-bains today. It was so fun. Its an hour away by train. So quick and efficient!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yverdon
Its a little medieval town that has some natural hot springs. We went in the crazy museum that was in the town castle. I believe the theme of the museum is, "oh, any old thing". Hahaha - it goes from Roman pottery to 1960s fashion to a real egyptian sarcophogas. Interesting, nonetheless!
Then we went to the "Wellness", or spa. Haha, Winnie says its called the "Wellness" in English. We had to buy bathing suits, but it was worth it. There were all these outside pools that were in fact not nearly hot enough for me, there were several saunas and steam rooms. Then, when you're all super hot, there are a couple of really funny showers with buckets of cold water or evil awful cold water jets that spew at you from many directions when you think you're having a nice hot shower. Please refer to my post about the steam room and "5 head shower" from my Hong Kong trip - it was that shower, but with cold water instead of hot coming from the side jets. Aish! No thank you!
We had lunch at a Fantastische little swiss restaurant, and Doug swears it was the best meal he'd ever been served in a restaurant. When I opined that was perhaps overstating the case, he insisted this fact to be true! It was a great little lunch in any case, I concur.
Ok, time for bed. All that floating in hot baths really tires a girl out!
And a side note: no one really seemed to speak English, or care that we did, or try to speak it to us. Interesting!
Its so clean and efficient!
And industrious!
We went to the spa town of Yverdon-les-bains today. It was so fun. Its an hour away by train. So quick and efficient!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yverdon
Its a little medieval town that has some natural hot springs. We went in the crazy museum that was in the town castle. I believe the theme of the museum is, "oh, any old thing". Hahaha - it goes from Roman pottery to 1960s fashion to a real egyptian sarcophogas. Interesting, nonetheless!
Then we went to the "Wellness", or spa. Haha, Winnie says its called the "Wellness" in English. We had to buy bathing suits, but it was worth it. There were all these outside pools that were in fact not nearly hot enough for me, there were several saunas and steam rooms. Then, when you're all super hot, there are a couple of really funny showers with buckets of cold water or evil awful cold water jets that spew at you from many directions when you think you're having a nice hot shower. Please refer to my post about the steam room and "5 head shower" from my Hong Kong trip - it was that shower, but with cold water instead of hot coming from the side jets. Aish! No thank you!
We had lunch at a Fantastische little swiss restaurant, and Doug swears it was the best meal he'd ever been served in a restaurant. When I opined that was perhaps overstating the case, he insisted this fact to be true! It was a great little lunch in any case, I concur.
Ok, time for bed. All that floating in hot baths really tires a girl out!
And a side note: no one really seemed to speak English, or care that we did, or try to speak it to us. Interesting!
23 Oct 2007
PARIS: Weère back!
Ièm back in Paris!
I did manage to get a refund on that funny train ticket. They made me buy another one in Brussels to get back, but then refunded the original trip, so....is ok.
Yesterday Doug and I walked all around Paris, and bought him 3 nice scarves. It was pretty fun. Then we had real french food for dinner with Kelly, something she often doesnèt go for so we went to some random joint.
I had lamb cooked in a wee little cast iron pot and it came with rice and wild rice. It was super tasty! Andd to start both Kelly and I had tomatoes with goat cheese and bread crumbs, that was very fancy and nice as well.
Today perhaps some shoppingÉ Oh yes, we also saw Champs dèElysses, Arc de Triomphe, the Pantheon, etc. :)
I did manage to get a refund on that funny train ticket. They made me buy another one in Brussels to get back, but then refunded the original trip, so....is ok.
Yesterday Doug and I walked all around Paris, and bought him 3 nice scarves. It was pretty fun. Then we had real french food for dinner with Kelly, something she often doesnèt go for so we went to some random joint.
I had lamb cooked in a wee little cast iron pot and it came with rice and wild rice. It was super tasty! Andd to start both Kelly and I had tomatoes with goat cheese and bread crumbs, that was very fancy and nice as well.
Today perhaps some shoppingÉ Oh yes, we also saw Champs dèElysses, Arc de Triomphe, the Pantheon, etc. :)
20 Oct 2007
PARIS: mmm...drowning in lace.....
We went to Bruge!
Bruge has been in decline since like 1500. Since Antwerg took over as the cool city, Bruge decided to make lace.
You might think you have no need for lace, but you are wrong.
HANDKERCHIEFS!
I might be the only North American under 60 that uses them, but I love them. One can never have enough. I bought 4 monogrammed ones. So good!
Bruge has been in decline since like 1500. Since Antwerg took over as the cool city, Bruge decided to make lace.
You might think you have no need for lace, but you are wrong.
HANDKERCHIEFS!
I might be the only North American under 60 that uses them, but I love them. One can never have enough. I bought 4 monogrammed ones. So good!
Paris: We're off to Bruges now!
Winnie and LJ and I off to Bruges soon.
It would probably have been more interesting if I posted when we got back..... ;)
It would probably have been more interesting if I posted when we got back..... ;)
19 Oct 2007
PARIS: I'm in Belgium now.
Je suis visiter le Lawrence James!
Did you know that to pick up one's train tickets at the station from the kiosk, one must have a microchip embedded in one's Mastercard?
Me neither.
This caused me hella stress. I somehow managed to get on the train with a printed email receipt and a smile. :) Its all good, LJ met me at the station, we went for some rabbit stew while we waited for Winnie in Brussels, and now we made it to LLN.
Now its soooo late, and I'm soooo tired, yo.
Tot ziens!
Did you know that to pick up one's train tickets at the station from the kiosk, one must have a microchip embedded in one's Mastercard?
Me neither.
This caused me hella stress. I somehow managed to get on the train with a printed email receipt and a smile. :) Its all good, LJ met me at the station, we went for some rabbit stew while we waited for Winnie in Brussels, and now we made it to LLN.
Now its soooo late, and I'm soooo tired, yo.
Tot ziens!
Train Strike?!
Ah, the French.
They have tried to thwart me, but I have perservered. First, when I got off the plane, there was a CRAZY huge lineup to get through customs. It took 1.5 hrs! Man. There were only two officials for those with non-EU (or "American") travellers. And the man did not question me as to who I was, where I was going, and with whom was I doing it. Nope, he just stamped my passport.
And then of course it is train strike day. Frig. I went to the trains anyway in hopes that maybe I'd heard wrong, but it was true - no trains or metros today. So I caught a very very expensive and slow cab (of course due to it being 7:30am, thus rush hour AND train strike day).
Poor Kelly was about to start freaking out and call home if I didn't show up soon! I landed at 6am, and I didn't get to her house until like 9am.
But alive I am. :)
To France I say: Je me souviens.
They have tried to thwart me, but I have perservered. First, when I got off the plane, there was a CRAZY huge lineup to get through customs. It took 1.5 hrs! Man. There were only two officials for those with non-EU (or "American") travellers. And the man did not question me as to who I was, where I was going, and with whom was I doing it. Nope, he just stamped my passport.
And then of course it is train strike day. Frig. I went to the trains anyway in hopes that maybe I'd heard wrong, but it was true - no trains or metros today. So I caught a very very expensive and slow cab (of course due to it being 7:30am, thus rush hour AND train strike day).
Poor Kelly was about to start freaking out and call home if I didn't show up soon! I landed at 6am, and I didn't get to her house until like 9am.
But alive I am. :)
To France I say: Je me souviens.
16 Oct 2007
Probably not too many posts this trip
- I'll be too busy eating cheese
- I'll be too busy sampling wine
- This time ISN'T for work, so I won't already be on my laptop all day
- In fact, I am not bringing the damn thing, so maybe I won't even check email. Ever.
But if the spirit moves me, post to my blog I will.
Au Revoir!
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