Greatest Hits

Saturday, 22 December 2007

Today began with most of us feeling refreshed from a good night's sleep after the previous day's extended exertions. With all the troops rallied, we headed towards the Place de la Concorde to eat breakfast at a popular bakery, called Ladurée Royale. The large crowd waiting outside was a testament to its popularity, though luckily for us, they were happy to seat the 12 of us upstairs in a bit more private setting, meaning we did not have to wait in line like the rest. There were some drawbacks to this however as some amongst us, my mom most especially, would have been happy to wait in line to get up to the front and simply point to whichever pastry delight she most desired to succour herself with. As it was, I think we were all content enough to sit down and look over a menu and as a result I do not believe anybody was found wanting for a good breakfast.

After breakfast, we headed back towards the Place de la Concorde, where most everybody got on a metro to head towards the Louvre. Being the 'loner' that I was reputed to be throughout this trip, I was determined not to take the Metro for just a couple of stops when I could enjoy a short walk through Paris instead. Susan and Alex also joined me as we walked from the Place de la Concorde towards the Louvre.

First, a few words about the Place de la Concorde. We hardly spent any time there, but it is worth mentioning what it has to offer. In a word...history. It was here over 200 years ago that prominent historical figures such as King Louis XVI, Queen Marie Antoinette, and Robespierre, amongst others, met their end via the guillotine as the bourgeoisie roared on with approval. Governments should be afraid of their people, indeed. Another historical feature of the Place de la Concorde is the 3,300-year-old Egyptian Obelisk that stands prominently in the centre of the square. And centrality is a good theme to explain the significance of this square as it stands at the centre of the city and acts as a good launching point to a number of Paris's most popular attractions. To the west lies the beginning of the Champs-Élysées. Just a little bit south as you cross the Seine you will run into Les Invalides where you can involuntarily pay proper respect to Napoloen in his final resting place. Look to the south and the west and you will see the Eiffel Tower prominently featured.

If you head east from the Place de la Concorde, as me and the Crabtree's did, you can walk leisurely through the splendid Jardin des Tuileries towards the Louvre with its meticulously lined trees. I do not presume to say that those who took the Metro to the Louvre missed out on a wholly grand experience, but quite often, the best times in Paris are spent walking somewhat aimlessly around. Not that our wondering was aimless, mind you, as our course was set for the Louvre as we walked down the Tuileries.

Part of the reason that I wanted to walk from the Place de la Concorde to begin with was to approach the Louvre from the west and take in the grand view as the trees of the Tuileries begin to disappear with the park opening up right in front of you with its very manicured look as the edge of the Louvre and Arc de Triomphe du carrousel show themselves for the first time in the distance.

Soon after, we were standing in front of Mitterand's pyramid that marks the main entrance into the Louvre. Another of Paris's architectural controversies, it is hard for those of us culturally uninitiated to imagine the Louvre without the pyramid though it is not even 20 years old, but like the Eiffel Tower before it, it drew much consternation, this time for not keeping with the classical tradition of the Louvre. I admit that it seems like the most random thing on earth to have a big pyramid as the main entrance to a huge museum with only a touch of Egyptian history wrapped around it, but I think it does serve a purpose of romanticising the Louvre right from the off.

If you approach the Louvre from the east as me, Ryan, and Will did the last time, the first thing you notice is how huge the complex is, though admittedly we were not even sure it was the Louvre the first time we saw it. We just saw an enormous complex of buildings that had some soldiers with automatic weapons patrolling the area. After walking passed them without getting shot, we eventually came to the open square with the pyramid, and for lack of a better word, it was just cool to see this random pyramid sitting in the middle. The first time we came to the Louvre, we actually did not know it was the main entrance, so after taking some pictures around they pyramid, we walked around elsewhere looking for a way in before somebody finally told us that you actually enter through the pyramid and we probably thought that was just the coolest thing ever. All of that is a way of saying that I like the Louvre Pyramid just fine, no matter the circumstances that put it there.

After snapping a number of photographs of the beautiful exterior of the Louvre, me, Susan, and Alex finally made the descent down into this behemoth to meet up with the rest of the group and start our tour of this most famous of museums. We essentially dedicated our time here to the greatest of hits of the Louvre. I regret that I may never get a chance to show this museum the proper respect it is due, but we are on a budget in this tour group and such luxuries as time are not always afforded to those of us who wish to do all we can in a short time. Regardless, the Louvre is simply not a place that you can comb over in a day. Earlier, I purposely used the word 'behemoth' to describe it. I feel you would need to spend at least a week here to gain real perspective of what you were looking at.

We had a couple of hours so we whisked through only a small portion, taking in some ancient artifacts and sculptures of Roman emperors as we headed first towards the 'Winged Victory of Samothrace' and then to the 'Venus de Milo'. Both are impressive, but what makes them famous when compared to other sculptures is beyond me, though I admit that I am no art aficionado, so I do not wish to debase claims of praise made on their behalf. Therein lies the problem for many like us who visit the Louvre. It is wholly impressive to be sure and certainly worth multiple visits, but few among us can fully appreciate it, I think, which is fine as long we can admit that. When I look at the 'Venus de Milo', I heed the title more than the sculpture itself and think of Melos, where in ancient times Thucydides tells us that the Athenians held a dialogue with the city's council before eventually destroying it systematically. That is what I think of, but then again, I am a dork.

After viewing these sculptures, we then made our way towards the 'Mona Lisa', admiring all the Renaissance splendor along the way. Again, the paintings were beautiful, but you are almost more awestruck when you see names like da Vinci, Raphael, and Botticelli attributed to them. Shortly thereafter, we did come to Leonardo's masterpiece. It is surreal to look upon her, whether it be the first time for everyone else or the second time for me, Ryan, and Will. Again, the magnificence of the contours of the painting are beyond us. The subject matter is certainly mesmerizing with her devious smile and piercing eyes. I think that is what is most striking about the painting to the untrained eye. Art aficionados can no doubt pick out the finer details that make it an absolute masterpiece, but mere mortals such as myself are struck more by the weight of the moment when you realize you are looking at probably the most famous painting in the world.

After a while, we decided that for the rest of our time in the Louvre, we would split up into groups depending on who wanted to do what. My parents and I just wondered down the hall of French painters before taking in some works of Italian sculptures below. I am not quite sure where everyone else went, however. Ryan, Beth, Alex, and Susan I think went to inspect the remains of Egyptian antiquity while Danny and Lisa wondered off somewhere else. As for the Robertson's, this would mark the beginning of a frustrating couple of days for them. Christine had not been feeling well most of our time in Paris thus far, and after the Louvre, she actually had to call it a day, even at such an early hour which did not bode well. Will and Kevin, being the diligent sons that they are, retired with her and that was unfortunately the last that we really saw of them for the day, and indeed, for a couple of days, but more on that later.

For now, the rest of us met back up and headed towards the connecting mall to the Louvre to grab a snack and have a quick look around. Beth headed to a candy shop, my Mom looked around any shop that caught her fancy, and me and my Dad took in La Pyramide Inversée. With faultless, deadpan delivery, my Dad remarked that Mary Magdalene was buried underneath as he showed his unabashed reverence for the work of Tom Hanks and insisted on a picture. I too was caught up in the Hollywood appeal of the moment and happily acquiesced.

Our starry gaze momentarily halted, we eventually all reconvened at the centre of the Louvre, minus the Robertson's, and prepared to head towards the Île de la Cité and Notre Dame, but not before we took in the famous pyramid entrance once more. Actually, up to this point, only Susan, Alex, and I had seen it as those that came to the Louvre via the Metro entered underground through the mall, so this was their first time seeing the iconic building, and I dare say they were not disappointed by what they saw. Again, Tom Hanks and Dan Brown might have added to the magnificence of the building for them, but that is okay, and I cannot help myself but to have Hans Zimmer's prescient soundtrack running through my head knowing what history is concealed beneath its doors. The feeling amongst us was of a quite lighter nature, however, as we all took numerous pictures of the beautiful square, which is beautiful regardless of whether you conjure up images impressed upon you by Hollywood. With Will sidelined by his mother's illness, me and Ryan led the way as we walked leisurely down the Seine towards the Île de la Cité, enjoying the afternoon sun as we approached the Pont Neuf, the 'New Bridge' which is actually the oldest in Paris. The Île de la Cité is a natural island in the middle of the River Seine, and it is actually the oldest part of Paris. After the Gauls were conquered, Roman troops used it briefly as a camp and medieval Paris was founded here. As with most places that we visited during our time in Europe, there was some in depth history here.

But the objective of our visit to the ancient island was to see Notre Dame, though once on the island I had Ryan lead the rest of the group on while I took another 'loner' detour to view the Gothic chapel of Sainte-Chapelle with its magnificent spire. It was built in the middle of the 13th century to house the Crown of Thorns and a piece of the True Cross, along with other relics of Christ that had been pawned away by the Byzantines to Louis IX to save their crumbling empire, though pieces of the True Cross had already been taken from Constantinople following its sack by the Latins during the Fourth Crusade, which was actually a crusade against Byzantium and its Christian Church. Just another example of the excessive 'holy' deeds of the Catholic Church, I suppose.

I did not linger long before making the short walk to Notre Dame, which like Sacré-Cœur the night before, was much more grand and breathtaking than I remembered. It is very imposing too when you stand at its doors, feeling like it is about to swallow you up. Hard to believe that city planners had thought about tearing it down in the 19th century. Thank goodness for Victor Hugo and his novel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, which helped save the Gothic cathedral from such a fate.

Soon, I was inside and caught up with the rest of the group. I did not spend too much time wandering around inside the cathedral since I had been here two years before. I sat down instead and took in the cathedral's intimate setting. My Mom called it 'the most beautiful cathedral (she) had ever been in.' Other cathedrals may seem more impressive. St Peter's in Rome and St Paul's in London certainly come to mind, but Notre Dame, while still catering to tourists, seems to come across as a place of worship first, a tourist attraction second, and I have always held great reverence for Notre Dame for that reason. Those who know me know I am not the most religious person, much to my family's chagrin, but I could more easily connect with God in such a setting as is offered there on the banks of the Seine, though I confess that Sacré-Cœur did not leave me wanting for spirituality the night before, either.

Soon, my family and the Crabtree's were waiting in line to go to the top of the cathedral while the Grant's decided to pass on climbing the stairs and instead headed to the impressionist mecca of the Musée d'Orsay, with a plan to meet back up early in the evening at the Arc de Triomphe. In the meantime, our group would enjoy the panoramic views from atop Notre Dame, which were only enhanced by the fading sun. It is always a popular spot up here as the city unfolds before you. You look to the northwest and instantly spot Montmartre and Sacré-Cœur rising above the city. To the west in the distance is La Defense, but you hardly notice it with your focus drawn to the Eiffel Tower, with the towering spire of Sainte-Chapelle featuring prominently as well while you look over Notre Dame's square with the Seine running along side it.

Then there are the gargoyles, whose company is always welcomed. Ever since I came back with pictures of them two years before, Beth had anxiously been awaiting her chance to see them herself. On my first visit, it had been a gray, cloudy day, but as the pictures will show, the weather was much more accommodating this time, and I was thankful. So too was Susan. By the end of the trip, she still remarked that her time atop Notre Dame was one of her favourite experiences from her time in Europe.

We soon descended the stairs of Notre Dame, where we then proceeded to walk around behind the cathedral at my bidding because I always think that one of the most beautiful views of Notre Dame is from behind where the Seine breaks up along the Île de la Cité. It was here that I soon realized that I could have those with me marching to whichever beat I desired. As we walked along the Seine, I would stop briefly to take some photos, and when I turned to catch up with the rest of the group I noticed that they had stopped as well, unwilling to proceed without me.

It was at this point that I felt that maybe I abused this role, however. We still had about an hour before we were to meet up with the Grant's and I had endeavoured to go on another 'loner' detour to see La Defense and its Grand Arche, but assumed everyone else would do what they wanted for a little while since the Arc de Triomphe was an easy spot to meet up at. Alex had wanted to visit the famous ferris wheel around the Place de la Concorde, and I still rue that everyone decided to head to La Defense with me as opposed to splitting up, especially given our short time at the spot.

Not that La Defense and its Grand Arche were disappointing. Far from it. It is quite amazing, actually. It was erected as a 20th century Arc De Triomphe, but it was dedicated to humanity and humanitarian ideals rather than military victories. It doubles as an office building and pictures do not really do it justice. When looking at it for the first time on my camera, someone asked me if it was about 5 stories tall. It is actually 25 stories tall, big enough to fly a plane through. A local Christmas market also added to the atmosphere of the area and my Mom would have quite liked to have been able to see what all it had to offer, but my Dad's credit card was quite relieved that we were to meet the Grant's at the Arc de Triomphe in just a little while.

We were a little late, but as it turns out, so were they. We spent a short time taking in the Arc de Triomphe, which was a gift from Napoleon to his troops in honour of their victory at Austerlitz against the Russian and Austrian empires. Today, it acts as more of a monument to all those who have fought for France. Its surrounding roundabout also acts as a gauntlet to any fool who wishes to test the driving acumen of the French. The Champs-Élysées comes barreling right into the square to form a basic free for all for anyone who wishes to take up the challenge. The driving down the Champs-Élysées is not as dangerous, but no less hectic really as this area has succumbed fully to the trappings of tourism.

The Champs-Élysées is still worth seeing, however. It can be overwhelming, but there were no complaints from our reunited group as we walked down the famous boulevard, well lit for Christmas, determined to find a good brasserie or something to stop in and eat at. Occasionally, the ladies stopped in to have a look at the department stores, and I think Alex may have gotten something for herself while the Grant's called up Valerie, Ryan's sister, to entrigue her with some outfit selections, even sending her pictures with Ryan's phone, but she was not buying.

All that was left to do for the night was to get something to eat. This turned out to be a somewhat tricky task, but this was mainly due to everyone's indecisiveness in choosing a place. Despite the fact that the Champs-Élysées screams 'tourist trap', it is quite easy to simply walk off on a side street and find a decent place to eat with good food and reasonable prices. Two years before, Ryan, Will, and I had veered ever so slightly off the avenue and quickly found a local brasserie geared more towards locals with impeccable food and maybe the best dessert we had ever tasted.

This time, as touched on already, we did not quite as easily stumble onto an accomodating eatery, but when we did finally find one that appeased everyone, it turned out to be a gem of a place. It was somewhat disconcerting when they placed in the basement by ourselves, but after a while, we were joined by other customers who no doubt took interest in our presence there as we screamed American Imperialism. Our waitress did not speak much English, but our parents did not let that infringe upon their desire to pretend that she spoke perfect English since they spoke to her as though hand signals combined with speaking slowly and annunciating clearly would bridge the comprehension gap. Luckily, our waitress was good-natured and savy enough to somehow let our whole meal go off without a hitch. I cannot for the life of me remember what everyone had, but in general there were no complaints, only compliments on the meal and the service.

It had been a hectic day for our 'greatest hits' type tour of Paris, but our time in France was drawing to a close with everyone in pretty good spirits as well as having a good impression of France and its people, perhaps debunking the myth of grumpy Parisians and their Gallic insensibilities. The hour was getting late and we had an early wake-up call the next morning for our first train ride around Europe and we wanted to make sure that it went off without a hitch. Well, it did not. But that was for tomorrow. Tonight, we went to bed content with the manner of our trip thus far, not worried about what tomorrow would bring.

In the Aeroplane Over the Sea

Thursday/Friday, 20/21 December 2007

After a year of planning, the day of departure was finally upon us...and what a long day it turned out to be. We flew out of Chattanooga around 13:00 local time, bound for Atlanta, where we would catch our flight to Paris around 17:30. A number of us had planned to sleep on the plane. Not me and Ryan, mind you, as we both knew any efforts by us to even try and do so would be fruitless. However, others amongst us planned to drug themselves and try to sleep through most of the flight. We were leaving Atlanta at 23:30 Paris time, and would be arriving there at 8:00, so it would be a great opportunity to try and minimize the jet lag effect of traveling over 6 time zones, but best laid plans of mice and men...

In actuality, what ended up happening was our plane landing in Paris around 8:00 with none of us really having slept, yet the plan was to more or less hit the ground running, which made for quite an interesting day. It was with much glee that we finally reached our hotel, the Hotel Carofftel Gobelins, around 12:00 and plopped down in the front lobby, not even concerned with whether we could check in immediately. But we did not have to wait long and soon we were all in our rooms, perhaps feeling at last like we had arrived and our trip could now begin in earnest, and what better way to start it off with lunch at a local brasserie.

Or so we thought. Lunch, it seems, caused about half of us to hit a wall. Good French food and wine combined with 24 hours without sleep will do that I suppose. Being the supposed 'machine' that I am, however, I was determined not to waste a minute in Paris and with my parents equally reluctant to give in to their battle with fatigue, we set off for the Eiffel Tower along with Beth and the Crabtree's while the rest hung back to rest a little. So we made our way to Gustave's towering achievement as what better way is there to have Paris really introduce herself to you.

I watched with great pride as my family took in the breathtaking views of this most iconic of monuments for the first time and surely here they came to the surreal realization that they were indeed in Paris, France. Earlier in the day my Dad had noted that the only time he had ever left the United States was during a brief excursion into Canada from Detroit. I have to imagine that this probably topped that. There are many contributing factors to the beauty that Paris has to offer, but perhaps none more so than the Eiffel Tower. It is hard to imagine that this structure was in its early days considered nothing more than a glorified eyesore. Such critics are surely few and far between these days.

But Paris has much beauty to offer, and we had plans to meet back with the rest of the group atop Montmartre to take in the Parisian sunset. And we very nearly did, but alas, our hardly impeccable timing meant that we did not quite make the sunset, but nor did the other group as they got caught in the rush hour congestion of the Metro. While we did not make the sunset, we did manage to catch a few red embers in the sky as we looked down onto the hazy city below, and no less romantic was the setting atop that bohemian mecca with the Basilica of the Sacré-Cœur the jewel in its crown.

The magnificent splendor of Sacré-Cœur, or Sacred Heart in English, was more beautiful and imposing than I even remembered. My Dad modestly called it 'impressive.' Any superlative will do when you are standing before it and taking in its majesty.

And soon, everyone was able to revel in its beauty as the Robertson's and the Grant's met up with us, making the group whole once again, and I cannot imagine that their initial impressions of Montmartre and Sacré-Cœur were much different than our own. I found Will and Christine sitting on the stairs below Sacré-Cœur, perhaps still recovering from the long day, but I would like to think that more than that, they were just stopping to take it all in.

That is certainly what I did, not for the first time atop Montmartre either. It was the first place me, Ryan, and Will went to on our last visit to Paris and it made me fall for the City of Love right then and there. No less than the first time do I love Montmartre and its ambiance. It may be a bit of a tourist trap, but I could happily live here and spend my days wasting away at a local cafe people watching followed by a walk around this bohemian playground.

We certainly spent a fair amount of time up here ourselves. After gawking at Sacré-Cœur and the city below (with Gustave's tower keeping watch over it all) a while longer, we headed towards the main square of Montmartre and took a break at a local bistro to try some crêpes, which were good, but probably no better than something your average Southerner could cook up with a little Bisquick. The experience here was more memorable for our families' harsh realization that Europe does not mess around when it comes to Coca-Cola, as a Classic went for a solid 7 Euros a pop here. It was a fine Coke, for sure, but not quite worth 11 bucks, but we had fallen into the tourist trap I suppose and paid the price. Still, it could not take away from our experience atop Montmartre.

It had been quite a long day as one might imagine, but we still had one more stop for our first night in Paris...the Eiffel Tower...again. You must remember that half of the group had not seen it yet. Seeing it at night is certainly a different experience than seeing it during the day, and this time we would be going to the top for a view of the City of Light at night.

Not that you have to be a thousand feet up to appreciate the beauty of Paris at night as we enjoyed the views of the glowing tower across the Seine as we looked on from the Trocadéro. We had been here earlier of course, but it really does make for a grand view when you walk up the Trocadéro, in between the Palais de Chaillot, and there stands the Eiffel Tower in all her nighttime, radiant beauty, sparkling every half hour or so to make sure you remember that she is still there, like an old dame at the ball who does not wish you to cast glances in any direction but her own. We were happy to acquiesce.

We were soon standing in line, awaiting our turn to climb to the top. Unfortunately, there were only 9 of us at this point as the Robertson's had to retire for the night as Christine was not feeling up to the wait in line, an ominous sign for the next few days I am afraid. The rest of us braved the long line and brisk night for the climb. We all enjoyed the view in equal measure, but the time at the top was fleeting for some as a lack of bladder control found some of us, me among them, wanting for a WC. I consoled myself with the knowledge that I had at least seen it all before, but I could not help a laugh when I got back in line for the elevator to the bottom and found Danny, Lisa, Susan, and Alex already ahead of me though I was the first one to the top.

I am happy to report that my parents, Beth, and Ryan exerted more control than the rest and had more time to enjoy the nighttime views. And I am sure they did as there is much to admire from the top whether it be the that well lit boulevard that can only be the Champs-Élysées with the Arc de Triomphe at one end, or the twin towers of Notre Dame in the distance on the Île de la Cité. Then right under your very nose the Palais de Challiot reveals its enormity with the high rises of La Defense looming in the distance. There was some debate before amongst the group about whether it was worth going to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Our bladder issues aside, it definitely was and is.

Finally, we descended the Eiffel Tower and headed for the Metro, and we were happy to be heading towards our hotel where a well-earned night's sleep awaited us. It had been a long day; the longest, perhaps. By the time our heads hit the pillow, many of us had been up for close to 35 hours. It HAD been a long day, but we had made the most of it, and most of us suffered no ill effects from it. Indeed, it probably went some way into transitioning rather smoothly into European time given the circumstances. For now, though, the long day was over.

Spending the Holidays in Europe

So...it is Christmas, 2005, and me, Ryan, and Will have just gotten back to the States after spending a whirlwind two weeks traveling across Europe. They met me in London on Friday, 9 December, where I had just finished working a three month internship in British Parliament, and we spent the next two weeks trekking across Europe, beginning in London and ending in Rome, with stops at Paris, Geneva, Zurich, Munich, Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Venice, and Florence in between. An absolutely ridiculous pace, but we were young and poor and wanted to see as much as absolutely possible, for we did not know when we would return.

But we had such an amazing time that not long after returning home (like 5 hours maybe), we were already plotting our next trip over. Though Ryan does not seem to recall his moment of inspiration, it was he who suggested that not only should we definitely do it again, we should also bring our families along with us. It would be a bit of a chore for the three of us to bring our families over with us the next time as opposed to just doing something for the three of us and doing it our own way, but it stemmed from a desire to sort of coerce our families into traveling to Europe and having the same, amazing experience we had. If left to their own devices, they would probably never take the initiative to board that plane bound for the Old World, so we were happy to give them that nudge out the door.

For the longest time, it was just talk, but finally around Christmas, 2006, all of our families began to meet and discuss where we wanted to go and what we wanted to do. We met a number of times over the next 12 months as we ironed out the details of the trip. We had to book plane tickets, hotel reservations, train tickets, etc., though in reality, it was really Will who did most, if not just about all of this. We just gave him credit card numbers and knew everything would be taken care of. Better than a travel agent he is.

After months of deliberation, our trip was set for Christmas, 2007. We would fly out of Atlanta the afternoon of 20 December, arriving in Paris around 8 local time the next morning. From there we would head to Geneva, Interlaken, Munich, Como, Florence, and Rome, flying home from the Eternal City on 3 January. There would be 12 of us in all. It would be me, Beth (my sister), Ed (my dad), Becky (my mom), Will, Christine (Will's mom), Kevin (Will's brother), Ryan, Lisa (Ryan's mom), Danny (Ryan's dad), Susan (Ryan's aunt), and Alex (Ryan's cousin).

Obviously, this blog about our trip is being done post hoc, but we were not really able to keep up with a computer on our travels, ergo I am now putting down a record of our journey for anyone who wishes to see it, though in all honesty I presume no one other than us and our family and friends will want to view this. None the less, I wanted to put down into words the experiences of our two weeks in Europe.

This is our story...