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Curt is an avid traveler who has been sharing his travel stories on the Internet since 1994. Read more about Curt and his travel blog.
Tag Archives: Paris
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin at the Cathedral of Chartres
During our week in Paris, we were able to work in a day trip to Chartres, where we visited the famous Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres. The trip produced what is probably my favorite photo of the week, so rather than waiting to do a full write-up on the visit, I’m just going to post the photo now.
By the way, we’re safely home from Paris and back in Phoenix, as we have been for the past six days. I just realized I forgot to update my blog with that info, although anyone who might care likely already knows.
The day we were left alone in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles
If you’ve ever been to the Palace of Versailles, you know what a tourist attraction it is. If you’ve never been, take my word for it. Even on a cloudy, drizzly winter day like yesterday, when the park and gardens were closed and only the palace itself was open to the public, there were dozens of tour buses parked in front of the palace. Getting a photo without other people in it is nearly impossible. So it was somewhat remarkable that, for a few brief moments, Kathryn and I ended up in the Hall of Mirrors, the highlight of the tour, by ourselves.
Regional words and fat Frenchmen
It turns out that Angelina, the venerable tea room on rue de Rivoli in Paris, has an outpost at the Palace of Versailles. Kathryn and I found ourselves there earlier today, enjoying a snack of chocolat chaud africain before finishing our tour of the museum. We were in the tea room all alone — more on why we were alone in a future post — and we had just ordered. As usual, Kathryn let me do the ordering. I think she likes to hear me speak French, even though my French sucks.
Eiffel Tower twinkling at night
Without further ado, I present a few seconds of video of the Eiffel Tower while it was twinkling at the top of the hour.
Eiffel Tower in the fog
Kathryn took this photo of the Eiffel Tower from the top of the Montparnasse Tower. It gives you an idea of the weather we’ve been dealing with in Paris.
Kathryn and I have arrived safely in Paris. It was snowing at Charles de Gaulle Airport when we landed, and it’s still snowing in Paris as I write. More to follow later.
Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris
This photo, taken in the Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris, was one of only a handful of couple photos Kathryn and I have from our travels in Europe in 2007. It was a mostly cloudy day in September, but the colors of the flowers seem to pop out.
Notre Dame de Paris at night
After a long, romantic stroll along the Left Bank of the Seine late one evening in September 2007, Kathryn and I walked across Petit Pont to have a look at Notre Dame, the cathedral of Paris. Kathryn snapped a few photos, including this one.
Las Vegas road trip status update
The status of this weekend’s road trip to Las Vegas is now unambiguous. Kathryn’s doctor this morning ordered her to spend the weekend in Las Vegas. Sweet! I’ll submit a health insurance claim when we get home.
Germany: Any reason to celebrate in Monheim am Rhein, Cologne, and Düsseldorf
Christian let me know that I had to order the right beer for the city I was in. In Düsseldorf, they brew Alt, so that’s what they drink. In Cologne, they brew and drink Kölsch. I would be frowned upon if I ordered a beer in the wrong city. Those fortunate enough to live in Monheim am Rhein could order either, when in Monheim, of course.
Posted in Travel Tagged Aachen, Alt, Beer, Belgium, Brussels, Cologne, Düsseldorf, France, Germany, Kölsch, Monheim am Rhein, Paris, Thalys Leave a comment
Frequently asked questions about our road trip in Europe
We’ve only been home a few days, but Kathryn and I have already heard a lot of questions about our trip. For the benefit of everyone else, I’ve decided to repeat some of them here, along with their answers.
Posted in Travel Tagged Austria, Baden-Baden, Beer, BMW, Eisenstadt, European Delivery, France, Gambling, Germany, Italy, Monaco, Munich, Oktoberfest, Paris, Venice, Wiener Neustadt 1 Comment
Oktoberfest, BMW, Rothenburg, Baden-Baden, Eiffel Tower
Phew! It’s been about 72 hours since the last update, but we’ve managed to pack an awful lot in.
Paris, France: Museums, window shopping, and sleepless nights
Our first real destination was the Louvre. We arrived there at 1:30 p.m. The woman at the ticket sales counter told us that there were no student discounts from the rather steep entrance fee, but advised us that the fee would be reduced by 20 FRF if we entered after 3 p.m. So we decided to hold off for a little while.
Posted in Travel Tagged Angelina, Carte Orange, Champs-Elysées, France, Louvre, Montmartre, Musée d'Orsay, Parc de Monceau, Paris, Père-Lachaise, Pizza, Pont de la Concorde, Prisunic, Rochechouart, Sacré-Coeur, Tuilerie Gardens Leave a comment
Paris, France: French in Action and sleeping late
I spent the meantime walking around the Les Halles area, soaking in some more of Paris. I strolled near the Pompidou center and stopped for an espresso at Café Rive Droite nearby. It was a warm, sunny Saturday afternoon, and the streets were full of people. I spent some time writing postcards.
Posted in Travel Tagged Bastille Day, Champs-Elysées, France, French in Action, Hôtel MacMahon, Jardin du Luxembourg, Left Bank, Les Halles, Paris, Pompidou, Seine Leave a comment
Paris, France: Familiarizing myself
It was an excellent opportunity to re-familiarize myself with the right bank of Paris. I rediscovered sights like Musée du Louvre, Jardins des Tuileries, Avenue Champs-Elysées, and the Arc de Triomphe.
Posted in Travel Tagged Angelina, Arc de Triomphe, Aub-é-pain, Champs-Elysées, France, Jardins des Tuileries, Musée du Louvre, Paris, Rousseau Leave a comment
Arriving and finding a place to stay in Paris
I arrived in Paris early this morning at Charles de Gaulle airport to find a temperature in the low 70′s, drizzling rain, and overcast skies. Two of my biggest fears were squelched upon arrival: getting transportation from the airport to the city, and finding a cheap place to spend the night.