Paris, France

Bonjour!

I had a great train ride from London to Paris, maxing out at about 200 mph. My brother met me at the Gare de Paris-Nord train station at about 5:30pm and I have to say, it was great to see him again after not seeing each other for over a year.

We took the subway to the Crimée station (which I pronounce "Creamy") and walked a few blocks to our hostel. It's a pretty busy place, with a coffee shop and full bar on premise. We checked into our two-twin-bed room and went out for a little walk our first night down a quaint little canal into a fascinating park...


The lift bridge and pedestrian bridge right outside the hostel. Perhaps we'll dine al fresco by the canal tonight.

And, looking down the other way from the bridge. Oh, hi, Mark!

 This park we kept weaving in and out of was pretty cool. Too bad we didn't find any information about it; I have no idea what the name of the park was or its significance. 

We went to a sushi bar for dinner last night (we couldn't find a French restaurant) and then headed to the bakery for some of this:

 

 And this, which we didn't actually buy. I just thought they looked like miniature travel pillows:

The great thing about bakeries here is that it seems the lines to buy things are at least 8 people deep at all hours of the day. Delicious!


So far today, we've done the touristy thing: 

Alright, a little more serious:

And the full shot:

It was a cloudy day, but I think that kept a lot of tourists at bay, which made me happy. It was only 4,50€ to take the stairs to the second level, so my brother and I set forth

 

to enjoy the following views:

  

  

They had a variety of cafes and food stands on the two floors we visited, but really, who wants to eat while you're trying to convince your mind and inner-ears that everything is okay? Regardless of the Eiffel Tower's ability to keep hunger at bay, it was a great time hanging out up there (especially after the 400+ stairs we climbed).

After the Eiffel Tower, we headed to the Arc de Triomphe, something I've appreciated since being in the bicycle industry as le Tour de France circles around it a few times on the last leg of the race each year. Today, only a gaggle of cars were racing around it.

And here's the photo that pulls all of the days work together in one picture:

So far, Paris has been pretty pleasant. Tonight I'm hoping for some confit de canard (roast duck!), but really, I'm in Paris and will be happy with anything I'm served. Well, hold off on the escargot and caviar. But really, even an eau claire would suffice.

Au Revior for now!

International Bustling

Man, almighty, free internet at St Pancreas International.

Just a quick post to say how fun it is to sit and soak up the international happenings at St. Pancreas. Train station announcements in English and French, well-dressed business people, shopping, food, and the excitement of comings and goings (and wishing the best of luck to those running to their trains of catching them.)

I had a minor scare that I blew out my bad knee for good, getting my luggage off the Underground, but oh, so thankfully, it's doing fine now. (Thoughts of having to sit out of the fall Ultimate league flashed before me, before I walked it off and realized all was okay--whew!) Maybe though, I can use it to my advantage to get a quick pass to the front of the line as we wait in line for touring castles and museums.Sure, Europe isn't Disneyland, but I'll still see what I can do...

Thanks and goodbye to my friends on the Highfield Oval. 'Twas indeed a great time hanging out, eating sticky toffee pudding, wandering around the high street, chatting, eating M&S, and playing a sorry game of Mario Kart. I'm looking forward to meeting up with you all again one day soon, preferably over a giant vat of sticky toffee pudding! 

A Menagerie of Shots

Hard to believe I leave for Paris tomorrow. This past week has been great, again, just hanging out in Harpenden with friends and hitting up the ol' stomping grounds. Here's a bit of what I've been doing these past few days...

One of many walks down to the high street.

 

  

 

 

And of course an official Royal Post bicycle which always make me smile when I see them:

And back from the high street, a few groceries purchased (my gosh, I guess this means I have to admit I bought instant coffee!):

Around the bend on the Oval, I got to spend some time in the Oval Cafe with a few friends whilst it was closed and was able to take a couple of exclusive shots:

 

 

Later, I handed out some Fun Dip (classic 80s American candy) to some friends on base. These grown adults went crazy for it and I am now in an exclusive distribution deal with them. Nonetheless, they are good actors while on a sugar high.

Late last week I wandered into Luton, where I spent a lot of Wednesday afternoons back in 2008 at St. Mary's church. The building is 850 years old, something you really just do get back in America, do you.

 

Nothing like headstones of people who have been dead for a really long time (I prefer these to the crypts one typically walks on in the isles of old churches).

  

Before I took a few photos at the church, I went to the Arndale Mall across the street from the church for some necessary Primark shopping and a tuna and sweetcorn baguette from Gregg's. I took it all outside to eat on the pedestrian mall, which is a premiere place to people watch. People are always hawking their beliefs or selling various utilities and such to people out shopping. So, after being accosted by a yogi about a free book about spirituality and reincarnation (which I regretfully didn't take--it would've been a fascinating read--as I was too hungry to stop and chat), it only made sense that I was approached by some interns from the Luton News. They wanted my opinion on this week's topic of fasting for the month of September for Ramadan. Thankfully, I didn't get last week's question about one's thoughts on the band Oasis breaking up.


Ah, good times. I'm off on the Eurostar to Paris via the chunnel tomorrow. I'm looking forward to having flavour back in the food I eat again.

Oh, England

As I'm lounging around watching British television, eating Jamaican Ginger Cake and drinking tea, here's a little recap...

I had a pretty uneventful train ride from Liskeard to Harpenden yesterday. "Uneventful" meaning I didn't get thrown up on, for just as I was eying some seats across the isle from me (one can switch seats on the train as much as one switches lanes on the freeway), an old lady came walking briskly down the isle to the toilets with her hands over her mouth and vomit spewing between her fingers onto the floor. I know, gross. BUT, the person who had the window seat I was eying took one look at the "sick" (as many call it) and immediately went elsewhere for a seat which meant I got the window seat on the ocean-side of the train for the rest of the trip to London. Hooray! So, just remember that sometimes, one person's sick is another person's treasure.

After that, it was smooth sailing into Paddington and then to St. Pancreas (my favorite station--very suave, bustling, and beautiful and where the EuroStar departs from). I got off at the Harpenden station and thanks once again to the house with the giant gum-drop-shaped bush, I knew just which way to go to get to the Highfield Oval on Ambrose Lane. I walked up to my friend Dave and Ulani's house, took my shoes off, hugged Ulani and picked up right where we left off when she and Dave were in the states last year. Well, with another 11-week addition to their family, baby Aliyah.

My friend Christine and I, with whom I did my DTS in 2008, walked down to the high street and went to good ol' Sainsbury's to get some dinner. We made some pasta with mincemeat, bought some Bulmer's for later, and really just relished in the inexpensive joys that Sainsbury's brings us. Bland, but inexpensive.(Taste will come later, in the rest of Europe.)

Today I took the train to St. Albans for their outdoor Wednesday market. I don't know why I like going there so much, but I do. More for the idea of the market than the things I can buy; I guess I really just like the idea of a community market that sells everything to its neighbors. I noticed I was the only person wearing shorts--it was probably around 65--and I got a few astonished looks. I, however, didn't give my astonished looks to those who I thought were overdressed, but instead to all the mums in the coffee shops. What do they and/or their husbands do where they can just sip away on their Italian beverages in coffee shops with their children all morning long?! Then it was revealed to me that mums get 1 year of maternity leave here. Amazing.

The next few days I'll be here in Harpenden, just hanging out being a foreign-resident of sorts, doing the things I did when I lived here in 2008, as kind of a vacation among the vacation. For, the travels I have planned with my brother on the back half of this trip will be non-stop, full of unfamiliar foods and languages, late nights, internet cafes, and bicycles. For now, I'm enjoying hanging low with some good friends and what little remaining Cornish yarg I have left to share.

Gastronomy part I

Yes, this really will be a month of eating great things. It started with the pasty on Saturday in Looe, beef, potatoes, onions, and such, in a flaky, portable crust, much like a Chipotle burrito for beef stew. It was great until we came across a coffee shop that caught our attention and we tucked them away for later (which is the joy of pasties, so conveniently portable!).

 

(I'll admit, the first night here I had instant decaf coffee at my friend's house. Funny how many of the English foods that either tasted gross or made my stomach dodgy the first time in 2008, I now actually don't mind or even enjoy now!)

I'll never understand English coffee shops: £1.50 for a small Americano of which its contents is usually questionable (was that instant coffee or wasn't it?). I put up with it though, for it's the idea of getting coffee in England that counts. 

Whilst in Looe, Roz took me to a little cheese shop where I was introduced to Cornish Yarg. Yarg! Yarg is a wonderful light cheese that is wrapped in stinging nettle, and since we're right where it's made, it is very inexpensive. It's phenomenal! (Especially since your mouth doesn't go numb from the nettle).

We're heading over to a friend's house tonight for wine and cheese so we had to pick up some Wenslydale with cranberries. It'll be great to indulge since it is usually only available around Christmas time at specialty cheese shops back home. Sweet!

Also in that cheese shop I sampled some (hard) cider and some Cornish Lust, strawberry-cream wine akin to Bailey's Irish Cream. (They promote it as "strawberries, cream, and a little Cornish magic," but I know the Cornish magic is just wine.) I suspect it'd taste great with some dark chocolate regardless of whether an endless chain of scarves comes out of an empty bottle or not.

And then today it was cream tea (though eaten at high tea) for lunch up on the Moors among the sheep and, well, sheep. Shredded cheddar cheese sandwiches with cucumber and tomato, scones, strawberry jam, Cornish cream, tea, and cake. I had forgotten how great shredded cheddar cheese sandwiches are--so simple, yet so satisfying! Needless to say, we didn't even make it to the cake--way too much food. 

And I'm pretty sure if I were to ever write a cookbook this photo would grace the cover. I mean, what better photo to invite people to take a look inside?

Paddington Station to Liskeard

Hey, there! This is the inaugural post for my EU trip and what better a fitting place than Liskeard, Cornwall? Indeed, there really isn't a better place. Here's a quick update of what I've done so far. Ideally, the next post will be about what I've eaten, which will be even than this post better because it includes "lust" and stinging nettle. So fascinating...

At any rate, here's a great fact: both Paddington Bear and I have traveled through Paddington Station. He grabbed marmalade while there, I grabbed Muller Corner Yoghurt. (Visit Paddington Bear's website for more information about his amazing life--did you know he's from Peru!?) I had a great train ride from Paddington to Lisekard, where I met up with my friend Roz, with whom I did my DTS back in 2008. It's been great catching up with her as she's helped ease me back into English culture.

And really, so far, it's been enjoyable reacquainting myself with the English culture. For instance, accepting that people incessantly say "cheers" especially in situations where I would say "thank you" or nothing at all. Or, realizing again just how amazingly low the prices are here: 12p for a liter and a half of sparkling water. 12p! That's about 20 US cents. Amazing prices, I say!

 

I'm staying at Roz's parents' house somewhere around Liskeard. She and I wandered into Looe yesterday and enjoyed the ocean, Cornish pasties, and coffee. A cute little fishing village much like Kennebunkport, Maine...only older. The tide was out so it wasn't super busy with fishing boats, and let's be honest, it was a little stinky. However, it was still incredibly quaint and fun to window shop in.

 

We checked out Trego Mills, quite the bizarre place as it looks like an amusement park, but it's really a Home Deopt, IKEA, and, say, JC Penney's rolled into one castle-like building. One is indeed not amused as one tries to find what one needs at Trago. Still great to experience one of the many happenings in Cornish life.

Today we walked with the dogs on the south coast. A great sunny day to meander down the trail, saying "hi" to people, and see sheep and cows further up the hillsides.

It's more Cornish goodness until Tuesday, when I take the train back to London and up to Harpenden. I'm looking forward to sharing more with you soon!

In Flight Entertainment

My bag is packed and it is well under the 50-pound limit (much to my surprise) and I'm set to enjoy the following from seat 23-A:
* A significant increase in my WorldPerks Miles
* Complementary wine and beer
* Dinner at 11pm
* Over twenty movies on demand including An American Girl: Chrissa Stands Strong, The Hangover, and Night at the Museum 2
* A seat that reclines 6 inches or less
* Wonky sleep
* A view of the Northern Lights from around New Brunswick, Canada
* Conversations with strangers
* And the reality of knowing that I'll be in England when I set foot on solid ground again
First stop is to spend a few days with my friend Roz and her family in Liskeard, England. The dollar is much stronger than the pound from when I was there in 2008, which rejoice, means more Muller Corner Yoghurt for me.
More from England soon!