I wish I could keep everyone in my life updated more easily. there are so many people i want to talk to and definitely not enough time on other people's computers to tell everyone whats up lately. also, the "z" is in the place of the "y" on german keyboards, so tzping is slightlz annozing.
My money slowly...well, not slowly...fastly...dwindling and that is kind of scary and makes me have a knot in my stomach. I am spending veeeery little money except for really expensive train and bus tickets and flight changes. thankfully, a bit of very unexpected money fell from the sky the other day, and the burden on my back felt much lighter. thank you, You Know Who You Are. I cant tell you how much of a blessing that was. Then the girls and I journeyed to Esslingen, Germany where my bro-in-law's old high school friend is from, and he insisted on paying for and providing for us for everything. I had the best time. We all did. More on that in a moment.
The 25th, we caught an early train to Salzburg. I actually had 3 tickets to salzburg, which you learned about in my last message. i'm trying to let that wasted $80 go. it's not easy. Before hopping on the train, i bought another strawberry and cream cheese pastry, and it was phenomenal. My poor little body is just not taking this new diet well. my fingernails are peeling for lack of protein, my hair is dry, and my tummy is...very there. ha, i sound like i'm complaining, but i'm really not. I am loving this. I'm also really excited to come home. I'm excited to not be obsessed with every penny i spend, and not always have a nostalgic need to talk about what I'm going to do as soon as I get home with melanie and lindsey. melanie can relate. my sweet memphis friend. She's a great addition to my life.
We fell in love with Salzburg the moment we arrived. The small city is framed by snow-capped Alps and a general attitude of generosity. We activated our eurail pass at the train station and then got on a smaller train to our couch-surfer's home. Her house was not hard to find, and a field of cows greeted us as we turned onto her street. She lives in the tiny village of Anthering and gets her milk fresh from those welcoming cows. She would. Her name is Andrea, she's about 55 or so, married to sweet Frederick, who doesn't speak much English, and all her children are spread out around the world. She was our mom for the night and provided comfy beds, breakfast, and a guided tour the next day through the city for the entire day. Unbelievable graciousness. During our drive to start our little 4 person tour, mel and I fell asleep in the back seat of her car. I can't lie--this constant travel is wearing us out. We woke up as soon as we arrived to the Von Trapp house (from the movie...not the real von trapp estate) and exclaimed with glee. For those of you who dont know, I spent the majority of my childhood in front of my grandmother's (Mama Lou) tv, watching the Sound of Music, memorizing every precious Do-Rei-Mi of the songs, and eating Swansen chicken pot pies. Anyway, we got our fair share of pictures of the Von Trapp's estate, as well as the gazebo where they sang "16 going on 17", the Abbey, the fountain the children danced around, and Mozart's birthplace. It was a wonderful day, and we sadly had to leave quickly to catch our train to Stuttgart, Germany at 4 on the afternoon of the 26th. Upon arriving in Stuttgart, Scott's high school friend, Arndt, was waiting for us with a red sign, saying "welcome to germany, lindsey, stephanie, and melanie!". Also there was a picture his 3 year old son had drawn of Stuttgart's telephone tower. Arndt greeted us with a huge hug and we drove in his van/car the 20 minutes to his family's home in Esslingen. We listened to AC/DC's "shook me all night long" in the car, which was awesome, because Arndt cranked it up, and Melanie sang at the top of her lungs. That night we had german bread and swiss cheese, brie, and some other cheese that was german and too hard to remember the name of. it was a great meal, and little did we know, every meal for dinner the next 3 nights. cheese and bread is the thing here, i think. Both a major part of my diet, but also maybe overdone at the moment for me.
Side note that i just remembered: i met two deaf people in Prague and then saw two more in germany. Both parties seemed to be doing American Sign Language. Kind of crazy, since every country has their own sign language. The Czech people understood my signing...Mel and Lindsey were charmed. ha. i never get tired of sign language and other people's reactions.
Ok, back to Esslingen. One of my favorite parts of the trip was meeting Jonas (Yone-us), Arndt and his wife Mirjam's son. He's almost 4, loves rabbits (his parents are getting him one for his birthday), chocolate, me, melanie, and lindsey very much. I very much loved how much Jonas made me laugh and how much we made him laugh. This family was inspiring to me. They make me want to have a family. To be hospitable and host people in my home. To stuff sweet foods and yummy delicacies down their throats. As we walked around little town Esslingen, Jonas would come up, scoop up my hand in his, and we would meander together down the road. I love how he would talk to me in his German kid voice, and although I had no idea what he was saying, we bonded. I wrote him a note before we left for Switzerland, and when Arndt translated it for him, he apparently said "I don't want a note, i want my girls to stay here!" Sweet boy. When he found out we were actually leaving, he said "my girls are LEAVING?"
Our last day in the city, we walked around Stuttgart (i definitely just made that "g" and "f" at first..ha) with Arndt's dad. He knows some English, but not a ton. We had so much fun with him, going to a monument built for a former king's wife, as well as to the Mercedes museum (Stuttgart is the home of Mercedes, btw). For some reason, I loved the Mercedes museum. I don't know what it was about the cars. They're CARS. I wistfully roamed from car to car, running my hand over the hoods, checking the doors to see if they were unlocked. I never thought I wanted a Mercedes. Today I do. I probably will tomorrow too. As we drove with Arndt's dad to our next stop, we discovered how much of a speed demon he is for a 65 year old. He got mad at a driver and yelled "go home, sleepy tot!" We laughed so hard. Random German fact: they wear their wedding rings on their right hand. Engagement rings are worn on the left hand as a promise, and then on the wedding day, the ring is put on the right hand. crazy.
TUCS brand crackers are the best, by the way. theyre like Ritz, but better texture. Also, I eat more granola and cereal when I travel than I ever have before. My other favorite travel food is banana chips.
On Sunday, we went to church with Mirjam, while Arndt's parents cooked a big lunch for us at home (they all live in the same big house...its so cool...his parents have their own little apartment below Mirjam and Arndt). The only two parts of the sermon I caught were the Lord's Prayer and the "The Lord Bless you and Keep you" for the benediction. It was a Lutheran church, we found out later when the pastor spoke to us in English. I loved the church. It made me miss traditional services. It also made me miss going to church with my Methodist grandparents and hearing my grandfather preach from the pulpit on Sunday mornings occasionally.
We left this morning from Germany, and it honestly felt like leaving family. I had so much fun with the Rosenbaurs (Arndt and his family), and I dont know when I'll see them again...When we left, Arndt bought us coffees and sweet breakfast breads for our train ride. We tried to say no, but alas, he wouldnt take no for an answer.
We arrived in Switzerland at 2 pm today. We arrived in sort of grumpy moods, knowing that as beautiful as this country is, it's also so so so expensive. And I think we were just so tired from 11 days of travel thus far. however, after catching an expensive train from Geneva, Switz to the little town of Allaman, our spirits perked. we met the girl we're couch surfing with. Her name is Hannah. She's from West Africa, but her dad is American, and her mom is irish. She's about 5 foot tall, cute as can be, and drives a little stick shift, beat-up SUV. She is married to a guy she met on a ship, and they live in this little village where they can afford the rent. Best part: they're Christians. It is so refreshing to be in this welcome home of Believers who love hiking and opening their home to people. We are all sitting around her house at the moment, listening to music and smelling cinnamon candles. Tomorrow, Hannah got off of work at her job at Starbucks so that she can show us around the area with her car. That way we won't have to spend so much money on public transport. We will have to help her with gas...
I'm a bit astounded at how much God is providing for me during this trip...I went on a run through the village today, and listened to Rock of Ages by Sandra McCracken. "The skys will wear out, but You remain the same...Rock of Ages, we praise Your Name". Its hard to imagine the skies or the mountains wearing out in Switzerland. It's also hard to imagine Someone more majestic than the Alps. How beautiful that is! It's going to be really cool to meet Him...
Monday, March 29, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
barcelona to prague
During my run this morning along the streets of prague, i thought again how extremely surreal this is, as well as how blessed i am. a constant thought i'm having: ok, Lord. this is amazing. Things are going really well. i'm prepared at any given moment for something to go wrong. And i'll just roll with it...
It's funny when things go well. i long for that smooth sailing when in the midst of a crisis. but now that things are happening exactly as planned, if not way better, i don't know WHAT to do with it. it's just too good to be true. Barcelona rocked my world like Michael Jackson. Melanie and I stayed with 10 people in a rented apartment. I absolutely love our group. They were all from Swansea, and Americans. I don't know why I havent been hanging out with them the whole time. We went on a bike ride through the city, walked around, shopped, went to the beach, partied some. It was a blast. Melanie and I always feel so taken care of by the group of guys who were with us. Stephen Harris, Stephen Rose, Billy, Pat, and Ryan. They were precious. Most of the weekend was spent laughing hysterically. The first night I was in Barcelona, I stayed by myself with a couch-surfer in a section of town called "Bellaterra". It was beautiful. Ritzy part of town. I woke up the next morning to "the kiss" from the Last of the Mohicans soundtrack. that sort of made me laugh. As I looked outside at the gorgeous view, the climatic part of the song played. I went downstairs to find one of the spanish guys, whose room I had apparently been given (he was totally fine with this), working out on the patio and listening to the last of the mohicans soundtrack off his computer, propped in the window. I told him there's nothing like imagining Daniel Day Lewis climbing that mountain to pump you up while lifting weights. He didn't understand be because he's spanish. I resumed our conversation using only spanish. He (his name was joseph) graciously offered to take me to the airport. It threw me off that the car was a toyota suv, with the steering wheel on the left side of the car. Then driving on the left side of the road made me almost convinced the UK's driving system felt more natural. But as we drove, it felt more at home, and I missed America for a second. I took the Ferrocarril train back into Barcelona to meet my wonderful friends, billy and pat, at the apt. they had just come from dublin for st. patrick's day. they were tired and maaaaybe hungover. i was so excited to see familiar faces, but they crashed as soon as the apt owner let us in. so I went on a walk around the area where we were staying (called the Barrio Gotico region...very center of the city beside the big street, La Rambla). As I walked down La Rambla, I found bunnies and chickens for sale. I almost bought a bunny. Then I remembered I had a 4 week trip ahead of me with only a backpacking backpack. p.s. Philip, this has been amazing to have. It's just the right size for me to carry it on the plane and not have to check it. Although, I have tucked other purses/my camera under my jacket to sneak onto the plane, since we're only allowed one item of hand luggage under 10 kg.
The 4 days in Barc were amazing. My favorite part was riding bikes around the city. I took a picture of a guy and his dog asleep together on the side of the road. Well, I thought he was asleep. I noticed in the picture later that he had inconspicuously shown me his middle finger, while his eyes were closed. My friends told me he was homeless. THAT made me feel like an idiot...The weekend ended with a wonderful night sitting around the living room chatting. Our tipsy friends made melanie and I laugh so hard our tummys hurt and our eyes watered. Note: melanie and I were not tipsy. maybe that's why it was so funny. Quote one of our amazing friends who shall remain nameless: "Its just a really big pet peeve of mine when my room mates don't put my laundry in the dryer for me. No seriously. I text them from class and they're like asleep or something". My new name after the weekend is "steph-a-lephanie". It suits me.
Sigh. well, i took a break from writing, hung out around Prague today, and now i realize that this is what I was talking about when I mentioned the constant thought I've been having. I bought a ticket to austria for the wrong day, and so since its non-refundable, i tried to buy another one. clicking on the right day, i purchased it, and then. the ticket i printed off had the wrong day again!! i was so upset. i tried to call the czech railways help line. but no. the english speaking rep. did not speak english, and made me feel dumb. so i have now spent 58 euros in useless tickets. for the same exact train. I don't really know what to do. but I think the receptionist here at the hostel, who speaks czech, is going to call the station for me and help me out. I hate feeling helpless. the poor receptionist who saw me talking on the phone in a heated conversation looked at me very sadly as I began to cry. i hate crying when i'm mad. why is that the reaction? I MISS AMERICA RIGHT NOW.
I'm going back to the train station tomorrow to try to sort things out. i told melanie tonight that i may be forced to use a begging action, "look at me. have you ever been 21? have you ever made stupid mistakes? well this is mine. please have mercy on me and give me my money back." if that doesnt work, i'll go out with a bang and say "screw you"...not really. Did I mention I love traveling? I really really do. I also don't have a lot of patience sometimes. Melanie and I talked later after we were sufficiently stressed about the ticket/the end of our trip when I am going to be stuck in venice for 3 days with no where to stay because mel and lindsey are going to greece, and I don't fly out until april 12th to scotland. and it's 40 euro to change my flight. Anyway, so we talked, and she said, "we just need to let God be in control. He's going to take care of us." She's right. He has taken care of us so much already.
So tomorrow is our last day in Prague. Hopefully I can get a new ticket to salzburg for the day after tomorrow, and we'll be on our way to our next destination. I think i'm getting a cold. But I have a roll of toilet paper next to my bed.
It's funny when things go well. i long for that smooth sailing when in the midst of a crisis. but now that things are happening exactly as planned, if not way better, i don't know WHAT to do with it. it's just too good to be true. Barcelona rocked my world like Michael Jackson. Melanie and I stayed with 10 people in a rented apartment. I absolutely love our group. They were all from Swansea, and Americans. I don't know why I havent been hanging out with them the whole time. We went on a bike ride through the city, walked around, shopped, went to the beach, partied some. It was a blast. Melanie and I always feel so taken care of by the group of guys who were with us. Stephen Harris, Stephen Rose, Billy, Pat, and Ryan. They were precious. Most of the weekend was spent laughing hysterically. The first night I was in Barcelona, I stayed by myself with a couch-surfer in a section of town called "Bellaterra". It was beautiful. Ritzy part of town. I woke up the next morning to "the kiss" from the Last of the Mohicans soundtrack. that sort of made me laugh. As I looked outside at the gorgeous view, the climatic part of the song played. I went downstairs to find one of the spanish guys, whose room I had apparently been given (he was totally fine with this), working out on the patio and listening to the last of the mohicans soundtrack off his computer, propped in the window. I told him there's nothing like imagining Daniel Day Lewis climbing that mountain to pump you up while lifting weights. He didn't understand be because he's spanish. I resumed our conversation using only spanish. He (his name was joseph) graciously offered to take me to the airport. It threw me off that the car was a toyota suv, with the steering wheel on the left side of the car. Then driving on the left side of the road made me almost convinced the UK's driving system felt more natural. But as we drove, it felt more at home, and I missed America for a second. I took the Ferrocarril train back into Barcelona to meet my wonderful friends, billy and pat, at the apt. they had just come from dublin for st. patrick's day. they were tired and maaaaybe hungover. i was so excited to see familiar faces, but they crashed as soon as the apt owner let us in. so I went on a walk around the area where we were staying (called the Barrio Gotico region...very center of the city beside the big street, La Rambla). As I walked down La Rambla, I found bunnies and chickens for sale. I almost bought a bunny. Then I remembered I had a 4 week trip ahead of me with only a backpacking backpack. p.s. Philip, this has been amazing to have. It's just the right size for me to carry it on the plane and not have to check it. Although, I have tucked other purses/my camera under my jacket to sneak onto the plane, since we're only allowed one item of hand luggage under 10 kg.
The 4 days in Barc were amazing. My favorite part was riding bikes around the city. I took a picture of a guy and his dog asleep together on the side of the road. Well, I thought he was asleep. I noticed in the picture later that he had inconspicuously shown me his middle finger, while his eyes were closed. My friends told me he was homeless. THAT made me feel like an idiot...The weekend ended with a wonderful night sitting around the living room chatting. Our tipsy friends made melanie and I laugh so hard our tummys hurt and our eyes watered. Note: melanie and I were not tipsy. maybe that's why it was so funny. Quote one of our amazing friends who shall remain nameless: "Its just a really big pet peeve of mine when my room mates don't put my laundry in the dryer for me. No seriously. I text them from class and they're like asleep or something". My new name after the weekend is "steph-a-lephanie". It suits me.
Sigh. well, i took a break from writing, hung out around Prague today, and now i realize that this is what I was talking about when I mentioned the constant thought I've been having. I bought a ticket to austria for the wrong day, and so since its non-refundable, i tried to buy another one. clicking on the right day, i purchased it, and then. the ticket i printed off had the wrong day again!! i was so upset. i tried to call the czech railways help line. but no. the english speaking rep. did not speak english, and made me feel dumb. so i have now spent 58 euros in useless tickets. for the same exact train. I don't really know what to do. but I think the receptionist here at the hostel, who speaks czech, is going to call the station for me and help me out. I hate feeling helpless. the poor receptionist who saw me talking on the phone in a heated conversation looked at me very sadly as I began to cry. i hate crying when i'm mad. why is that the reaction? I MISS AMERICA RIGHT NOW.
I'm going back to the train station tomorrow to try to sort things out. i told melanie tonight that i may be forced to use a begging action, "look at me. have you ever been 21? have you ever made stupid mistakes? well this is mine. please have mercy on me and give me my money back." if that doesnt work, i'll go out with a bang and say "screw you"...not really. Did I mention I love traveling? I really really do. I also don't have a lot of patience sometimes. Melanie and I talked later after we were sufficiently stressed about the ticket/the end of our trip when I am going to be stuck in venice for 3 days with no where to stay because mel and lindsey are going to greece, and I don't fly out until april 12th to scotland. and it's 40 euro to change my flight. Anyway, so we talked, and she said, "we just need to let God be in control. He's going to take care of us." She's right. He has taken care of us so much already.
So tomorrow is our last day in Prague. Hopefully I can get a new ticket to salzburg for the day after tomorrow, and we'll be on our way to our next destination. I think i'm getting a cold. But I have a roll of toilet paper next to my bed.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
bonjour and au revoir, dear city
HELLO. i am mucho behind. time to get with it. let's begin with last week some time. Someone said the nicest thing to me. I always remember the super nice things, and they make a mark in my memory. this was was by Simone, my room mate's girlfriend. She said, "Your expressions are lovely. Like your gestures and everything You're very welcoming." That pretty much made my whole week. I had so much fun hanging out with Simone and Chris, even though it was only in the kitchen of our measly house. We had a house dinner that night, and i drank too much wine. The thing is, too much is not much for me. So how do i know when to stop? After it's all over. We had duck, chicken, polish soup, home made pizza, old el paso tacos, my apple pie, starbust jelly beans, dove chocolates, and ferrer rocher (spelling?) chocolate balls. we mixed lots of cultures, and it made me glad.
The next morning, Lindsey, her friend from home Rachel, and I headed to Paris at 4 in the morning. We didn't go to bed that night, so by the time we got on the train, we were f.r.i.e.d, like a funnel cake. We arrived in london, and after a few minor hassles, and way too much money for transportation later, we got on a plane (with so so much less hassle than our flight to belfast) to Paris. We arrived in Paris at 2:30 in the afternoon and took a train to Gare Du Nord, a train station near our host's house so that she could meet us. Her name is Paola. Side note: she is amazing. I used my amazing French speaking skills to get us tickets at the train station. I do mean not amazing, by the way. I knew about three phrases in French. By the way, as much as we love Paris and Parisians, people in Paris dont like Americans. Only a random few are actually charmed by the "ya'lls" and loud voices. Contrasting to the attitudes of the British, who mostly love Americans. So anyway, we get to Gare Du Nord, and I say, "Hey let's get flowers for Paola". While Lindsey and Rachel wait in a café, I hunt down some flowers in the train station. The guy didn't know English, but it was fun trying to talk to him and figure out prices. After he wrapped up three flowers for me, I realized they were 3.50 euro for EACH flower, and I was like "ooooh no no no....uhh...just uh...un fleur", while holding up the number one. He looks slightly peeved but gives me my request, re-wrapping the flowers. All the while I get a text from Paola asking where I am and that she's waiting for me outside. Dang it. Ok, while the guy tries to get my phone number (he's MAYBE 50), I say "ok um, i need to hurry". So I pay and flee with my silly little flower. I run up the stairs, and two random extremely gross-looking guys sidle up next to me and ask me for my number. No no no no. I sheepishly back away and go to find my friends. We meet up, and I say "let's go! paola is outside". So we run outside, find paola, and I shove the flower into her arms. "THANK YOU!" She's grateful, we chat all the way on the train to her friend's house where we're staying for the night. She was busy that night and couldn't keep us. The guys are precious precious, so so sweet. Steven and Tber. They have a wonderful flat with a little balcony, and they offer to make us a Moroccan dinner. We say we might join them when we get back from seeing the Louvre. So we rush off to the Louvre, thinking we have plenty of time. We don't. We get there and it's closing. So we're starving at this point and walk around paris to find some place to eat and maybe go by the tour eiffel (eiffel tower) to see the lights at night. We get so lost. For hours. We can't figure out how to get back to the guy's apartment, and THEN. the best part. my phone runs out of money. And i can't put more on it, cuz I'm not in the UK, and it's a UK phone. So we can't get ahold of the guys or paola to figure out directions to the guys house. Finally, after walking everywhere, snapping at each other, and stopping in mcdonalds to calm our hearts with some french fries and hot chocolate, us three crazy americans find the right bus and get back to the guy's. they're waiting for us to eat dinner. It's 2 in the morning. We feel really horrible, stuff some of their DELICIOUS food (Tber is an amazing cook) into our already full tummys, take showers, and fall asleep in the big bed they let us borrow for the night. Lindsey falls asleep in front of her computer, and I in my comfortable little ball, knees pulled up to my nose.
The next day, we get up and dressed, still a bit drowsy, and plan our day. We decide to go see the eiffel tower and walk around parks and such. To start the day, we get our pastries, my favorite thing called Pain au chocolate (croissant with chocolate in the middle)
They also had these delectable chocolates:
We walked around the city all day, taking fun pictures and being cold (i forgot my jacket in Wales...i would)....here's a few of the pictures we took. I love Paris, by the way. and I want to go back very soon. Some people I would love to see paris with: Philip, Ashleigh and her boyfriend (he speaks french), and amanda (because she would love it here and hasn't ever been). Also my mom and dad and my sisters would love paris. I wish they could be here with me.
That night, we ate at a luscious restaurant, and I tried escargot (!!). p.s. this:
=
It wasn't awful. just really salty and pesto-y and mushy. My pasta even had mushrooms in it, which you should be impressed about cuz i hate mushrooms. i think i was just really hungry.
We went to Montemarte (Mo-maht) also...this is where the movie Amelie was filmed. We saw several sites where the movie was filmed, and that made me so excited. It was GORGEOUS. I think montemarte is my favorite part of paris. the basilica called Sacré-Cœur is also in montemarte. got some pictures of that. I could also see a ton of paris from there which was awesome. While in montemarte, we met two precious guys (Aly and Adam) who showed us around and got us free chocolate crepes from his friend's crepe shop. They were delicious. They also took us to the Moulin Rouge, which I wasn't very impressed by. Too many lights. Looked too modern and reminded me of what i think las vegas looks like. I was sad to say goodbye to Aly and Adam, but I added them on facebook. Aly's best quote of the night, "I don't understand that american phrase 'go with the flow'. I just wonder, who is Flow?" ha. That night we went to Paola's and took funny pictures in front of this door with mirrors in part of it and windows in the other part of it.
Later we fell asleep watching Amelie. Woke up the next day and went to the Louvre. It was awesome. There, I had another Pain au Chocolate. I think chocolate in the morning is a good idea always. we saw Mona Lisa. I really liked her.
Then went to Notre Dame, and Lindsey and Rachel left to catch their flight back to London. I walked around aimlessly, got some of the best gelato I've ever had..it was part chocolate and part hazelnut/chocolate. That was like really good Nutella (which i am now addicted to, p.s.). I got a text from Paola's room mate while walking around and it said "where are you? we're worried about you". I felt awful, because we couldnt get in touch with her because I can't call or text anyone (cuz i have no money on my phone, remember?) But i can RECEIVE texts. sigh. So I walked around and tried to find an internet connection so I could at least email paola. I figured out that a mcdonald's had a connection, but i couldn't find mcdonalds. So I stopped a random person and asked my famous question "Excusemoi, vous parlez anglay?" (do you speak english...i think i just butchered the spelling). He said yes, and I asked him where McDonald's was. He said "Well, I know a place better than mcdonalds, but it is cheap same way. Just down the street. Here, I show you." I laugh and explain i need the internet, and he didn't really know how to help me. So I explained my dilemma and how i needed to get in touch with my couch-surfing host. He let me use his phone, and while we waited for a response for Paola's room mate (which we got eventually, and it was all fine then), we chatted, and I found out he is from Rome (and he is connected with couch surfing and might let me and lindsey and melanie stay with him in a few weeks! yay). We walked around some more and decided to go to Montemarte again. He is a cool guy, and after riding around on a train, we finally exchanged names. His name is Mirka. And he knew I had a boyfriend because we talked about how i was going to see him in May in South Africa (so dont worry, philip. smile). At montemarte, we saw the basilica again, and I got a painting for me and some souvenirs for my mom and sisters. Afterwards, I decided to go back to Paola's, cuz I was exhausted. I hung out there and watched Amelie AGAIN :) with Paola's room mate, Mery. Then I slept peacefully.
Today I woke up at 12 and since then I have been sitting in St. Christopher's Hostel, where my room mate from Knoxville, Hannah, is staying this week. I decided while I waited to write in my blog. I will continue to wait, because I must see her. We cannot be in the same city for 4 days and not see each other once. My flight leaves for London at 9:45 tonight. Also, I leave on Thursday for my 4 week excursion across europe with Lindsey and Melanie.
For those of you interested, by the way, here is my itinerary for the 4 weeks. If you aren't interested, stop reading now. :D
March 18-22: Barcelona (staying in a rented apartment near the ocean with 12 American friends i have from Wales
March 22-25: Prague, Czech Republic (staying with Lindsey's good friend from home)
March 25-27: Salzburg, Austria (probably staying in a hostel)
March 27-29: Esslingen, Germany (Staying with my bro-in-law's good friend)
March 29-April 2: Geneva, Switzerland (staying with a sweet couch-surfer named Hannah)
April 2-April 5: Rome, Italy (maybe staying with my friend, Mirko, who I talked about up there ^ )
April 5-7: Florence, Italy (probably staying in a hostel)
April 7-12: Venice Italy (staying with Lindsey's good friend form home)
April 12-17: Inverness, Scotland (staying with my good friend, Rhona)
April 18: Arrive back in Swansea.
love you guys and miss you a ton.
The next morning, Lindsey, her friend from home Rachel, and I headed to Paris at 4 in the morning. We didn't go to bed that night, so by the time we got on the train, we were f.r.i.e.d, like a funnel cake. We arrived in london, and after a few minor hassles, and way too much money for transportation later, we got on a plane (with so so much less hassle than our flight to belfast) to Paris. We arrived in Paris at 2:30 in the afternoon and took a train to Gare Du Nord, a train station near our host's house so that she could meet us. Her name is Paola. Side note: she is amazing. I used my amazing French speaking skills to get us tickets at the train station. I do mean not amazing, by the way. I knew about three phrases in French. By the way, as much as we love Paris and Parisians, people in Paris dont like Americans. Only a random few are actually charmed by the "ya'lls" and loud voices. Contrasting to the attitudes of the British, who mostly love Americans. So anyway, we get to Gare Du Nord, and I say, "Hey let's get flowers for Paola". While Lindsey and Rachel wait in a café, I hunt down some flowers in the train station. The guy didn't know English, but it was fun trying to talk to him and figure out prices. After he wrapped up three flowers for me, I realized they were 3.50 euro for EACH flower, and I was like "ooooh no no no....uhh...just uh...un fleur", while holding up the number one. He looks slightly peeved but gives me my request, re-wrapping the flowers. All the while I get a text from Paola asking where I am and that she's waiting for me outside. Dang it. Ok, while the guy tries to get my phone number (he's MAYBE 50), I say "ok um, i need to hurry". So I pay and flee with my silly little flower. I run up the stairs, and two random extremely gross-looking guys sidle up next to me and ask me for my number. No no no no. I sheepishly back away and go to find my friends. We meet up, and I say "let's go! paola is outside". So we run outside, find paola, and I shove the flower into her arms. "THANK YOU!" She's grateful, we chat all the way on the train to her friend's house where we're staying for the night. She was busy that night and couldn't keep us. The guys are precious precious, so so sweet. Steven and Tber. They have a wonderful flat with a little balcony, and they offer to make us a Moroccan dinner. We say we might join them when we get back from seeing the Louvre. So we rush off to the Louvre, thinking we have plenty of time. We don't. We get there and it's closing. So we're starving at this point and walk around paris to find some place to eat and maybe go by the tour eiffel (eiffel tower) to see the lights at night. We get so lost. For hours. We can't figure out how to get back to the guy's apartment, and THEN. the best part. my phone runs out of money. And i can't put more on it, cuz I'm not in the UK, and it's a UK phone. So we can't get ahold of the guys or paola to figure out directions to the guys house. Finally, after walking everywhere, snapping at each other, and stopping in mcdonalds to calm our hearts with some french fries and hot chocolate, us three crazy americans find the right bus and get back to the guy's. they're waiting for us to eat dinner. It's 2 in the morning. We feel really horrible, stuff some of their DELICIOUS food (Tber is an amazing cook) into our already full tummys, take showers, and fall asleep in the big bed they let us borrow for the night. Lindsey falls asleep in front of her computer, and I in my comfortable little ball, knees pulled up to my nose.
The next day, we get up and dressed, still a bit drowsy, and plan our day. We decide to go see the eiffel tower and walk around parks and such. To start the day, we get our pastries, my favorite thing called Pain au chocolate (croissant with chocolate in the middle)
They also had these delectable chocolates:
We walked around the city all day, taking fun pictures and being cold (i forgot my jacket in Wales...i would)....here's a few of the pictures we took. I love Paris, by the way. and I want to go back very soon. Some people I would love to see paris with: Philip, Ashleigh and her boyfriend (he speaks french), and amanda (because she would love it here and hasn't ever been). Also my mom and dad and my sisters would love paris. I wish they could be here with me.
That night, we ate at a luscious restaurant, and I tried escargot (!!). p.s. this:
=
It wasn't awful. just really salty and pesto-y and mushy. My pasta even had mushrooms in it, which you should be impressed about cuz i hate mushrooms. i think i was just really hungry.
We went to Montemarte (Mo-maht) also...this is where the movie Amelie was filmed. We saw several sites where the movie was filmed, and that made me so excited. It was GORGEOUS. I think montemarte is my favorite part of paris. the basilica called Sacré-Cœur is also in montemarte. got some pictures of that. I could also see a ton of paris from there which was awesome. While in montemarte, we met two precious guys (Aly and Adam) who showed us around and got us free chocolate crepes from his friend's crepe shop. They were delicious. They also took us to the Moulin Rouge, which I wasn't very impressed by. Too many lights. Looked too modern and reminded me of what i think las vegas looks like. I was sad to say goodbye to Aly and Adam, but I added them on facebook. Aly's best quote of the night, "I don't understand that american phrase 'go with the flow'. I just wonder, who is Flow?" ha. That night we went to Paola's and took funny pictures in front of this door with mirrors in part of it and windows in the other part of it.
Later we fell asleep watching Amelie. Woke up the next day and went to the Louvre. It was awesome. There, I had another Pain au Chocolate. I think chocolate in the morning is a good idea always. we saw Mona Lisa. I really liked her.
Then went to Notre Dame, and Lindsey and Rachel left to catch their flight back to London. I walked around aimlessly, got some of the best gelato I've ever had..it was part chocolate and part hazelnut/chocolate. That was like really good Nutella (which i am now addicted to, p.s.). I got a text from Paola's room mate while walking around and it said "where are you? we're worried about you". I felt awful, because we couldnt get in touch with her because I can't call or text anyone (cuz i have no money on my phone, remember?) But i can RECEIVE texts. sigh. So I walked around and tried to find an internet connection so I could at least email paola. I figured out that a mcdonald's had a connection, but i couldn't find mcdonalds. So I stopped a random person and asked my famous question "Excusemoi, vous parlez anglay?" (do you speak english...i think i just butchered the spelling). He said yes, and I asked him where McDonald's was. He said "Well, I know a place better than mcdonalds, but it is cheap same way. Just down the street. Here, I show you." I laugh and explain i need the internet, and he didn't really know how to help me. So I explained my dilemma and how i needed to get in touch with my couch-surfing host. He let me use his phone, and while we waited for a response for Paola's room mate (which we got eventually, and it was all fine then), we chatted, and I found out he is from Rome (and he is connected with couch surfing and might let me and lindsey and melanie stay with him in a few weeks! yay). We walked around some more and decided to go to Montemarte again. He is a cool guy, and after riding around on a train, we finally exchanged names. His name is Mirka. And he knew I had a boyfriend because we talked about how i was going to see him in May in South Africa (so dont worry, philip. smile). At montemarte, we saw the basilica again, and I got a painting for me and some souvenirs for my mom and sisters. Afterwards, I decided to go back to Paola's, cuz I was exhausted. I hung out there and watched Amelie AGAIN :) with Paola's room mate, Mery. Then I slept peacefully.
Today I woke up at 12 and since then I have been sitting in St. Christopher's Hostel, where my room mate from Knoxville, Hannah, is staying this week. I decided while I waited to write in my blog. I will continue to wait, because I must see her. We cannot be in the same city for 4 days and not see each other once. My flight leaves for London at 9:45 tonight. Also, I leave on Thursday for my 4 week excursion across europe with Lindsey and Melanie.
For those of you interested, by the way, here is my itinerary for the 4 weeks. If you aren't interested, stop reading now. :D
March 18-22: Barcelona (staying in a rented apartment near the ocean with 12 American friends i have from Wales
March 22-25: Prague, Czech Republic (staying with Lindsey's good friend from home)
March 25-27: Salzburg, Austria (probably staying in a hostel)
March 27-29: Esslingen, Germany (Staying with my bro-in-law's good friend)
March 29-April 2: Geneva, Switzerland (staying with a sweet couch-surfer named Hannah)
April 2-April 5: Rome, Italy (maybe staying with my friend, Mirko, who I talked about up there ^ )
April 5-7: Florence, Italy (probably staying in a hostel)
April 7-12: Venice Italy (staying with Lindsey's good friend form home)
April 12-17: Inverness, Scotland (staying with my good friend, Rhona)
April 18: Arrive back in Swansea.
love you guys and miss you a ton.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
i need a sandman
Rock of Ages, when the day seems long
From this labor and this heartache I have come
The skies will wear out, but You remain the same
Rock of Ages, I praise Your name.
Rock of Ages, You have brought me near
You have poured out Your life-blood, Your love, Your tears
To make this stone heart come alive again
Rock of Ages, forgive my sin
Rock of Ages, Rock of Ages
Bind your children til' your kingdom comes
Rock of Ages, Your will be done
Rock of Ages, when in want or rest
My desperate need for such a Savior I confess
Pull these idols out from my heart embrace
Rock of Ages, I need Your grace
Rock of Ages, broken, scorned for me
Who am I that You would die to make me free?
To give me glory, You took the death and pain
Rock of Ages, my offering
Rock of Ages, "It is done," You cried
The curtain's torn and I see justice satisfied
Now write Your mercy here on my heart and hands
Rock of Ages, in faith I stand
Rock of Ages, my great hope secure
Your promise holds just like an anchor to my soul
Bind your children with cords of love and grace
Rock of Ages, we give You praise
Some of the most encouraging words ever, especially recently. For some reason, sleep hasn't come easy for me in past weeks...during the day, i can nap with no problem...but at night it's like my mind is constantly awake. I listen to Sandra McCracken sing this all the time, as well as "In the Secret of His Presence", and it definitely calms my heart. If you have any scripture that you think would be encouraging, I'd love to hear some.
From this labor and this heartache I have come
The skies will wear out, but You remain the same
Rock of Ages, I praise Your name.
Rock of Ages, You have brought me near
You have poured out Your life-blood, Your love, Your tears
To make this stone heart come alive again
Rock of Ages, forgive my sin
Rock of Ages, Rock of Ages
Bind your children til' your kingdom comes
Rock of Ages, Your will be done
Rock of Ages, when in want or rest
My desperate need for such a Savior I confess
Pull these idols out from my heart embrace
Rock of Ages, I need Your grace
Rock of Ages, broken, scorned for me
Who am I that You would die to make me free?
To give me glory, You took the death and pain
Rock of Ages, my offering
Rock of Ages, "It is done," You cried
The curtain's torn and I see justice satisfied
Now write Your mercy here on my heart and hands
Rock of Ages, in faith I stand
Rock of Ages, my great hope secure
Your promise holds just like an anchor to my soul
Bind your children with cords of love and grace
Rock of Ages, we give You praise
Some of the most encouraging words ever, especially recently. For some reason, sleep hasn't come easy for me in past weeks...during the day, i can nap with no problem...but at night it's like my mind is constantly awake. I listen to Sandra McCracken sing this all the time, as well as "In the Secret of His Presence", and it definitely calms my heart. If you have any scripture that you think would be encouraging, I'd love to hear some.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
God is great, God is good
mmmmm I love people. All kinds of people. On the other hand, there are certainly some strange ones. It occurs to me on a daily basis now that it is absolutely imperative to let the strange ones be people. Most of them have good intentions, and most of the time they don't know they're being strange. I went to see my friend Zani at work today (more on that later...I have news), and as we sipped berry smoothies, Mr. Lawrence came over. Sweet man. I don't know him at all, but by the end our conversation I think he thought he knew me. I could barely understand a word of his broken welsh, not to mention the fact that he had one visible tooth in his mouth, slurring his speech further. He had on his proud welsh apparel, including a cowboy-style hat bearing the welsh insignia, as well as a patriotic scarf and sweater. He told me all about his obsession with cameras (i think) and how he had to spend money on absolutely everything. I could relate with that.
I got on the wrong bus today. Or maybe it was the right one that just took a long time. It got me where I wanted to go, but it took an hour to go the distance that normally takes about 15 minutes driving. I rode it with a bunch of middle school and high school kids. An older lady sat next to me and asked me where we were going. That's now the 5th time since I've been here that someone elderly has asked me for directions. And I can never help. But today we chatted, despite my ignorance of bus routes. She had a coupon for mcdonalds and asked me if I could use it. I said no thank you, so she turned to some high school kids and asked if they wanted it. poor lady, one kid barely acknowledged her, and the other ignored her! That made me mad. I almost turned to the lady and said "It's ok. They're too cool for anyone but kids their own age right now." But I knew the kids would have heard me. Perhaps they should have. Something I've realized, middle schoolers have really dirty mouths. I honestly couldn't believe some of words they were saying today. It makes me a bit sad that the world is closing in even more tightly around younger generations. Why can't kids stay in their happy bubble of blissful ignorance for a few more years? I loved that bubble.
Good news. The job I thought I wasn't going to get at the coffee shop where Zani works--I GOT IT! YAY! i'll only work every once in awhile. Some weekends, some sundays--whenever people need off or are sick. I'm so grateful for a bit of extra money. I'm going in this sunday to train and work a bit. I have to get a black shirt.
I got on the wrong bus today. Or maybe it was the right one that just took a long time. It got me where I wanted to go, but it took an hour to go the distance that normally takes about 15 minutes driving. I rode it with a bunch of middle school and high school kids. An older lady sat next to me and asked me where we were going. That's now the 5th time since I've been here that someone elderly has asked me for directions. And I can never help. But today we chatted, despite my ignorance of bus routes. She had a coupon for mcdonalds and asked me if I could use it. I said no thank you, so she turned to some high school kids and asked if they wanted it. poor lady, one kid barely acknowledged her, and the other ignored her! That made me mad. I almost turned to the lady and said "It's ok. They're too cool for anyone but kids their own age right now." But I knew the kids would have heard me. Perhaps they should have. Something I've realized, middle schoolers have really dirty mouths. I honestly couldn't believe some of words they were saying today. It makes me a bit sad that the world is closing in even more tightly around younger generations. Why can't kids stay in their happy bubble of blissful ignorance for a few more years? I loved that bubble.
Good news. The job I thought I wasn't going to get at the coffee shop where Zani works--I GOT IT! YAY! i'll only work every once in awhile. Some weekends, some sundays--whenever people need off or are sick. I'm so grateful for a bit of extra money. I'm going in this sunday to train and work a bit. I have to get a black shirt.
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