My last hurrah for my massive adventure in Europe was spent on the Cote d'Azur, also known as the French Riviera. I went down with my friend, and former biology lab partner, Mara. We based ourselves out of Nice, France, but spent time going all around the coast.
We flew down on what should have been a Tuesday morning, but what turned out to be more like afternoon. Here is a lessen to everyone spending any time in Europe: cheap airlines are not reliable. Yes, the ticket may be only 35 euro total, but don't expect the services you'd get from a normal airline. I've never flown EasyJet and NOT had a delay of more than two hours. Cute huh? Mara and I got to Paris Orly Airport at 9 AM and finally boarded at 1:30. By the time we were out of the airport in Nice it was pushing 3:30. We took a bus into town and our hotel, a very very cute place near the train station. Seriously, if you are going ask me for the name, best place I've stayed in Europe, and really cheap. After checking in we decided to walk around a bit, check out the beach, you know. The beach in Nice is nice (haha), but it's not sandy, rather covered in pebbles, so a little uncomfortable. We chanced upon a random staircase going up a hill and ended up with an incredible view of the city. The weather was amazing so of course we did all this in nearly short-sleeves. After taking in the view we descended the hill on the other side and ended up in the port, taking some time to admire some of the incredible yachts. Like HUGE yachts. We figured its probably lots of boats from Monaco that found it cheaper to park in Nice. We had dinner at a place called Chez Rene Socca, a to-order place that serves local specialties. I had fish bites and sardines, as well as some pizza.
We had heard from the owner of our hotel that there were going to be HUGE celebrations for Carnaval just a few blocks away that first night, so after a short nap, we pulled on our coats and headed down the street to the Place Massena. Carnaval in Nice is HUGE. It's one of the biggest celebrations in Europe, and the world, and it was one of those once in a lifetime experiences I will NEVER forget. There was a night parade with elaborate floats covered in lights and colors. Everyone had cans of silly string and was spraying each other, and there was a running musical accompaniment. Without looking at my pictures its really hard to convey how cool this event was to you, so I highly encourage you to click the link at the bottom of this post and check it out. Incredible.
Our second day in Nice we woke up early and headed out of town. Our first stop was a small city called Eze that is up a mountain from Nice and about halfway between Nice and Monaco. Eze has a special place in my heart because it is featured on the penultimate day of the Paris-Nice cycling race... the racers go up the Col d'Eze (the mountain) on three occassions before finishing in Nice. In 2007 Alberto Contador (my favorite) won the race on the Col d'Eze. It was with incredible luck that while we were busing up to Eze we happened to pass a handful of cyclists riding up the mountain. I snapped pictures and am convinced that these guys were legitimate pros. They were going way too fast not to be. And they were all kitted out in team wear (including some Astanas, my team). It makes sense to, because the aforementioned Paris-Nice race starts on the 8th (and I'm going to the start ;-) Anyways, tangent over. Eze is a really cute medieval town that prides itself in its old quarter, a maze of narrow stone streets that rest on top of the mountain. Eze was also a nice place to do a bit of shopping. They have a lot of perfume shops, that feature local products for very very good prices.
After Eze we jumped back on the bus and headed to Monaco. We started out right outside the Monte Carlo Casino, a very gorgeous building where you feel out of place just knowing its reputation. You can't actually go in without being dressed up and paying, but its nice to look at. My impression of Monaco is that aside from the Casino and the Prince's Palace (which is also nice) there isn't much to do. The city is very clean and well manicured, but without an awful lot of money, relatively inaccessible to the normal person. I mean what fun is shopping at Gucci and Versace if I can't buy anything? We spent awhile walking around and enjoying the weather while we were there (an getting a little tan!) but mostly we stayed outside. I found some really cool vintage t-shirts at a stand on the street, but other than that I kept my money in my wallet in Monaco. We headed back to Nice at about 4 for a nap before dinner. We had a nice dinner out that night, we did a three course meal at a relatively nice restaurant on one of the main strips. The first course was a nicoise salad, which is like a normal salad with tuna on it. The second was Moules Frites, mussels and french fries. I'm a huge mussel fan and was pleasantly surprised when I got about 40 of them! Delish. The last was a nice chocolate tart. Very good meal, and cheap-ish too.
Our third day was also our last, with the prospect of a flight back to Paris at 10 in the evening. We started out the day at the Matisse Museum in Nice. I'm a huge fan of Matisse but was honestly a little disappointed by the Museum. They have a relatively narrow collection, meaning most of the work displayed is from the same time. Matisse is cool because his work spanned 50+ years and really evolved, but I didn't really get to see much evolution. And my favorite period, his fauvist work, wasn't really displayed. But it was still really cool. We went back to Rene Socca for lunch, trying the Socca (a crepe like thing) for the first time, and then we hopped on a bus to St. Jean. St. Jean is a penninsula with some nice beaches and nicer villas. Mara and I spent a bit of time wading around in the Mediterranean Sea, and then we headed out to look at some villas. We saw two really gorgeous ones before heading back into Nice. In town we shopped around a bit, trying to find some cool stuff to bring back to Paris to say we bought in the South. I invested in two great pairs of sunglasses that I hope won't break in my luggage back to the US.
The Nice trip was probably my favorite of the whole adventure in Europe, mostly because it was 65 everyday and I was on the coast... but it really was beautiful. I've already promised my Mom I am taking her there! I've also decided that once I get back to the US I'm going to do my top ten Europe moments, and something from Nice might just hit the top of the list!
Until next time, here are some photos... lots of them...
French Riviera Albums
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2011500&id=1599570086&l=be786
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2011502&id=1599570086&l=dcd7c
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2011503&id=1599570086&l=c61dd
CARNAVAL Album
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2011501&id=1599570086&l=77ec6
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Amsterdam
First of all, forget every preconceived notion you've got about Amsterdam being a haven for drugs and trouble-making. It's actually a very nice, clean city, that is very liberal thinking and progressive. Yes, there is marijuana legality in Amsterdam, and prostitution, but no, its not like Animal House. Amsterdam held a place on my list of places to go towards the middle. If I had time I would hit it up, it not, I would be too upset. When the deliberations for where to travel for my week off came up, I wanted to go for simplicity. Nowhere terribly far away, cheap tickets, a nice room. Amsterdam came up as a good choice.
I left for Amsterdam on Friday the 20th, rather early in the morning, on the Thalys train from Paris Gare du Nord. Surprisingly the ride is only a little more than four hours, that's how interconnected Europe is. The ride was cool because we went through a lot of cool cities on the way... Brussels and Antwerp in Belgium, and Rotterdam and The Hague in the Netherlands. Places that I would have liked to go, but due to lack of time and finances they were relegated to pass-throughs on the train. I went to Amsterdam with my future roommate Sara, who is in a similar situation to me, low on money but eager to get out and see stuff. We stayed in a cute-ish hotel south of the main canals in Amsterdam, a place that could have been nicer but was sufficient for what we needed.
The first day in Amsterdam was really just walking around. We ate a lot of random street food, but other than that we just looked at stuff. The main part of Amsterdam is the center canal ring. The city is well served by boats (though the are expensive) and is incredibly bike friendly. We walked through Chinatown and the Red Light District, as well as the Jordaan (the cute part). We ate dinner at a somewhat hilarious noodles place called "Wok to Walk," which we sort of grew obsessed with. Think flat top grill but less hands on and less choices.
Our second day in Amsterdam was the touristy day. We started out relatively early in the morning by walking over to the Anne Frankhuis. They've turned Anne Frank's famous annex into a museum on the Holocaust and Anne Frank's story. It's actually really well done and informative, and incredibly eerie to visit. The rooms are more or less unchanged from when the Frank family was removed by the Nazi's, although all of the furniture was taken by the Germans. There are still pictures on the walls, and certain personal effects are still there. Weird. After we had lunch at a herring stand, fresh fish sandwiches! After Sara and I visited the Rijksmueum, its more or less the national art collection. Not to sound snobby, but I was unimpressed. For dinner that night we went to the Hard Rock Cafe. We got a lot of flack from other people, but it was delicious none the less.
The third day was the one I was most looking forward to... we rented bikes! If you know me well you know that I love my bikes, so this day was of particular importance to me. Hadn't been on one since September! So being in Amsterdam was sort of like my opening of the season, and my first injury (a strange hematoma/bruise on my knee when I pinched my leg between the 100 pound frame of the hulk I was riding and the wheel casing, whoops). We rode all around the parks in Amsterdam, with no real direction or intention. It was just nice to feel the wind in my hair and whatever. And Amsterdam is so bike friendly that its something you really have to do. Fabulous day.
I feel like I should address some of the stereotypes of Amsterdam before signing off. People think that marijuana is everywhere. In reality you can only buy it legally from certified dealers at "coffeeshops." It's illegal to buy from non-certified dealers, just like anywhere else, and its illegal to smoke in public. The prostitution is a little different than I expected, and maybe a little more shocking. Most of the people selling there services display themselves in windows of buildings. So you might just walk past and turn and see something you don't really want. Public nudity is of course not allowed but its a little more skin than the normal wants to see. Strange and shocking. But the industry is highly regulated and you usually have to sign up in an office in town before you are allowed to partake. Hard for me to comprehend.
Photos:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2011466&id=1599570086&l=b2074
I left for Amsterdam on Friday the 20th, rather early in the morning, on the Thalys train from Paris Gare du Nord. Surprisingly the ride is only a little more than four hours, that's how interconnected Europe is. The ride was cool because we went through a lot of cool cities on the way... Brussels and Antwerp in Belgium, and Rotterdam and The Hague in the Netherlands. Places that I would have liked to go, but due to lack of time and finances they were relegated to pass-throughs on the train. I went to Amsterdam with my future roommate Sara, who is in a similar situation to me, low on money but eager to get out and see stuff. We stayed in a cute-ish hotel south of the main canals in Amsterdam, a place that could have been nicer but was sufficient for what we needed.
The first day in Amsterdam was really just walking around. We ate a lot of random street food, but other than that we just looked at stuff. The main part of Amsterdam is the center canal ring. The city is well served by boats (though the are expensive) and is incredibly bike friendly. We walked through Chinatown and the Red Light District, as well as the Jordaan (the cute part). We ate dinner at a somewhat hilarious noodles place called "Wok to Walk," which we sort of grew obsessed with. Think flat top grill but less hands on and less choices.
Our second day in Amsterdam was the touristy day. We started out relatively early in the morning by walking over to the Anne Frankhuis. They've turned Anne Frank's famous annex into a museum on the Holocaust and Anne Frank's story. It's actually really well done and informative, and incredibly eerie to visit. The rooms are more or less unchanged from when the Frank family was removed by the Nazi's, although all of the furniture was taken by the Germans. There are still pictures on the walls, and certain personal effects are still there. Weird. After we had lunch at a herring stand, fresh fish sandwiches! After Sara and I visited the Rijksmueum, its more or less the national art collection. Not to sound snobby, but I was unimpressed. For dinner that night we went to the Hard Rock Cafe. We got a lot of flack from other people, but it was delicious none the less.
The third day was the one I was most looking forward to... we rented bikes! If you know me well you know that I love my bikes, so this day was of particular importance to me. Hadn't been on one since September! So being in Amsterdam was sort of like my opening of the season, and my first injury (a strange hematoma/bruise on my knee when I pinched my leg between the 100 pound frame of the hulk I was riding and the wheel casing, whoops). We rode all around the parks in Amsterdam, with no real direction or intention. It was just nice to feel the wind in my hair and whatever. And Amsterdam is so bike friendly that its something you really have to do. Fabulous day.
I feel like I should address some of the stereotypes of Amsterdam before signing off. People think that marijuana is everywhere. In reality you can only buy it legally from certified dealers at "coffeeshops." It's illegal to buy from non-certified dealers, just like anywhere else, and its illegal to smoke in public. The prostitution is a little different than I expected, and maybe a little more shocking. Most of the people selling there services display themselves in windows of buildings. So you might just walk past and turn and see something you don't really want. Public nudity is of course not allowed but its a little more skin than the normal wants to see. Strange and shocking. But the industry is highly regulated and you usually have to sign up in an office in town before you are allowed to partake. Hard for me to comprehend.
Photos:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2011466&id=1599570086&l=b2074
Thursday, February 19, 2009
8th Week Vacation
It's a staple of every University of Chicago abroad program to give students a week off to travel around. Last quarter I went to London and Dublin, one of the best adventures of my life. This quarter the plan is a little different. I'm going on two short trips, but allowing myself a few days in Paris, just to hang out.
The first adventure I'm going on is a weekend trip to Amsterdam. I'm going with my friend and future roommate Sara. We are taking the train tomorrow (Friday) morning, and I'm heading back towards Paris on Monday morning. We don't have any super solid plans for what we are doing yet, but I think one of them is to rent bikes!
The second adventure is a short jaunt down to the Cote d'Azur. I really wanted to go to Nice when I was traveling in December but the train tickets just wouldn't work out. Earlier this quarter I was talking to my friend and former Biology labpartner Mara and she was interested in going too. We managed to find cheap flights and a cheap room in Nice so we booked for two nights. We are heading down on Tuesday in the morning, and then coming back Thursday night. The plan includes the Matisse Museum in Nice, a day trip to Monaco, and the beach!
Then I'm back in Paris from Friday to Sunday just to relax, and maybe see some stuff that I have yet to see. Maybe start writing some papers. Relaxing. Then its two weeks of super intense work and then back to the US.
WOW time has flown.
Anyways, I'll talk to you soon!
Love, Nora
The first adventure I'm going on is a weekend trip to Amsterdam. I'm going with my friend and future roommate Sara. We are taking the train tomorrow (Friday) morning, and I'm heading back towards Paris on Monday morning. We don't have any super solid plans for what we are doing yet, but I think one of them is to rent bikes!
The second adventure is a short jaunt down to the Cote d'Azur. I really wanted to go to Nice when I was traveling in December but the train tickets just wouldn't work out. Earlier this quarter I was talking to my friend and former Biology labpartner Mara and she was interested in going too. We managed to find cheap flights and a cheap room in Nice so we booked for two nights. We are heading down on Tuesday in the morning, and then coming back Thursday night. The plan includes the Matisse Museum in Nice, a day trip to Monaco, and the beach!
Then I'm back in Paris from Friday to Sunday just to relax, and maybe see some stuff that I have yet to see. Maybe start writing some papers. Relaxing. Then its two weeks of super intense work and then back to the US.
WOW time has flown.
Anyways, I'll talk to you soon!
Love, Nora
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
OECD
Monday our class had session at the OECD, the Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development. Our session was a general overview of the organization, and it was so far my favorite presentation we've been to. Generally the organization was formed as a forum to determine the distribution of aid under the Marshall Plan after World War Two. The OECD actually began as the OEEC, the Organization of European Economic Cooperation, but now it has evolved into a more international organization. It's newer mission is to promote development and the expansion of globalization through the world, but they also promote the sustainability of the economies of the member states. Many people call the OECD the "Rich Man's Club" as the organization is mostly comprised of the richest countries in the world. This is evident in a visit because the facility is incredibly fancy. We got fancy nametags that allowed us to pass through the security and the room where we had our session was very nice. The Speaker was very interesting, and he normally works in the media and publicity department, though he has some considerable experience with working with the post-Soviet bloc and the World Bank. He mostly outline the general history of the organization, but he also talked about its future as well. The future stuff is actually what interests me the most, particularly the expansion of membership. What's more is that the same speaker is coming to our Center on Wednesday to do a second session with us, on the day-to-day workings of the organizations, something I am very stoked to hear about due to my Model UN involvement.
Fountainebleau
Friday I had to go to Versailles again for the same tour I did last quarter. Needless to say I didn't stick around very long (as I'm not really partial to Versailles) and I ended up in a McDonald's while everyone else continued the tour. This trip, however, influenced my decision to go with several classmates to Fountainebleau, and to visit the grand palace situated there.
It takes about 45 minutes by TER train to get to Fountainebleau, and let me tell you, we had quite the Amazing Race moment when we got to the train station! We were running a bit late, and Gare de Lyon in Paris was packed with people. We couldn't find the ticket counters, and we were literally watching the clock tick down to the moment the train was leaving. We literally managed to jump on the train seconds before it started to roll out. Crazy. The ride to Fountainebleau was nice, quick, and we arrived at the station there in good form. From the station its about a 40 minute walk to the palace, or about ten minutes on local bus. I quite like ridding the bus, so we jumped on and headed through the city. Fountainebleau, the city, is very characteristic of mid-size French cities. There is a main drag with most major chains, and then smaller streets where the residences are. Very cute.
The palace at Fountainebleau has a much longer history than that at Versailles. While Versailles was just hanging around as a hunting cabin, Fountainebleau was already the hub of the French monarchy. From Henri II on French monarchs have called Fountainebleau home, for at least part of their reign. Even Napoleon kept apartments there! This means that there is much more to see at Fountainebleau than Versailles, even though size-wise Versailles is much bigger. You can see the history of the palace as you past from room to room. Where some apartments are done in the Renaissance style, others are done in the classic or post-revolution styles. You can also see some very curious places that are important to French history. The last remaining throne room in France is at Fountainebleau, as it was spared by the revolutionaries, and the room where Napoleon abdicated his position as emperor is also in Fountainebleau. While at Fountainebleau we walked around on our own terms, with the audio guide, which is where I learned all of this. Just an aside, I am much more partial to audio guides when learning French history. Only because I get tired of art so I can fastforward. Unorthodox, I know.
The gardens at Fountainebleau aren't of the same nature as those at Versailles, but they are very impressive none the less. What is interesting in going to places like these is that the front of these palaces usually faces the city and is on a busy-ish street, but then you go out back and you feel like you are in the middle of nowhere. It's great! We wandered the gardens for awhile before heading back towards the train station. Oh, and we grabbed some of the local specialties too... huge croissants filled with cheese and meat!
Pictures:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2011368&id=1599570086&l=cea87
It takes about 45 minutes by TER train to get to Fountainebleau, and let me tell you, we had quite the Amazing Race moment when we got to the train station! We were running a bit late, and Gare de Lyon in Paris was packed with people. We couldn't find the ticket counters, and we were literally watching the clock tick down to the moment the train was leaving. We literally managed to jump on the train seconds before it started to roll out. Crazy. The ride to Fountainebleau was nice, quick, and we arrived at the station there in good form. From the station its about a 40 minute walk to the palace, or about ten minutes on local bus. I quite like ridding the bus, so we jumped on and headed through the city. Fountainebleau, the city, is very characteristic of mid-size French cities. There is a main drag with most major chains, and then smaller streets where the residences are. Very cute.
The palace at Fountainebleau has a much longer history than that at Versailles. While Versailles was just hanging around as a hunting cabin, Fountainebleau was already the hub of the French monarchy. From Henri II on French monarchs have called Fountainebleau home, for at least part of their reign. Even Napoleon kept apartments there! This means that there is much more to see at Fountainebleau than Versailles, even though size-wise Versailles is much bigger. You can see the history of the palace as you past from room to room. Where some apartments are done in the Renaissance style, others are done in the classic or post-revolution styles. You can also see some very curious places that are important to French history. The last remaining throne room in France is at Fountainebleau, as it was spared by the revolutionaries, and the room where Napoleon abdicated his position as emperor is also in Fountainebleau. While at Fountainebleau we walked around on our own terms, with the audio guide, which is where I learned all of this. Just an aside, I am much more partial to audio guides when learning French history. Only because I get tired of art so I can fastforward. Unorthodox, I know.
The gardens at Fountainebleau aren't of the same nature as those at Versailles, but they are very impressive none the less. What is interesting in going to places like these is that the front of these palaces usually faces the city and is on a busy-ish street, but then you go out back and you feel like you are in the middle of nowhere. It's great! We wandered the gardens for awhile before heading back towards the train station. Oh, and we grabbed some of the local specialties too... huge croissants filled with cheese and meat!
Pictures:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2011368&id=1599570086&l=cea87
Catacombes
I went to the Catacombes on a Friday afternoon, sort of on a whim. Let me tell you, it is not a good idea to go into underground caves, filled with bones, by yourself. It was freakkky. The catacombes originated as limestone quarries for Parisian building projects like 500 years ago, but as limestone started to become less desired the quarries started to close down. At about the same time there was a crisis in the center of the city. Due to remanants of the plague and other public health crisis, there were lots of dead bodies lying around (nice huh?). Although they had a large cemetery near Les Halles (just north of the Ile de la Cite, where Notre Dame is situated), the cemetery was filling to quickly. On top of that the dead bodies in the cemetery were continuing to infect the population of Paris. It was decided then, that the bodies would be exhumed, and moved into the abandoned quarries. Now if you go you'll be able to see millions of bones lined up in what literally appears to be a sort of decorative fashion.
When you start a visit at the Catacombes you must descend down into the quarries. This is done by going down about eight floors on a spiral staircase. You then arrive in a small chamber where they have some posters explaining what you are going to see. The first 500 meters of the Catacombes are just narrow tunnels, not for the claustrophobic. These tunnels show the nature of the quarries, and there are some explanations of the methods the French used to mine out the limestone. You then reach a doorway with a large sign that says something like "Beware, you are passing into the realm of the dead." A bit morbid and strange, but really eerie too. Going through this doorway you are immediately see stacks and stacks of bones. It is strange because the bones are stacked very neatly, femurs together, arms together, and so on. It's quite morbid and freaky. I walked through really fast, I didn't really like it. At the end of these tunnels you arrive at another staircase and have to climb back up. Before exiting they check your bag, to make sure you haven't stolen anything from the tunnels (ha! Like I would stick a femur in my purse!), and then you step out into the fresh air. It's strange, but really refreshing to be back outside.
There's some photos in here, with some others!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2011293&id=1599570086&l=14f0b
When you start a visit at the Catacombes you must descend down into the quarries. This is done by going down about eight floors on a spiral staircase. You then arrive in a small chamber where they have some posters explaining what you are going to see. The first 500 meters of the Catacombes are just narrow tunnels, not for the claustrophobic. These tunnels show the nature of the quarries, and there are some explanations of the methods the French used to mine out the limestone. You then reach a doorway with a large sign that says something like "Beware, you are passing into the realm of the dead." A bit morbid and strange, but really eerie too. Going through this doorway you are immediately see stacks and stacks of bones. It is strange because the bones are stacked very neatly, femurs together, arms together, and so on. It's quite morbid and freaky. I walked through really fast, I didn't really like it. At the end of these tunnels you arrive at another staircase and have to climb back up. Before exiting they check your bag, to make sure you haven't stolen anything from the tunnels (ha! Like I would stick a femur in my purse!), and then you step out into the fresh air. It's strange, but really refreshing to be back outside.
There's some photos in here, with some others!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2011293&id=1599570086&l=14f0b
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