Experiences gained from travel are priceless. Being able to view another culture is like stepping into another world. For those wandering souls out there, here's what I've seen. I'm still trying to figure out just what I've learned, but when I do, I'll get back to you.
P.S. If you couldn't tell they're not finished.
June 13, 2001 - The plane from Brussels landed in Copenhagen. We took the train to Norreport, but we missed the stop and had to take another train back. Then we walked to the hotel. We had a bite to eat at a cafe kitty-corner to the hotel. Then we walked through some beautiful botanical gardens and around the streets. We sat for a long time trying to catch the tour bus. The bus showed us lots of picturesque canals, shopping areas, and churches. There were many statues, old architecture and bikes, tons of bikes. We also saw the famous "mermaid." Later we went to Tivoli, where we saw imaginative fountains, gardens, etc. We ate at a resautrant in the park. Then we headed back to the hotel and went to bed.
June 14, 2001 - When we woke up it was very light outside. We changed and showered, the bathrooms were tiny! After breakfast we walked to the Stroget, a shopping area. There we could see both modern and classic styles of glass, porcelaine and dishes. I found a book shop with English books and bought Fiesta by Hemmingway, and later chocolate, which tasted quite strongly of alcohol. We all met at a fountain in the middle of the road, and went to see the changing of the guards at the palace, or rather the four identical palaces which surround a giant square. We ate lunch at Nyhavn 17, on a canal. They had really good hot chocolate. As we strolled back we watched street performers show off. We got some sewing, unfortunately there was no needlepoint. We spent the evening at a distant relative's house.
June 15, 2001 - After breakfast we checked out and rented cars so we could drive to the next island. There we stopped in Odense, a very quaint, storybook town, with a modern section too. We saw H.C. Anderson's home, it was OK. We bought a few books, postcards, and a plastic mermaid. We got the Legoland late in the afternoon. We got in free but we couldn't go on the rides. There were many miniature replicas of architecture all over the world. We then drove to Arhus, walked along the lit canals later that night. Then we went to bed.
June 16, 2001 - We checked outand drove to Fredrikshavn and caught a ferry bound for Laeso, a tiny island off the coast where our ancestors are from. There we met more distant relatives who drove us to one of the few hotels, Nygard. Then we toured the island. It's very small, but similar to something out of a fairytale. Then we went to Skovly, the family homestead, and looked at pictures of our ancestors. We spent a large amount of time drinking tea and telling stories. We also walked to another, even older family homestead named Juulsminde. We had dinner at another inn, after a brief return to Skovly we went back to the hotel and went to bed.
June 17, 2001 - We had breakfast by candlelight, and celebrated father's day. Then we continued our tour of the island. We saw the cemetary and family graves, then the salt marches, where we got an English tour, after we purchased some Laeso salt we headed to the museum, an adorable thatched roof house, that was actually quite large where we saw traditional dress and old tools, then the wool shop. After we drove to one of the three towns on the island, Osterby, but the ghost town lacked a bank. It did have a cute harbor, filled with red, white and blue sailboats. So we went to Byrum, another of the three. We went to see an old church, the beaches sheltered by grassy slopes with little trails, the forests with gentle light filtered through the green leaves, the praires that looked almost like the Australian outback, and the green hills. The terrain was surprisingly varied. After finding another family house, we went to a ceramic shop and then back to the hotel. We ate dinner at the edge of the main harbor. We went back to the hotel after we watched the sunset.
June 18, 2001 - We started the day with saying good-byes to relatives. We drove around the island and eventually found an internet cafe sitting in a grassy cow field. After checking our email we continued taking in the scenery. Lunch was in Byrum, and finally we took the ferry back to the mainland. We spent the rest of the day resting in the hotel.
June 19, 2001 - In the morning we drove to Skagen, the tip of Denmark. There were lots of dunes, we also found a grave. Lastly, we got to stand on the Northern most tip of Denmark. We headed to the nearby artists town. Here we did some window shopping before driving to Hirtshals. Then we bought tickets for the ferry to Norway. We found a tiny square and searched the shops. There was an aquarium, but we decided not to go. The ride had slightly choppy waters, but it wasn't bad. When we landed in Norway, we walked to a nearby Radisson and went to bed.
June 20, 2001 - The next morning, we caught the train to Stavanger. The ride was beautiful. There were majestic mountains and valleys covered in mist. We met family at the train station. They showed us around and finally to the family homestead. We could actually stay on a farm there. We returned to Stavanger to see the porcelaine shop and the wool store. We went to a relative's for dinner. My brother and I then went with distant cousins to the bowling alley. Finally we headed to bed.
June 21, 2001 - We woke late and ate an American breakfast, then we went downtown to see the sites; however, we forgot to pay the toll going into the city. Nothing really happened because of it. We started our tour of the city by getting our tickets for the boat. While dad went to the oil museum, we wandered the streets of Old Stavanger browsing for interesting souvenirs and searching for the glass museum. When we found it, it was chared on the inside and as we learned, had recently been scorched by a fire. So, we decided to go to the canning museum, where we saw a lot of old machinery and were able to buy some rubber sardines. They were amusing at the time. Then we met the rest of the family and ate lunch at an English pub. We headed back to rest while mom and dad continued to tour the area. It was an exhausting day. I took the time to update my travel journal. When our parents returned, we went to eat smor brod at Karl Leif's house. We met his family and enjoyed looking around his home. We then went to look at the garden plots in the middle of the city, each accompanied with a quaint little cottage. It was very cool.
June 22, 2001- We checked out after breakfast and returned the rented van. We then took a hydrofoil through a vast network of waterways. There was a lot of beautiful scenery including some fantastic fjords. We stopped in Bergen to eat lunch at a sunny cafe in the city, where we could see the houses climbing up the mountainsides. We then took the train to Oslo. It was really neat. There were majestic mountains with sparking streams rushing and tripping down their sides. There were valleys filled with lakes covered with mist. At the foot of some mountains, there were sunny valleys, with a small town nestled in between the rising slopes and the clear blue water of a fjord. In some places there was no vegitation at all, only rocky slopes covered occasionally by snow or ice blue glaciers. And every once in a while a goat could be spotted. Then we checked into the Rainbow hotel, Cecil and went to bed.
June 23, 2001- After breakfast we decided to split up to see what we could see. The others went shopping while dad and I toured the town. We decided to but Oslo tickets which would get us into a lot of places for free or at least less money. We walked to the harbor which was a big cement sqaure which was sprinkled with trees with a few interesting sculptures. We took a boat to the other side of the harbor, where we found the Viking museum. It had lots of interesting artifacts. I particularly like the mulititudes of burial ships. Then we walked to the Kon-Tiki museum. Where we saw replicas of the famous boats, and a lot of interesting statues. Then we walked a short distance to the Fram museum, which is a building built around a very large ship used for breaking ice during expeditions to the poles. The doctor on the ship painted some very breath-taking artwork which I loved looking at. Then we took a train then a bus to the sculpture garden, which was filled with fairy tale charaters around a fountain at the foot of steps. On each tier was an essembly of poses to depict human life. At the top was a scuplture similar to a totem pole, only with a mas of arms and legs. We had lunch at a nearby cafe. We then the bus back to the harbor, where we shopped a little and then proceded back to the hotel. We met the others there. We went to an outdoor cafe on Karl Johanas for dinner and were serenaded by a nearby street performer playing guitar by a fountain. Erik and mom went to an arcade, my grandma and uncle went back to the hotel, and dad and I went to a Topp 20 concert to celebrate Midsummer's Eve. We saw Blue play, and apparently Emma, the former Spice Girl. When we went back it was still light and about 11pm.
June 24, 2001- When we woke the next day, we packed a walked a round a little. We saw the royal palace and the royal gardens. There was a nice little park in front of the parliament building, with a gathering of benches. It was nice and sunny out. Mom momentarily lost her purse, but a nice biker fellow found it and gave it to the police who returned it to us. We took a cab to the train station, where we headed to Sweden. There wasn't much along the way, but there were some quaint towns to be seen. When we got to Goteborg, we checked into the wrong hotel, but we stayed anyway, which apparently was the same hotel ac-dc was staying in, but we never saw them. We sat in the lobby and had drinks and then some food. Mom and dad ate by themselves, it was their aniversary. Then we watched some T.V. and went to bed.
June 25, 2001- We checked out the next day and took a train to Malmo where we had to switch to get a train back to Copenhagen. At first we thought we were on the wrong train, but we weren't. We took a taxi to the Ibsen again. We went back to the Stroget and ate lunch at yet another charming cafe. Mom went back to the hotel for work. Dad, Erik and I went to get souvenirs and I also got a much needed pair of sunglasses. Then we went a toured a church. It was nice, but almost completely empty. We met up with everyone else and went to look in a glass shop. We came back and ate brownies from a bakesale in the courtyard of the church. We couldn't see the medieval part because it was under construction. We split up again and went to look a an interesting tower we had seen before while walking around. It consisted mainly of a winding ramp up to the top. Near the top we found an art gallery. It was a collection of photos taken of poverty primarily during the 70's. We all met back at the hotel, and returned to Tivoli, then we ate at the "Tajh Mahal." We went on a few roller coasters and some ride that spun. We walked around and watched a pseudo-circus show. We looked at the lights that were just coming on, then went back and went to bed.
June 26, 2001- Grandma, my uncle and I went to look for a post office and shop for a little while. mom went to a meeting. We bought glass for Lorry and Dave. Eric looked at DVD's, while we went to look for a store with a miniature ship for my cousin. We finally found one and went back to meet Eric. I also looked at the DVD's until I realised they wouldn't play back at home. After a short stop back at the hotel we went to the Rosenborg castle. We looked at the historical artifacts. Then we proceded to the basement to see the crown jewels. We sat in the garden for a while, then we walked through the Botanical Gardens nearby, where we found all sorts of plants. We went back to the hotel, packed and took naps. We spent our last night at La Rocca with our favorite waiter Stefan.
June 27, 2001- We spent the time traveling, sleeping, watching movies, etc. Copenhage-Brussels-Chicago-Minnesota
*It would be interesting to note that France was by far my favorite trip so far in my life.
Day 1-
We, being a large group, spent a lot of time in the airport sitting around waiting for our flight which was delayed due to weather problems. Originally, we were suppose fly to Amsterdam and then Turin, Italy. From there, we were to drive along the beautiful coast to Nice. Of course, nothing ever goes to plan, so we were late leaving. However, being an international, the rest of this story takes place in day 2. For the rest of day 1, we tried to sleep on the plane. I enjoyed a few Celtic CD's I'd brought along.
Day 2-
I awoke on the plane to a sky that was blazing orange swirled with blood red and a veritible rainbow encompassing the horizon. Mostly everyone was still alseep as we rode over the purple land of clouds, radiating beauty, to meet the sun. Shortly after the wonderful awakening, we arrived late and had to endure a four hour layover because we had missed the flight to Italy. We flew directly to Nice; however, we did get a peak at the Alps as we were flying. Upon arriving, we exchanged money (go Euros!) and boarded our buses. We toured Nice from inside and outside our transportation. It was a very tropical environment, but not quite like the Caribbean. There were palm trees, but the architecture was a little different. We gazed at French people walking by from the tinted windows of bus as we passed modern buildings on our way to an older part of town. We ended up driving by the Mediterranean Sea. It was so blue, the color can not be described. In the distance, the seaside hills were covered with Mediterranean style houses, with cracking,pastel paint and rust colored tiles. The architecture, while incredibly intricate was very beautiful, some with guilded designs shining in the failing sunlight, even the metal work was incredible. The houses rushing by were painted soft hues of coral pink, sunshine yellow, sky blue and teal, mixed with different color blinds. Among the houses were quiant little shops for bread, meat, soaps, and beautiful skirts. There were wonderful gardens with flowers of all colors around perfectly placed walkways shrouded in green, with an occasional leaping fountain. The light hit all of this prefectly. We walked through an empty market place with stems of forgotten roses littered on the ground. The smell of fish sold that day still hung in the air. After we finished the tour on foot, a few of us wandered over to the beach. When we got there, I realized the beach wasn't made of sand, but rather smooth rocks. The ocean made a completely different sound here, roaring in French rather than my native tongue. This was more of an approaching monsoon rain, fading and then growing on a dry river bed. The water was ice blue like the eyes of a Scandic lover, but the water didn't send a soul scampering back up the beach. It was refreshing cool, if not just slightly warm. The young male counterparts of our little group went splashing in the water and getting their pants wet. We put our socks and shoes back on and walked back to the bus. We followed the darkening, winding road back to our hotel. There we met another part of our group, who came earlier on a different flight. There we had a three course feast of avacados with sauce and bread, then potato salad and beans soaked in butter,a nd finally kiwi with dressing. After a short shower I went to bed.
Day 3-
After a nice "French" breakfast of chocolate croissants, the last of our group arrived and we set off for Grasse, the parfume capital of, whatever region is supposed to be named. We went to one specific factory called Fragonard. On the way through the foothills, we saw many beautiful buildings. The valley was positively picturesque; steep green hills sprinkled with coral buildings topped with orange roofs carved into the sides. Off in the distance, the mountain peaks rose into the clouds. The parfumerie is a factory where they maintain the old traditions of parfume making. We saw how it was packaged, absorbed, boiled and made into soap. I particularily liked the Etoile du Sud. We drove through hilly, winding, sunny narrow streets, occasionally glimpsing the beautiful hidden gardens and historic looking houses. We then went to St. Paul de Vence. Where we walked up to the older, walled part of town, perched on a hilltop. Once inside the wall, we strolled the narrow streets lined with artsy shops. It was surprising what was just around the corners or down the cobblestone steps. Every once in a while a flower covered fountain would pop out of nowhere. We spent time getting lost here. Occasionally we got to the ramparts, where we saw a picture perfect view of the sprawling town in the valley and the vast hills beyond. On one corner we could see the beginnings of the gigantic Alps and their snow covered peaks.Each shop held breath taking pictures, fabrics and figures. I had crepes and ice cream for lunch. On the way back to the bus, we passed shops with bright, colorful, flowing skirts. I couldn't resist buying one. We went back to Antibes, where a group of us broke off to go to the old town. We got lost here too. We watched the people and looked at the shops. We saw a wedding there and found the Picasso museum but didn't go inside. We also strolled passed markets for fresh foods of every kind. We made our way down a boardwalk and gazed at the wonderful shores. We wandered back to the hotel and after a quick walk, I changed into my skirt for dinner. The eggs and shrimp bread were delicous, along with the desert. A small group wandered around the area and watched trains pass under the bridge we were on, lit with strings of glowing lights. On the way back, we heard a soccer game going on next to our hotel. Before going to bed, we had to repack, but then it was lights out.
Day 4-
We packed up the buses after breakfast and drove to Marseille. We saw amazing sweeping views; gigantic tree-covered mountains, towns and vineyards nestled in lush, green valleys, jutting rocks showing pink in the sun, large, graceful plateaus of grass, cliffs leading down to the ocean. Before we got there, we had arest stop in the middle of nowhere, where we had snacks and went to the bathroom. We were in a valley surrounded by gently sloping mountains, but my favorite spot was just before Marseille. There were rolling hills and valleys, very green and sprinkled with rocks. Then, just around the conner, everything dropped into the valley of the town. When we got to Marseille, we were dropped off near the harbor and walked pass many cafes to get something to eat. Due to my poor french, not everybody got exactly what the wanted, but oh well. We drove to Rove, a dusty little town. The only new building was the school where we changed into concert attire. We met and conversed with many interesting french students. Most were very kind, but a few were a little stuck up. I spoke a lot of french and enjoyed the cultural experience. They played and then we played, it took a long time. They played amazingly, but we did pretty well too. We went to a boat house to eat afterward. There wasn't a lot of food, but it was good. After a little miscommunication between some people, we ended up eating supper at McDonald's. We talked a little to four of the students we had played with. Then we drove to Aix, to the Blue Marine. En route we saw an ancient basilica and fortress lighted blue, a church in a cliff, and a masterful fountain and arch. When we got there, it was 12:00, so we went straight to bed.
Day 5-
After a quick breakfast, we got on the bus again. Today we were driving into the mountains nearby. The landscapes were fabulous. They started as small, tree covered hills and grew to rocky, steep mountain slopes. These had to be the biggest mountains I've ever seen. We had to be 1000 ft off the ground and we still weren't half way up. At the foot of the cliffs bubbled clear, blue water that ran into a vast lake we had passed earlier. The whole experience makes one feel miniscule but it was also very motivating and liberating. I felt like I should climb to the top of each mountain, and each one was bigger than the last. However, before we reached our destination, we stopped in an adorable town called Moustiers-Ste-Marie. It had some nice porcelaine, but the best part was the town itself. It looked like something from the 12th century. As we walked through the cobblestone streets, we noticed ancient archways, steps and gates. Since the town was cut into the side of a mountain, we got some great views of the valley below. It reminded me of Hobbiton. There was a small, but historic bridge leading to another more modern bridge 200 ft high over a small stream coming from the mountains. Nestled above the town, between the feet of two mountain peaks, was an ancient chapel. I wasn't able to visit, due to a motion sickness stop we had to take before, but during that time, we had an amazing view of farmland below the climbing mountains. However, back at Ste-Marie, above the chapel, on a wire 500 ft high and 300 ft across a star was strung above the town that had been there since the 18th century. It was very cool. We ate a light lunch here, and then continued on our way. After journeying for a while, we stopped at a flat, rocky place, midway between top and bottom of the mountains. Here I got to fulfill my dreams of dangling my legs off a very high, sheer cliff. To bad, they were interupted moments later by someone yelling at me to get back. We drove a long way back, and I got to watch some of the breath taking scenery missed by most because they were asleep. After dinner we changed for our next concert, which took place in a dark room, decorated with Christmas lights, stars and plants. We went home singing, celebrated Erin Hagen's birthday, repacked and went to bed.
Day 6-
We started the day with an early breakfast and loaded the bus. Then we rode through a string of beautiful mountain to the quaint little town of Cassis, whose streets were lined with nice, cozy shops. We all boarded a few boats and went to see the Calanques. The Calanques are a set of little inlets surrounded by cliffs, many were high, rocky, miniature mountains with a few trees. Occasionally there was a dicreet, sandy beach. The water there was amazingly blue. The rocking waves and the wind in my hair made the whole experience exhilerating. On the way back we spotted a cloud of smoke hovering over a towering hill, which turned out to be a forest fire. After we returned, we wandered the town for a bit. I got some food at the local grocery store along with some
dark
chocolate. I loved using my French. We ate lunch in a dusty square, where we fed a gimp pigeon. Then we drove to back to Aix, where, for the later part of the afternoon, we toured the town. On our stroll we happened upon an elaborate fountain with an old road leading off of it. There were various monuments and statues and little avenues which lead to the music conservatory and a small, cobblestone square surrounded by the house of the local duke. Along the way, we also encountered the Hotel de Ville and a gorgeous cathedral, with ancient origins and beautiful gothic architecture. It was filled with art from various ages, and the strokes were perfect. We then split up. Our group, being exhausted, decided to head back to the hotel early. The walk proved to be a little tiring, but we didn't get lost or anything. We stayed at the hotel for the rest of the evening, watching movies (Fast and Furious in English) and talking. We ate dinner there and there was a little commontion when one of the groups showed up really late, but it all worked out in the end. After a busy day, we kicked the excess people out of our room and turned in.
Day 7-
As soon as we awoke, we packed, ate and left for Avignon. There we saw the Palais Des Popes. The palace was home to various popes, and included a vast, yet uneven, cobblestone courtyard in front of the building. The palace itself was huge with a grand, gothic architecture including gargoyles. Next to the palace was a church with a guilded Ste. Marie on the top. After ogling at the outside, we finally headed inside for a tour. Luckily, they had English recordings ready for us. The tour started off by revealing the large courtyard in the middle of the palace. We then found a few huge halls and walls covered in wonderful paintings and tapestries. The walls were colorful and the tile in the Pope's chamber was vibrant as well. We got to see parts of the treasury and all the lavish rooms were very interesting. We hung around the courtyard in front for a period of time, and finally managed to get our carry-ons. We walked further into town, where we had lunch. Then we rushed to the train station, where we had to pay to go to the bathroom. However, we all got on the train ok, so all was well, since there were only 3 minutes for everyone to get on. Once the train got going, we all sat back and relaxed, listening to music and watching the country side. For the most part, it was vast, green plains with distant mountains. As enthralling as the view was, the droning of the train made one very drowsy, so I took a nap. Much to my delight, we passed a circus. Much to my chagrin, they didn't let me get off and see it. We managed to find a few snacks on the train. When the ride was over, we transfered from the train to a bus. We took the bus to the Hotel Ibis, passing a few monuments on the way. we also had a fun time spinning around the Arch de Triumphe. When we got there, we checked in and changed for dinner. We had dinner on the second floor of the restaurant, where we had some laughs trying to maintain good posture. We then headed for the Seine to take a cruise up the river. The view from the river was awesome. You really understood what they meant by the city of lights. Everything was lit, there were lots of beautiful, elaborate buildings. I took lots of pictures, and bought a rose. Well sailing, we passed Eiffel Tour, Place de la Concorde, the Tuileries Gardens, the Louvre, the French Statue of Liberty and more. Finally, we returned to the hotel and went to bed.
Day 8-
After the usual morning stuff, we traveled, via bus, to Versaille. On the way to the chateau we passed various, beautiful buildings. Again, we encountered a vast cobblestone square, although this was by far the largest. The palace itself was huge. We decided to take an individual tour. We walked through many splendid rooms. All the ceilings were painted bright colors. The scenes were mostly biblical, but also mythological. Everything in sight had a gilded trimming. We saw various antechambors and a few bedrooms, but we weren't able to access to the official ones. The queen's room was covered in mirrors; while others had some gorgeous woodwork and some tapestries. We found a large fireplace and other structures which were gilded and gracefully crafted. The beds were draped, but still appeared small. The tiles on the ground were also as asthetically pleasing. As we walked, we glanced at portraits and busts of famous people. Then we went for a stroll in the gardens. There were bush mazes, pine trees in funny shapes, a few yellow flowers, ivy, tons of dirt paths and many fabulous fountains and dipictions with sculptures. Sadly enough, since we had come so early, most of the plants were not in bloom and there were a few empty branches; many of the fountains weren't even turned on. We then attempted to walk around the outside of the building and got a little lost. We stopped at a cafe to grab a quick lunch. I also continued my search for the ultimate dark chocolate, but only found 47%. We found a store selling the typical berret, and being myself, I couldn't resist not buying one. We eventually found the chateau again, where we hung out in front of Louis's statue in the courtyard. When we walked out through the gate, we took the opportunity to buy some cheap souvenirs from street vendors. As the day wore on, we headed to Versaille's town hall. It was absolutely beautiful. The room we changed in had just been redone, the walls were newly white washed and trimmed with gold. Even the view was spectacular. The room we played in was just as nice with great accoustics. After the concert, I played in the rain while waiting for everyone to change. We headed to Montmartre next, for dinner. After climbing the overexerting stairs, (note to self: don't try to run up all of the stairs) we arrived at the Sacre Coeur, the exquisit white dome touring over the city. Looking down on the city, we got an amazing view, with all of Paris stretched out before us, under a rainbow in the setting sun. We walked along the picturesque streets. We has passed the Moulin Rouge on the bus to Montmartre. We had dinner, serenaded by two older, yet interesting men playing the accordian and guitar. They played and sang and English, old and new songs. I've never heard Britney Spears on accordian before. We also got to experience some very French music. The restaurant's walls were wonderful murals of France. We walked the streets after dinner while some people got portraits. I, personally, prefered a nice pencil drawing of the Sacre Coeur. When we were all walked out we trudged back down the endless stairs to the waiting buses. After a few hands of poker, we turned in.
Day 9-
In morning, the usual chaos ensued while we got ready for another exciting day in France. On the bus, we toured Paris. We drove around the Arch de Triomphe amongst a mass of cars, all hurrying and then brakeing and flying off again, and then down the tree and shop lined Champs Elysees. The bus let us off across the river from the Notre Dame Cathedral, where, from the bridge, we got a magnificent view of the flying butresses. Standing in front of the famous church, we got a good look at the elaborate gothic stylings of the building. Inside the building were elegant stained glass windows casting colorful rays of light on the cold stone floor, over the heads of statues of saints, including Jean D'Arc. Outside the cathedral we got to see gargoyles perched atop the high walls. In back of the area was a store where I found a scarf to match my berret. We then returned to the buses where we drove past the Hotel des Invalides and a few resplendent government buildings before finally arriving at the Louvre. It was here we split up, and we entered the giant glass pyramid guarding the entrance to the ancient chateau. The museum was fastinating, once we managed to get in. There was a replica of a medeval wall and also many fantastic sculptures. My favorite was the famous "Wings of Glory." We wandered the wing filled with stunning, Italian paintings and found the Mona Lisa. We also managed to find the famous "Crowning" and a fairly well-known picture of Jean Darc. My personal favorite, painting wise, was the haunting image of the "Jeune Martyr." After our many wanderings we regrouped and made our way to the streets of Paris, to spend a little money. I found an 85% cocoa chocolate bar, which was fairly decent. I also managed to get myself hooked on a mango drink, which I happily found in the States as well. We went back to the Louvre to wait for other people. From there, we took our trusty buses to the Eiffel Tour. We got tickets to the first floor, via elevator. An elevator was available for the second floor, but we skipped it and walked. It was very good exercise. We finally took an elevator to the top. It was dark by now, but we still got a great view of all the lit monuments. Interestingly enough, I also found I could fit my head through the bars at the top. We ate dinner on the first floor of the tower, in a fancy restaurant. After some enjoyable dinner conversation, we took some pictures at the foot of the tower and went home late.
Day 10-
Finished packing, checked out, ate breakfast,talked with people, sat at the airport, talked with people, sat on the plane, talked with people. (Do you see a trend?) They almost canceled our flight due to a broken altimeter. But we got to watch a nice, long, slow sunset.