travel blog – Page 10 – Darkk Horse Travel

How to Museum 101

Published on May 18, 2015May 17, 2015 by Emilee1 Comment

During the past year, while I’ve been living in Paris, I’ve been to more museums than I can count. Whether it’s art, history, architecture or culture I absolutely love museums and I always have (thanks, mom!). Being centralized in one of the biggest European cities sets me up pretty well for feeding this addiction. It’s not very hard to wake up, decide where I’m going and hop on the metro – ending up at a museum featuring famous works from many of my favorites.

Like this morning, for instance, when I decided I would go to the Louvre on a whim. A sentence which I don’t think I would have ever dreamed I could write. Treating myself to Louvre days has been something I’ve done throughout the year. Not only is it important for my introvert artist self, but it really is necessary, since the museum is so incredibly huge.

While walking around the Louvre today I realized that I felt like more than a tourist. I “had down” the whole museum thing – I knew what I was doing, where I was going and I had everything in my bag to keep me happy for the rest of my time there. No longer was I the stumbling around scared expat I once was. It would seem, after all this time, I have FINALLY perfected my up-and-go technique. To save you all the months of confusion I went through, I thought I would share some of my tips on how to optimize your museum going experience! Sound good?! Great!

1. Check online for discounts/open hours BEFORE going: This may sound like a no brainer, but you’d be surprised how often people pay more than they actually have to when going to a museum! There are a lot of discounts available, especially in European museums, so make sure that you know what category you fall under (under 26 year olds – you’re probably FREE!) and save yourself some cash. EU residents (including expats, aupairs, students etc.) can also get in most museums free in France, just make sure you have your passport with you!
Checking museum open and close times can also save you time and stress. Museums can have odd days when they’re closed, so make sure you’re headed there on a day when they’re open (many are closed on Mondays or Tuesdays), and when you have plenty of time to see everything! Again, sounds like a no brainer – but you’d be surprised how easy it is to miss.

2. Bring water/snacks!: Museums take time, and if you’re like me, you’re likely to be there for more than an hour (or two…or three) so make sure you’re stocked up! You don’t want to have to leave and go seek out food just because you need a snack, or have to pay the absurd museum prices! Water bottles are allowed in most places, as well as little snacks (I like to bring dried fruit) which can help you maintain your blood sugar throughout your time of exploration. On the same note, going after you’ve eaten a meal (ex: lunch) rather than right before, when you’re bound to get hungry, is always a good idea.

3. Audio guides: These are one of my favorite companions when it comes to solo travel through a museum. Of course, I do like going with friends as well, but some of my favorite museum experiences have been when it’s just me and my audio guide. Not only can audio guides give you the inside scoop on art pieces, but they can also give you tour routes which get you, more easily, through the museum without missing anything. Audio guide prices generally range from free – 5 euro. Especially if you did your research and got in for free/reduced, they’re a great little added extra!

4. Camera!: Whether you’re bringing a DSLR or just your smartphone, make sure all batteries are charged BEFORE you leave for the museum. There is nothing worse than arriving at a place and having a dead battery – especially if you’re about so see things you’ll definitely want preserved with more than just the recesses of your mind. Battery up! You won’t regret making sure you did!

5. Sturdy shoes: It always amuses/humors/horrifies me to see how many woman are walking around in heels when they’re at museums. Don’t get me wrong, I’m one of the biggest fans of pumps you might ever meet, but wearing them to an extensive building where you’ll be walking from exhibit to exhibit is just not ideal. Throw on a pair of tennis shoes for your museum trip, or if you simply must wear your heels, make sure you slip some flats in your bag (just in case).

6. Bathrooms: Some museums have bathrooms – but some do not. Which means it’s up to you to make sure this is something taken care of before you pay to get in. It wiill save you the annoyance of having to go out and back in again, as well as the uncomfortableness of the situation as a whole.

7. Know your favorites: Call me a nerd, but doing a bit of research before you go into a museum can save you time, frustration and energy once you’re there. For art museums there are certain favorite artists that I generally search before going in, so I know where in the museum they are, and can enter in the right entrance. Knowing the layout can also help save your legs from having to wander around parts of the museum which may not be as important to you.

8. Bring the proper baggage: For me this generally means a smaller backpack, but packing all of your *maybe items and then toting them around in an arm bag for three hours is exhausting and makes me want to leave twice as fast. Save your arms, and balance out the weight you’re carrying, with a bag/backpack/fanny pack that can hold everything (including souvenirs!) while keeping you comfortable.

*Maybe items to bring: Chapstick, jacket/sweatshirt (if you’re wearing light clothing), notebook/sketchbook, reading book (lines can be long), more snacks

Review: Tough Burger

Published on April 14, 2015April 11, 2015 by Emilee2 Comments

Want a great place to feel like a hipster, eat great hamburgers and possibly get a tattoo afterwards? Well I’ve got just the place for you!
Tough Burger was actually a suggestion from my aupair host mom, because she noticed the hipster vibe of the places I generally like to go. She thought I would like it – and she was right!

Luckily, this swanky little joint isn’t only about good looks – the food was phenomenal as well. I ordered the fish burger and french fries and it was sublime. Again, perhaps a little pricey at 15 euro for burger, fries and drink. But that’s Paris. And also why we only go out once a week. Ha.

One of my favorite features of this bar was the stash of American candy they had. You heard me. Real American candy – in PARIS!! I was a little bit excited. There are, of course, specialty places that carry American food at the cost of an arm and a leg, but I was just so surprised to be able to buy a dark chocolate Milky Way at a burger joint. Beware though, the prices are (of course) inflated due to the candy not being French.

Overall the food was amazing, the waiters were some of the most suave I’ve ever seen, and the atmosphere was swanky, fun and perfect. A warning about this place: YOU HAVE TO RESERVE VIA TEXT MESSAGE in order to get in. You’ve been warned.

Ordered: Fish Burger, Fries, Coke

Where: 40 rue de Meudon
92100 – Boulogne-Billancourt

Went: Saturday, April 4th, 2015 around 1pm

Wifi: Unknown – I did see that they had a connection, but I’m not sure it was accessible to the public

Reservation Needed: Yes. SMS 06 21 63 44 17

Definition: Expat

Published on April 12, 2015April 11, 2015 by Emilee1 Comment

Rome, Italy: Day 2

Published on April 11, 2015April 11, 2015 by Emilee1 Comment

Day two of Italy was such a beautiful whirlwind. I started out with breakfast (REAL DOUGHNUT) at the hostel and then headed out to find the metro. I was so happy to figure out that in Rome the metro consists of two lines, and each goes in two directions. That’s really all there is. Hallelujah. There was a direct route from where I was staying, so I hopped on the metro and headed to my first location: The Vatican.

While I was riding the metro I was reminded of how terrified I was of the tube when I made my first ever backpacking trip. I wouldn’t take it. I took buses around London for an entire week. And if you’ve ever been to London, you’ll know how incredibly insane that is. But here I was, sitting on the metro in Rome, Italy thinking, “Well this is easy.” Paris has changed me in a lot of ways. I had to smile when I thought about how “young” I seemed on my first trip, even though it was only a couple years ago. So much can change in two years.

The Vatican was as crazy as you can imagine. Going on Easter weekend was an absolute dream in most regards, to be honest. There were so many more benefits than negatives. But when it came to The Vatican, there was the single negative; it seemed like the entirety of Italy (and maybe everywhere else, too) was there. The line was wrapping around the entire piazza and everyone was buzzing with excitement. It was a pretty amazing experience. EVERYONE was there – from the elderly to tours filled with children. I didn’t wait in the line, because I knew that I had limited time to see the whole city, but I did take some awesome pictures of the surrounding area. So fresh, so clean. I love Roman architecture.

My next stop was the Castel Sant Angelo, which was amazing and absolutely enormous. I kind of wish I had gone in, but there was just so much to see and I was on a time crunch. I loved walking along the “Fiume Tevere”. The water seemed so clear in comparison to The Seine and since the sun was out and shining all day it was the best place to be.

Like I said, I really think I went at the best time that I could have. I had all the street vendors to myself and picked up some amazing “Roman Holiday” (Audrey Hepburn) prints, which I’m definitely going to get framed when I get back to the US. The Piazza Cavour was one of the most beautiful sights you could ever imagine. I’m so used to the (sorry France) gaudy Parisian architecture that it was refreshing to see the clean, but nonetheless ornate and beautiful, architecture of Rome.

My next stop was the Piazza Navona, where I bought some gelato and simply laid in the sun next to a fountain as a jazz band played next to where I was sitting. Sounds perfect, right? It was.
I stopped in on quite a few churches while I was in Rome. I loved how simplistic they looked on the exterior, but how ornate they were on the inside. I spent a lot of time just sitting and mediating in one of the smaller chapels next to the Piazza. Such beauty.
At this point I decided that I needed to see at least one actual museum so I jumped in the one that was nearest to me. Of course (because I can never escape France) it was the Napoleon museum, which was actually amazing and beautiful and I loved it. When I walked in, though, I walked straight up to the huge Napoleon painting and said “Well, I didn’t expect to see you here.” I’m pretty sure the security guards thought I was insane. Oh, well.

My next stop was the Pantheon, which was an absolute madhouse (in all the best ways). There were just SO MANY PEOPLE THERE. I loved being able to walk around amidst the beehive of people inside, though. The ceiling was one of those moments that seems like a cut from a movie montage. You just stand there and turn around and around. How did people build this so long ago? How is it still here? Why do I get to come here?

After the Pantheon I picked up some postcards and walked up along the Tiber River. I headed up to Piazza del Popolo where there was the coolest obelisk. That was another favorite thing about Rome, since I’ve always been in love with ancient Egypt (I dressed up as Cleopatra probably 5 Halloweens in my childhood). I loved being able to see these massive obelisks engraved with hieroglyphics. I mean, come on. At this point I was just thinking – what even is this life that I’m living?

NOTE: This whole trip I had to keep pinching myself. How was it real that I was there? How was I there? How was it real?

After the Piazza I made my way along the Via del Corso, which is pretty much just a huge extension of shop after shop after shop. I did buy a wallet, because I figured that going to Italy and not buying something made out of Italian leather would have been a crime.
Another thing I really enjoyed about Rome was that, even though it’s such a massive city, there are still live street musicians and artists. There were some absolutely incredible chalk artists on the streets there, and I could not believe how well they were replicating famous works of art.

The next stop on my adventure were the Spanish stairs – and I really don’t have much to say about them because my little introvert self saw that many people sitting in that one place, and ran for the hills.

Or rather, Trevi Fountain, which was under construction (the saddest thing ever) but was still lovely. Hopefully someday, when I go back, I’ll be able to see it with actual water in it. Wouldn’t that be nice?

The Quirinale was my next stop, and I arrived just in time to see the Italian version of the changing of the guards. The whole ceremony was pretty awesome, but I don’t think it’s publicized because there weren’t a whole ton of people there. Those of us who were there, though, loved every moment.

Phew. I’m getting tired just writing all of this out (and you’re probably getting tired of reading it) but just image that this was 12 hours straight of walking. Fun times.

On my way back to my hostel I found an old church (like all the churches in Rome are old, so I don’t know why I needed to add that), and wrote out the postcards I needed to send out – all while being surrounded by gold and renaissance style paintings. Think angels with outstretched fingers. That.

Piazza Republica was my next stop on my way back to my hostel, where I dropped off my postcards, and went back to the hostel to collapse. Unfortunately, it was then that I realized I had forgotten to get Spaghetti (I had checked off Panini and gelato already during the day) somewhere, so I dragged myself back out of bed and across the street for a plate. I will say this about that meal: I don’t think I’ll ever be able to enjoy bread anywhere, ever again, now that I’ve lived in France.

Rome, Italy : Day 1

Published on April 11, 2015April 11, 2015 by Emilee6 Comments

(Written last week, but I didn’t have time to edit it – oops!)

Day one of Rome started with me flying into the airport, missing buses because of the enormous demand (due to Easter) and then ultimately getting into the city! When we drove in, the bus went past some of the southern monuments, including the Colosseum. My first thought, honestly, when arriving there was “Whoa. That looks just like the Colosseum.” Sleep deprivation does things to you, and I don’t think my mind had quite figured out I wasn’t in France anymore.

Obviously, I figured it out a split second later, and whipped out my phone to snap some pictures as we sped by. The bus took me pretty close to my hostel, which was so nice! The name of the hostel where I was staying was called The Freedom Traveler Hostel and I really really enjoyed my time there. The staff was just so extremely helpful and so incredibly nice. When I checked in, the staff woman pulled out a map that showed Rome and circled all the “must see” places. Basically it was every highlighted attraction. Which meant I needed to get started right away, despite being barely able to walk straight due to my 4am wake up time.

So I dropped my stuff off and headed straight back out the door. The thing to remember about Rome is that there are only two subway lines and neither goes near anything you’ll want to see, with the exception of The Vatican. The reason, as you can probably guess, is because it would endanger so many of the ruins and monuments to have tunnels running underground near them. But it does make transportation (other than by bus) a little more tricky. The good thing is, a lot of things are clustered together, and there are beautiful structures to see that aren’t even on the maps for your walk to in between places.

Day one I decided to head back down south of where I was staying, BACK to the Colosseum. The great thing about traveling on Easter weekend was a lot of monuments were FREE! The bad thing was that there seemed to be the whole of Europe there to visit.

When I walked up to the Colosseum the line was impressively long stretching out farther than I could really see. It was at this moment that for some weird reason the movie Big Hero 6 came to mind, and I started looking at the insanity in a different way. I started walking around the building and found another line to the side that apparently no one knew existed except for the 10 people in front of me – so I got into the building in about 15 minutes (in comparison to waiting hours). Getting in so quickly, and not having to pay made the experience all that much better and I got to savor the guided tours that I joined up inside. I honestly spent so much time in there just in awe and wonder at the magnitude and history that made up the Colosseum. Absolutely crazy.

After the Colosseum it was pretty late for museums, due to the fact that I didn’t get into the city until almost 3pm and they closed at 6pm. So I walked across the street to the Roman Forum where there are just ruins for as far as the eye can see. I also discovered, while walking around, that Italy has doughnuts – which was one of the best moment I’ve had in months. I don’t even know why, but I’ve been craving doughnuts for months and to finally get a real fried doughnut (France has them, but they’re baked – gross) was just heaven.

Even though it rained the first day, the overall mood of the city was on fire. Everyone was having such a good time and you could tell. That’s something I really miss from Paris. As weird as it sounds, happy people are not in an abundance there and it starts to rub off on you after a while.

Italians are loud and expressive and sarcastic and fun. Italian couples, not matter what age, were my favorite to people to watch because they are hilarious – so much teasing but in a I’m going-to-play slap-you-and-then-kiss-you romantic way. It actually really reminded me of Ireland and the Irish sense of humor. Which is saying a lot, because Ireland is my absolute favorite place ever.

After all the walking I went back to my hostel and got to chat with my hostel roommates – Pat and Kat. Which is just awesome that those were their names. One was a student from The Philippines, who was studying in Denmark and the other was a single mom from Hawaii who just decided to go to Rome on a whim. They both were just so incredible.

That really is so much of the experience of travel. Yes the sights and the ruins are amazing. I love museums and paintings and castles and churches. But what really makes a trip a good one is the people you meet. I absolutely love bing able to hang out with other travelers and swap stories and ideas – they really are my favorite kind of people.

April 1st, 2015

Published on April 1, 2015 by EmileeLeave a comment

Happy April Fools Day, everyone!! Or, as we like to call it in France: April FISH DAY.

‪#‎ThisIsRealLife‬

‘Livin On A Prayer

Published on March 31, 2015 by EmileeLeave a comment

Before I left for France my aunt told me “Come back happy, or don’t come back at all.” To be honest, I wasn’t really sure what that meant. But whether or not she wanted it to stick with me, it has for the past 7 months of me living in France.

Thinking back over the past months, there are so many reasons I could have left. So many experiences that would have validated buying the next plane ticket to the U.S. and not looking back.
But to grasp at those opportunities would have been to do so out of fear.

And whether or not she meant this, I think I understand:

Come back stronger than when you left.

Come back wiser. Come back with stories to fill volumes in the family history books. Come back renewed. Come back knowing yourself better. Whether it’s in one week, or one year, come back because it’s time for you to come back, not because someone or something tells you to come back (or to stay there). Come back satisfied. Come back more fully you. Come back happy, or don’t come back at all.

It’s kind of incredible to think about the transformation that can happen to a person over a period of a year. I’m just approaching 8 months and I’m still in awe of how different I feel, compared with when I moved here.

The biggest change, I think, is that I feel like I know my own mind so much better, than I did before. Whereas I used to be constantly worried about the backlash of actually making a decision, I think I’ve reached the point where I know – but more importantly trust myself.

Although I’m a pretty stubborn person, truth be told I hate conflict more than anything. I want things to be relaxed, smoothed over and easy for everyone involved. But the reality is that if you’re always trying to make other people happy, you end up getting trampled underfoot.

There’s a quote I heard once (although I can’t remember who said it – shame on me) that said something along the lines of “If you’re not writing your own story, someone else will write it for you.”

And while this might seem kind of morbid, I think of it as a reminder that we know ourselves better than anyone else in the world. It’s having the strength to assert that knowledge, which is where life gets a little tricky.

This year I’ve noticed that, in the abundance of spare time I’ve been given, I’ve really reverted to a lot of things I had forgotten I loved. My top 3: Art, reading and travel. (And geeking, but that’s a whole ‘nother story.)

Art and reading are pretty self explanatory, but today I was thinking about the actual “why” of my traveling.
Like if I was sitting in a job interview, and they asked me why I love to travel, what would I answer?

I mean, there are easier ways to get an adrenaline rush. There are closer places to run to if I wanted to escape my life.

Why do I think it’s important to hop on 5, 10 or even 20-hour plane ride to see the world beyond my own city or country?

Well, I think it comes down to a pretty simple answer.

Because I can.

Now I don’t mean that to sound cocky, although some of you might read it that way. And I don’t mean it to sound condescending (duh – I’m not a bitc-…mom, cover your ears).

But when I step back and categorize the priorities in my life, I see travel hitting the top because, simply put: I have the opportunity to do it. And I know and acknowledge that isn’t an opportunity afforded to everyone.
Secondarily, although not unconnected, I travel because for a good portion of my life people looked at me as someone who not only wouldn’t but couldn’t.
When I was growing up a lot of people said some pretty dismal things about my future. After all, what could become of a mixed girl born into a non-traditional household? My gender, family status and race were all a “problem.” Or, at least that’s what my mom was told.

Luckily, I have a badass (sorry for the swearing, mom) mother. And I’ve had one of the most stubborn upbringings known to humankind.

So, when I say I travel because I can, I don’t mean because I am somehow superior to others in my ability to do so. If anything it’s the reverse.
I mean that when I travel, it isn’t really about me.

It’s about the lives of people back home who sacrificed so much so that I would have the opportunities to lead me to this place. They didn’t get to go backpacking, or Couchsurfing or jump on planes at the drop of a hat (and some of them never will), so when I do – it’s for them.

It’s a way of me honoring the sacrifices made, and the people who made them. Because I’m not naïve enough to think my own freedom to travel wasn’t paid for before I was old enough to understand the currency. I know that when I’m buying plane tickets, or booking trains, it’s because of decisions made out of loyalty and love.

Traveling is a way of me saying, “Thank you.”

So, whether I’m standing in India, or Ireland or Italy know that I’m bringing all you amazing souls with me along the way. I’m sending my love and a heartfelt thank you via postcards, silly souvenirs, phone calls, Snapchats, video messages, emails, letters photos or while collecting stories to send back. Because I freakin’ love you all!

Why do I think it’s important to travel? Because I don’t have a lot to offer in the form of tangibly making dreams realities. But I can be the feet that imprint a little piece of home, and all those dreams I carry with me, wherever I go.

Normandy: Part 2

Published on March 28, 2015March 28, 2015 by Emilee2 Comments

Wow, I can’t even believe that it has already been a week since I wrote my last post! Where did the week go? I certainly don’t remember it.

Since I was so horribly neglectful of Day 2 of our Normandy trip I’ll fill you all in with the charming details, now. Getting back on a Sunday night meant jumping straight into the work week, so I haven’t felt like I’ve had any time to sit down and write it out before now. Shame on me. Anyway:

We stayed with a French couple through the website Airbnb, so our day started off with sitting down to a traditional French breakfast: croissants, baguettes, orange juice, tea, coffee and some jams and jellies. It was lovely, although a part of me can’t ever be fully satisfied with French breakfasts. There’s always a little American voice in my mind screaming out for bacon and eggs.

But we had fun trying out our French on the couple, since they didn’t speak English, and then we packed up our backpacks (I had my Batman backpack, that’s important to note) and headed out with our maps and a stubborn desire to see the DDay beaches we were told were “too far” for us to reach.

First stop? A bike shop. It would have been a lot easier for us to take a bus or to take a taxi on this venture but a) It was Sunday so there weren’t any buses and b) The taxi would have been around 60 euro each way *choke*. So off to one of the little bike shops we went, remembering that they opened at 9am.

We arrived at 9:15am ready to get an early start on our day. But as we walked up to the shop we noticed something. It was dark. It was empty. And it was closed.

Awesome.

Rather than sit on the sidewalk, crying (everything in France being closed on Sundays is a HUGE struggle as Americans who are used to everything being open always), we called up another shop and asked if they could deliver bikes – which they could…30 minutes later. We were not amused.

Luckily, just as we were about to finalize the order the owners of the bike shop we were standing in front of, drove up – ready to open – 30 minutes late. France.

But we got our bikes and we headed out on the open streets. It took us a little while to get our bearings, but the advantage of French life shutting down on Sundays, is that there are hardly any cars on the roads. Once we finally found the right direction, we were good to go and we made our way across the 11 km that it would take to get to the beach (we went to Arromanches-Les-bains).

The best part about biking around in Normandy is that it isn’t Paris. Don’t get me wrong, Paris has beautiful buildings and beautiful museums, but there is something forever missing from my heart – nature. I don’t think we understand how lucky we are in Seattle to be in a city, but to be surrounded by so much natural beauty. And breathable air. That too.

Riding through the countryside was just the absolute best. Over the hills and through the woods we saw cows, horses, fields and pastures (and a bike race that had like 200 bikers randomly riding on the same road as us).

When we finally reached the beach (it took us a little under 2 hours, but we were definitely taking our time), I felt weirdly refreshed from the exersion. And it was then that I realized how much I missed my bike. Going from 6 miles, 5-6 days a week, to 0 miles 0 days per week has been rough, and honestly, really sad. Bike rides are definitely going to be happening more once I get back to Seattle.

Anyhoo. Once we got to the beach we locked up our bikes and explored the museum that was right next to the ocean. A really great tip for anyone who is planning on traveling through France is to MAKE SURE YOU CHECK THE TIMES that things are open. A lot of businesses close whenever they want to, and it can be really frustrating to know you could have seen an exhibit or gone to a store, but now you have to wait two hours for it to reopen. That’s right. Lunch breaks in France are two hours long. Good luck.

Post museum we headed over to get lunch and ran into another American couple (and by “ran into” I mean the waiter made us share a four person table because they were swamped, and apparently Americans should sit together). We all ordered fish and chips and we helped them practice their French. We also warned them about their next stop, Paris. “Get ready,” was all I could say when they noted how friendly the French people at Arromanches were. And they were friendly! I didn’t want to leave. But the key was they were NOT Parisian.

After our little lunch adventure it was time for a photo shoot! Luckily I had come prepared with my camera and the American “flag” that I normally have hanging in my room. The pictures couldn’t have turned out more perfect. I love them so so so so much.

After that I grabbed a quick crepe (because I’m an addict) and we rode our bicycles back over the hills and past the cows. Once we got back to Bayeux we headed back over to the Irish-French pub we had dinner at the night before, for a bit of a dessert treat, and it was just as lovely as dinner had been before. Such a great place, if you’re ever in Bayeux I would HIGHLY suggest going there. The service and the food were sublime both times. And they had Wifi! Score.

Our return journey included two trains to get back to Paris and we both had packed Jane Austen with us, so the train ride back was about as tranquil (despite us being exhausted) as we could have asked for.

All in all, the trip was such a huge success. I was so happy to have had my first non solo travel adventure in 6 years. Crazy. I was so proud of us for fitting so much into such a relatively short amount of time. But in the end, stubbornness wins. Normandy has won my heart for my favorite French location (so far!). Stay tuned for some photos from our trip!

Normandy: Part 1

Published on March 21, 2015March 21, 2015 by Emilee1 Comment

This morning I woke up at 4am…and it was almost intentional.
5am was the actual intended time to rise and shine, but my body, filled with subconscious adrenaline, decided to get up an hour early.

Luckily, the reason for waking up that early was more than worth it. See, this weekend is girls weekend (away from kids!!) nd this morning we jumped on a train to a bus to another train, landing us in Bayeux, France (Normandy!).

Why Normandy, you may ask? Well, I can’t actually remember what inspired the decision, but one of my Paris comrades had the weekend off and so we decided to go visit the coast and learn a little bit more about a different part of our current home country.

Such a good decision. Although we started out our day with an all too early train ride, and ticket machines that just would not spit out our train tickets, we eventually climbed aboard the train and headed west, to the coast.

After a five hour journey we landed in Bayeux, a small but chic little town that has a vibe as different from Paris as you possibly can get. Our first stop was our Airbnb reserved house (or rather a room in the house) and our hosts were lovely enough to give us a lift from the train station! Although Couchsurfing will always be my first option, I’m really loving my Airbnb experiences so far and would definitely suggest trying it out if you’re looking for a less expensive way to travel within Europe.

Our next stop was a church we could see from the train station. It was HUGE! And once we were inside the cathedral we realized just how much history this city holds, even beyond its famous part in WWII and the historic Dday operations that happens not too far from here (and here in the city!) on the beaches. The artistry in the cathedral was just breathtaking! (I’ll post pictures as soon as I am able!)

When people first heard that I was coming to this city they made a huge point of advising me to go see some kind of tapestry. Which sounded about as exciting to me hearing it, as it probably just did for you to read. Tapestry? I wasn’t too sure. But we decided to give it a go, and marched up the museum steps determined to find out what all the talk was about.

It turns out, you all were right. The tapestry was amazing as predicted and it turns out looking at a tapestry that is 70 meters long is one of the coolest ways you can spend your weekend! Like I said, more pictures to come, but I would definitely suggest the venture (and at the student price on 4 euro, it was hard to beat!).

Afterward we went across the street to an Irish/French pub called Le Conquerant, which boldly had the sign “ENGLISH SPEAKING” painted above the door, and enjoyed probably my best ever plate of fish and chips and some drinks. We were also lucky enough to land there right when an English vs. France rugby game was starting and we stayed to watch the super exciting game on the screen, and the equally exciting fans (both British and French) who were in the pub.

Overall it has been an amazingly fun jam day and now I kind of feel like passing out. Tomorrow morning the plan is to bike to the Normandy war memorials and beaches and then jump back on a train back to Paris. A quick trip, but if it keeps up this way I think we’ll have just the right amount of time for awesome memories!