So this weekend I have a 5K race. In retrospect, it was kind of silly to register for a race the weekend after I got back from Europe, but at the same time, it's a cause that's close to our family.
The race is A Chance for Children, and benefits the children's cancer center and ICU at KU Pediatrics. For those that aren't familiar with Jeremy, he was my nephew, born on May 16, 2006 and died on September 21 of the same year. He suffered from severe brain damage at birth and wasn't expected to leave the hospital. He was eventually sent home for hospice care but surprised doctors and nurses by living for several months. Unfortunately, just as he seemed to be making the most progress, he passed away.
Therefore, I will be running this race in his memory, as I've seen firsthand the work that people in pediatric ICU's do and what the families who are there have to go through. I have an I ♥ Jeremy shirt with his birthday that I'll be wearing. So here's to you Jeremy!
In related news, his parents are expecting their second child this coming March, and Carrie and I could not be happier for them.
July 2008 Archives
Miles Flown: 9,982
Stimulus Refund Dollars Spend Overseas: 1200 (ha ha)
Pictures Taken: 774
Miles on Train: 467
Height in Feet from 2nd Level of Eiffel Tower: 377
Hours in Planes: 23.5
Days Gone: 15
Beers Tried: 9
Churches Visted: 8
Airports Used: 7
Cities/Villages Visited: 7
Flights Taken: 6
Countries Visited: 4
Shot Glasses Purchased: 4 (for my collection, not use)
Museums Toured: 4
Currencies Used: 3
Train Trips: 3
Surprise Wake-Up Calls Given By Maid: 2
Blisters Gotten: 1 (poor Carrie)
Minibar Items Consumed: 0 (harder than you'd think)
Stimulus Refund Dollars Spend Overseas: 1200 (ha ha)
Pictures Taken: 774
Miles on Train: 467
Height in Feet from 2nd Level of Eiffel Tower: 377
Hours in Planes: 23.5
Days Gone: 15
Beers Tried: 9
Churches Visted: 8
Airports Used: 7
Cities/Villages Visited: 7
Flights Taken: 6
Countries Visited: 4
Shot Glasses Purchased: 4 (for my collection, not use)
Museums Toured: 4
Currencies Used: 3
Train Trips: 3
Surprise Wake-Up Calls Given By Maid: 2
Blisters Gotten: 1 (poor Carrie)
Minibar Items Consumed: 0 (harder than you'd think)
I didn't take any pictures of our travels home, so I think the best way to do this is by time line. The first time you'll see is the local time of wherever we were. The second being central time here in the states.
9:00a (2:00a) - We get up to finish packing, get ready for the trek
10:30a (3:30a) - Start walking to the metro station and head out for the airport
Noon (5:00a) - Arrive at Munich airport, I try to do an automated check-in and am having trouble. I get my own boarding passes but none for Carrie. We head to the clerk and are told that she can only get Carrie's boarding pass to Frankfurt (at which point we take United instead of Lufthansa). We are assured that we can get Carrie's boarding passes at the gate in Frankfurt. We kill time reading and checking out the duty free shops. We also enjoy coffee and chocolate doughnuts.
2:55p (7:55a) - This is when our first flight is scheduled to take off, we are on board waiting. Carrie and I aren't able to sit together to do check-in snafu.
3:20p (8:20a) - We finally start taxiing to the runway. We enjoy some very rough turbulence during our assent to cruising altitude. I'm talking about the stuff that feels like you just dropped 10-20 feet.
4:20p (9:20a) - Arrive at Frankfurt airport, we have 40 minutes before our next flight leaves. We have to haul it across the entire terminal. After running up and down escalators and stairs, taking a tram, going through security again (don't ask me why) as well as two other passport checkpoints (and convincing them that my wife's boarding pass was waiting at the gate), we make it to our gate. My favorite part of this experience--I'm asked at a passport control if I purchased anything in the airport. I answer with three words, "No. I ran."
4:45p (9:45a) - Have our boarding passes and are getting onto the plane. The doors close on us about 5 minutes later.
5:05p (10:05a) - The plane takes off five minutes late. The flight was nothing special (though I did have to ask someone to move so that Carrie and I could sit together). I had finished by second Stephen King book in the Munich lobby, so I had nothing to read. I watched some of Smart People (not good at all) and Drillbit Taylor (good stuff). Otherwise your typical 8+ hour flight.
7:15p (6:15p) - Arrive about half an hour early in Washington DC (Dulles). Get some food from Five Guys. I have a double hamburger and it's just about the best thing I've tasted in a while. We then stroll around and check out the stores that Dulles has to offer.
9:45p (8:45p) - Board our flight to Kansas City. It's a small, regional jet so we get to walk out onto the tarmac again. I think this is awesome.
10:05p (9:05p) - We are five minutes late from departure and are told it could be a while. There are several reasons for this. 1) The lavatory hasn't been serviced. Apparently that guy had the night off (I'm not even kidding about that). 2) The luggage hasn't been put on the plane. That might be helpful. 3) There is no one to push the plane back from the gate. All the while, two girls behind us (in their late 20's) are chatting incessantly and being really annoying. We just want to sleep.
10:30p (9:30p) - We finally start to taxi away. As our flight attendants go through the safety info, they are much too enthusiastic. They ask us to give ourselves a hand for properly buckling ourselves in. Way too many people do. We just want to sleep.
10:50p (9:50p) - We're well in the air, the girls have, well, shut up, and we're sleeping. Good times.
Midnight (Central time now) - We are making our descent into KCI and are enjoying more turbulence. Sleepy time over.
12:20a - We are waiting in line at the baggage claim. The flight gets in around half an hour later than scheduled. We find our baggage, find our ride, and are heading back to the McGranaghan's where our car has been parked for two weeks.
12:45a - Pick up our car and make our way home. Driving feels a bit odd having not done it in two weeks. (Sleep deprivation also helps).
1:25a - Finally arrive at our house. It's raining buckets at this point. We wait in the car about 2 minutes before deciding that if we do so any more, we'll fall asleep. Make our way into the house through the rain. :( But at least we are finally home. We check to make sure everything is good and then start unpacking and taking care of a few things before bed.
2:00a - Go to bed 24hrs after our day began...
9:00a (2:00a) - We get up to finish packing, get ready for the trek
10:30a (3:30a) - Start walking to the metro station and head out for the airport
Noon (5:00a) - Arrive at Munich airport, I try to do an automated check-in and am having trouble. I get my own boarding passes but none for Carrie. We head to the clerk and are told that she can only get Carrie's boarding pass to Frankfurt (at which point we take United instead of Lufthansa). We are assured that we can get Carrie's boarding passes at the gate in Frankfurt. We kill time reading and checking out the duty free shops. We also enjoy coffee and chocolate doughnuts.
2:55p (7:55a) - This is when our first flight is scheduled to take off, we are on board waiting. Carrie and I aren't able to sit together to do check-in snafu.
3:20p (8:20a) - We finally start taxiing to the runway. We enjoy some very rough turbulence during our assent to cruising altitude. I'm talking about the stuff that feels like you just dropped 10-20 feet.
4:20p (9:20a) - Arrive at Frankfurt airport, we have 40 minutes before our next flight leaves. We have to haul it across the entire terminal. After running up and down escalators and stairs, taking a tram, going through security again (don't ask me why) as well as two other passport checkpoints (and convincing them that my wife's boarding pass was waiting at the gate), we make it to our gate. My favorite part of this experience--I'm asked at a passport control if I purchased anything in the airport. I answer with three words, "No. I ran."
4:45p (9:45a) - Have our boarding passes and are getting onto the plane. The doors close on us about 5 minutes later.
5:05p (10:05a) - The plane takes off five minutes late. The flight was nothing special (though I did have to ask someone to move so that Carrie and I could sit together). I had finished by second Stephen King book in the Munich lobby, so I had nothing to read. I watched some of Smart People (not good at all) and Drillbit Taylor (good stuff). Otherwise your typical 8+ hour flight.
7:15p (6:15p) - Arrive about half an hour early in Washington DC (Dulles). Get some food from Five Guys. I have a double hamburger and it's just about the best thing I've tasted in a while. We then stroll around and check out the stores that Dulles has to offer.
9:45p (8:45p) - Board our flight to Kansas City. It's a small, regional jet so we get to walk out onto the tarmac again. I think this is awesome.
10:05p (9:05p) - We are five minutes late from departure and are told it could be a while. There are several reasons for this. 1) The lavatory hasn't been serviced. Apparently that guy had the night off (I'm not even kidding about that). 2) The luggage hasn't been put on the plane. That might be helpful. 3) There is no one to push the plane back from the gate. All the while, two girls behind us (in their late 20's) are chatting incessantly and being really annoying. We just want to sleep.
10:30p (9:30p) - We finally start to taxi away. As our flight attendants go through the safety info, they are much too enthusiastic. They ask us to give ourselves a hand for properly buckling ourselves in. Way too many people do. We just want to sleep.
10:50p (9:50p) - We're well in the air, the girls have, well, shut up, and we're sleeping. Good times.
Midnight (Central time now) - We are making our descent into KCI and are enjoying more turbulence. Sleepy time over.
12:20a - We are waiting in line at the baggage claim. The flight gets in around half an hour later than scheduled. We find our baggage, find our ride, and are heading back to the McGranaghan's where our car has been parked for two weeks.
12:45a - Pick up our car and make our way home. Driving feels a bit odd having not done it in two weeks. (Sleep deprivation also helps).
1:25a - Finally arrive at our house. It's raining buckets at this point. We wait in the car about 2 minutes before deciding that if we do so any more, we'll fall asleep. Make our way into the house through the rain. :( But at least we are finally home. We check to make sure everything is good and then start unpacking and taking care of a few things before bed.
2:00a - Go to bed 24hrs after our day began...
Knowing that the next day would bring us lots of travel and little sleep, we decided to sleep in a final time.
Our first stop was to see if Birkenstocks were cheaper over in Germany. It turns out, that a few years ago they really were, but with the exchange rate as it is, they weren't. Sorry Carrie.
To make up for that, Carrie had a wonderful espresso drink (I don't recall what at the moment).
Our second stop was to get some of those chocolates that were north of Marienplatz. On our way there, I saw this shop that sold antiques. What you can't tell from this smaller picture, is that this beer stein is from 1760. Yeah, it's older than our country. I wanted it, but 850 euros ($1300+) was a bit out of my price range.
Carrie had another caramel truffle, but I did not get more whiskey truffles as I was still a bit choco'ed out from some chocolate muffins for breakfast (which crumbled in my hands as I tried to eat them - why can't I get a good breakfast around here?).
We then went out east a little bit to see the Maximilianeum, the seat of the Bavarian parliament. They were doing a lot of construction, though, so I found it hard to get a good shot.
This one isn't bad.
This is what I had to work with.
I tried to get another river shot of the Isar, but it just doesn't have the same effect as the Seine.
Our next assignment (can you tell we knew what last things we wanted to do?) was to go the English Garden and get some lunch. Along the way, we stumbled onto some other sights. Here's the Ludwigskirche.
There's a matching tower behind this building on the right...
Here's the Siegestor, built in 1843-50 and is based on the design of the Arch of Constantine of Rome. It honors teh Bavarian army and its role in the victory over Napoleon. How interesting to see this Arch and the Arc de Triomphe in the same trip. (Can you tell I'm returning our guidebooks to the library today?)
Another street shot as we make our way to the English Garden.
The English Garden is known for lots of things, among which is the fact that people can sunbathe nude if they like. We didn't personally see any naked people, but there may be a few in this shot I took from a distance, you never know.
Within the gardens is the Monopteros, a Neo-Classical building set on a hill. Here are shots of the Garden from this site. This is looking back toward Marienplatz. The two towers closest together are from the Frauenkirche.
Looking more westerly (I think)
Here's the structure a bit.
We then made our way up to the Chinese Tower, site of a famous beer garden. (What a wonderful term)
It was actually much busier than that picture implies. It's just that no one was sitting in the sun.
It was actually much busier than that picture implies. It's just that no one was sitting in the sun.
I could get used to this kind of lunch. Mmm...
Our walk back to the metro took us through some of the more scenic areas of the Garden (and when I say garden, keep in mind that this is as big as a couple dozen city blocks.
Our walk back to the metro took us through some of the more scenic areas of the Garden (and when I say garden, keep in mind that this is as big as a couple dozen city blocks.
We then we back to the hotel for a bit, where I took a food/beer induced nap. Later that evening we walked around the Marienplatz area a final time, taking a few last sights.
Here's the Isartor, a last remnant of the old cities fortifications, dating from the 14th century.
Here's something a bit more modern
...and had one last Munich beer. This was an Augustiner Dunkel. That's the brewery that dates from 1328. Pretty cool.
While I was enjoying my beer, the bartender had to tap a new barrel of their house beer. This was an interesting process in and of itself, but more interesting was that after it was done, a waitress ran a bell to signal a new barrel being started. That, I thought, was pretty cool.
Oh, and on the whole, it seems that the Germans prefer the lighter beers. And in the summer, Radlers are popular. I didn't try one, though. Somehow the combination of beer and lemonade didn't seem to appealing.
After these final wanderings, we went back to the hotel to get packed up, and I did some blogging as well. We went to bed somewhat late, and in retrospect we should have tried to get every minute of sleep that we could before we left...
Here's the Isartor, a last remnant of the old cities fortifications, dating from the 14th century.
Here's something a bit more modern...and had one last Munich beer. This was an Augustiner Dunkel. That's the brewery that dates from 1328. Pretty cool.While I was enjoying my beer, the bartender had to tap a new barrel of their house beer. This was an interesting process in and of itself, but more interesting was that after it was done, a waitress ran a bell to signal a new barrel being started. That, I thought, was pretty cool.Oh, and on the whole, it seems that the Germans prefer the lighter beers. And in the summer, Radlers are popular. I didn't try one, though. Somehow the combination of beer and lemonade didn't seem to appealing.
After these final wanderings, we went back to the hotel to get packed up, and I did some blogging as well. We went to bed somewhat late, and in retrospect we should have tried to get every minute of sleep that we could before we left...
As I get to this point I have realized that my day counting is a bit off. I should actually be day 12, because that first day we spent trying to get over jet lag and chatting with my relatives a bit. No matter, just thought I'd let you know I caught the mistake.
Continuing on...
We were doing this as a day trip with a tour group, so we had to take our little pre-paid voucher to their office in the main train station. (Here's a snippet of the station)
Our tour was schedule to depart at 9:15, and we were asked to be there 15 minutes early. If you know me, you know what I did--show up an hour early. Unfortunately, this meant that the office wasn't even open yet so we just wandered around for a bit until it did. An hour later, we met our tour guide, a 29-year-old guy from Minnesota. He's been living in Munich for four years (came over for a girl), and just recently got married (to that girl). Funny fact about him: he's not bothered to take any classes in German, even though none of his in-laws speak English. I find this odd.
The train ride over was 2 hours long and rather uneventful. The interesting thing was that we were sitting right across from our tour guide. Normally, this would be kind of awkward (he isn't particularly talkative), but one of his friends was tagging along on the train (on her way to Vienna), and she was constantly asking him questions about getting married, his relationship, etc. So we actually learned quite a bit about our tour guide.
Here is our first view of Salzburg, as we crossed the Salzach river.
Our first stop, after taking a short bus ride, was the Mirabell gardens. If you've seen the sound of music, the steps I'm standing on for this shot are where they sing the "Do Re Mi" song.
Here's the Pegasus fountain seen above up close
The following are more shots from this garden.
Continuing on...
We were doing this as a day trip with a tour group, so we had to take our little pre-paid voucher to their office in the main train station. (Here's a snippet of the station)
Our tour was schedule to depart at 9:15, and we were asked to be there 15 minutes early. If you know me, you know what I did--show up an hour early. Unfortunately, this meant that the office wasn't even open yet so we just wandered around for a bit until it did. An hour later, we met our tour guide, a 29-year-old guy from Minnesota. He's been living in Munich for four years (came over for a girl), and just recently got married (to that girl). Funny fact about him: he's not bothered to take any classes in German, even though none of his in-laws speak English. I find this odd.The train ride over was 2 hours long and rather uneventful. The interesting thing was that we were sitting right across from our tour guide. Normally, this would be kind of awkward (he isn't particularly talkative), but one of his friends was tagging along on the train (on her way to Vienna), and she was constantly asking him questions about getting married, his relationship, etc. So we actually learned quite a bit about our tour guide.
Here is our first view of Salzburg, as we crossed the Salzach river.
Our first stop, after taking a short bus ride, was the Mirabell gardens. If you've seen the sound of music, the steps I'm standing on for this shot are where they sing the "Do Re Mi" song.Here's the Pegasus fountain seen above up closeThe following are more shots from this garden. Here's one of the Mozart houses in Salzburg (the one he lived in before leaving briefly for Munich). From what our guide said, it was bombed in WWII and has since been restored, but the furniture is neither original nor arranged exactly as it might have been (we don't really know).
Still, here it is.
We then walked over to the old city (build primarily before the 16th century).
Here we are crossing the Salzach again, this time on foot.
Still, here it is.
We then walked over to the old city (build primarily before the 16th century).Here we are crossing the Salzach again, this time on foot.
The castle in the top of this picture is teh Festung Hohensalzburg. We didn't go, but I'm sure it offers some great views of the city.
A quick note about this photo. Many of the buildings have dates near the roof, stating when they were first built and when renovations mave have taken place.
Here's a look down the big shopping street in the old town. It actually wasn't too busy as most stores close on Sunday.
Here is Mozart's birthplace. We did visit the museum after our tour, but I thought I'd throw this picture in now to keep everything nice and chronological.
They also market just about everything with Mozart's name around here. These are perfumes, I think.
I actually don't think Mozart would mind, so long as he got a cut.
Here is the smallest house in Salzburg, just in case you were wondering what it looked like :)
Here's a statue of Mozart. Mozart is my homeboy.
This is a shot of the Cathedral, referred to rather simply as Dom. It was one of the things we visited during our free time (i.e. expect more pictures)
Here's a look down the big shopping street in the old town. It actually wasn't too busy as most stores close on Sunday.Here is Mozart's birthplace. We did visit the museum after our tour, but I thought I'd throw this picture in now to keep everything nice and chronological.They also market just about everything with Mozart's name around here. These are perfumes, I think.I actually don't think Mozart would mind, so long as he got a cut.Here is the smallest house in Salzburg, just in case you were wondering what it looked like :)
Here's a statue of Mozart. Mozart is my homeboy.This is a shot of the Cathedral, referred to rather simply as Dom. It was one of the things we visited during our free time (i.e. expect more pictures)Chess anyone?
Here's a shot of a beautiful little cemetery behind St. Peter's.
One of the few shots I got of the exterior of St. Peter's.
A shot of the Rathaus from one of the many little narrow streets
After our tour, which was a little over an hour (the old town is actually quite small), we went down to the market to get some food. But not before Carrie had a Mozart Kuegel. It's a little treat with a chocolate covering, marzipan middle, and pistachio. Not for me, but she loved it.
Our tour guide sort of implied there would be more food around here, but there really wasn't. It was mostly arts and crafts sort of stuff, which was cool, but not when one is really hungry. We got some pretzels to tide us over.
We then did our own walking around, though we didn't see much that was new, just more of what we had seen.
This was new, though. Apparently George Clooney does ads over here.
As I look at my map, I'm not entirely sure what this is. I'm guessing the Festspielhäuser, but I'm not sure.
Throughout Salzburg are these little alleys. Sometimes there are cafes in them, and other times they are just easy ways to get between streets.
Our next stop was the Mozart Musuem, which was pretty good. They had lots of great artifacts, but, like the other museum, they didn't have original furniture or even perfect set ups. They did have some original string instruments, but there was no indication on the keyboard instruments if they were original or not (so I'm guessing no).
I did get some pictures taken, though some of the workers didn't appreciate that. Others didn't seem to care. Here's some of what I got.
Here's a shot of a beautiful little cemetery behind St. Peter's.One of the few shots I got of the exterior of St. Peter's.A shot of the Rathaus from one of the many little narrow streetsAfter our tour, which was a little over an hour (the old town is actually quite small), we went down to the market to get some food. But not before Carrie had a Mozart Kuegel. It's a little treat with a chocolate covering, marzipan middle, and pistachio. Not for me, but she loved it.Our tour guide sort of implied there would be more food around here, but there really wasn't. It was mostly arts and crafts sort of stuff, which was cool, but not when one is really hungry. We got some pretzels to tide us over.We then did our own walking around, though we didn't see much that was new, just more of what we had seen.
This was new, though. Apparently George Clooney does ads over here.
As I look at my map, I'm not entirely sure what this is. I'm guessing the Festspielhäuser, but I'm not sure.Throughout Salzburg are these little alleys. Sometimes there are cafes in them, and other times they are just easy ways to get between streets.Our next stop was the Mozart Musuem, which was pretty good. They had lots of great artifacts, but, like the other museum, they didn't have original furniture or even perfect set ups. They did have some original string instruments, but there was no indication on the keyboard instruments if they were original or not (so I'm guessing no).I did get some pictures taken, though some of the workers didn't appreciate that. Others didn't seem to care. Here's some of what I got.
After the museum, we found a better food stand with sausages and brauts and the like. We couldn't find a spot to sit, so we picked a less-frequented alley to have our picnic. The beer pictured is one of Salzburg's own and one of the most readily available. I didn't finish it during our lunch break, so I took it around the town and into stores. No one cared a bit. It felt both cool and a little whiskey tango all at the same time.
We then went to check out the Cathedral, and just outside was this little quartet. They were pretty good, but it was their instrumentation that really caught our eye.
The cathedral was incredible, as have most of the churches we've been fortunate enough to visit.
We then went to check out the Cathedral, and just outside was this little quartet. They were pretty good, but it was their instrumentation that really caught our eye.The cathedral was incredible, as have most of the churches we've been fortunate enough to visit.
This is the baptismal which dates from the 14th Century. Mozart was baptized here.
Carrie ran out of sunscreen, so we busted out the umbrella. We had it because there was a 50% chance of thunderstorms. It was perfectly sunny all day with barely a cloud in the sky.
Here are two more shots from the cemetery I mentioned earlier.
Carrie ran out of sunscreen, so we busted out the umbrella. We had it because there was a 50% chance of thunderstorms. It was perfectly sunny all day with barely a cloud in the sky.Here are two more shots from the cemetery I mentioned earlier.This is the oldest cafe in the city, and one of the oldest in Europe. It's been running since 803.
Our last big stop was St. Peter's church, which was likewise remarkable.
Our last big stop was St. Peter's church, which was likewise remarkable.We also stopped briefly into this store/museum that deals with orthodox icons. These too can be yours for thousands of euros. :)
Here's the last shot of Salzburg I have. It was an incredible little trip, and it's remarkable what we were able to see in the 5 hours or so that we were there.
The ride home was less comfortable than on our way there. After about half an hour, the train began to get both full and hot. By the time we got to the hotel room we were both exhausted and not very comfortable.
For dinner, we just went to McDonald's right down the street. We then watched MTV until we were too tired to stay awake anymore. :)
Here's the last shot of Salzburg I have. It was an incredible little trip, and it's remarkable what we were able to see in the 5 hours or so that we were there.The ride home was less comfortable than on our way there. After about half an hour, the train began to get both full and hot. By the time we got to the hotel room we were both exhausted and not very comfortable.For dinner, we just went to McDonald's right down the street. We then watched MTV until we were too tired to stay awake anymore. :)
We decided to sleep in this day, but we forgot to put up the "Do Not Disturb" sign. At least the maid gave us a nice wake-up call around 11:30 in the morning.
Our second attempt at breakfast went well for Carrie, and not so well for Andy. Carrie really enjoyed her cherry fritter, while I tried to go the safe route and got a croissant. What I didn't know was that this had a filling of apple or something else that wasn't entirely appealing. I finished it anyway.
Our morning trek was to the Deutsches Museum, which is the oldest and largest Science and Technology museum in the world.
On our way there, we saw this little restaurant. It's only funny to us because there is a restaurant of the same name just off of 83rd and Mission.
The museum was really cool, and a definite change from the art museums that we had been hitting.
Some of the highlights were the planes they had on display.
It was a bit odd to see it from a German perspective, though. Not too many Lockheed or Boeing planes around here. There were also some cool exhibits on spacecraft, though I imagine the Smithsonian might be better in that regard.
One of our primary reasons for going was the musical instrument section, which contains one of the oldest surviving harpsichords (1561).
Here's the room of keyboard instruments. (Please forgive the color, I didn't bother doing good adjustments to make it look pretty with the low light.)
Here is the harpsichord in question (I don't know where the lid is)
We also got to do lots of mini experiments with light, physics, sound, et al. They just had these little things set up all over the place and you pushed a button or pulled a level and the particular property was demonstrated. We didn't always have English translations for what was going on, so I felt pretty cool when I could figure out what was being demonstrated.
Here's a fun little one where you spin around and can put out your arms or pull them in to affect the rate of rotation. (Carrie demonstrating quite well.)
We stopped for a quick snack and were shocked to see this sign:
That's right, Trumanites, Sodexho is international. (They're also at UMKC but I don't have to bother with them.)
Another cool thing was a reproduction of Galileo's workplace.
Amazing what could be figured out with so little it seems.
Other things we saw included exhibits on energy technology, toys, and clocks. I couldn't possible list all we saw in the three hours we spent there, though. We were quite tired by the end.
The museum itself is situated in the middle of the Isar river (not unlike Notre Dame is with the Seine). Here's a shot as we were crossing the river.
A street view in the area
For lunch we went to the Viktualienmarkt, which is just off of the main square. There are all sorts of food and beer stands, and we opted for a pretzel, a braut, beer, a coke zero, and some apples.
It was all fantastic, save the coke zero, which aside from having a different flavor has the same problem that every other pop/water bottle around here seems to have. I think it's best illustrated with a picture.
That security ring would never come off correctly. I mean not even once. What's going on here folks?
Oh, here's a picture of the market.
After lunch we went back to the hotel to rest a while, and I also apparently decided not to take any more pictures for the rest of the day, so you'll have to endure my narrative skills I'm afraid.
Later in the evening we decided to walk around Marienplatz a bit more. This time we headed west in search of the oldest brewery in Munich. It's the Augustinerbräu, and it dates to, get this, 1328. Pretty cool. I would have taken a picture but it was already dark by this point (we didn't get up till noon, if you'll recall).
We did some more window shopping and then went to our favorite pizza place and got a small cheese pizza and, for me, some more beer. I actually tried an Augustiner brew, but it was what they call a light beer (lighter in color, that is), and I thought it was only pretty good. Still much better than your average beer stateside, of course.
After dinner we went to get some gelato, of which there are many choices around Munich. I had the chocolate and Carrie had the Stracciatella. Good stuff, man. After some more wanderings it was time for bed. We did actually have to get up early the next day as we were heading to Salzburg via train.
Our second attempt at breakfast went well for Carrie, and not so well for Andy. Carrie really enjoyed her cherry fritter, while I tried to go the safe route and got a croissant. What I didn't know was that this had a filling of apple or something else that wasn't entirely appealing. I finished it anyway.
Our morning trek was to the Deutsches Museum, which is the oldest and largest Science and Technology museum in the world.
On our way there, we saw this little restaurant. It's only funny to us because there is a restaurant of the same name just off of 83rd and Mission.
The museum was really cool, and a definite change from the art museums that we had been hitting.Some of the highlights were the planes they had on display.
It was a bit odd to see it from a German perspective, though. Not too many Lockheed or Boeing planes around here. There were also some cool exhibits on spacecraft, though I imagine the Smithsonian might be better in that regard.One of our primary reasons for going was the musical instrument section, which contains one of the oldest surviving harpsichords (1561).
Here's the room of keyboard instruments. (Please forgive the color, I didn't bother doing good adjustments to make it look pretty with the low light.)
Here is the harpsichord in question (I don't know where the lid is)
We also got to do lots of mini experiments with light, physics, sound, et al. They just had these little things set up all over the place and you pushed a button or pulled a level and the particular property was demonstrated. We didn't always have English translations for what was going on, so I felt pretty cool when I could figure out what was being demonstrated.
Here's a fun little one where you spin around and can put out your arms or pull them in to affect the rate of rotation. (Carrie demonstrating quite well.)
We stopped for a quick snack and were shocked to see this sign:That's right, Trumanites, Sodexho is international. (They're also at UMKC but I don't have to bother with them.)
Another cool thing was a reproduction of Galileo's workplace.
Amazing what could be figured out with so little it seems.Other things we saw included exhibits on energy technology, toys, and clocks. I couldn't possible list all we saw in the three hours we spent there, though. We were quite tired by the end.
The museum itself is situated in the middle of the Isar river (not unlike Notre Dame is with the Seine). Here's a shot as we were crossing the river.
A street view in the areaFor lunch we went to the Viktualienmarkt, which is just off of the main square. There are all sorts of food and beer stands, and we opted for a pretzel, a braut, beer, a coke zero, and some apples.It was all fantastic, save the coke zero, which aside from having a different flavor has the same problem that every other pop/water bottle around here seems to have. I think it's best illustrated with a picture.
That security ring would never come off correctly. I mean not even once. What's going on here folks?Oh, here's a picture of the market.
After lunch we went back to the hotel to rest a while, and I also apparently decided not to take any more pictures for the rest of the day, so you'll have to endure my narrative skills I'm afraid.Later in the evening we decided to walk around Marienplatz a bit more. This time we headed west in search of the oldest brewery in Munich. It's the Augustinerbräu, and it dates to, get this, 1328. Pretty cool. I would have taken a picture but it was already dark by this point (we didn't get up till noon, if you'll recall).
We did some more window shopping and then went to our favorite pizza place and got a small cheese pizza and, for me, some more beer. I actually tried an Augustiner brew, but it was what they call a light beer (lighter in color, that is), and I thought it was only pretty good. Still much better than your average beer stateside, of course.
After dinner we went to get some gelato, of which there are many choices around Munich. I had the chocolate and Carrie had the Stracciatella. Good stuff, man. After some more wanderings it was time for bed. We did actually have to get up early the next day as we were heading to Salzburg via train.
After a rather restful sleep, we went out in search of breakfast. This hotel, nice as it is, charges quite a lot for their breakfast, so we went down the street to a little bakery. I got what looked like a big cinnamon roll and was very disappointed when it tasted, well, not like a cinnamon roll. Carrie had something nice with a coffee and I also had an orange drink. Total damage - just under 4 euros. We know how to eat for cheap.
We head to the Marienplatz and this time I got some better photos. This is the statue of Mary.
This is the Neues Rathaus (town hall with tourist stuff as well)
Our first tourist assignment for the day was the Frauenkirche. Here's a street of the Marienplatz on our way there.
Carrie also wanted to stop in this bookstore along the way. It's fun to look at some of the children's books we have in German.
The inside of the Frauenkirche (built 1468-88), was much more simple on the interior than Notre Dame, but was still very beautiful.
We climbed on of the two towers (well, 74 steps plus a lift), and got some great views of the city. This is looking back on the Marienplatz.
The gold church in this shot is the Theatinerkirche.
We head to the Marienplatz and this time I got some better photos. This is the statue of Mary.
This is the Neues Rathaus (town hall with tourist stuff as well)Our first tourist assignment for the day was the Frauenkirche. Here's a street of the Marienplatz on our way there.Carrie also wanted to stop in this bookstore along the way. It's fun to look at some of the children's books we have in German.The inside of the Frauenkirche (built 1468-88), was much more simple on the interior than Notre Dame, but was still very beautiful.We climbed on of the two towers (well, 74 steps plus a lift), and got some great views of the city. This is looking back on the Marienplatz.The gold church in this shot is the Theatinerkirche.The other tower
There were buildings surrounding the church, so I couldn't get a great shot of the front. You'll just have to settle for putting these two pictures together in your mind. :)
There were buildings surrounding the church, so I couldn't get a great shot of the front. You'll just have to settle for putting these two pictures together in your mind. :)At noon we went back to Marienplatz to see the Glockenspiel do its thing for 10 minutes. Kinda cool, kinda hard to look up for that length of time.
From there we explored north a bit. We came across this little shop that sort of specialized in awesome foodstuffs. They had coffee and wine and chocolates and pastries and breads and meats and cheese and other things that were equally tempting. I had a whiskey truffle and Carrie had a caramel truffle. We each wanted 10 more.
A neat street view
We then walked down a street with extremely ritzy store. The kind where you don't even want to walk in for how out of place you'll feel. That, and just looking at it feels to expensive.
Our next stop was just to look in the famous Hofbräuhaus. This beer hall first opened in the 16th century, and now is just a huge tourist stop. They serve 10,000 liters of beer a day (in liter servings).
From there we explored north a bit. We came across this little shop that sort of specialized in awesome foodstuffs. They had coffee and wine and chocolates and pastries and breads and meats and cheese and other things that were equally tempting. I had a whiskey truffle and Carrie had a caramel truffle. We each wanted 10 more.A neat street viewWe then walked down a street with extremely ritzy store. The kind where you don't even want to walk in for how out of place you'll feel. That, and just looking at it feels to expensive.Our next stop was just to look in the famous Hofbräuhaus. This beer hall first opened in the 16th century, and now is just a huge tourist stop. They serve 10,000 liters of beer a day (in liter servings).
After this we walked toward the Residenz, which is kind of a sparling palace with buildings dating to the 14th century. We stepped into the museum but didn't feel like paying the 9 or so euros each to see it. You can see a lot of old buildings for free, and at this point, we've seen quite a few.
Then we came to the Field Marshals' Hall. This is most notable now as the start for a failed "people's takeover" of Bavaria led by Hitler in 1923.
We then went to the Theatinerkirche, or St. Cajetan's Church. If the Frauenkirche was simple, this was overly ornate.
Then we came to the Field Marshals' Hall. This is most notable now as the start for a failed "people's takeover" of Bavaria led by Hitler in 1923.
We then went to the Theatinerkirche, or St. Cajetan's Church. If the Frauenkirche was simple, this was overly ornate.The low light made shots difficult, so what you can't see is that these columns are overlaid with sculptures of ivy and cherubs. The detail is just amazing.
After getting some lunch at a small shop (I had some noodles with pork something or other, not bad), we went back to the hotel for some relaxing/tons of blogging to catch up on.
That evening, we first went out in search of Birkenstocks for Carrie. We looked it up on Google maps (normally quite reliable stateside) and set off. Unfortunately, either I got us off in the wrong direction entirely, or Google Maps wasn't spot on. We ended up walking through some, well, shady streets with a few strips clubs along the way. Needless to say, Carrie does not have new shoes at this time.
As we tried to make our way back to the Marienplatz, we wandered through a gigantic underground shopping mall/metro link area. I mean, there was a full grocery store down there along with at least a dozen or so smaller shops. It was a little unexpected.
After we got back to Marienplatz, we looked for dinner, but as it turns out if you don't want to do go to a restaurant your choices are much more limited at night. The places that'll sell you a braut during the day only have beer available at night. So I got another slice of pizza (spicy salomi) while Carrie went for a burger. Then, we had to get some beer (or at least I did).
After some discussion, we thought it'd be fun to head to the Hofbräuhaus and see what all the commotion was about. I ordered a dunkel and Carrie had a house wine (but did have a little bit of my beer as well).
After getting some lunch at a small shop (I had some noodles with pork something or other, not bad), we went back to the hotel for some relaxing/tons of blogging to catch up on.That evening, we first went out in search of Birkenstocks for Carrie. We looked it up on Google maps (normally quite reliable stateside) and set off. Unfortunately, either I got us off in the wrong direction entirely, or Google Maps wasn't spot on. We ended up walking through some, well, shady streets with a few strips clubs along the way. Needless to say, Carrie does not have new shoes at this time.
As we tried to make our way back to the Marienplatz, we wandered through a gigantic underground shopping mall/metro link area. I mean, there was a full grocery store down there along with at least a dozen or so smaller shops. It was a little unexpected.
After we got back to Marienplatz, we looked for dinner, but as it turns out if you don't want to do go to a restaurant your choices are much more limited at night. The places that'll sell you a braut during the day only have beer available at night. So I got another slice of pizza (spicy salomi) while Carrie went for a burger. Then, we had to get some beer (or at least I did).
After some discussion, we thought it'd be fun to head to the Hofbräuhaus and see what all the commotion was about. I ordered a dunkel and Carrie had a house wine (but did have a little bit of my beer as well).
The seating was at large picnic tables that could seat 6-8 people each. If you wanted a seat, you grabbed one (there was no 'bar' to speak of) and shared it with strangers. The people we shared our table with, a family, was decidedly not into the HB spirit. Most of the people there were getting into the live music, singing along with drinking songs, and generally being boisterous and lively. Some people even came dressed up...
Apparently the people that play there often just work for beer.
Apparently the people that play there often just work for beer.Not a bad gig, if you asked me. Overall this was a really fun experience and definitely something to do if you find yourself in Munich. The only problem was that after dinner a full liter of beer was just a lot of liquid, and I found it hard to finish. Still, I polished that sucker off and had a good time in the meantime.
At this point, we were rather exhausted and went straight to bed with oom pah pahs ringing in our ears. :)
At this point, we were rather exhausted and went straight to bed with oom pah pahs ringing in our ears. :)
Today was the day that I had been dreading for a while. We had to travel to the airport, find the right terminal and navigate security with quite the language barrier.
First, though, was breakfast, and after breakfast, packing. It didn't take long to do this (we travel light), and we were checked out surprisingly fast. We took the newer metro line to the proper bus depot, both because it's a nicer line and because we wanted a last taste of great French bread. <sigh>
We arrived at the Opera stop and got our first view of the Paris National Opera House. In retrospect, this would have been pretty cool to see, but it was a bit late, so I took some shots from the bus.
Getting on the bus was no easy matter. I neglected to check which terminal we were in (I had no internets and should have probably asked the front desk to check for us), so when the driver asked me which terminal I simply replied "Lufthansa." He thought about that a second and then said, "Terminal One." I'm thinking, why did you have to think about that?
As we get to the airport, I find out why. It's a 40 minute drive to the airport, and when we arrived he spend a good 10-15 minutes making stops from terminal point 2A to 2F, I was starting to realize that not only was this a huge airport but it was also spread out a lot.
He drops us (and just a few remaining passengers) at Terminal 1, and we thankfully are able to find the Lufthansa check-in. We do the quick check-in via the electronic machine, and have our bags checked in no time.
We then head to the gate area (gates 30-38 for those of you with intimate knowledge of CDG), and don't really know which gate it's going to be. Interesting. Even our passes just say 30-38. I guess they decide once the plane has come in.
Security was no big deal, and we browsed through the little shops in our area and then took a look at the clock. We've got a good 2 1/2 hours until our plane departs. Guess I gave us plenty of time in case I messed us up horribly. (I was imagining accidentally going to the wrong airport, terminal, gate, etc.)
So we kill lots of time and then get ready to board our plane.
Since this was a small plane, when she announced boarding, everyone just got in line. No big deal. Then we went out onto the tarmac to get on our plane.
This is a picture I took when we reached Munich.
The flight over was wonderful. We were offered wine for free along with any drinks that we wanted, but I figured that having not eaten much (as I can't when I'm anxious) and still needing to navigate another new airport in a different language, I better avoid anything that might make that tricky.
The view from the plane was incredible. I got some nice views of the Swiss Alps and the German countryside (which from the plane is much greener than what I saw of France). I tried to take a few pictures, but they just didn't come out.
When we arrived in Munich there was a bus to take us to the terminal and from there we just followed the crowd to the baggage claim.
What we saw there we least expected. Carrie says, "Is that Charlotte?" I say, "Charlotte who?"
She was talking about Kristin Davis, from Sex and the City
And I can say with a great deal of certainty that it was her as she was standing rather close to us waiting for her bag with someone from the airport and a Fabio lookalike on her arm. What she was doing there I don't know, and no, I did not take a picture. That seemed rather rude after an international flight. You'll just have to take my word for it.
We were able to find the ticket stand for the S-bahn relatively easily, (there were literally no customs to go through--go EU!) and the guy working there pointed us in the right direction. Within 45 minutes we were in the center of Munich, making a transition to the U-bahn.
Unfortunately, I had circled two U-bahn stops on the map I printed out, and guessed incorrectly as to which one we should use for our hotel. Thankfully, it wasn't more than a 10-minute walk, but as we passed the correct station I felt kind of silly.
Our hotel is basically amazing. We got a great deal on this four star hotel (probably different in America than in Europe) within a block of the metro. Here are some shots.
First, though, was breakfast, and after breakfast, packing. It didn't take long to do this (we travel light), and we were checked out surprisingly fast. We took the newer metro line to the proper bus depot, both because it's a nicer line and because we wanted a last taste of great French bread. <sigh>
We arrived at the Opera stop and got our first view of the Paris National Opera House. In retrospect, this would have been pretty cool to see, but it was a bit late, so I took some shots from the bus.
Getting on the bus was no easy matter. I neglected to check which terminal we were in (I had no internets and should have probably asked the front desk to check for us), so when the driver asked me which terminal I simply replied "Lufthansa." He thought about that a second and then said, "Terminal One." I'm thinking, why did you have to think about that?As we get to the airport, I find out why. It's a 40 minute drive to the airport, and when we arrived he spend a good 10-15 minutes making stops from terminal point 2A to 2F, I was starting to realize that not only was this a huge airport but it was also spread out a lot.
He drops us (and just a few remaining passengers) at Terminal 1, and we thankfully are able to find the Lufthansa check-in. We do the quick check-in via the electronic machine, and have our bags checked in no time.
We then head to the gate area (gates 30-38 for those of you with intimate knowledge of CDG), and don't really know which gate it's going to be. Interesting. Even our passes just say 30-38. I guess they decide once the plane has come in.
Security was no big deal, and we browsed through the little shops in our area and then took a look at the clock. We've got a good 2 1/2 hours until our plane departs. Guess I gave us plenty of time in case I messed us up horribly. (I was imagining accidentally going to the wrong airport, terminal, gate, etc.)
So we kill lots of time and then get ready to board our plane.
Since this was a small plane, when she announced boarding, everyone just got in line. No big deal. Then we went out onto the tarmac to get on our plane.
This is a picture I took when we reached Munich.
The flight over was wonderful. We were offered wine for free along with any drinks that we wanted, but I figured that having not eaten much (as I can't when I'm anxious) and still needing to navigate another new airport in a different language, I better avoid anything that might make that tricky.The view from the plane was incredible. I got some nice views of the Swiss Alps and the German countryside (which from the plane is much greener than what I saw of France). I tried to take a few pictures, but they just didn't come out.
When we arrived in Munich there was a bus to take us to the terminal and from there we just followed the crowd to the baggage claim.
What we saw there we least expected. Carrie says, "Is that Charlotte?" I say, "Charlotte who?"
She was talking about Kristin Davis, from Sex and the City
And I can say with a great deal of certainty that it was her as she was standing rather close to us waiting for her bag with someone from the airport and a Fabio lookalike on her arm. What she was doing there I don't know, and no, I did not take a picture. That seemed rather rude after an international flight. You'll just have to take my word for it.We were able to find the ticket stand for the S-bahn relatively easily, (there were literally no customs to go through--go EU!) and the guy working there pointed us in the right direction. Within 45 minutes we were in the center of Munich, making a transition to the U-bahn.
Unfortunately, I had circled two U-bahn stops on the map I printed out, and guessed incorrectly as to which one we should use for our hotel. Thankfully, it wasn't more than a 10-minute walk, but as we passed the correct station I felt kind of silly.
Our hotel is basically amazing. We got a great deal on this four star hotel (probably different in America than in Europe) within a block of the metro. Here are some shots.
And here is the view from our window
The best thing about our room, though, was that we had internet! A connection to the outside world!
So we browsed the internet a bit before heading into Munich for a bite to eat.
We went to the Marienplatz, or St. Mary's Square, as that is basically the center of things (from a tourist perspective). I tried to take some pictures but it was getting dark quickly.
Frankly the ones we took the next day were better, so I'll just have to stick with this one of the square.
We found a nice little pizza joint and got a couple of slices while I enjoyed a local brew. Mmm... beer. Carrie did quite a good job of ordering in German, I might add.
We didn't have the energy to walk around too much, but were at least able to orient ourselves to this area. Of note is the fact that I saw a cigar shop selling Cubans. Oh heck yeah! I had forgotten that the EU had lifted the trade embargo with Cuba last month, so I'm definitely going to have to try out one of those bad boys.
We made our way back to the hotel and slept rather luxuriously, getting ourselves ready for yet another day of walking.
The best thing about our room, though, was that we had internet! A connection to the outside world!So we browsed the internet a bit before heading into Munich for a bite to eat.
We went to the Marienplatz, or St. Mary's Square, as that is basically the center of things (from a tourist perspective). I tried to take some pictures but it was getting dark quickly.
Frankly the ones we took the next day were better, so I'll just have to stick with this one of the square.
We found a nice little pizza joint and got a couple of slices while I enjoyed a local brew. Mmm... beer. Carrie did quite a good job of ordering in German, I might add.We didn't have the energy to walk around too much, but were at least able to orient ourselves to this area. Of note is the fact that I saw a cigar shop selling Cubans. Oh heck yeah! I had forgotten that the EU had lifted the trade embargo with Cuba last month, so I'm definitely going to have to try out one of those bad boys.
We made our way back to the hotel and slept rather luxuriously, getting ourselves ready for yet another day of walking.
Our day began with a continental breakfast, again, and then we set off to find the post office. As it turns out, people in France are just as unhappy to be working there as in the states. I asked the woman if she spoke English, and instead tried to speak French slowly to me. A simple no would have sufficed.
Anyway, we got some postcards mailed off, and then got some more of our chocolate bread before going to the Louvre. Instead of heading through the main entrance (via the glass pyramid), we opted for the entrance that connects directly with the subway. The line was relatively short, and I'd say within 15-20 minutes of getting in line we had our tickets and were exploring the exhibits. It also helps to get there right around when it opens.
Here's the glass pyramid we saw as we entered.
Let me just say that the Louvre is freakin' amazing. We could have spent all day there and still not fully grasped their collection. We started off with sculptures, and what really struck me was how advanced ancient Roman sculptures were. When you looked at the Italian Renaissance by comparison, you had to be fairly picky to notice the improvements.
This was one of my favorite sculptures
Of course we also saw the Venus de Milo
The ancient Egyptian stuff was amazing. To see stuff that was made around 6,000 years ago is just mind blowing. Their collection was awesome. Every time we turned around we saw something even more amazing than before.
And you gotta love the monkeys
They also had great stuff from ancient Babylon and surrounding regions.
What was cool was just imagining these great halls were these pieces would have been used. There was a pillar (which I didn't get a good picture of), that was awesome by itself, but would have been but one of maybe 50 in this building. Incredible.
Here's the code of Hammurabi
After the sculptures and old stuff (what an understatement), we went to go see the Mona Lisa. Ok, it was pretty cool, but frankly there were other paintings we each enjoyed more. Plus, the crowd was getting to be pretty enormous by this point (11:30 or so), so we went out the main entrance and enjoyed some lunch.
Our tickets were good for all day, so we just went back in the way we came (why stand in line for an hour in the sun), and since we had tickets we were able to skip the security line entirely). Our second tour focussed on paintings, and specifically their French paintings. They of course had some amazing pieces, and the larger works I couldn't have captured in a photograph if I could. There were a few great pieces I did photograph, though.
Here's a rather famous portrait of Chopin by Delacroix
And here's a nice piece by Boilly that Carrie liked
There were, in fact, lots of cats in paintings. When you think about it, it makes sense. Cats seem appropriately French just as dogs seem rather popular in Germany.
Anyway, by this point we were just exhausted and decided that what we didn't see would be ok. We were starting to get numb to such great art anyway.
Anyway, we got some postcards mailed off, and then got some more of our chocolate bread before going to the Louvre. Instead of heading through the main entrance (via the glass pyramid), we opted for the entrance that connects directly with the subway. The line was relatively short, and I'd say within 15-20 minutes of getting in line we had our tickets and were exploring the exhibits. It also helps to get there right around when it opens.
Here's the glass pyramid we saw as we entered.
Let me just say that the Louvre is freakin' amazing. We could have spent all day there and still not fully grasped their collection. We started off with sculptures, and what really struck me was how advanced ancient Roman sculptures were. When you looked at the Italian Renaissance by comparison, you had to be fairly picky to notice the improvements.This was one of my favorite sculptures
Of course we also saw the Venus de MiloThe ancient Egyptian stuff was amazing. To see stuff that was made around 6,000 years ago is just mind blowing. Their collection was awesome. Every time we turned around we saw something even more amazing than before.And you gotta love the monkeysThey also had great stuff from ancient Babylon and surrounding regions.What was cool was just imagining these great halls were these pieces would have been used. There was a pillar (which I didn't get a good picture of), that was awesome by itself, but would have been but one of maybe 50 in this building. Incredible.Here's the code of Hammurabi
After the sculptures and old stuff (what an understatement), we went to go see the Mona Lisa. Ok, it was pretty cool, but frankly there were other paintings we each enjoyed more. Plus, the crowd was getting to be pretty enormous by this point (11:30 or so), so we went out the main entrance and enjoyed some lunch.Our tickets were good for all day, so we just went back in the way we came (why stand in line for an hour in the sun), and since we had tickets we were able to skip the security line entirely). Our second tour focussed on paintings, and specifically their French paintings. They of course had some amazing pieces, and the larger works I couldn't have captured in a photograph if I could. There were a few great pieces I did photograph, though.Here's a rather famous portrait of Chopin by Delacroix
And here's a nice piece by Boilly that Carrie likedThere were, in fact, lots of cats in paintings. When you think about it, it makes sense. Cats seem appropriately French just as dogs seem rather popular in Germany.
Anyway, by this point we were just exhausted and decided that what we didn't see would be ok. We were starting to get numb to such great art anyway.
We decided to take a short walk to a different subway station as we went home, and we were blessed with some great views.
We got to our hotel and went down for a nap, but before we did I took a few pictures so that you could see what a decent hotel in Paris will get you.
As you can see by the fan, we did not have AC, but the highs were at their worst in the low 80's, so it wasn't a big deal.
The bathroom was fine, if a bit small. Carrie said the hair drier was kinda weak.
Oh, and we had to look at this thing while we laid down in bed. Kind of strange, if you asked me.
For our last evening, we thought we'd start at the Arc de Triomphe and then stroll down the Champs-Elysees and find something for dinner.
When we arrived at the Arc, around 6:30, there was a ceremonial relighting of the tomb of the unknown soldier (WWI), it was cool to catch that, but at the same time we had to wait quite a while before we could get closer to the center of the Arc.
As you can see by the fan, we did not have AC, but the highs were at their worst in the low 80's, so it wasn't a big deal.The bathroom was fine, if a bit small. Carrie said the hair drier was kinda weak.
Oh, and we had to look at this thing while we laid down in bed. Kind of strange, if you asked me.For our last evening, we thought we'd start at the Arc de Triomphe and then stroll down the Champs-Elysees and find something for dinner.When we arrived at the Arc, around 6:30, there was a ceremonial relighting of the tomb of the unknown soldier (WWI), it was cool to catch that, but at the same time we had to wait quite a while before we could get closer to the center of the Arc.
Here's a view looking toward La Defense
Looking down the Champs-Elysees
The tomb of the unknown soldier (as best as I can tell)
Walking down this famous road was something else. We were surrounded by fancy restaurants and expensive shops.
As we crossed the road, I got a neat view looking back at the Arc
We found a nice little restaurant/bar just off the street, and enjoyed a wonderful dinner. I had duck (which was exquisite) and Carrie had some chicken. I also had some champagne with dinner and cognac after. Carrie opted for chocolate mouse instead of alcohol and claims she got the better end of the deal. :)
After dinner we went to the Tuilerie Gardens, which did not compare well to the Luxembourg Gardens. Still, I managed to get a few good shots.
The tomb of the unknown soldier (as best as I can tell)Walking down this famous road was something else. We were surrounded by fancy restaurants and expensive shops.As we crossed the road, I got a neat view looking back at the Arc
We found a nice little restaurant/bar just off the street, and enjoyed a wonderful dinner. I had duck (which was exquisite) and Carrie had some chicken. I also had some champagne with dinner and cognac after. Carrie opted for chocolate mouse instead of alcohol and claims she got the better end of the deal. :)After dinner we went to the Tuilerie Gardens, which did not compare well to the Luxembourg Gardens. Still, I managed to get a few good shots.The collest part of these gardens was that there was a carnival going on, complete with the usual shooting/throwing games and a various array of rides.
The last picture I took this day is also one of my all-time favorites. As we were heading down into the metro station, there was this bike locked to the railling. It was really old and the front tire was busted rather badly. At first, I was struck by how odd it was to have this old bike locked up, and then I saw the shot. I had to snap it quick as people behind us were anxious to get into the metro and can't believe I got the picture in one take. Anyway, here it is. I converted it to black and white and upped the contrast a bit.
Were I to take a second shot, I might see what it looked like to include the handlebars, but for one take I'm more than pleased.
Ok, enough about that picture. We had a wonderful last day in Paris, though I knew that the next day meant finding our way to and navigating an airport with a language barrier. Needless to say, I was a bit anxious that night.
Were I to take a second shot, I might see what it looked like to include the handlebars, but for one take I'm more than pleased.Ok, enough about that picture. We had a wonderful last day in Paris, though I knew that the next day meant finding our way to and navigating an airport with a language barrier. Needless to say, I was a bit anxious that night.
After sleeping not nearly long enough (though easily about 10 hours), we went down to have our free breakfast. It was good with eggs, bacon, cheese, some deli meats, yogurt, cereal, juices, breads and more. We ate as much as we could stomach as every other meal would cost us money.
Our tour for this morning was of Monmartre, with it's biggest landmark being the Sacre Coeur church.
We get off the metro and are met with a street filled with tourist shops, cheap clothes, and food stands. It was a fun atmosphere.
And here is the church
And Carrie being cute
A view from the church
Tower in the back of the church
Within the church mass was being held, which was cool to see. Also, according to our guidebook, there have been people praying in the church 24/7 since it opened.
We took a self-guided walk after this, and got to see some more of the Montmartre area, which is famous not only for the church, but also the artists that have lived here.
A final view of the church from a side street
This is a square where local artists display their work and will also do portraits.
The interesting thing about this museum, is that lots of people have lived in this building, including the composer Erik Satie.
Here is a vineyard behind the house.
A view of some of the houses around here
A statue of St. David, who was martyred on this hill. I let you guess how he died.
Another street view
Oh, and just in case you were wondering, Van Gough lived here
Oh, and while we didn't attend a show, here's the Moulin Rouge
We shared a crepe (yummy), before heading back to the hotel for our afternoon nap (this works out well as staying out all day would be simply too exhausting).
On the way home, we saw some French guys dressed up ghetto-style. Thing was, they were going it all wrong. The clothes were very clean and fashionable, too well coordinated, and the clothes fit too well. I'm not sure if that's what they were going for, 'cause it just looked odd. I think the word is poseur. :)
When we get back to the hotel, Carrie discovers that all this walking has given her a blister on one of her toes. She managed to tough out the rest of the day (and subsequent days), so cheers to her.
Our next stop was the Luxembourg Gardens, which were pretty, but for some reason I had trouble getting good shots.
Our tour for this morning was of Monmartre, with it's biggest landmark being the Sacre Coeur church.
We get off the metro and are met with a street filled with tourist shops, cheap clothes, and food stands. It was a fun atmosphere.
And here is the churchAnd Carrie being cute
A view from the churchTower in the back of the church
Within the church mass was being held, which was cool to see. Also, according to our guidebook, there have been people praying in the church 24/7 since it opened.
We took a self-guided walk after this, and got to see some more of the Montmartre area, which is famous not only for the church, but also the artists that have lived here.
A final view of the church from a side street
This is a square where local artists display their work and will also do portraits.The interesting thing about this museum, is that lots of people have lived in this building, including the composer Erik Satie.Here is a vineyard behind the house.A view of some of the houses around hereA statue of St. David, who was martyred on this hill. I let you guess how he died.Another street viewOh, and just in case you were wondering, Van Gough lived hereOh, and while we didn't attend a show, here's the Moulin RougeWe shared a crepe (yummy), before heading back to the hotel for our afternoon nap (this works out well as staying out all day would be simply too exhausting).On the way home, we saw some French guys dressed up ghetto-style. Thing was, they were going it all wrong. The clothes were very clean and fashionable, too well coordinated, and the clothes fit too well. I'm not sure if that's what they were going for, 'cause it just looked odd. I think the word is poseur. :)
When we get back to the hotel, Carrie discovers that all this walking has given her a blister on one of her toes. She managed to tough out the rest of the day (and subsequent days), so cheers to her.
Our next stop was the Luxembourg Gardens, which were pretty, but for some reason I had trouble getting good shots.
I do really like this shot, though. I think the couple in the lower right-hand corner is what makes it.
I don't know what this statue is, but it had a boogie.
Our final stop for the day was to go see the Eiffel Tower at night. Our metro line on the way there was jam-packed, so it came as somewhat of a relief that there was a problem and we had to improvise a new route (this was the route that did work last night, go figure). We decided to view the tower from the Palais de Chaillot (see Day 5), and saw lots of people dancing for dough. Most people, though, were waiting for 10:00pm, when the lights would come on and would also twinkle, if you will.
Here's the tower when we arrived.
The twinkling lights
Carrie said this was one of her favorite things about our trip so far. We stuck around until about 10:30, as the blue color of the regular lights became more pronounced. Here's a look at our final view.
After heading back to the hotel, we tried calling home, as the lack of internet necessitated some means of contact. Finally, we went to bed with one more full day in Paris to go.
I don't know what this statue is, but it had a boogie.Our final stop for the day was to go see the Eiffel Tower at night. Our metro line on the way there was jam-packed, so it came as somewhat of a relief that there was a problem and we had to improvise a new route (this was the route that did work last night, go figure). We decided to view the tower from the Palais de Chaillot (see Day 5), and saw lots of people dancing for dough. Most people, though, were waiting for 10:00pm, when the lights would come on and would also twinkle, if you will.Here's the tower when we arrived.
The twinkling lightsCarrie said this was one of her favorite things about our trip so far. We stuck around until about 10:30, as the blue color of the regular lights became more pronounced. Here's a look at our final view.After heading back to the hotel, we tried calling home, as the lack of internet necessitated some means of contact. Finally, we went to bed with one more full day in Paris to go.
Ok, so last time I left off we were near the Pompidou center looking at the shallow pool with sculptures.
After a much needed nap, we decided to go see the Eiffel Tower. We waited in line for about an hour, and during that time they closed the top level (there are 3). We were a little disappointed, but later learned that if we wanted to, we could purchase tickets on the second level to go up (I think it was just about too many people up there at the time). During our wait in line, we saw Carrie's brother's Asian twin. It was truly bizarre. I wanted to take a picture but he was really close to us and I didn't see how I could do it subtly.
So we took the elevator to the second floor and loved it.
Here's a shot as we approached from the south.
On our way up
And now shots from the tower.
If I zoom in on this view, you can see the Sacre Coeur in the Montmartre area.
More views. This towards the Palais de Chaillot, with downtown in the background.
Up towards the top level
We got dizzy just looking up, so we decided not to go ahead and make the final trek. At least we saved about 4 euros each.
Looking over the Seine
Looking in the direction of the Champ de Mars and the building in the background is the Ecole militaire
We got there later in the evening, and thought it would be cool to wait around until after sunset to see the lights of Paris.
To pass the time, we looked in the little shops and had some coffee and a chocolate waffle. Yummy.
I took some more pictures... you can see the Arc de Triomphe in the center of this shot
Here's the Hotel des Invalides. Note the shadow created by the tower.
Oh, and this is a niftly little street sign nearby
Here you can see the escalator running along the outside of the building
We stopped for lunch at a small sandwich stand nearby and had a French hot dog. Basically, it's a baguette, with two hot dogs and cheese. So much better than the American version.
After lunch, we made our way back to the hotel. Turns out, or at least I'm assuming so, that the higher the metro line number, the newer it is. For instance, the nice new line we took was 14, this one was 7 and decidedly less nice. I make a mental note to use higher numbers when possible.
We check in to the hotel and everything seems great, but the internet is not free! It's one of those 'hotspots' you sometimes see in the states where you need a T-mobile subscription to use it or something like that. In this case, it was Orange France. Nice.
Here's the view from our hotel.
Here you can see the escalator running along the outside of the buildingWe stopped for lunch at a small sandwich stand nearby and had a French hot dog. Basically, it's a baguette, with two hot dogs and cheese. So much better than the American version.After lunch, we made our way back to the hotel. Turns out, or at least I'm assuming so, that the higher the metro line number, the newer it is. For instance, the nice new line we took was 14, this one was 7 and decidedly less nice. I make a mental note to use higher numbers when possible.We check in to the hotel and everything seems great, but the internet is not free! It's one of those 'hotspots' you sometimes see in the states where you need a T-mobile subscription to use it or something like that. In this case, it was Orange France. Nice.
Here's the view from our hotel.
After a much needed nap, we decided to go see the Eiffel Tower. We waited in line for about an hour, and during that time they closed the top level (there are 3). We were a little disappointed, but later learned that if we wanted to, we could purchase tickets on the second level to go up (I think it was just about too many people up there at the time). During our wait in line, we saw Carrie's brother's Asian twin. It was truly bizarre. I wanted to take a picture but he was really close to us and I didn't see how I could do it subtly.So we took the elevator to the second floor and loved it.
Here's a shot as we approached from the south.
On our way upAnd now shots from the tower.If I zoom in on this view, you can see the Sacre Coeur in the Montmartre area.More views. This towards the Palais de Chaillot, with downtown in the background.Up towards the top levelWe got dizzy just looking up, so we decided not to go ahead and make the final trek. At least we saved about 4 euros each.Looking over the Seine
Looking in the direction of the Champ de Mars and the building in the background is the Ecole militaireWe got there later in the evening, and thought it would be cool to wait around until after sunset to see the lights of Paris.To pass the time, we looked in the little shops and had some coffee and a chocolate waffle. Yummy.
I took some more pictures... you can see the Arc de Triomphe in the center of this shotHere's the Hotel des Invalides. Note the shadow created by the tower.Around 9:15 pm, though, we gave up on the sunset as it was clearly not going to be happening anytime soon. That, and our days were, at this point, getting rather long. So we made our way home.
This is the tower from the Northwest
Getting back, however, was not so easy. First of all, I lost my 3-day metro pass, so I had to buy a regular ticket. Then, there was contrustion on the line I tried to use, so we had to do several changes on our way back. All told, it probably took us about an hour before we got back to our hotel.
After thinking a bit about what to do tomorrow, we passed out and set the alarm with only enough time to make our continental breakfast.
This is the tower from the Northwest
Getting back, however, was not so easy. First of all, I lost my 3-day metro pass, so I had to buy a regular ticket. Then, there was contrustion on the line I tried to use, so we had to do several changes on our way back. All told, it probably took us about an hour before we got back to our hotel.After thinking a bit about what to do tomorrow, we passed out and set the alarm with only enough time to make our continental breakfast.
My day began at 12:30 am, a whopping two hours after I went to sleep. I was just too worried about getting to our hotel and, frankly, surviving in a country with a complete language barrier. Good times. So basically I just read a travel book and waited until Carrie got up at 2:30.
The car got lost on the way to the house, but thankfully Greg was awake and able to guide it to us safely. We arrived at the train station by 3:10, giving us a good 15 minutes to wait in the cold.
This was our view.
We get into St. Pancras station by around 4:00 am, and of course nothing is open save one little pastry and coffee place. Carrie enjoyed a coffee while I fought for consciousness. We were supposed to arrive 45 minutes before our train arrived, but we picked up our tickets through an automated machine and waited around until security opened up a little before 5:00. So much for getting there really early.
Security was less than that of a domestic flight in the states, and within a few minutes we were stamped as "leaving London." Once we were in Paris, there was nothing to do but go to our hotel.
Here is a view from our waiting area in the station.
We actually managed to even look cute at this early hour.
The trip itself was uneventful, and the train was not even that nice (nicer than the metro, sure, but not exactly luxury travel). The French countryside was pretty, but frankly sleeping seemed like a better idea.
This is the train after we got in.
Navigating this huge station was a bit of a problem, though. First of all, I couldn't find an ATM. This meant that we had no Euros, and also that Carrie couldn't use the restroom. Uh oh.
We bought 3-day passes (perfect), and then run all over the place trying to find the right place in the station. The station and metro ride is actually quite nice (we later learn this is the newest line), and thankfully I was able to located our hotel, despite it being several blocks away from the station. (Google Maps makes things look so close sometimes).
Ok, drop off bags and do some shopping. Carrie was having some trouble with her Pumas, and we decided to look for some shoes to purchase. On the way, we passed a bakery and decided to get a loaf of chocolate-chip-laced bread. OMG! It was incredible. You could taste the heavy cream that must have been used. Things are starting to look up.
Can you say, le awesome.
After finding a shopping district (which included 10 minutes trying to get out of the sprawling Chatalet station), trying several shoes and stores, trying to communicate with a vocabulary of maybe 20 words, Carrie had to settle on some flip flops. At least they helped alievate some of that pain.
So, we thought we'd try walking around a bit.
The first thing we came across was the Hotel de Ville. Pretty cool.
Then I look around, and hey, isn't that Notre Dame? Yup.
We cross the Seine...
The car got lost on the way to the house, but thankfully Greg was awake and able to guide it to us safely. We arrived at the train station by 3:10, giving us a good 15 minutes to wait in the cold.
This was our view.
We get into St. Pancras station by around 4:00 am, and of course nothing is open save one little pastry and coffee place. Carrie enjoyed a coffee while I fought for consciousness. We were supposed to arrive 45 minutes before our train arrived, but we picked up our tickets through an automated machine and waited around until security opened up a little before 5:00. So much for getting there really early.Security was less than that of a domestic flight in the states, and within a few minutes we were stamped as "leaving London." Once we were in Paris, there was nothing to do but go to our hotel.
Here is a view from our waiting area in the station.
We actually managed to even look cute at this early hour.The trip itself was uneventful, and the train was not even that nice (nicer than the metro, sure, but not exactly luxury travel). The French countryside was pretty, but frankly sleeping seemed like a better idea.This is the train after we got in.
Navigating this huge station was a bit of a problem, though. First of all, I couldn't find an ATM. This meant that we had no Euros, and also that Carrie couldn't use the restroom. Uh oh.We bought 3-day passes (perfect), and then run all over the place trying to find the right place in the station. The station and metro ride is actually quite nice (we later learn this is the newest line), and thankfully I was able to located our hotel, despite it being several blocks away from the station. (Google Maps makes things look so close sometimes).
Ok, drop off bags and do some shopping. Carrie was having some trouble with her Pumas, and we decided to look for some shoes to purchase. On the way, we passed a bakery and decided to get a loaf of chocolate-chip-laced bread. OMG! It was incredible. You could taste the heavy cream that must have been used. Things are starting to look up.
Can you say, le awesome.After finding a shopping district (which included 10 minutes trying to get out of the sprawling Chatalet station), trying several shoes and stores, trying to communicate with a vocabulary of maybe 20 words, Carrie had to settle on some flip flops. At least they helped alievate some of that pain.
So, we thought we'd try walking around a bit.
The first thing we came across was the Hotel de Ville. Pretty cool.
Then I look around, and hey, isn't that Notre Dame? Yup.We cross the Seine...
Notre Dame was simply amazing, inside and out. I couldn't get many pictures inside due to the very low light, but frankly I don't think any picture could have done it justice.
Here is the statue of Charlamagne in the courtyard.
This is me standing on the center of Paris, also in the front courtyard.
A side view of Notre Dame.
From the back side.
The Crypts nearby were unfortunately closed, so we wandered around some more. We came across the Palais de Justice. Here is a picture of it on the right, and a church on the left.
We then crossed back over the Seine and toward the Pompidou center, a modern art gallery. The interesting thing about this building is that it is somewhat inside-out. The piping is on the outside, as is the main escalator and some lifts.
Whoops, got ahead of myself. Here's the Seine again.
Here's the Pompidou center as we approach from the south.
There was also a shallow pool on the south end that had moving sculptures within. Cool stuff.
Ok, this is going to have to be part 1 of the post as my blog editing software is freaking out with so many pictures. I'm unfortunately rather tired from a long day of travel today, so that'll have to be it for now. With any luck, I can catch up tomorrow.
Here is the statue of Charlamagne in the courtyard.This is me standing on the center of Paris, also in the front courtyard.A side view of Notre Dame.From the back side.The Crypts nearby were unfortunately closed, so we wandered around some more. We came across the Palais de Justice. Here is a picture of it on the right, and a church on the left.We then crossed back over the Seine and toward the Pompidou center, a modern art gallery. The interesting thing about this building is that it is somewhat inside-out. The piping is on the outside, as is the main escalator and some lifts.Whoops, got ahead of myself. Here's the Seine again.
Here's the Pompidou center as we approach from the south.There was also a shallow pool on the south end that had moving sculptures within. Cool stuff.Ok, this is going to have to be part 1 of the post as my blog editing software is freaking out with so many pictures. I'm unfortunately rather tired from a long day of travel today, so that'll have to be it for now. With any luck, I can catch up tomorrow.
First of all, this is a bit removed chronologically as we did not have free internet in Paris. Thus, as I write this, I'm sitting in a hotel in Munich.
Anyway, Sunday we decided to sleep in a bit, and after a late breakfast, we chilled out a while. We watched some Formula 1 racing (think NASCAR, only much classier and less, um, whiskey tango). After hanging out a bit, then, Carrie and I went to go see the 100 Akre Woods. Basically, this is just a place someone set up with places from the Winnie the Pooh stories. It isn't even really advertised, just a local park sort of thing. So here are some pictures from that little walk.
This is Eyore's gloomy place.
Anyway, Sunday we decided to sleep in a bit, and after a late breakfast, we chilled out a while. We watched some Formula 1 racing (think NASCAR, only much classier and less, um, whiskey tango). After hanging out a bit, then, Carrie and I went to go see the 100 Akre Woods. Basically, this is just a place someone set up with places from the Winnie the Pooh stories. It isn't even really advertised, just a local park sort of thing. So here are some pictures from that little walk.
This is Eyore's gloomy place. "The North Pole - Discover by Pooh"
After walking around there, we walked further around a pond nearby. Then Uncle Greg picked us up with his son (my cousin) Joe, and we had a couple of pints. There are some nice ales in England, but I don't see why they are so against the lagers. Maybe they don't make good lagers. :)
Our next stop was the train station where we had to pick up train tickets into London to catch our 5:25am train to Paris. Unfortunately, to do this right, we had to catch the 3:20am train. To get to the station, then, we had to have a car pick us up at 3:00am. Rock and roll. This is seeming like less and less of a good idea...
We stopped back home briefly before Greg and I went out to order some take-out Indian food. Let me tell you, this was some great Indian. We don't get so much in the midwest, but in England, it can be found pretty easily.
After dinner, we packed up and thought about going to bed early, but Austin Powers 2 was on, so we didn't get to bed until 10:30 that night. (Really, 22:30, as everywhere in Europe they stick with the 24-hour clock).
Day 5, our day of travel, started much, much too soon.
Our next stop was the train station where we had to pick up train tickets into London to catch our 5:25am train to Paris. Unfortunately, to do this right, we had to catch the 3:20am train. To get to the station, then, we had to have a car pick us up at 3:00am. Rock and roll. This is seeming like less and less of a good idea...
We stopped back home briefly before Greg and I went out to order some take-out Indian food. Let me tell you, this was some great Indian. We don't get so much in the midwest, but in England, it can be found pretty easily.
After dinner, we packed up and thought about going to bed early, but Austin Powers 2 was on, so we didn't get to bed until 10:30 that night. (Really, 22:30, as everywhere in Europe they stick with the 24-hour clock).
Day 5, our day of travel, started much, much too soon.
I'll see if I can blog about today tomorrow. Right now, I'm heading to bed, as I have a train to catch at 3:30am. Oops. When I booked our train from London to Paris, it was substantially cheaper to leave on the first train at 5:25am. Hehe. Of course, I didn't think about how early we'd have to leave to get to the station on time to go through customs (which is done before we leave).
So, just as I'm getting adjusted to this time, I'm gonna jack it all up again. :)
So, just as I'm getting adjusted to this time, I'm gonna jack it all up again. :)
After a lie-in and nice breakfast, we ran a few errands with Uncle Greg. We headed into Radlett, a small town of about 8,000, to run some errands. We went to the dry cleaners, grocery store, florist, and even the equivalent of a Goodwill store. The town is really nice, and I have to say it is a bit more my speed than London.
Oh, and we also stopped by a small collection of shops on our way that used to be all farm-type stores. Now it's antiques and flooring and fancy soaps and even the local hippie/eastern/psychic reading shop. :)
After we got back, we went to St. Albans, a larger town with an open air market. Our first stop, though, was the local Cathedral, which is home to St. Alban's shrine.
Ok, as I look through our pictures first we have the gateway to the monastery, which is now a school, but that's not particularly interesting, save the fact it was built in the 1300's.
Here's the best shot I have of the Cathedral, though chronologically it was as we were leaving town.
A close-up of the front
An even closer view of the entrance. This guy's face kinda gives me the creeps.
While we were in the Cathedral, a wedding was coming to the close. We ended up walking out with the guests.
Along one side was a cemetary, with grave stones dating back hundreds of years.
I wish I had an aerial shot of the cathedral, because I can't capture just how big it was from outside on the ground.
St. Albans is a lovely little town, with all the charm of English architecture.
Oh, and I was told that I need to take pictures of their walk/don't walk signs.
Oh, and we also stopped by a small collection of shops on our way that used to be all farm-type stores. Now it's antiques and flooring and fancy soaps and even the local hippie/eastern/psychic reading shop. :)
After we got back, we went to St. Albans, a larger town with an open air market. Our first stop, though, was the local Cathedral, which is home to St. Alban's shrine.
Ok, as I look through our pictures first we have the gateway to the monastery, which is now a school, but that's not particularly interesting, save the fact it was built in the 1300's.
Here's the best shot I have of the Cathedral, though chronologically it was as we were leaving town.A close-up of the frontAn even closer view of the entrance. This guy's face kinda gives me the creeps.While we were in the Cathedral, a wedding was coming to the close. We ended up walking out with the guests.Along one side was a cemetary, with grave stones dating back hundreds of years.I wish I had an aerial shot of the cathedral, because I can't capture just how big it was from outside on the ground.St. Albans is a lovely little town, with all the charm of English architecture.
Oh, and I was told that I need to take pictures of their walk/don't walk signs.After walking through the open-air market, which had everything from cell phones to books to fruits and veggies to mattress pads, we had lunch at an Italian restaurant that was quite nice. For dessert, we went to the Waffle House. No, not the Waffle House that we're familiar with, but rather one that is centered around an old water mill. Before enjoying our waffles, we took a tour of the Mill. Ooooh! Aaaah!
What you can't see in the caption is that the above is a Broadcast Seed Sower (Fiddle). Go figure.
Oh, and after our tour we had to wait for a table, so Carrie and I went to go look at a fun street sign.
The waffles were fantastic. We had ours with ice cream, and Carrie enjoyed some more English tea. Yummy.
Then we went to go see some Roman ruins, called the Verulamium. The museum was pretty interesting, as this was quite the little Roman city.
What was probably nicest, though, was the park around the ruins. It was rather large, with beautifully manicured grass and a large pond.
Oh, and after our tour we had to wait for a table, so Carrie and I went to go look at a fun street sign.
The waffles were fantastic. We had ours with ice cream, and Carrie enjoyed some more English tea. Yummy.Then we went to go see some Roman ruins, called the Verulamium. The museum was pretty interesting, as this was quite the little Roman city.
What was probably nicest, though, was the park around the ruins. It was rather large, with beautifully manicured grass and a large pond.Oh, and check out the feet on this guy!
These, by the way, are the ruins.
These, by the way, are the ruins.Yeah, it was pretty much a rock wall.
My last picture of the day is of these public tennis courts. Check it out, they're grass!
After we got home we took a little nap and then enjoyed a late dinner of spaghetti and wine. The conversation was pretty fun as I explained the differences between harpsichords and pianos and Carrie explained the joys of teaching 30 small kids to play the violin for the first time.
After dinner we watched My Left Foot, a movie that Carrie's parents had recommended. A great movie, certainly, but perhaps not the best for a light-hearted vacation. :)
My last picture of the day is of these public tennis courts. Check it out, they're grass!
After we got home we took a little nap and then enjoyed a late dinner of spaghetti and wine. The conversation was pretty fun as I explained the differences between harpsichords and pianos and Carrie explained the joys of teaching 30 small kids to play the violin for the first time.After dinner we watched My Left Foot, a movie that Carrie's parents had recommended. A great movie, certainly, but perhaps not the best for a light-hearted vacation. :)
After I stayed in bed for 15 hours, we finally got down into London.
To get there today, though, we had to hire a private car to take us to the train station (no more than five minutes drive but we had no idea how to walk there--as I type this google maps seems like it would have been a good idea). Then we had to get tickets to the right train, which itself was no easy feat. The particular station we wanted was really two stations that allowed transfer between them, and then the tickets I purchased had yet another name. Excellent.
Well, getting out at the right time wasn't a problem, but getting to the streets was. When I put my ticket in the little slot to let me out, it didn't work. Ok, maybe in the confusion I took the wrong exit. Being well-rested and not yet annoyed with impatient Londoners, I went to the information guy, who rudely pointed out that I am in the right place and I shouldn't have had any trouble getting out. Sorry that I wasn't sure if I was in the right place as my ticket had a different station than any of the other two that were listed.
Anyway, after that fiasco, we set out for Regent St and a day of window browsing. This was to be the exact opposite of yesterday.
Unfortunately, as before, I only had a tube map and had to use my navigational skills to guide us in the right direction. Thankfully, at every bus stop there is a small map, which got me enough info to head in the proper direction.
One of the first notable things we came across was this church. Neither of us were particularly interested in going in after everything we had seen yesterday.
In fact, I couldn't even tell you what church that is.
We traveled toward the Thames on Tottenham Court Rd, which apparently is the electronics epicenter of London. Both sides of the street were lined with stores, and I couldn't believe that they'd all survive in such proximity to one another. I suppose these Brits still have a thing or two to learn about capitalism. (Yes, I know that Adam Smith was from Great Britain, but he was a Scot, so there).
Then after ducking into a grocery store (nothing too terribly interesting to report there), we went down Oxford St, which is home to lots and lots of stores and people. Any congestion we saw yesterday paled in comparison to day. Both sides of the street we completely crowded, and I was frankly surprised that Carrie and I didn't lose one another at some point.
Anyway, after checking out a few stores we finally made it to Regent St, which, if you haven't guessed by this point, is home to the Apple Store. Here was my first look:
Having not seen a flagship store yet, I was excited to see the glass staircase and other cool Jobsian aspects.
When we got home we had some wine and ordered pizza. Oh, and we watched Big Brother, too, which is apparently huge over here. Also, it's filmed not a few miles from where we are staying. We may yet get some pictures of the building.
To get there today, though, we had to hire a private car to take us to the train station (no more than five minutes drive but we had no idea how to walk there--as I type this google maps seems like it would have been a good idea). Then we had to get tickets to the right train, which itself was no easy feat. The particular station we wanted was really two stations that allowed transfer between them, and then the tickets I purchased had yet another name. Excellent.
Well, getting out at the right time wasn't a problem, but getting to the streets was. When I put my ticket in the little slot to let me out, it didn't work. Ok, maybe in the confusion I took the wrong exit. Being well-rested and not yet annoyed with impatient Londoners, I went to the information guy, who rudely pointed out that I am in the right place and I shouldn't have had any trouble getting out. Sorry that I wasn't sure if I was in the right place as my ticket had a different station than any of the other two that were listed.
Anyway, after that fiasco, we set out for Regent St and a day of window browsing. This was to be the exact opposite of yesterday.
Unfortunately, as before, I only had a tube map and had to use my navigational skills to guide us in the right direction. Thankfully, at every bus stop there is a small map, which got me enough info to head in the proper direction.
One of the first notable things we came across was this church. Neither of us were particularly interested in going in after everything we had seen yesterday.
In fact, I couldn't even tell you what church that is.We traveled toward the Thames on Tottenham Court Rd, which apparently is the electronics epicenter of London. Both sides of the street were lined with stores, and I couldn't believe that they'd all survive in such proximity to one another. I suppose these Brits still have a thing or two to learn about capitalism. (Yes, I know that Adam Smith was from Great Britain, but he was a Scot, so there).
Then after ducking into a grocery store (nothing too terribly interesting to report there), we went down Oxford St, which is home to lots and lots of stores and people. Any congestion we saw yesterday paled in comparison to day. Both sides of the street we completely crowded, and I was frankly surprised that Carrie and I didn't lose one another at some point.
Anyway, after checking out a few stores we finally made it to Regent St, which, if you haven't guessed by this point, is home to the Apple Store. Here was my first look:
Having not seen a flagship store yet, I was excited to see the glass staircase and other cool Jobsian aspects. Another interseting store was the House of Hanover. If you like shopping for Dulce, Prada, Gucci, and other brands which are so fancy neither of us recognized them, this is the place. Instead of, say, $1600 for a dress it was $1000. Quite a deal.
The best store, by far, was Hamley's. Think FAO Schwartz with 6 stories and I think you've the right idea. Carrie had a field day on the ground floor, which featured stuffed animals.
I was more interested in the basement level, which had more legos than I've seen in my life.
Here's Indiana Jones Lego style
Other floors were somewhat less interesting, but there was a great section of Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings replica stuff. I was wishing I could purchase a small statue of the helmet of Sauron with The Ring set in the center. (Nerd alert)
This is just a neat shot I liked further along the road.
After a while we came to Piccadily Circus, which had some theaters, shops, and throngs of people. Here's someone who is either famous or on the news.
Your Time's Sqaure would-be section of the Circus
Here's an Asian-language newspaper. There were lots of different languages being spoken around here.
I'm told this isn't a standard British thing, but I thought it was still funny anyway.
The only musical I might have been interested in seeing
Before I show you this storefront, it might be useful to have the following definition:
pasty
I was unfamilar with the first definition here, which is chiefly British.
This was just cool/weird, so I took a photo
Finally, we arrived back at St. Pancras station, which is also where we will be departing from via the EuroStar train to Paris.
I didn't take this shot, as the light was too little for me to get a good one. Still, you should see this train station because it is amazing (also home to the world's longest Champagne bar).
The last photo I have is this one of an accordian player and violinist rocking out. These two instruments blend surprisingly well.
The trains on the way back were rather crowded as people were heading home from work, but aside from a little pushing (which we're getting unfortunately used to), there were no encounters with information/ticket people who had no patience for two Americans who are inexperienced with mass transit.
The best store, by far, was Hamley's. Think FAO Schwartz with 6 stories and I think you've the right idea. Carrie had a field day on the ground floor, which featured stuffed animals.I was more interested in the basement level, which had more legos than I've seen in my life.Here's Indiana Jones Lego styleOther floors were somewhat less interesting, but there was a great section of Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings replica stuff. I was wishing I could purchase a small statue of the helmet of Sauron with The Ring set in the center. (Nerd alert)This is just a neat shot I liked further along the road.
After a while we came to Piccadily Circus, which had some theaters, shops, and throngs of people. Here's someone who is either famous or on the news.Your Time's Sqaure would-be section of the CircusHere's an Asian-language newspaper. There were lots of different languages being spoken around here.I'm told this isn't a standard British thing, but I thought it was still funny anyway.The only musical I might have been interested in seeingBefore I show you this storefront, it might be useful to have the following definition:pasty
| noun | |
| 1. | small meat pie or turnover |
| 2. | (usually used in the plural) one of a pair of adhesive patches worn to cover the nipples of exotic dancers and striptease performers |
I was unfamilar with the first definition here, which is chiefly British.
This was just cool/weird, so I took a photoFinally, we arrived back at St. Pancras station, which is also where we will be departing from via the EuroStar train to Paris.I didn't take this shot, as the light was too little for me to get a good one. Still, you should see this train station because it is amazing (also home to the world's longest Champagne bar).
The last photo I have is this one of an accordian player and violinist rocking out. These two instruments blend surprisingly well.The trains on the way back were rather crowded as people were heading home from work, but aside from a little pushing (which we're getting unfortunately used to), there were no encounters with information/ticket people who had no patience for two Americans who are inexperienced with mass transit.When we got home we had some wine and ordered pizza. Oh, and we watched Big Brother, too, which is apparently huge over here. Also, it's filmed not a few miles from where we are staying. We may yet get some pictures of the building.
This is a day after the fact, so it'll have to be more of picture captioning than stories. Still, I'll try to do my best.
We began our day in the tube, starting from Greg's work. This was, to say the least, an experience. Now, the tube itself was easy to navigate, but the people were incredibly rude. Carrie was having trouble getting the entrance machine to read her card, and people literally pushed her aside to go on through. If you don't practically run, you got mowed over. It was ridiculous. Here's hoping Paris is a bit more polite.
We started out heading toward the Millennium Bridge, which is a footbridge across the Thames.
A view from the Bridge
Looking across the bridge
Carrie on the bridge, looking the other way on the Thames
The Tower Bridge (note: not the London Bridge)
This is actually City Hall. Pretty cool if you asked me.
This is the Traitor's Gate. It's how they'd send prisoners to the Tower of London.
We were running out of steam pretty fast at this point, so we didn't cross the Tower Bridge. Here's a shot of me standing in the middle of traffic, though.
At the end of the day we enjoyed some Gelato and a Latté from Gelato Mio. The gelato was pretty good, but Carrie said the latté was fantastic.
After all our walking we met up with Greg and some of his colleagues for a few glasses of wine. Dinner was BLT's back home and then we passed out. In fact, I passed out for 15 hours. Yikes! Anyway, I think I'll have time to finish up today's travels tomorrow. (There were far fewer pictures.)
We began our day in the tube, starting from Greg's work. This was, to say the least, an experience. Now, the tube itself was easy to navigate, but the people were incredibly rude. Carrie was having trouble getting the entrance machine to read her card, and people literally pushed her aside to go on through. If you don't practically run, you got mowed over. It was ridiculous. Here's hoping Paris is a bit more polite.
We started out heading toward the Millennium Bridge, which is a footbridge across the Thames.
A view from the BridgeLooking across the bridgeCarrie on the bridge, looking the other way on the ThamesAfter crossing the bridge, we went to the Tate Museum of Modern Art. We saw some great surrealist art and some nice Monet's and Pollock's. I couldn't take any pictures (obviously), but this was half of the building, and it was really cool.
Looking from the entrance you see above you get this view.
This is another thing that seemed to be delightfully British.
Carrie is so cute (outside the Tate)
We did run by the Globe Theater, but didn't opt to go in, both because of the cost and the huge tour of school kids that we going in as we arrived.
Here's a view of Tate as we are walking back across the Millennium bridge.
This is St. Paul's Cathedral. We also didn't feel like paying to go here. (I couldn't believe it cost $24.00 a piece to get in).
Carrie had an Aero bar. She says it's a chocolate bar that is light and fluffy inside.
A street view I liked.
At some point in here we grabbed lunch at a hole-in-the wall diner. (We were browsing pre-packaged sandwiches at a little shop and, like the tube, were mowed over by impatient Londoners).
Then we walked through The Green Park (aptly named). Here is Wellington Arch.
Then, of course, we came to Buckingham Palace. Here are some of the shots we took from there and the fountain that is in front of the palace.
We did run by the Globe Theater, but didn't opt to go in, both because of the cost and the huge tour of school kids that we going in as we arrived.Here's a view of Tate as we are walking back across the Millennium bridge.This is St. Paul's Cathedral. We also didn't feel like paying to go here. (I couldn't believe it cost $24.00 a piece to get in).Carrie had an Aero bar. She says it's a chocolate bar that is light and fluffy inside.A street view I liked.At some point in here we grabbed lunch at a hole-in-the wall diner. (We were browsing pre-packaged sandwiches at a little shop and, like the tube, were mowed over by impatient Londoners).Then we walked through The Green Park (aptly named). Here is Wellington Arch.
Then, of course, we came to Buckingham Palace. Here are some of the shots we took from there and the fountain that is in front of the palace.Another funny spelling
This is some sort of horse museum (dedicated to Calvary or something of that sort).
We actually happened to catch their version of the changing of the guards.
And of course, Big Ben
Carrie in a phone booth
This is some sort of horse museum (dedicated to Calvary or something of that sort).We actually happened to catch their version of the changing of the guards.And of course, Big BenCarrie in a phone boothWestminster Abbey
This is another cool vanity plate. The thing is, the guy caught me taking the picture, but he laughed and thought it was pretty good.
A statue of Richard the Lionheart
This is another cool vanity plate. The thing is, the guy caught me taking the picture, but he laughed and thought it was pretty good.A statue of Richard the LionheartI like that this is part of the Parliament building.
Big Ben from the other side of the Thames
Mmmm... Guava soda.
We didn't go in the London Eye, so here are some pictures of it (rather than from it).
This shot is for you, Brandon
Only in London can you find a restaurant with Slug in the name (there is no alternate meaning, apparently).
Big Ben from the other side of the ThamesMmmm... Guava soda.We didn't go in the London Eye, so here are some pictures of it (rather than from it).This shot is for you, BrandonOnly in London can you find a restaurant with Slug in the name (there is no alternate meaning, apparently).The Tower of London (and surrounding castle)
A sundial in London, seems rather ironic. (We've seen the sun for about 5 minutes in three days).
I love this shot of All Hallows Church (the oldest in London - 957 AD I think) with the decidedly modern building in the background.
A sundial in London, seems rather ironic. (We've seen the sun for about 5 minutes in three days).I love this shot of All Hallows Church (the oldest in London - 957 AD I think) with the decidedly modern building in the background.The Tower Bridge (note: not the London Bridge)This is actually City Hall. Pretty cool if you asked me.This is the Traitor's Gate. It's how they'd send prisoners to the Tower of London.We were running out of steam pretty fast at this point, so we didn't cross the Tower Bridge. Here's a shot of me standing in the middle of traffic, though.At the end of the day we enjoyed some Gelato and a Latté from Gelato Mio. The gelato was pretty good, but Carrie said the latté was fantastic.After all our walking we met up with Greg and some of his colleagues for a few glasses of wine. Dinner was BLT's back home and then we passed out. In fact, I passed out for 15 hours. Yikes! Anyway, I think I'll have time to finish up today's travels tomorrow. (There were far fewer pictures.)
My Aunt Mary (the English one), asked me to google "Nutty Buddy," which she remembered as an ice cream treat. It was, until 1998, but this was the top link on google:
NuttyBuddy.com
NuttyBuddy.com
This will be more of a photo post. I ran 6 miles today (actually yesterday, it's taken me a while to finish this post) around the village and on some public footpaths and to places I'm not even sure of. Frankly, I'm glad I made it back. It was not smart going without a cell phone.
Anyway, here are some shots I took.
Here is the cottage where we are staying - Lethe Cottage, that is.
A shot from the village.
A WWI memorial
The local duck pond
After this I took some public footpaths.
Anyway, here are some shots I took.
Here is the cottage where we are staying - Lethe Cottage, that is.
A shot from the village.A WWI memorialThe local duck pondAfter this I took some public footpaths.Then I ran by this house, which was originally owned by George Harrison (yes, that one). He donated it to Hare Krishna's.
Some horses in one of the fields.
I'm working on finding oddly spelled English words. Here's something rather common.
Talk about your cool vanity plate.
You can fill in your own caption.
A cool street.
This seemed rather polite to me.
I did end up running by this power line place as well.
Ah, but some of it was so pastoral. So delightfully English.
Some horses in one of the fields.I'm working on finding oddly spelled English words. Here's something rather common.Talk about your cool vanity plate.You can fill in your own caption.A cool street.This seemed rather polite to me.I did end up running by this power line place as well.Ah, but some of it was so pastoral. So delightfully English.
Boy, this time change stuff is rough. We went to bed around 10:00pm local time and I only managed about 6 hours of interrupted sleep. Hopefully that will be enough for me today as we walk around London.
So right now it's 4:30am and I'm just kind of waiting for the sun to come up so I can go running. Ew, even as I type that it sounds sick.
So right now it's 4:30am and I'm just kind of waiting for the sun to come up so I can go running. Ew, even as I type that it sounds sick.
...was largely about sleeping and catching up with these relatives that I've not seen in many years. We did go to dinner this evening at the Three Compasses pub, though, and I had fish and chips and tried a local brew while Carrie had a hamburger (the smallest I've ever seen in a restaurant, or in this case pub) and a white wine. Outside of this, there is not too much to report. I do love how delightfully English everything is, from the countryside to the people we see. Tomorrow I'll see if I can get up to go running in the morning and otherwise we'll spend our day in London, which should be a lot of fun.
And get lots of pictures, too!
And get lots of pictures, too!
Well, this is the first of what will hopefully many updates from Europe. Not only have I received several requests to update regularly on this trip, but Carrie also mentioned today that if I can blog regularly we won't have to keep a separate log of our activities.
So without further ado...
We left Tuesday afternoon from KCI heading to Chicago O'Hare. The flight was uneventful until we started our landing approach. It was clear that things were going to be bumpy as the turbulence increased during our decent. The landing, though, was easily one of the scariest I've ever been a part of. The pilot was banking the plane rather sharply back and forth right up until the flare (the part immediately before touchdown). I'm inclined to believe that the choppy air was to blame, but I doubt that there were many on the plane who didn't blame the pilot. Regardless, we made it safely.
We had a rather quick transfer of right about an hour between arrival and departure, so we didn't get to explore O'Hare as much as I would have liked. I'm a fan of airports in general, and the last few times I've flown to Chicago it's been into Midway, so I would have liked to wander around a bit more.
Here's a bit of the terminal. I love the skylights, which give the terminal a much more open feel (though a greenhouse-like effect that must be brutal on the air conditioning bill).
And here we are waiting for our plane.
The flight kind of sucked, and we really lucked out by having a newborn right behind us. Oh, and the guy in front of me liked to have his chair reclined the whole time, which brought the seat right up against my knees. Awesome.
For dinner I had "steak" and Carrie had "pasta." It wasn't too bad, as I was able to eat most of it, but I did end up having about 4 granola bars over the course of the flight to supplement. I managed to get a few hours of sleep, but poor Carrie didn't sleep a wink. As far as entertainment goes, we both watched Run, Fat Boy, Run, which was fun as it centers around some marathon training. Apparently the general populous thinks that this is a silly thing to be doing. I say, Pshaw. I also got in some reading. I brought a collection of short stories by Stephen King called Night Shift. As earlier stories, they aren't quite as good as later collections, but it is interesting to see how some of these early ideas were later incorporated into other novels and most notably the Dark Tower series.
Our flight ended up getting in nearly an hour early, so even after going through customs and getting our bags we still had a little bit of a wait for my Uncle to come pick us up. It was during these 15 or so minutes that we realized that 1) we didn't have his phone number and 2) we hadn't talked about when/where we'd meet. Thankfully, we decided to stay put and that worked out just fine and we were having breakfast at his house in no time.
The plane that brought us over so quickly.
I also hope to take pictures of some of these funny spellings these British people have. You'd think they'd know how to write in English better.
Actually, when I say my Uncle Greg's "house," that isn't entirely accurate. He doesn't live in a house but a cottage in a village. In fact, his address doesn't have a number such as 1518, but rather is simply "Lethe Cottage - The Green." Go figure.
The village itself is rather beautiful and Carrie and I will walk around a bit later to get some nice pictures. Oh, and there are some wonderful public walking paths that cut through the countryside, which should make for some great running. When we did finally get to his place, though, we were more interested in breakfast and sleeping than exploring. I don't think I've felt so tired in a long time.
Speaking of which... zzzzzzz....
So without further ado...
We left Tuesday afternoon from KCI heading to Chicago O'Hare. The flight was uneventful until we started our landing approach. It was clear that things were going to be bumpy as the turbulence increased during our decent. The landing, though, was easily one of the scariest I've ever been a part of. The pilot was banking the plane rather sharply back and forth right up until the flare (the part immediately before touchdown). I'm inclined to believe that the choppy air was to blame, but I doubt that there were many on the plane who didn't blame the pilot. Regardless, we made it safely.
We had a rather quick transfer of right about an hour between arrival and departure, so we didn't get to explore O'Hare as much as I would have liked. I'm a fan of airports in general, and the last few times I've flown to Chicago it's been into Midway, so I would have liked to wander around a bit more.
Here's a bit of the terminal. I love the skylights, which give the terminal a much more open feel (though a greenhouse-like effect that must be brutal on the air conditioning bill).
And here we are waiting for our plane.The flight kind of sucked, and we really lucked out by having a newborn right behind us. Oh, and the guy in front of me liked to have his chair reclined the whole time, which brought the seat right up against my knees. Awesome.For dinner I had "steak" and Carrie had "pasta." It wasn't too bad, as I was able to eat most of it, but I did end up having about 4 granola bars over the course of the flight to supplement. I managed to get a few hours of sleep, but poor Carrie didn't sleep a wink. As far as entertainment goes, we both watched Run, Fat Boy, Run, which was fun as it centers around some marathon training. Apparently the general populous thinks that this is a silly thing to be doing. I say, Pshaw. I also got in some reading. I brought a collection of short stories by Stephen King called Night Shift. As earlier stories, they aren't quite as good as later collections, but it is interesting to see how some of these early ideas were later incorporated into other novels and most notably the Dark Tower series.
Our flight ended up getting in nearly an hour early, so even after going through customs and getting our bags we still had a little bit of a wait for my Uncle to come pick us up. It was during these 15 or so minutes that we realized that 1) we didn't have his phone number and 2) we hadn't talked about when/where we'd meet. Thankfully, we decided to stay put and that worked out just fine and we were having breakfast at his house in no time.
The plane that brought us over so quickly.
I also hope to take pictures of some of these funny spellings these British people have. You'd think they'd know how to write in English better.Actually, when I say my Uncle Greg's "house," that isn't entirely accurate. He doesn't live in a house but a cottage in a village. In fact, his address doesn't have a number such as 1518, but rather is simply "Lethe Cottage - The Green." Go figure.The village itself is rather beautiful and Carrie and I will walk around a bit later to get some nice pictures. Oh, and there are some wonderful public walking paths that cut through the countryside, which should make for some great running. When we did finally get to his place, though, we were more interested in breakfast and sleeping than exploring. I don't think I've felt so tired in a long time.
Speaking of which... zzzzzzz....
Some friends and I were discussing the names that wouldn't work with the last name Lee. Here is a short list, and if I think of more in the future I'll try to add them.
Brock
Doyle
Will
Dale
Belle or Isabelle
Sarah
Emma
Update:
I've come up with some more
Stan
Drew
Evan (say with a cockney accent)
Lily
Brock
Doyle
Will
Dale
Belle or Isabelle
Sarah
Emma
Update:
I've come up with some more
Stan
Drew
Evan (say with a cockney accent)
Lily
So what happens when nerds host a party and everyone acts like the chemical element they have on their shirt? The EU wants to know...
As usual, for you facebook folks, here's the link: Chemical Party
Just thought I'd pass along some websites that were wasting a lot of my time lately. The first is Sporcle.com. This is a fun website where you take quizzes based on lists. For instance, how many countries in Asia can you name, or US Presidents, or movies by Harrison Ford, or 500 Home run hitters. There's a bit of something for everyone. And just in case you think you really know something, be forewarned that it can be more difficult than you think...
The other is You Don't Know Jack. This was a computer game that I remember playing a lot in high school, and there are lots of mini games that you can play online. Keep in mind that this tends to be a little more risque than your average trivia game. Also, there are wonderful sections called "Dis or Dat," where you are given a clue and have to say whether it is, say, a region of the brain or a region in the Star Wars galaxy (actually quite difficult if you aren't an MD or uber-nerd). My favorite of this type was drinking games vs. children's songs. I think I got 4 out of 7 right.
So give those a try if you're getting bored, or just want to show others how smart you are.
The other is You Don't Know Jack. This was a computer game that I remember playing a lot in high school, and there are lots of mini games that you can play online. Keep in mind that this tends to be a little more risque than your average trivia game. Also, there are wonderful sections called "Dis or Dat," where you are given a clue and have to say whether it is, say, a region of the brain or a region in the Star Wars galaxy (actually quite difficult if you aren't an MD or uber-nerd). My favorite of this type was drinking games vs. children's songs. I think I got 4 out of 7 right.
So give those a try if you're getting bored, or just want to show others how smart you are.
...you should.
Today marked what was easily one of the greatest Wimbledon finals of all time. In case you don't know or care, Rafael Nadal bested 5-time defending champ Roger Federer in the longest championship match ever. Moreover, it was some of the most ridiculously good tennis I've ever seen. As soon as you thought someone was out of a point, they'd blast an impossibly-angled cross-court winner. I was probably most amazed that Federer was able to come back after losing those first two sets. His ability to dig deep and fight off several scary situations was amazing. Still, you have to hand it to the Spaniard. That kid (which I can say, as he is 4 years my junior) never gave up.
My hat is off to you both. I can't wait until next year!
Today marked what was easily one of the greatest Wimbledon finals of all time. In case you don't know or care, Rafael Nadal bested 5-time defending champ Roger Federer in the longest championship match ever. Moreover, it was some of the most ridiculously good tennis I've ever seen. As soon as you thought someone was out of a point, they'd blast an impossibly-angled cross-court winner. I was probably most amazed that Federer was able to come back after losing those first two sets. His ability to dig deep and fight off several scary situations was amazing. Still, you have to hand it to the Spaniard. That kid (which I can say, as he is 4 years my junior) never gave up.
My hat is off to you both. I can't wait until next year!
If you want to get my full race report WITH PICTURES, you can read it on my running blog.
Well, to keep it short and sweet, I'll just say that I smoked my goal time of 52 minutes with a time of 50:56, or an 8:12/mi pace for 6.2 miles. I'm very happy with my time and the success of my pacing strategy. I suppose I need to think about shooting for a sub-50 10K now, eh?
And as always, I big thank you to Carrie for getting up really early and cheering me on, as well as being the photographer this year. :)
Well, to keep it short and sweet, I'll just say that I smoked my goal time of 52 minutes with a time of 50:56, or an 8:12/mi pace for 6.2 miles. I'm very happy with my time and the success of my pacing strategy. I suppose I need to think about shooting for a sub-50 10K now, eh?
And as always, I big thank you to Carrie for getting up really early and cheering me on, as well as being the photographer this year. :)
I'm going to be running in the Lenexa Freedom Run 10K! I ran this race last year and managed an official time of 53:59 (closer to 53:27 by my stopwatch -- it takes a while to get to the starting line when you've hundreds of people doing the race). That's a pace of 8:36/mi, and this year I'm shooting for a pace of 8:20/mi, which would give me a finishing time of 51:47, which I'll round to 52:00 as my goal. So if you want to come cheer me on at 7:00 am in Lenexa, I'd really appreciate it. Carrie will be there enjoying an iced coffee from a local joint while I'm out there killing myself. :) If you aren't quite that crazy (or don't love me as much as Carrie, for that matter...) then wish me luck and ask me how it went (not like I won't blog the results anyway...)
Hope you have an enjoyable and safe Independence Day!
Hope you have an enjoyable and safe Independence Day!
I've been uploading some of my photographs to Picasa, and hopefully that will work for our future picture-sharing needs. So far I have pictures from Colorado and some of my favorites from over the years.
Enjoy - http://picasaweb.google.com/AndyLeeDMA
Enjoy - http://picasaweb.google.com/AndyLeeDMA
