What A Night!

We woke up this morning and a few of the students and I decided to visit the church on top of Mont St Michel. The price for admission was rather steep... especially because I bought my ticket before learning that it was supposed to be 3.50 euro cheaper for youths. There's a useful tip for you: If you are between the ages of 18 and 25, make sure you have identification with your age on it and remember to tell the person at the ticket counter. As I was unaware of the youth discount, I ended up paying the whole 8.50 euro for my ticket. Too bad, I had my ID too. Live and learn, right?

Price aside, the view from the top was spectacular. I recommend stopping by if you're ever in the area. It's no Ambialet, but it's still pretty awesome and you'll get some exercise.

After leaving Mont St Michel, we (Mom, Dad, Lori, and myself... the other 2 vehicles abandoned us) visited Omaha Beach in Normandy. It was a surreal experience. For such a scenic location, Omaha Beach sure has a dark past. Then again, how many places on this planet don't have a dark past? Not many, I suspect.



After a few hours of driving and watching a beautiful sunset from the road, we reached Nantes. In true Lynch form, we got ridiculously lost in Nantes. Bad directions and terrible traffic combined for a rough trip to the hotel. At one point, after trying to help, I decided to just check out. The decision was for the best.

Ah, Hotel Trianon. Sounds pretty nice, huh? Don't let a fancy name fool you. The place is a flea pit. My room was disgusting and my towels smelled like aftershave. Still, the sheets were clean and I had the room to myself. After a few weeks of sharing a room with my parents in Paris, Dublin, and Mont St Michel, it was nice to have my own room... even if it was in a flea pit hotel.

After the terrible traffic and getting lost in Nantes, I was ready for a good hard drink. As fate would have it, there was a beautiful neon sign that read "BAR" directly beside the flea pit. To make a long, uncomfortable story short: Bar Le Moorea is NOT A BAR!!! It is a brothel and I never did get my drink. How could we have possibly known this place wasn't a bar?

A few quick quotes from the evening, John should appreciate these: "Oh look, they have a red light!" "cinq personnes s'il vous plaît." "Champagne 200." "Let's get the Hell out of here."

Useful tips from today:
Always have a map and proper directions. A working GPS is better.
Never get panicky when lost. Tempers will flare ad it is not worth the drama.You WILL find your way, eventually, even if you have a bad sense of direction.
Bar Le Moorea is NOT A BAR!!! If you are looking for a drink in Nantes, find another place!

Mont St Michel

Welcome to Mont St Michel, a spectacular tidal island that took 500 years to complete. With its rich history, the place is as interesting as it is beautiful.

Wow!

Pretty amazing to begin with, the Eiffel Tower is even more spectacular at night. Every hour, the huge tower gets lit up and sparkles like "a vampire in the sun." It is really quite beautiful. Who knew? :)

To the Louvre! ...and more Paris adventures

We met on the square outside the Louvre for an early morning tour today. The air was crisp and the sun was shining, another beautiful day in Paris.





After seeing the incredibly long line of tourists waiting to enter the museum (think "Eurotrip"), we decided to go to La Defense and work our way back. La Defense is a major business district in Paris named after the statue "La Defense de Paris" which commemorates the Parisian resistance during the Franco-Prussian War.









The artwork and architecture around the statue were pretty cool too. After snapping a few pictures and listening to Gerry's spiel about Paris, it was time for lunch. A few of the students and I went to the mall and picked up a pretty decent lunch at Pomme de Paine. I also picked up a pair of gloves at H&M... the crisp air is pretty chilly here in Paris!




We met with the group and headed back to the Louvre. After patiently listening to Gerry's introduction, I stayed with the group for another 10 to 15 minutes before venturing off to enjoy the museum on my own.

What a collection! I barely got through a portion of one wing before it was time to leave. There were just so many things to see! Funny story: I was so busy looking at the paintings and sculptures surrounding me that I almost missed the amazing ceilings above. Another visit or 2 are definitely in store while I'm here in Paris. Stay tuned for tales of those visits.









Later in the evening, 2 of the girls and I went to a bridge with a fantastic view of the Eiffel Tower. The location of the bridge vs the tower allowed for some fabulous "prop" pictures. Here I am holding the Eiffel Tower in my hands on a beautiful night.





I ended my evening with a tasty, albeit pricey (it is Paris, afterall), meal in a little restaurant near my hotel, La Chope Da Guerre. I had a Cuba Libre with the platte du jour (a spicy pasta dish with bread, today)and finished with a hot cup of strong coffee for around 30 euro with tip.

It was a pretty fantastic day and I'm looking forward to more Paris adventures over the next few days.

Useful tip of the day: Always remember to look up, you never know what you might miss!

Hamburgers & Parisians

As I look out the window of the plane, I am already missing the beautiful city of Hamburg. Mere minutes away and I want to go back. With so much left to explore, a return trip is inevitable... perhaps during the warm summer months next time.

The flight, a 1 hr 15 minute hop to Paris, is rather pleasant. Despite the short nature of the flight, Lufthansa airlines still provided a sandwich and 2 beverages at no extra charge. Granted, the 2 beverage thing was probably due to the relatively empty flight, but who cares? It was still nice. I had a cheese sandwich, apple juice, and coffee. The coffee wasn't the best I've tasted, by far, but it was caffeinated. Maybe I'll try the tea next time. :)

Landing in Paris, I retrieve my bag and make way to the metro station. The decision has been made... for my next trip through Europe, I will not be bringing a suit case! Haha, they are completely unneccessary and difficult to maneuver through large crowds. Next time, the pack I'd been planning to use will actually be used. Here's a useful tip for you: get a pack like the Terra 45 pack I picked up at Gander Mountain before I left home. I really wish I would have brought it instead of the suitcase. But no worries, we live and we learn. Perhaps you can learn from my mistake. :)

My first stop after picking up my bag is the newspaper booth. I purchase a map and make way for the metro station. Here's another tip: in Paris, you don't need to buy a map. Many hotels and tourist areas have free ones that contain a map of the city that includes the land marks, metro system, and bus routes. Don't waste the euros you could be spending on a great cup of coffee or tea for a crummy map at the newspaper booth. The free map is also smaller and easier to use.

The hotel is easy to find and I arrive in time to pick up a late dinner at the restaurant next door. Although it's a bit less relaxed than Hamburg, I think I'll like Paris just as much. So far, it's not bad and the metro system is so easy to figure out! Yay!

Hamburg via Frankfurt

When my flight from Toulouse to the connection in Frankfurt was delayed, thoughts of "Here we go again" flashed through my mind. If this flight through FRA had been anything like my first stopover in Frankfurt, there could have been a bit of an issue.

We finally boarded the flight to Frankfurt about a half hour or so after its scheduled departure. Landing in Frankfurt, I was delighted to find that I would not have to go through yet another screening before finding my next gate. If I had, there was absolutely no way I would have made it to my destination tonight.

As it was, I did have to run from one end of the airport to the other... through a series of tunnels and lifts... in pursuit of my old nemesis, A Gate.

As luck must have been smiling upon me, the FRA->HAM flight was running a few minutes late, itself. The small delay provided plenty of time to pick up a bottle of coke from a rather conveniently placed newsstand.

Landing in Hamburg, I was happy to find that my luggage landed with me. Who else feels a huge surge of relief upon seeing their bags come up on the belt? Armin picked me up and we went to his lovely apartment. Seriously, it's pretty bad ass :). As it was late, we enjoyed a glass of wine and chatted a bit before bed.

Let's go to the dentist!

I made it to the dentist today. It was an interesting experience. Luckily, John was there and he translated for me. The office was very clean with a modern look and high-tech machinery. The price was unbeatable at 21 euro. The dentist was nice and she performed a check-up and drilled/filled the chip all in under an hour. Quite efficient, I must say! Perhaps dentists in the US could learn a thing or 2 from the French.

On our way back from the dentist, we stopped at an area overlooking Ambialet. It was stunning. We could see both branches of the Tarn river and the priory in the middle. Incredible. :)

When we got back, lunch was ready. As I still couldn't feel part of my face from the dentist's novocaine, I ate carefully. We had the best hot dogs I've ever tasted, macaroni and cheese, and a rice dish. Delicious!

After lunch, the canine duo and I went for a short walk through the woods. We didn't encounter any new animals and the walk went smoothly. Jay-Z plowed ahead, as usual, and Bruen stayed by my side. I love those 2 crazy pups.

My trusty translating friend, John, and I at the overlook. Thanks for everything, John!

Another Leisurely Day with the Canine Duo

It was another beautiful day in Ambialet so I decided to go for a walk with the canine duo. The big, silly canine story for today involves myself, Brun, JayZ, a pair of hikers, and their dog.

Beginning our walk, there was a pair of people hiking with their dog just outside the priory. As usual, Jay-Z decided he wanted to play a bit too aggressively with the other dog. I held him by his collar as the other dog's owner held him. Meanwhile, Brun casually strolled over to the hikers' dog to sniff him a bit and say hello.

Of course, the hikers looked rather startled when Brun walked toward them. She didn't run or act aggressive at all, but of the 2 priory dogs, Brun has a slightly more intimidating build. I can only imagine the thoughts running through the hikers' heads as Brun walked toward them. Haha, priceless.

More priceless, yet, was the language barrier. As you know, my fluency in the French language is quite lacking. Since I wasn't ordering coffee or saying hello, few words remained to explain that Brun is really quite harmless. Piecing together the few words I do know to fit the situation, I came up with a combination that would hopefully get my point across.

Holding JayZ with one hand and pointing to Brun with the other, I said "Bonne fille, bonne fille," in an attempt to convey that Brun was harmless through my insanely limited vocabulary. Who knows if the pair of hikers really understood me at all. They just sort of looked at me and walked away, dragging their dog along beside them.

Haha, maybe I should work on learning a bit more French soon. Might make conversing with the locals and visitors a bit easier. Couldn't hurt.

Excitement over, the canine duo and I continued on our walk. What a lovely day. :)

Crazy Dogs

I went on a walk with Jay-Z and Bruen again today. At the bottom of the hill, there is a Y in the path. Normally, I go left past Nadine's coffee shop. Today, the dogs and I went right. I was curious as to what might be in that direction and Jay-Z led the way. Let's just say that staying left would've been a far better choice. Jay-Z got into a little scuffle with a grumpy neighborhood dog.

No one got hurt and the dogs stopped their little battle the moment I yelled at them. Bruen, of course, stayed back with me. She paid full attention to the other 2, ready to spring to action if her brother needed her to. Gladly, Jay-Z and neighborhood dog broke it up relatively quickly and we went on our way to the river while grumpy dog went back to his porch.

Interestingly enough, the owners of the grumpy dog didn't come out of their house or even look out the window to see what was going on. The dogs were barking and growling in their little fight and I yelled... surely somebody heard us? Oh well, no harm no foul. Just have to make a mental note: don't turn right at the bottom of the hill when with the dogs.

Otherwise, it was another beautiful day in Ambialet and the dogs and I had a nice time by the river.

Ferries, Flights, Language Barriers

We left quite early this morning in order to catch the ferry to the mainland. Of course, as we were in Italy, everything was in Italian and my parents weren't sure where we were going. Thus, another Lynch family saga began before the sun came up.

The online ferry itinerary said the first boat was scheduled to leave Lido at 4:50. We left extra early in order to make it. The dock was completely silent without a life in sight. Accompanied by nothing but the rain drops crashing against the windshield, we found ourselves to be in a difficult situation. Perhaps there is no ferry today? Could this be the wrong place? What's going on?!? We really need to catch our flight!

We drove over to the bus/vaporetto ticket booth, as it was the only populated business on the island, to ask for assistance. Through broken English and really bad Italian, we were able to communicate with the men. We learned that the ferry would leave at 5:00 and it was only 2 kilometers away. Ok, so the dock we found earlier was the right one... where are the people? How do we get a ticket?

We waited at the dock for a few minutes until deciding to go on another search for the ticket booth. Driving around the dark streets of Lido, we eventually found the proper signs and followed them to the booth. As it was quite early on a cold, weekend morning, there weren't many cars waiting to board the ferry. It left at 5:30.

The ride lasted about half an hour and we were not permitted to stay in the car. We went to sit in the lounge on the second floor. It was freezing and the coffee counter wasn't open yet, but the furniture was more comfortable than it was on the way over. So, half asleep, I relaxed in the chilly room on my way back to the mainland.

We returned to the car shortly before we docked and I fell asleep promptly after securing my seatbelt. As far as I know, we made it to the airport without getting lost. I'll never know. :)

It was a bit of a hike from the car park to the airport, but it wasn't bad. We were pretty early, so our flight hadn't been assigned a check-in desk. The gate was assigned, but we couldn't check in... weird. Eventually, after every flight listed on the screen had been assigned, our flight was assigned to desk 13. The girl behind the desk took a very long time to get everything in order, but she gave us a map of where we'd be landing and how to get around once there. It was a nice gesture and quite appreciated.

Going through airport security, a very polite security agent asked if he could inspect my purse. He was not rude or pushy like the TSA people at home tend to be. I said, "Of course, I have nothing to hide." He looked through the bag, found nothing out of the ordinary, and tried to close it. Well, of course, the zipper decided to act up and he was a bit embarrassed, but I just smiled and said not to worry. The zipper gets stuck when opened fully.

Our gate was pretty easy to find and I took a short nap before the flight, using my backpack as a pillow. When it was time to board the plane, we hopped on a shuttle and waited about 10 minutes or so for everyone to get on. The shuttle went about 30 yards, stopped, and we were at our plane. It would have been so much faster if we could have just walked over to our tiny plane. Oh well, that's airport security for you.

The flight was pleasant. At one point, the puffy white clouds we were flying over were broken up by the peaks of a mountain range. That mountain was huge, climbing higher than the clouds. Interesting, beautiful, and slightly terrifying... nothing should be that big! :)

As we were en route to Paris for our connection to Toulosue, I was curious to see if the demonstrations and strikes had made their way into CDG. Gladly, it wasn't and we were able to pass through relatively smoothly. Hindered only by the ridiculous practice of having to exit the secure area to pass through carry-on security yet again to reach our connecting flight, everything went smoothly. I doubt I will ever fully understand the reasoning behind leaving a secure area only to pass through screening again before a connecting flight.

There's a bit of advice for all you happy travelers out there, if you'll be flying internationally and have connecting flights, make sure you leave plenty of time to go through security again.

We arrived back in Ambialet and it was another beautiful evening at the priory. :)

Ambialet- Through the Eyes of a Dog

...or 2... sometimes 3. Hahaha. It was a beautiful day here, in Ambialet. While everyone was off on another school field trip, I stayed behind. After a quick brunch of yoghurt and bread with nutella & jam (delicious!), I decided to go for a walk.

Well, Jay-Z and Bruen (pictured above), the wonderful pair of dogs at the Priory, thought that was a fantastic idea and joined in as I walked through the gate. Now, I'm not going to mislead you and claim that I took the dogs for a walk. In reality, the canine duo took me for a walk. As such, I got to see the rural area of Ambialet through canine eyes.

Jay-Z powered forward and lead the way as Bruen and I walked down Heartbreak Hill. We made our way through town and crossed a bridge over the Tarn. On the other side of the bridge, we came across another dog. Apparently he knows the pair from the Priory, so he joined us on our walk. For lack of a better name, we will call him "Crazy Mystery Dog" (CMD).

At one point, Jay-Z and CMD went off on their own. Bruen and I went to the river and I sat on a bench while she swam and chased after the ducks, which was pretty entertaining. Eventually, CMD found us and decided it was time to play. Jay-Z returned, then went off again.

I stopped at Nadine's for a cup or 2 of coffee. Since Bruen wouldn't leave my side, I had to sit out on the patio. No worries, Bruen is a pretty awesome dog and the weather was nice. With no sign of Jay-Z, I decided he'd find his way back and headed back up the hill to the Priory. Guess who was there! Yep, somehow Jay-Z beat us back home. Haha, gotta love those crazy dogs.

It was a great day and I now know where every duck and cat lives in Ambialet. Oh, and CMD? Yeah, I learned later tonight that CMD used to live at the Priory before he got kicked out for poor behavior. He has a new home now and technically isn't supposed to hang out with Jay-Z. Woops.

Relaxation & Psychoanalysis in Ambialet

After the excitement and mild chaos in Spain, it was nice to take a day and simply relax in Ambialet. I took a lovely hike down "Heart Break Hill" and purchased some postcards from Nadine's cafe.

Sitting on a bench along the Tarn River, I wrote a few messages and enjoyed the view before returning to my walk. I walked along the dam and through the countryside, snapping pictures and enjoying the landscape.

When I returned to my room, I started uploading pictures to Facebook. It took such a long time that I fell asleep and woke to the chime of the dinner bell. The meal consisted of ribs, salad, and ratatouille.

Those who remained at the table after eating for post-dinner conversation were treated to psychoanalysis performed by Dad. The analyses were quite entertaining and everyone seemed to have a good time.

Overall, it was a nice, uneventful day.

Vamanos a Barcelona!

We had another early departure from the hotel in Narbon this morning, leaving shortly after 8:00. Along the way, we drove past an impressive part of the Pyrenees Mountains. They are huge!

We passed over the France/Spain border hassle free and made our way to Barcelona. Arriving at the garage, we got our bags and headed to the streets to find our apartment. It was a bit difficult to find the street, but eventually we met the landlord's assistant and went to the flat.

The apartment is rather simple, nothing fancy. Definitely fancier than the 8 person room in which the students and John spent their nights, though. I almost feel guilty... almost.

After getting relatively settled in, I went with Lori to Parc Guell. We took the metro and walked up a pretty large hill to make it to the park. It is definitely worth the walk, though. The view is fantastic and the artwork, by Gaudi, is spectacular. It is a tiled masterpiece.


The view from the large balcony (?) area spans most of Barcelona. The two buildings in the front are also part of Gaudi's Parc Guell. I think they look like gingerbread houses and find them to be spectacular. Actually, just about everything in Barcelona has been spectacular so far.




This evening, we at at a place I would consider to be quite the tourist trap. Crazy prices, questionable quality of food. Granted, the paella wasn't bad tasting and I was introduced to mussels (which I am surprised to say are rather tasty!), but overall, the food was not worth it. Of course, the lovely man with the red roses went around handing one to each of us at the table. Dad paid him and he moved on to his next group of suckers. I'm pretty sure that as soon as we had the flowers in our hands, we lost hope of the locals taking us seriously.

Still, the flowers were pretty and it was nice of my dad to get one for all of us (although he didn't have much of a choice since the guy pushed them at us). So, thanks for the roses, Dad!


On our way back to the apartment, I came across a fabulous little market. Browsing through the fruit section, I came across these delicious little gems. They are incredibly sweet and fantastic! Hopefully I can find them back home some time. Otherwise, I'll have to make Barcelona an anual trip! Definitely give them a try if you ever come across them and let me know what you think!

Kangaroos are from France

We left Ambialet bright and early this morning and headed out for our long weekend in Barcelona, Spain. Along the way, we stopped at a few places. The first was the medieval city of Carcassonne. On the early morning drive to Carcassonne, I spotted a yellow sign with a black kangaroo symbol (think of the deer crossing signs we see in PA). John (the faculty and student assistant) told us that kangaroos originated in France and were introduced to Australia to help them populate. I plan to write a children's book about the subject. (Although, really, the sign was for a nearby zoo and John is HILARIOUS!)

Carcassonne was pretty cool. It's the largest medieval walled city in the world. The structure is pretty magnificent and the history behind the built in defenses is very interesting. The basilica within the walls is also rather fantastic. Our tour guide/students' professor, Eric, pointed out the carved faces lining the top of the church. There were a few that were a bit out of whack with the others, almost silly.

The explanation made perfect sense, though. When the church was built, much of the "new world" had yet to be explored. Stories of people with huge ears they used as shields against the cold, one legged men with a large foot used as shade, etc. were passed along as proven fact of the existence of such people. In an attempt to appear accepting of all people (at least those willing to convert), the church included portrayals of the mythical people on their walls. It is an interesting concept that makes perfect sense regarding the time.

We had a nice lunch at one of the restaurants in Carcassonne before going to the Abbey of Fontfroide. Now privately owned, we were granted permission to tour the facility. Although the buildings have been gutted and are showing the inevitable deterioration through time, the stained glass windows are breathtaking. They have such bright and rich colors. I was very surprised to see them in such a seemingly dark, old place.

My favorite set of stained glass windows are rather new additions to the facility considering its age. They were created with the fragments of windows from churches that were blown out during the war. Remarkable pieces of history that could have been lost forever... and beautiful to boot.