Seville
Wednesday May 31, 2017
From Tangier, we took the ferry back to Tarifa and then sat on the bus until Seville. There's actually a lot to see here, but we were only here for a night. It was very quiet yesterday because it was a public holiday, but today was much more lively.
We had a walking tour of the city, covering the major landmarks as well as a brief history. After dinner, we headed up the Espacio Metropol Parasol, a large installation colloquially called the Mushroom. From there, we got a magnificent view of the city and the sunset, as well as a free drink of sangria.
Perhaps the highlight was seeing a pilgrimage procession this morning. Every year, various districts send a delegation of people towards Huelva and today, the district of Triana was up. It was amazing to see all the men and women in formals getting ready to go on their journey, some on horseback and others on foot. The atmosphere was jovial but respectful, and awesome to experience.
We covered the Real Alcazar as well; I did my queue cutting trick to skip the line since we were running low on time. This palace is famous for being featured in Game of Thrones as the location Dorne, which I had no idea about because I don't watch GoT. We didn't have time to cover the cathedral, but our last tourist stop in the city was the Plaza Espana, a beautiful building with a fountain and courtyard with murals representing all the provinces of Spain.
Now it's time to leave Spain and head to Portugal!
Posted by Jeremy at 12:00pm on Wednesday May 31, 2017 :: 0 comments :: 
Tangier
Tuesday May 30, 2017
After leaving Granada, we made our way to Tarifa on the south coast of Spain. In fact, it's the southernmost point of Europe, and less than 50km to a completely different continent, Africa.
We explored the town for a bit; I went down to the Isle of Tarifa where to my left I could see the Atlantic Ocean, in front of me was Europe, to my rightwas the Mediterranean and behind me was Africa. It was quite exciting to me!
We took the ferry over to Tangier, Morocco - we saw some whales on the way! We explored some of the city streets with a deadpan humour guide called Ali and a driver called Mohammed. As we made our way around the various sectors of town, he showed us a row of eucalyptus trees ("we don't have koalas here because we ate all of them") - so good. At the central market area, there were tons of vendors selling leather goods, silver jewellery, and clothing, as well as amazing fresh produce and breads of all kinds. We saw a carton of oddly-coloured chicks too, which was probably not very compliant with animal rights.
We were taken to a spices and oils pharmacy where we were told about the benefits of argane for hair and skin. It felt very much like an infomercial, but I ended up buying some saffron (for €8 a gram) and some Moroccan spice mix. I wasn't interested in the cosmetics at all.
We were taken to some souvenir shops to buy some goods but again I wasn't really interested. The vendors are very pushy here, the most forward I've ever encountered. They really go for the sale and will follow you around, even if you say no. I couldn't help but feel sorry for the girls in the group who seemed to be the target of most of these vendors.
We had dinner at a restaurant with some delicious meat skewers and couscous, but I wish there was more. There was also live entertainment in the background too. We had an early night at the hotel so we could take the ferry early the next day.
This morning, a vendor was trying to sell some amethyst to one of the guys in the group, and after being rejected, turned to me and asked "Japan? Korea?" I rolled my eyes so hard but just said "Yes. Korea." Too early in the morning for this!
Posted by Jeremy at 10:48am on Tuesday May 30, 2017 :: 0 comments ::
Granada
Monday May 29, 2017
I've joined a week long tour with a company called Bus About, travelling around southern Spain and even heading to Morocco (which is today!) There's a Brazilian, a few Canadians but mostly Australians. It's nice to finally get some solid social interaction after travelling by myself for so long.
We left Madrid and headed to the medieval town of Toledo, still enclosed in a city wall. There's not much else there; a cathedral, a few buildings and some cafes. We continued to Consuegra, famous for the windmills that inspired Don Quixote, and in the afternoon, we arrived in Granada.
We walked around the city centre a little bit but most of us were tired and just chilled until dinner. We went for a casual tapas where there was too much food and sangria, and then we went up the hill to San Nicolas for some great sights of the city and the Alhambra, a Moorish castle. Nearby was the suburb of Sacromonte, a gypsy area, where we were treated to some Flamenco!
There's something entrancing about Flamenco. The rhythm is so strong and driving, and the way the dancers move their feet is amazing. There's a lot of emotion in the music; it was based on the pain and struggles the gypsies endured when the Catholics took over Spain. Unfortunately many of us were so tired from such a long day (it was almost midnight at this point) that we had begun to nod off slightly! It was entertaining nonetheless, at one point in time, there was a heavy flick of sweat on the closest audience members!
We were up early to head to the Alhambra the next day. It's an incredible building that is pretty well preserved despite the history of the warring Moors and Catholics, and some of the architectural decorations are out of this world. There's so much rich symbolism in the facades and columns and art; they based a lot of their designs around geometrical and mathematical concepts. There's a beautiful symmetry and tessellation to many of the patterns, and a lot of allusions to the number 7, which represents completion or perfection. In total, we spent over three hours walking around, and that was probably the perfect amount of time.
In the afternoon, we went to a traditional hammam - herbal bath - for some relaxation in the water. It was an interesting experience, but probably not something I would do again. I feel like I would have enjoyed a swim in the pool (or the sea if we were near it) more.
After a chaotic dinner, we went for karaoke. I could not contain my excitement. I was over the moon and kept talking throughout the whole day about it. Hopefully I did not disappoint; I got to sing my favourite Let it Go, as well as a few others, but it was a public system and we had to share with the other patrons in the bar, who were all amazing (and all sang in Spanish, naturally.) One guy that was there had even participated on The Voice, and that was a treat to listen to. We had such a good time, singing Spice Girls, Backstreet Boys, Aerosmith and Whitney Houston, and we finished with the Australian national anthem, John Farnham's You're the Voice. There were so many more songs I wanted to sing but as more patrons started pouring in, the less frequent our songs became, so we left around 1am.
We're on our way to Tarifa to take the ferry over to Tangier, Morocco. I was secretly hoping it would be raining in Morocco so I could bless the rains down in Africa.
Posted by Jeremy at 8:49am on Monday May 29, 2017 :: 0 comments ::
Madrid
Saturday May 27, 2017
Gosh it's early. I've been getting up past 8am most days and today I'm up at the break of dawn and leaving Madrid for a tour of southern Spain.
Madrid is not as big as I thought it was. There's not too much to see, but the weather here has been unpleasantly hot to walk around and explore in my usual manner. I spent a lot of time in the shade of El Retiro park, with the many others who had come to find refuge from the heat. There was a book fair there yesterday, and an arts and craft fair nearby too.
I covered most of the famous sights; there's the Temple of Debod, which was an Egyptian temple that was dismantled and brought to Madrid, then reassembled; there's the Royal Palace of Madrid, full of art and royal things (you can tell I'm a little over that kind of stuff); there were various markets selling produce and tapas.
One evening I queued for 40 minutes to get into a coveted rooftop bar called Azotea in the Circulo de Bellas Artes building. I was somewhat surprised by the heavy security presence but I figured with a queue that long, they're just looking out for the patrons. Not at all. An envoy of important-looking cars pulls up and a tall gentleman gets out and everyone starts taking pictures of him. I follow suit, not really knowing who he is, but hoping I can identify him later. It turns out it's none other than Felipe VI, the King of Spain, so this rooftop bar must be amazing if the king is here too.
The view was stunning from the top, but the drinks are more expensive than what you'd find elsewhere. I watched the sunset, jostling with the dozens of others who wanted to capture the perfect Instagram moment. As the sangria began to wear off, I got progressively more self-conscious that I was in a bar by myself with no one to talk to. I couldn't even get a seat at the restaurant and I was getting more and more miserable so I left and got a quick bite and went home.
The feeling comes and goes. Though I'm definitely quite introverted, it doesn't mean I shun all social interaction. It's just that I need some space to be alone sometimes, and not all the time. It's also especially hard when you're in a country where you barely know the language and can't easily converse with the locals.
Posted by Jeremy at 6:33am on Saturday May 27, 2017 :: 0 comments ::
Valencia
Wednesday May 24, 2017
It's no surprise that Valencia is famous for its oranges, because much like Sorrento and Cinque Terre, the region is bathed in glorious sun for much of the year. I've certainly felt it, both days here have been quite warm, and I can't help but enjoy a bit of schadenfreude upon hearing New Zealand has plunged to temperatures around 3C.
The bus from Barcelona was mostly uneventful, save for a puerile moment when we passed by a place called Peniscola, and another moment where there was a burning tyre on the road. I checked in to the hostel and walked around the Turia River Garden, a massive sunken green area where the Turia River flowed before it was diverted to stop flooding Valencia. With the sun out, it was nice to see so many people (and dogs!!) using the park for walks, runs, yoga, gymming or just lazing about.
I covered most of the city sites the next day. I started off at the central markets, again, a haven of all kinds of fresh and delicious-looking foodstuffs. I wandered around La Llotja de la Seda, a Gothic style civil building, briefly, before heading back to the north side of the Turia River Garden and over to the Jardins del Real.
I returned to town for a very late lunch, but it was worth it - I had lobster paella. I returned to the gardens and went south towards the beach, stopping by three amazing buildings along the way. The Berklee College of Music, the Hemisferic IMAX and the Science Museum are stunning pieces of architecture, and remind me of the arcological structures you can build in Sim City 2000. A few kilometres further and I finally made it to La Malva Rosa beach. What a glorious sight to see, the crystal clear blue waters, the huge stretch of sand, mountains in the distance and not a cloud in the sky. It was so inviting I even took my shoes off and walked down to the water's edge.
Because lunch was late, dinner was late too. I ended up ordering a massive 500g steak that I couldn't finish, but it was so delicious. I didn't even have room for flan.
I'm currently on the train to Madrid, travelling at 240km/h. I was cutting it a bit close this morning but I made it at least. It's supposed to be 30C in the capital!
Posted by Jeremy at 8:53am on Wednesday May 24, 2017 :: 0 comments ::
Barcelona
Monday May 22, 2017
I arrived in sunny Barcelona on Thursday morning and made my way to the hostel with no problems. The metro system here is very easy to use, and the Hola BCN card means I can take any modes of public transport, unlimited for four days. My room wasn't ready, so I ended up wandering in one direction to see what I could find.
I ended up at Plaça Espanya, where there was an automobile exhibition on. I wasn't particularly interested though, I wanted to make my way to the massive building up on the hill. I'd find out that this was the Palau Nacional, the site of the 1929 International Exhibition, and it overlooks the Magic Fountain, which lights up at night and synchronises with music.
I went back to the hostel and took a break. I'd been suffering from allergies as I made my way through the east of France and Geneva, but I'd miraculously stopped sneezing as soon as I landed in Barcelona. I was still tired though. I went for dinner some time later and made a complete fool of myself, spilling Fanta on my pants and flicking oil from my prawns into my face. I also had a talk with a lady from Hong Kong who seemed critical of my life choices (she called New Zealand boring and seemed shocked I was spending only four days in Barcelona, compared to her two weeks). It wasn't a pleasant night.
On Friday, my first stop was Sagrada Familia. As I exited the metro station, I looked around to see where the cathedral was and as I looked behind me, my jaw dropped. It's massive. It's not even finished - it's going to be taller than that. The architecture is gorgeous and so purposeful. Everything is there for a reason and has a meaning. The stained glass on the east are greens and blues to capture the morning sun, while the glass on the west are reds and yellows for the evening sun. The columns lining the nave look like trees with branches supporting the roof. Each facade depicts one of three crucial points of Jesus's life - the Nativity, the Glory and the Passion. Each apostle is represented by a tower, each gospel writer has a tower as well, a taller tower represents the Virgin Mary and the central tower, the tallest and yet to be finished, will represent Jesus. I spent ages wandering around, admiring all the different symbolism and choices behind them. It's truly stunning. I will have to return in 2026 when it is complete.
I saw several more of Gaudi's buildings throughout the day. I visited Plaça de Catalunya and La Rambla. There was the Mercado de La Boqueria, full of delicious fruit, meat and seafood. I went all the way down to the waterfront by Maremagnum and took a quick doze there. I loved every moment of it, just absorbing the atmosphere of Barcelona and the glorious sunshine.
I returned to La Rambla for dinner - twice. Once in the market and another just off the main road. The advantage of tapas is that you can easily eat more in a single night, but it does get quite expensive, especially for the solo traveller. In any case, it was a much more pleasant experience than the night before.
I caught the Magic Fountain show as well. A full hour of music and lights as the glow of sunset gives way to night; the atmosphere was warm and friendly as we enjoyed hits like Pompeii, Counting Stars and Somebody to Love.
On Saturday, I went to the Arc de Triomf and explored the gardens around that area before taking a stroll on the beach. I can see why Barcelona's beaches are so popular. Your view is a beautiful expanse of blue sea while you laze about on the pristine imported sand in balmy 20C weather.
I took a tour to Montserrat in the afternoon. It's a mountain to the northwest of Barcelona where a monastery was built in homage to where a relic of the Virgin Mary was found. Montserrat translates to English as Saw Mountain (serrat like serrated) and true to its name, the jagged peaks of limestone looked very saw-like indeed. One rock formation on the mountain is called the camel, and a small triangular gap in the structure has been used in a death-defying wing suit jump. No thanks.
You could easy spend a full day up here walking all the hiking trails to various panoramic sites. I only had time to take the funicular up to Sant Joan, where the views of Barcelona and the Mediterranean were breathtaking. You could see the Pyrenees as well, off the in north. I got to try four types of local liquors as well, made by the monks at the monastery, because there's not much else to do on the mountain. There was a sweet herby one, a coffee one, a hazelnut one which was very good, and the last one was a creme brûlée cream liquor which was my favourite.
Yesterday, I did my laundry in the morning, then returned to the beach to take the cable car to Montjuic. It was quite a wait as there are only two cars, but the view of the city is awesome, and it was such a good day as well. I spent the entire afternoon around Montjuic, walking around the castle, various parks and the Olympic Stadium.
For dinner, I took the funicular back down to the city and found a highly rated paella place. I was seated at the bar next to three Singaporean girls, whose accents I had recognised. We had a good talk about travels and food, and it was refreshing to get that level of social interaction. They apologised for taking pictures of their food.
I laughed.
We shared our starters, which was really nice of them, and I also ended up eating some of their seafood paella because they couldn't finish it. The bar had been playing American music throughout the night, and we couldn't help but sing along when Britney's Hit Me Baby One More Time came up. So good. A really enjoyable dinner with excellent company and atmosphere.
A lot of the gentrification of Barcelona was the result of the World Expo and the Olympics. The infrastructure is well developed and it is incredibly easy to get around on the metro; the Barcelona public transport company even runs some of the funiculars. It remains as one of Europe's most popular tourist destinations and I can finally see why. Sagrada Familia alone was worth the trip here, but there is so much to see and do. The food has been fantastic and the weather absolutely glorious. I'd love to come back with a group of friends and enjoy tapas in its fullest form, with bottles of sangria and mojitos.
Adios Barcelona!
Posted by Jeremy at 8:21am on Monday May 22, 2017 :: 0 comments ::
Geneva
Thursday May 18, 2017
Geneva has been lovely. It's incredibly picturesque here, much like Queenstown with the main feature being the lake, then the mountains (all French!) surrounding the remainder of the city. The Jet d'Eau is unmistakably the most recognisable landmark, shooting water 140m into the air, but the city has many other wonderful things to see.
The bus from Lyon took a while, but we made it to Gare Geneva just before 8pm, an hour after scheduled arrival. We were held up at the Swiss border by passport control and customs, who took two passengers off board for questioning. I met Jesse for dinner and retired for the night; it had been quite a long day.
On Tuesday, I had a tour at CERN, which I had been looking forward to. Unfortunately I didn't get to see the LHC as it was operating, but we did see CERN's first particle accelerator, the Synchrocyclotron, as well as ATLAS, one of the four detection stations stationed around the massive 27km diameter ring of the Large Hadron Collider. Though we didn't see much, there was a lot of learn about how the machines worked and how they were built, and I found it fascinating and mindboggling how big these machines are. You don't really get an appreciation of their size until you see them up close. After the tour, I met Jesse for lunch at CERN's cafeteria; he also showed me the WWW plaque.
I took the bus to the other side of town and crossed back into France at Veyrier. There's a cable car to Saleve, one of the mountain ridges overlooking Geneva on one side, and the French Alps on the other. The views at the top were stunning, and it was such a beautiful day as well. I walked around the tracks for a good few hours, enjoying panoramas on both sides. I returned to Geneva and had a simple picnic with Jesse and Rachel by Jonction, the confluence of the Rhone and Arve rivers.
Yesterday I had a late start because I've been hit with pretty severe allergies and have been quite tired as a result. I walked to the UN building and over to the botanic gardens, then down to Bains des Paquis. I continued through the city centre to Plainpalais where there was a flea market; really, I was there to find a place called Aux Merveilleux de Fred, a patissier. Nearby was the Cathedral of St Peter and a very good creperie; I continued north past Old Town to Jardin Anglais, Jet d'Eau and Parc de la Grange. We went for dinner at this place in Old Town that did roast chicken, then we got some Movenpick (so quintessentially Swiss) and a few drinks at a rooftop bar near Jardin Anglais. The view from there was awesome, we were overlooking the lake as the sun set. The fountain had been lit up in rainbow colours to celebrate Anti Homophobia Day.
I rushed to Geneva Airport this morning, barely awake. I was a little behind schedule, but thankfully nothing went horribly wrong and I'm now waiting for my flight to my next exciting destination. It's started to cloud over here, a stark contrast to the brilliant blue skies I've had over the past two days.
Posted by Jeremy at 6:35am on Thursday May 18, 2017 :: 0 comments ::
Lyon
Monday May 15, 2017
Phew!
The French leg of my journey is almost over. I'm currently in Lyon, another beautiful city built at the confluence of the Rhone and Saone Rivers. Yesterday, I took the bus from Vallon Pont d'Arc to Valence and had a 15 minute layover before the train to Lyon. Though I needed to go to the toilet, the temptation to play on my final Piano en Gare was too great, and as it was a Sunday, there were quite a few families around who enjoyed my rendition of Let it Go.
I had ambitions to do some exploring after dinner in Lyon but it began to rain heavily, producing a whoa omg double rainbow in the sky. I left my explorations for today; I walked all the way to the confluence point of the two rivers, then took the metro into the town centre and walked around there. I can't help but think I should have stayed here a bit longer to enjoy all the Lyonnaise bouchons, traditional restaurants that serve typical Lyon foods like sausages, pâté and roast pork. I may have to come back in the future.
The last two weeks have been heaps of fun though. I thoroughly enjoyed the sights around the whole country, my favourites being Mont St Michel, the Machines on the Isle of Nantes, and the Ardeche River kayaking adventure. The food has been very enjoyable too, I didn't have a single bad meal. My rudimentary French has definitely helped, and I found people very polite. I couldn't hold a full conversation with anyone, but I managed to order food, ask for directions and get information. My ability to read is much better than my ability to speak, so I understood menus and signboards quite well.
I loved all the pianos in the train stations...wait a second. I can hear one playing now. I have to find it. This will be my actually final Piano en Gare. The guy playing is amazing but he keeps stopping midway through songs and playing something else. He better finish soon so I can have a turn.
Okay I cut it real close but I got two songs in - Let it Go and the Pokemon Theme song. A couple of keys were bung and I had to rush because my bus was leaving soon, but I made it. I didn't get a chance to get a photo of the piano though, this one will just remain a written memory.
Au revoir France, et merci beaucoup!
Posted by Jeremy at 2:40pm on Monday May 15, 2017 :: 0 comments ::
Vallon Pont d'Arc and the Ardeche Gorges
Sunday May 14, 2017
Far away from the hustle and bustle of French cities is Vallon Pont d'Arc. It sits near the Ardeche River, in particular a section known for its beautiful limestone gorges and the Pont d'Arc, a 60m natural stone bridge that spans the river. I took a bus here from Avignon on Friday, and the town was practically deserted, save for a few restaurants and the supermarket. I walked around town and down to the river, but settled in early for a big day the next day.
What better way to see the magnificence of the Ardeche Gorges than by kayak? I'm the kind of traveller that loves to do things, as opposed to wandering around and seeing things. My favourite day in Italy was the day I walked the length of Cinque Terre. It turns out that the water level is higher than usual, due to wet weather the previous few days. This means that the current flows faster so I don't have to paddle as much, but it also means the rapids will be quite rough. All the better for an adventure!
It was cloudy and foggy when I started at 9am. I'd chosen the 32km route, which some people do in two days, but I decide I could do it in one, even before the increased current speed. Somehow, something was lost in translation and I didn't realise I'd be kayaking this by myself. Oh well. I'm sure I'll be fine.
There was hardly anyone else on the river so I took my time. As expected, I had reached the Pont d'Arc, an hour ahead of schedule, so I had to slow down more. I stopped by a campsite to see if I could get some food, but they were closed as it isn't peak season yet. Another campsite further down sold me a pack of chocolate biscuits, which, with a single banana, was my sustenance for the entire journey.
As the day progressed, the clouds broke away to some glorious sunshine, so as the saying goes, sun's out, guns out. I had enjoyed the solitude on the water, very peacefully floating down and admiring the magnificent stone structures and greenery around me. A few more kayaks and canoes started appearing, but at the end of the day, there wouldn't have been more than 20 on the water. I got wet a few times going through rapids, but never capsized, thankfully. I reached the end point an hour ahead of schedule, even with taking several breaks along the way. It was the best day I've had in France, and very grateful that the weather was so fine.
I do have a slight sunburn on both my shoulders, and I may have contracted a cold, but I would have happily done that trip again. I thought about how much fun I had on the Great Kayaking Trip around Abel Tasman National Park a few years back, and the Ardeche Gorge would have been way more fun with some friends by my side.
I wasn't feeling too sore this morning, apart from the sunburn, and I was out of the hotel at 10am. To my surprise, the main street was closed for Sunday markets, selling all sorts of charcuterie, sausages, cheeses, oils, fruits, vegetables, jams, breads, candles, antiques and other miscellany. A marching band paraded through and stopped outside the city hall to play Adele's Hello, and were replaced by an elderly group in formal garb, dancing to traditional instruments. It was so adorable. I stayed, watching their performance for almost an hour, and left as they started recruiting volunteers to dance with them.
Today is my last full day in France!
Posted by Jeremy at 12:15pm on Sunday May 14, 2017 :: 0 comments ::
Avignon
Friday May 12, 2017
Avignon is a quiet little city whose main centre is completely enclosed in medieval ramparts which remain standing today. The main feature in its skyline is the massive Palais des Papes, the Palace of the Popes, which housed six Roman Catholic popes for some time in the 14th century.
It has been quite wet during my time here, but I have enjoyed immensely. The streets are in various state of maintenance but that didn't stop me wandering all over town. There's the Pont d'Avignon, which stretches halfway over the Rhone River; Rue des Teinturiers, which has a little stream running along side it, and water wheels all along; and Rocher des Doms, a garden overlooking the Rhone and countryside beyond Avignon. I spent a few hours with an audio guide wandering around the Papal Palace too, because that seemed like the biggest attraction in town.
I was also incredibly amused to find a restaurant called Fou de Fafa, which I confirmed with the owner was named after the Flight of the Conchords song. I mentioned that I was from New Zealand and said that I would try to spread the word about the restaurant to see if it could get to Bret and Jermaine, just because everyone in New Zealand is separated by two degrees.
The weather is forecast to be stormy for the next few days as well, which is incredibly sad because I'm off to Vallon Pont d'Arc to do some kayaking. I found my Piano en Gare but it was in terrible condition and the pedal didn't work, so To Zanarkand sounded terrible on it. I didn't even bother playing Let it Go!
Posted by Jeremy at 9:21am on Friday May 12, 2017 :: 0 comments ::
Toulouse
Wednesday May 10, 2017
Toulouse is France's fourth largest city, and sits on the Garonne River, which also runs through Bordeaux. The Canal du Midi runs through the city, linking the Garonne to the Mediterranean Sea. Though it's called the pink city from all its terracotta brick buildings, I found it quite green, with trees and gardens everywhere I went.
I dropped my bag off at the hotel yesterday and successfully claimed my replacement Visa card. I walked down the Canal du Midi until the Japanese Gardens and hung around there for a while, enjoying the magnificent sun and warmth. From there, I cut back through the city centre to check in at my hotel, then explored the other side of town, by the Jardin des Plantes.
It was then that I realised that the drawback of enjoying two summers is that I also enjoy hay fever twice.
I wandered in another direction this morning, towards to the northeast but found nothing of interest except a large cemetery and the observatory. I was at the train station and found the Piano en Gare, and played To Zanarkand when a man came up and said to me "Final Fantasy is the best music!" It made my day.
Posted by Jeremy at 8:47pm on Wednesday May 10, 2017 :: 0 comments ::
Bordeaux
Tuesday May 9, 2017
I've been in Bordeaux, city of wine and delicious things like oysters and steak. By the time I arrived, it was late afternoon and I needed to do laundry, so that was pretty much all of Sunday night.
The city was quiet yesterday because it was a public holiday. I was up relatively early and got to the Mirror of Water by the riverside. It is the largest reflecting pool in the world and goes through three phases: the water fills up slowly and ripples across the surface, then the flow stops and the reflections shimmer into focus, finally a fine mist is sprayed over the pool. I got there so early that the water hadn't even filled up yet, it was completely dry. Thankfully it didn't take long for the pool to activate.
I continued down the river, walking through the flea market and around the public gardens. I had a winery tour to catch in the afternoon, so I had a quick lunch and then met the tour group outside the tourism centre. We visited two wineries, Chateau Marquis de Vauban and Chateau Cayac, sampling some of Bordeaux's finest red wines. The countryside is full of vineyards stretching for miles, it's no wonder that wine is such an important part of the Bordelaise lifestyle.
I went for dinner with two people I met on the tour. I was dying for a piece of steak so we settled on a small restaurant near the tourism office. Afterwards, I braved the cold and waited for the lights on the riverside to switch on to get some stunning photos with the Mirror of Water.
I'm now on the train to Toulouse. I found my Piano en Gare and got a little tinker of that, and some elderly man complimented me on my playing, but I didn't really understand him because it was all in French. Oh well! Glad to bring a bit of joy to someone, in any case.
It hasn't been completely smooth sailing these past few days. I discovered some unknown charges from Uber on my credit card in Australian dollars. I spent a while trying to contact my bank in New Zealand to get it cancelled, as well as Visa International to get an emergency replacement card. I also heard from Uber, who confirmed that my credit card was listed in two different accounts. Though the cards weren't too much, I still had to go through all this hassle for safety, and being on the other side of the world hasn't made it easy. Thankfully both ASB and Visa were incredibly helpful, and my replacement card should hopefully be waiting for me at my next hotel.
Posted by Jeremy at 8:51am on Tuesday May 9, 2017 :: 0 comments ::
Nantes
Sunday May 7, 2017
Nantes is a cute little town in the west side of France. It's got a very relaxed vibe, and a great cafe culture. As I often do, I wander around with Pokemon Go active and the Pokestops point me to things I wouldn't normally see; in Nantes, many of the Pokestops are video game street mosaics like Mario, Luigi, Kirby, Pacman and Space Invaders. I love it.
The most famous attraction in Nantes is the Isle of Machines. What started as an ambitious project of art and culture is now a hub of mechanical marvels exploring movement and wonder. I think it's fitting, given Nantes is where Jules Verne was born in 1828. There are three aspects to the Isle of Machines; the marine merry-go-round, full of boats and sea creatures with movable parts on a carousel, the giant elephant, capable of transporting a few dozen people and shooting water from its trunk, and finally the gallery, where exhibits are showcased before being added to the current project.
These aren't sculptures or models; they are machines that move and come to life. Inside the gallery, we were treated to movement demonstrations of the spider, caterpillar and heron, each capable of carrying people. They are destined for the Heron Tree, a project set to finish in 2021. The Heron Tree is a massive structure with branches spanning up to 20m from the central trunk and 35m into the sky. There is a prototype branch sitting above the cafe at the entrance, filled with plants and reinforced with steel - the perfect intersection of man-made and nature.
I only stayed in Nantes for a night; there wasn't much of interest to me apart from the Isle of Machines. I managed to finally find a piano not being hogged by anyone at the Gare de Nantes, and my little spiel earned me a bit of applause and a few "merci", so I'm happy!
Posted by Jeremy at 10:23am on Sunday May 7, 2017 :: 0 comments ::
Au Revoir Paris
Saturday May 6, 2017
We got back from the Normandy tour quite late last night. It was basically shower, sleep, get up and head to the train station. I'm now en route to Nantes, leaving behind Paris and its many landmarks.
From Caen yesterday, we drove to St Malo, a fortified city overlooking a portion of the English Channel. The bay also holds many small tidal islands that are accessible by foot at low tide. I kinda wanted to try some of the local seafood - especially oysters - but many of the restaurants didn't open until the afternoon, so I opted for a savoury crepe instead, a galette.
We also visited Mont St Michel, a famous island commune that was the inspiration for Minas Tirith in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings movies. It's a beautiful little town with a majestic cathedral towering over the buildings; we were there just as the tide was coming in, so I managed to explore the intertidal zone very quickly before it was swamped with water. They say the tides in this area are one of the strongest in the world, and it's very easy to get swept up. Sure enough, as we left, water had already reached the far side of the island.
We were caught in traffic around Caen on the way home, but finally after more than four hours of driving, we were back in Paris. It was nice to get out into the countryside and see some old settlements, as well as fields of yellow Canola flowers in bloom. The weather was quite foggy and cold at times, but not as bad as in London. Hopefully it'll improve as the days go by!
Posted by Jeremy at 8:37am on Saturday May 6, 2017 :: 0 comments ::
Caen
Thursday May 4, 2017
I've left Paris on a two day tour of Normandy. We're staying overnight in Caen, but we don't actually get to see much of it.
Yesterday I met up with Priscilla for lunch. We had raclette and it blew my mind. I'm lucky I had someone to share it with because there is absolutely no way I could have eaten all of that by myself. I'll write more about it on my food blog once I get a chance to sort out all my photos.
I went to the Jardin d'Acclimatation afterwards, just to digest all the cheese I ate. Because the weather was so foggy and wet, there weren't many people around, but I found it peaceful walking through the park. There's a massive building there called the Foundation Louis Vuitton, commissioned by LV as a museum and modern art gallery, as well as a bunch of amusement rides and water features.
I ended up going to Chatelet to find a patissier that Priscilla had recommended, and stayed in the area for dinner as well. I continued walking around Le Marais, but didn't find anything interesting, so I went back to the hotel. I had an early start the next day.
This Normandy trip started at 7.15am this morning, which meant I needed to get up at 5.30am, to get out of the hotel by 6.15am, to get to the meeting point by 6.45am. We left Paris and headed to Rouen, famous for being the town where Joan of Arc was burned alive at the stake for being a witch. We continued northwest to Honfleur, a coastal town where the Seine meets the English Channel, where we stopped for lunch, and then to Omaha Beach, which was a landing point for the Allied Forces trying to liberate France from Nazi control during World War II. We also visited the nearby cemetery, full of fallen American soldiers; it reminded me very much of Arlington near Washington DC.
Tomorrow we will continue our tour of Normandy, heading further west to St Malo and the famous Mont St Michel, the tidal island with a majestic castle aesthetic, almost like Minas Tirith from Lord of the Rings. I'm looking forward to this the most, and I'm hoping the weather warms up too!
Posted by Jeremy at 9:57pm on Thursday May 4, 2017 :: 0 comments ::
Paris, Le Deuxieme Jour
Wednesday May 3, 2017
I tried really hard to get to the Palace of Versailles at 9am, opening time. I was quite tired from the day before and only made it out the door at 8.30am. I got to the metro station and with my amazing command of the French language I managed to ask the attendant for tickets to Chateau Versailles. Somehow I managed to take the wrong train so two hours later, I finally made it to the palace entrance and I got stuck in line to get in. I did cut the queue by smoothly joining a random Asian tour group though, and I'm more pleased about my ability to do that than I should be.
Versailles is massive. It's all about opulence; the lavish and extravagant lifestyles of the French royalty that ended abruptly with their overthrowing in the French Revolution. Though the Queen's Quarters are under renovation, I found the rest of the palace quite interesting. I followed Rick Steve's audio guide for the most part, but it didn't cover some of the rooms off the main tourist path. I also went on a private guided tour of the King's Apartments, which was pretty cool too.
Not only is the palace massive, but the surrounding garden is as well. I spent a few hours walking around the suggested path. The musical fountains at the Mirror Pool were operational today, and reminded me very much of the Bellagio Fountains in Las Vegas. Unfortunately the Theatre Grove had broken, so I had to skip that.
It was close to 5.30pm so I decided to see if I could get to the Catacombs before they closed. I missed the Catacombs and Versailles when I was last in Paris, so both of these were must-visits this time round. I made it in with plenty of time to spare and I explored the 800m of underground cavern. It's astounding how it feels. At a constant 14C, the Catacombs were originally quarries that provided the stone for many Gallo-Roman buildings. After collapsing, Louis XVI ordered them to be strengthened and then to combat the problem of expanding cemeteries, it was converted into an ossuary.
There are so many bones. I was quite shocked, to be honest. I didn't realise how many there would be. There's also many French and Latin inscriptions on plaques around the gallery, and I almost wished I had paid more attention in Latin class in third form. My favourite is at the entrance to the ossuary: "Arrete! C'est ici l'empire de la mort", "Stop! Here is the empire of the dead"
After a lovely slow paced dinner where I once again showed off my command of the French language successfully, I wandered back to the hotel, 14 hours after I left. Another day seized!
Posted by Jeremy at 8:16am on Wednesday May 3, 2017 :: 0 comments ::
Paris, Le Premier Jour
Tuesday May 2, 2017
My first full day in Paris was extremely busy. I covered all the famous landmarks; I've been here before in 2001 - so long ago that they didn't even have the Euro - I wanted a quick revisit without spending too much time at one spot.
The city is incredibly pretty. I love the little bridges over the Seine. The flowers are out in bloom and there aren't too many people. However, the line to get into Notre Dame was ridiculously long; I totally cut the queue like a smooth operator. Admission is free though, so I don't think people would have minded that much. I remember the magnificent stained glass window shaped like a rose, and to this day remains as memorable as it was 16 years ago.
From Notre Dame, I walked to the Louvre and its famous glass pyramid. As it was a public holiday, the museum was closed but having been inside already (and it was free for me back then), I didn't feel like I had to go again. Besides, everyone always complains about the horde of people surrounding the Mona Lisa trying to take photos, and you're so far away that it's like looking at a postage stamp.
I continued down past Le Jardin les Tuileries and Place de la Concorde, and onto the Champs Élysées. I found the memorial site of the recently slain officer, covered in French flags and flowers. Further down, there was Laduree, a famous patisserie with a massive line to get in that extended outside. Finally, I made it to the Arc de Triomphe, with the largest French flag billowing in the wind under the arch.
From there, I walked towards the aquarium and the Eiffel Tower. It is one of the most recognisable landmarks in the world, and with recent security concerns, it has been completely fenced off with checkpoints and military presence. Thankfully it was relatively quick to get through on the north side, but the lines to buy tickets were way too long, so I left and walked down the Champ de Mars.
I took the metro up to Montmartre and Sacre Coeur. I remember sitting on the stairs there, overlooking the magnificent views of the city. In the distance I could make out the George Pompidou Center. I continued down from the stairs into the red light district - Moulin Rouge!
I often walk around with headphones on, mostly so people don't try to talk to me when I'm on the street. That didn't stop several people chasing after me and trying to offer me free tickets to the various strip shows or whatever around the place. One even tried to talk to me in Chinese. I was not interested. I had places to go and things to eat!
I went back to the Champs Élysées and waited in line to get into Laduree. There is definitely an air of elegance and poshness, and the desserts are presented immaculately. I got three macarons and the classic mille-feuille. Yum!
I had a quick dinner before returning to the Eiffel Tower. The lines were so short now, it took me a few minutes to get a ticket to the second floor - via the stairs, of course. I love the view from there, and as the sun set, the red glow of the sky peeked out from behind the dark grey clouds and the lights of the city started to flicker on. I went to the top as well, for an extra €6 but it was a bit too crowded for my liking. At 9.45pm I made my way back to ground floor and down the Champ de Mars to watch the famous Eiffel Tower light show.
What a day. Paris, je t'aime!
Posted by Jeremy at 8:18am on Tuesday May 2, 2017 :: 0 comments ::