Arc di Triomphe, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame | Paris Day 2 (10/24/15)

I am so far behind on these posts- so I will be making them a little more concise because since I've come back from Italy and France I've had adventures in Dublin, Cork, and Amsterdam, and am still going to Edinburgh next weekend and London with my family after that- and I want to be more caught up.

So, back to Paris:

This was our first (and only) full day in Paris, and we did a lot.  We started off by going to the Arc di Triomphe, and then walked to the Eiffel Tower.  Just before we got to the Eiffel Tower, we stopped to get fresh, homemade crepes.  I never thought I liked crepes because I had only had savory ones that weren't so good- but this crepe changed my whole outlook.  It was filled with nutella and bananas, and covered in chantilly cream on the top.  So amazing.  We then spent some time taking pictures in front of the Eiffel Tower, because you can't go to the Eiffel Tower and not take a million pictures.  I did not know the Eiffel Tower was brown- also, it was a lot more industrial looking than I would've thought.

Arc di Triomphe

One of my first views of the Eiffel Tower and the Seine River

Artsy photo of the Eiffel Tower

Me with my amazing crepe in front of the Eiffel Tower

And me in front of the Eiffel Tower- it may not look that crowded in this picture, 

but I had to do a lot of cropping with this one

After that, we walked to the Love Lock bridge- now, of course, there are only locks on the fences on the banks of the river, not the bridge itself, but it was still cool.  We then stopped by the Louve to see how it looked during the day.  Next, we went to the Notre Dame Cathedral.  It was free to enter- always a plus.  And it was so beautiful inside; the stained glass in particular was breathtaking.

Some of the remaining locks

Exterior of the Notre Dame Cathdral

This picture doesn't even begin to do the inside justice.

We then found a (relatively) inexpensive place to eat lunch: a glass of wine, a quiche, a side salad, and a cheese platter for only about €13.  Also, the serving staff was actually nice to us- not rude at all (the staffs at every other restaurant in Paris I ate at were super rude).

We then went to Maisons de Victor Hugo, Victor Hugo's house for 16 years (from 1832-1848), which is now a museum dedicated to him.  As many people know, I love Les Misérables, so it was really amazing to see the place where Victor Hugo lived.  I didn't think I would be able to see this on this trip, so I was really happy.

"Who am I? / I'm Jean Valjean!" - This is a painting of the trial in Les Mis

We then tried to find the Bastille.  Turns out basically none of it is around anymore, but we were in that general area.  We got macarons- they were super tasty, as usual.

By this time it was getting dark out, so we made our way back to the Eiffel Tower to see it all lit up.  It was definitely an amazing sight to see during the day, but at night, it is simply gorgeous.
And I could see why it was so iconic, especially when it suddenly started twinkling (apparently it does that for 5 minutes every hour on the hour, but we didn't know that).   So we took like a million more photos.  You always see the Eiffel Tower in movies, tv, ads, so it was surreal to actually see it in person.  I still can't believe how lucky I am that I was able to take this trip.

Eiffel Tower lit up at night and twinkling.  What a sight!

Anyway- we weren't that hungry, but it was getting cold and we needed to kill some time before heading back to the airbnb, so we went to a restaurant for dessert.  Keep in mind, this was 10 pm.  However, in France they eat dinner really late, so the staff at the restaurant was annoyed we were only ordering dessert.  I really dislike how they are able to be so rude to us and it's completely accepted.  Just differences in culture, I guess.

We then made our way back to our airbnb and rested up for our last day in Paris and the last day of my 10 day trip!

The Louvre- Paris Day 1 (10/23/15)

We got off our train at about 7 am and went to a Starbucks to charge our phones (there weren't any outlets on the train) and to access wifi.  We then took the metro to our airbnb.  The Paris metro was so nice, way better than the Rome metro.  It was clean, and the trains came EVERY FOUR MINUTES.  On the dot.  Like clockwork.  Also, they were never disgustingly crowded like in Rome.  I've now ridden metros in 5 cities, and Paris's is by far the best- we'll see how London's compares in a few weeks.

After settling in at our airbnb, we got some food- we were starving.  I had some French onion soup, which was very good, but kind of a small portion.  We then went to the Louvre!  I had done some research online, and found out that there are a few "secret" entrances to the Louvre that have very short queues, unlike that at the main entrance by the glass pyramid.  Also, since the museum is open late on Wednesdays and Fridays, its best to go then because it is less crowded (especially on a Friday night, which is when we went).  Typically the museum is free for anyone 18-26 who is a EU citizen, but on Friday nights it is free for everyone 18-26!  So not only did we not wait in a long queue, but we paid nothing!

So I should start off by saying that the Louvre is huge, and even though I had a map, it was a little difficult to navigate the many halls and rooms and wings and floors.  But I got to see most of the major artworks (some pieces weren't available to see when I went), as well as many other pieces.

For instance:

Winged Victory of Samothrace, aka Nike of Samothrace

The Coronation of Napoleon, by Jacques-Louis David

Aphrodite of Milo, better known as Venus de Milo

Four Seasons, by Giuseppe Arcimboldo (clockwise from top right: Autumn, Spring, Summer, Winter)

And of course:

The Mona Lisa, by Leonardo da Vinci (which really is quite a small painting, behind a sheet of bulletproof glass, and flanked by two guards, and in front of a thick crowd) 

And the painting across from the Mona Lisa, which, by contrast, is huge (the largest painting in the Louvre)- The Wedding at Cana (or The Wedding Feast at Cana) by Paolo Veronese

Overall, the Louvre was amazing and I would definitely like to go back someday and see more of it.  We then went back to the airbnb, and I got a quick panini for dinner.  It was really nice to be able to shower again, and sleep in a bed.  We then rested up to prepare ourselves for our busy day the following day!

Marseille, France (10/21/15-10/22/15)

We arrived in Mareille, which is in the south of France, late on the 20th, and took a taxi to the hotel we stayed in near the airport.  I hadn't showered since I was in Venice, so it was so nice to finally feel clean again and sleep in a bed!  We got up the next morning and took a bus into the city centre, and then took the metro to the Vieux Port (Old Port) of Marseille, which is where out airbnb was.  Vieux Port is such a pretty area; it is right on a marina and there are lots of restaurants and shops nearby.  Our airbnb was so nice, the nicest place we stayed during the whole trip.

Vieux Port

We relaxed for a little bit (we were so tired) and then shopped around for a while.  I had my first macaron (chocolate, of course), which was delicious.  We then tried to find a place to eat, but we soon realized a very annoying fact: almost every restaurant is closed from about 2 pm to 8 pm.
So we decided to eat at a pho place instead, which was really yummy.


The next day we went to a bakery for breakfast, where I got a beignet au nutella (amazing pastry filled with nutella- so freaking good) and then made our way to Notre Dame de la Garde, which is a basilica in Marseille that sits on top of a hill, allowing you to see the whole city.  The views were amazing- on one side I saw a huge mountain range, and on the other I saw the sea.  The basilica itself was also so gorgeous, and as a bonus was free to enter!

Notre Dame de la Garde

Incredible views

Some of the mountains in the distance

After that, we tried to find a place to eat, but again, most places were closed, so we went to a bakery.  I got a quiche and a pain au chocolat (chocolate bread).  We then sat in McDonalds so we could have wifi and plan our days in Paris.  We then took an overnight train (the last one, thankfully) to Paris.  We had one stopover, and the total trip was 12 hours.  It wasn't as bad as the train from Venice to Rome because there were no cabins and the seats reclined a little.  I really enjoyed Marseille, and would definitely go back to see more of the city (it's the second largest in France).  We arrived in Paris the next morning, tired, but eager to see the city.

Vatican City (10/20/15)

We arrived back in Rome at about 7 am, and chilled at the train station for a little while.  We then rushed to make our reservation at for the Vatican museums and Sistine Chapel.  I once again had a very unpleasant experience riding the Rome metro.  But we arrived on time and were able to skip the very long queue because we had bought our tickets ahead of time online!

So I should just start off by saying the Vatican museums are amazing.  We first went through a long room filled with statues.  And then like a million more rooms with statues, but these were covered in paintings as well, not only on the walls, but the ceilings too (I actually think the ceilings were more grand).  Also the floors were often made of intricate tiles.  Basically I felt like I was inside one giant amazing lavishly detailed multimedia piece of art.

The Belvedere Torso

Like this ceiling is insane.

Incredible.

Just wow.

And then there was the Sistine Chapel.  How did Michelangelo spend four years on his back painting a ceiling?  A huge ceiling, to say the least.  It was surreal to see something so old (it was painted between 1508 and 1512!), and also so famous.  I am so lucky to have been able to see such an exquisite piece of art.  Standing there, in that great chapel, filled with people shoulder to shoulder, I felt very calm looking at the awe-inspiring images.  I didn't know where to look, everything was so beautiful, I kept turning my head from one spot to another like a puppy!

So technically you are not allowed to take pictures in the Sistine Chapel because they sold the rights to photograph it to the company that funded its extensive restoration.  And while you can find very high quality photos of it online, I wanted to have my own.  So I may have sneaked a photo.

That may or may not be my head on the left.

After we were finished at the Vatican museums and Sistine Chapel, we had a quick lunch and went to St. Peter's Basilica.  We didn't have tickets for a tour there, and the line was crazy long, so we just took some pictures from the outside.  I'm not Catholic, but it was really cool to see the place where the Pope gives mass.  In general, it was an amazing experience to go to the capital of Catholicism in the world, even if I am not of the Catholic faith.

Me in front of St. Peter's Basilica.  Just above my head to the right is where the Pope gives mass.

We got gelato one more time (you can never have too much gelato) and we made our way to the airport.  Technically speaking, I was in three countries that day: Italy, Vatican City, and France (we flew to Marseille that night), which is pretty cool I think.

Being in Italy was amazing and an experience I will never forget.  The food was great, the art was great, the scenery was so freaking beautiful.  There were trying times, but it was all so worth it.  I feel so lucky that I was able to go abroad this semester, because otherwise I never would've been able to travel this much at such a young age.  I felt so connected to Italy.  I loved the brightly colored houses, the flow of the Italian language, the tiny winding streets (and canals!).
It's hard to put in words how I felt in Italy.  Like with Ireland, it was a privilege to be able to travel to one of the countries my ancestors are from (even though I didn't get to go to Naples, the city where the Italian part of my family is from).  I think it's important to see where I came from, especially as a third generation American, when remembering your ancestors and their lives in their home countries can sometimes be overshadowed by the culture and technology of modern America.

I may write more about this in the future, but during my time in Italy and France I had some good talks with the people I was traveling with, and we realized that even though in America I say I am Irish, I am Italian, I am German, Scottish, English, I would not say that here.  In Ireland I can't tell people I'm Irish.  I say my grandmother was Irish, and so I have Irish in me, but I am not from Ireland.  Just like I am not from Italy.  My ancestors were.  In America, I am Irish, Italian, German, Scottish, and English, but everywhere else in the world I am American.  And that's true; I realized I am, very much so,  American.  And while that may have negative connotations to some people, I am okay (and proud) to be an American.  I am honored to be of Irish, Italian, German, Scottish, and English descent, but I am also proud of my family's hard work since coming to America, and I'm so fortunate for this trip for helping me to see that better.

Venezia, Italia (10/19/15)

So I ended my last post talking about how we bought our overnight train tickets back to Rome for the wrong day, and couldn't change them online or over the phone.  The next day, we got up, missed the train into Venice, waited 45 min for another, and finally arrived at Venezia Santa Lucia train station, where we then waited 20 min in a queue to try to change our tickets.  Instead, we were told that "the ticket is lost" and that we had to buy a new one.  So I got to spend ‎€48 on another ticket, which really put a damper on the day, because I had now spent €98 on a seven hour train, while I could have probably comfortably flown for less.

By this point, we were really hungry, but since we had just spent a lot of money on tickets, we ate at McDonalds for lunch to save money.  I don't really like fast food, but I didn't really care at this point. I was really upset about the ticket situation.

One of the touristy things to do in Venice is to go on a gondola ride through the canals that make up the "roadways" of the city, but they are very expensive (and also more of a romantic thing), so we decided to take a water taxi instead, which still gives you good views from the large canal, but at only  €7.50 per ride.  Of course, we got on a taxi (which is more like a bus) going the wrong way.  We got off near Piazza San Marco (St. Mark's Square), which is a beautiful piazza unfortunately filled with people trying to get us to buy things.  We ignored them.

Piazza San Marco- minus the part under constuction

We stopped by the Bridge of Sighs as well, which connects the formerly used New Prison to interrogation rooms.  It is suggested that newly convicted prisoners would cross the bridge as they made their way to their cell, sighing at their last glimpse of the beautiful city of Venice.

The Bridge of Sighs- smaller than I might have thought

We then took a water taxi back down the Grand Canal, going to right way this time.  The sun was setting, and the views were so beautiful.  We then got dinner and dessert, and made our way back to the train station, where we more or less got ourselves ready for bed.

So picturesque.

I love how the houses in Italy are often painted different colors like this.

The overnight train was horrible.  It was the worst travel experience of my whole life.  I was in a small cabin with 5 other people (only one of which was one of the friends I was traveling with).
One man had his shoes off and was barefoot and another we eventually realized was homeless and together they made the most disgusting smell I have ever experienced.  It was so hot in the cabin, I felt like I couldn't breathe.  I tried to cover my face with my flannel shirt to block some of the stench but it just got hotter.  A man came in and started speaking Italian and then laughed and made fun of us for not speaking it.  The police came in (unlike in Ireland, they do carry guns in Italy) and kicked the homeless guy out- which was a little scary for me.  Needless to say, I did not get any sleep that night.

It's difficult to write about this part of my trip because it was really hard emotionally and physically.  We arrived back in Rome tired and upset, and we weren't even halfway through the trip yet.  I don't want it to sound like I had a bad time in Italy, because overall I didn't. Venice, while a beautiful city I would love to go back to and experience better, proved to be a very taxing 36 or so hours for the four of us.  I learned so much about traveling during my whole time here in Europe, but especially during these 10 days, which I will make a whole post about later.

The next day we were in Rome, and went to Vatican City, and had a much better experience, which will be in my next post!

 

Firenze, Italia (10/18/15)

We had less than 24 hours in Florence, so we tried to fit in as much as we could.  We had pizza for dinner, and then had breakfast at the hostel the next morning.  This hostel was nicer than the one in Rome, and it was good that we were finally all staying in the same place.  Also we had the room to ourselves, which was great. 

We missed the bus into the city centre and so we basically ran to catch our  guided walking tour of the city.  It was a pretty good tour, and cheap (only 10 euro).  We saw the Duomo, the Ponte Vecchio (the bridge that goes over the Arno River), and many statues.

The outside of the Duomo

Me in front of the Duomo

After the tour we got a quick lunch of calzones, and then made our way back to have a closer look at the statues, such as the David replica.  We didn't see the real David, because we had limited time (and a limited budget- but it's on my list for the next time I'm in Italy- which, yes, I am already thinking about).  We then went to a market where there were many vendors selling Italian products like leather and scarves.  Normally, I am against leather, but I did buy an Italian leather wallet for myself (I almost bought a purse but I really didn't need one and I definitely needed a new wallet).  

Replica of the David

Afterwards, we made our way back to our hostel to pick up our bags (they let us keep them there for free!).  We stopped at an interesting garden along the way.  We then took a very crowded (I dislike public transportation in Italy so much) bus back to the Firenze Santa Maria Novella train station to go to Venice!

Me on the Ponte Vecchio bridge over the Arno River.  

Florence was one of my favorite places I visited on my 10 day trip, and I wish I could've spent more time in Tuscany.  A wine tasting is on my list for next time!

We arrived in Venezia, but couldn't find a bus or train to where our airbnb was (we were staying outside of Venice), so we had to take a very expensive cab ride.  By this point, I was really tired from staying in FREEZING hostels, and was very much looking forward to staying in an actual apartment.  We finally made it to the airbnb, and ate some snacks for dinner.  It was around this time that we realized we had purchased our overnight trains from Venice back to Rome for the wrong night- our tickets were for that night!  We tried to change them online, but it wouldn't let two of us change ours.  We tried to call the train company. but no one answered (even though it was supposed to be a 24 hour line).  So we went to bed and hoped we would be able to change it in the morning at the train station.

Next post will be about our difficulties in Venice, and the beautiful sights we saw in the famous island city!

Roma, Italia (10/15-10/17)

Better late than never, right? So I was in Rome for 3 days, but they weren't consecutive.  So I'll write about the last day after I write about Florence and Venice.

Thursday, October 15th:  Right after I finished my final I quickly ate lunch and headed to the airport. We got into to Rome at about 6 or 7, but had trouble figuring out how to get to our hostel (the wifi at Ciampino is not good), but we ended up taking a bus to the main train station in Rome, Termini (which I would end up using many times).  Then we couldn't find our hostel.  By this point it was nearing midnight, and the neighborhood we were in did not seem the safest (Roma Termini has more homeless people at night than anywhere else I've ever seen).  A nice cab driver who didn't speak English eventually drove us for free because we were super close but just couldn't figure it out on our own (it was getting late and, like in Dublin, street signs are up high on buildings and not the easiest to see).  The people who work at our hostel were nice, but it wasn't the greatest place (I guess you get what you pay for considering it was like 13 euro a night).  I was in the bottom bunk of a room with 6 other people.  I did not sleep great either night I stayed there.  They did give free breakfast though, which was nice.

The next day we woke up and made our way to Piazza Venezia (Venice Square), where we met up with the other two people we traveled with.  We made a few wrong turns, but eventually made it there.  On one wrong turn, we passed none other than the Coliseum!!!  I wasn't expecting to see it, and it was so big and majestic, that I actually got a little teary eyed.

The Coliseum!

We then went on a guided tour of the Coliseum, Palatine Gardens, and the Roman Forum.  Our tour guide was really good and knowledgeable.  For instance, I learned that there are so many holes in the walls of the Coliseum because people would steel the materials to use for other buildings (which is really weird but this was after the Roman Empire when Rome was not nearly as wealthy).

The Roman Forum

After that, we had our first real Italian food: pizza!  It was pretty good, but I had to cut it myself. They didn't give me a pizza cutter, so I had to use my knife.  We then tried to watch the sunset from the Spanish steps, but they were closed, which was annoying.  But we found another way of getting to the top.  We were then scammed by a guy with roses :(.  In Italy (especially Rome) there are a lot of people in the touristy areas trying to sell you stupid things.  They really get in your face.  Like, I have no interest in buying a selfie stick or any cheap toy they were trying to sell.  They even go into restaurants and try to sell you stuff inside the restaurant.  Still, it was a nice view.

That's amore.

Anyway, after that we got gelato! Yum.

The next day, we planned to meet at Trevi fountain (which you may remember from the Lizzie McGuire movie).  But unfortunately, Trevi fountain was closed.  You could see it, but there was no water running though it, and there was a glass wall that made it difficult to through a coin in to make a wish (would the wish even count if there's no water? Hmmm).  This was disappointing, but we got gelato again to make ourselves feel better.

The (closed) Trevi Fountain

We then made our way to the Pantheon, which is the only piece of architecture from the Roman Empire that is still standing in its original form (unlike the Coliseum, which has a lot of damage to the walls and seats, and the Roman Forum, which is mostly in ruins).  It was really beautiful, but I think it's a shame that the people trying to sell you things are allowed to be outside such a place of worship.  On the plus side, it was free!

The Pantheon- look at the crowds!

After that, we got lunch.  I got a pretty good gnocchi dish.  Unfortunately, the portions weren't huge for their price.  They wanted us to buy multiple courses, but it was lunch and we weren't super hungry and also couldn't really afford to do that.  Yet they more or less shoved the desserts in our face and were pretty rude to us because, I assume: we're American, we don't speak Italian, we only ordered one course, and we payed by card (a lot of places prefer cash).  Regardless, I really loved Rome and my first taste of Italy.

We then made our way to the train station to catch our train to Firenze (aka Florence), which I'll write about in my next post!  As usual, more pictures will be on Facebook (soon).

Where Have I Been?

Ahh it's been so long!

I feel like a bad blogger, haha.

So I went on a 10 day trip to Rome, Florence, and Venice, Italy, and Marseille and Paris, France.

I haven't written about this trip yet for two reasons:

1. I am overwhelmed by the thought of writing about the 10 days because I did so much!  But I really do want to write about it and share it with whomever wants to know about my adventures.

2. I am having issues with my living situation and with my life here in general, which is making writing about my trip hard for me.

I kept a journal while I was in Italy and France and took so many pictures, so I have a good account of what I did each day for when I do write about it on here, which I am hoping is soon!

I have also been busy interning at the Irish Wheelchair Association, where I started working last week. I will be interning in their gym for four days a week until mid December.  The internship seems really good so far; I think I will like it.  It's a mixture of physical therapy (or physiotherapy as it is called here), personal training, group fitness instructing, and working as a fitness attendant.

I am also still taking one class, my Healthcare Policy and Practice in Ireland class, for which I have a presentation on Friday, which I should probably get back to work on!

So check back soon for my posts on Italy and France!