An afternoon in Zons

Saturday morning we slept off the previous night's beers and woke up around 10 and ate what I think is a typical German breakfast - fresh bread Toby bought at the market that morning, cheese, ham, and coffee. It was absolutely beautiful outside and a perfect day for a drive along the Rhine! Celia had her blue VW convertable bug shipped over just recently, so Toby took us out for a drive to the midieval village called Zons about a half an hour outside of the city.


We were greeted at Zons by a gorgeous windmill and what used to be a moat to protect the village, but now is a grassy ditch filled with goats. "Goats in a moat!" was a favorite quote of the afternoon. We wandered the streets and went into lots of tiny shops and an old church. If my memory serves me correct, which it might not, Zons dates back to the 14th century and there are still people who live inside the city walls. The village is right on the Rhine river so it's a perfect spot for a picnic or a bike ride on a sunny day like we had on Saturday. We sat down to have lunch outside and sample some German cuisine. We all had heaping plates of sausages in curry and pommes (french fries) that were so delicious even the wasps wanted to eat them!

At Elon, Cel and I would always take tons of pictures and it was always fun to say "make a crazy face" and then just smile while the other person looks silly...here's one when i got Celia!! "Try to look like a witch..." HAHA

a night on the town, dusseldorf style!

When I finally arrived to Dusseldorf around 10:30 pm, I was greeted at the station by quite the welcome party!!! Celia and Toby were there as well as another Georgia friend Mary Elyse, who was leaving to go to Italy the next morning to be an au pair...and they brought 4 mini bottles of champagne for a "prost" upon arrival!!! It was so great to see my best friend, we hadn't gotten to hang out since October and we have been missing each other so much since she moved to Germany with her husband Toby in January.

After a week in the Paris office I was in desperate need for some cocktails, gossip, and new terraine. We walked the strip of Dusseldorf's old town, the cobblestone streets were full of restaurants, bars, breweries, and soccer fans! We had such a great time wandering around and sampling the local flavors. There was so much to gossip about and catch up on...so many things to Prost! I enjoyed the "local flavors" so much that the the night was ended with fried fish sandwiches for the walk home.

Happy Hour FINALLY

Look at me, I’m on a train!
Today I experienced my first true Amazing Race moment, and dad, since I am typing this from a train, I think we are ready to try and get on the show! I worked through lunch today to scoot out early, knowing that my train to Dusseldorf leaves at 5:25. As the clock ticks past 4:30 and I am frantically sending emails, JC pushes me out the door and off I go. I know I must take the metro from Charles de Gaulle, switch metro lines at Barbès Rochechouart, and catch the train at Gare Nord.
I am a little nervous about this considering I haven’t really ridden a lot of trains; the minutes keep ticking by and I know if I miss this train I will also miss at least two solid hours of bar time with Celia. This is not an option. Since I was so anxious I must not have been thinking because I went on the green metro line and not the blue…shit. Fortunately I noticed and switched back at the next stop. Ten minutes lost.
Those ten minutes were my “time cushion” so now I am starting to stress and am totally being “that girl” who checks the time on her phone every three seconds, as if I don’t know three seconds have passed. Finally I reach Gare Nord and it is 5:10, I have 15 minutes to leave the metro, find the tracks, and get on the right train. I know one wrong choice and I am going to hear the chooooo chooooooo pass right by.
Deep breath, read the signs, follow directions – should be easy enough. After hauling it through the station I find my track and jog down the never-ending walkway to my train. I spot it and board at 5:21…4 minutes to spare!! Not too shabby!

I am delighted to tell you all that Thalys trains have a happy hour from 5 to 7 with 2 euro beers…FRIDAY HAS ARRIVED!

Au Revoir Paris, Guten Tag Dusseldorf!

I am off to spend the weekend in Germany with Celia and Toby!!! Back to Paris for work Monday morning...

When it’s hot, it’s smelly

Wednesday was an extremely hot day in Paris, now I know why everyone leaves the city in August for holiday. The office (as all other parts of the city except museums from what I can tell) doesn’t have AC so we open up the windows into an inner courtyard - which is a perfect solution, unless no air is moving. It is thick, and the air is filled with smoke and body odor…seriously!

I decide to stay in the city after work and explore a bit then kick it back to the suburbs for bedtime. The selected destination today is the area Saint Germaine de Près, or to those who know Paris, number 6. I hopped on the metro and had the totally unwelcomed discovery that the metro during the after work rush in the August heat is a very bad idea. Everyone was cramming into the cars and sweat was literally dripping off people’s bodies onto other people…not a pleasant scent in the air. Just when I thought I was going to have to hop off and take a breather this guy with a guitar hopped into my car and began to play loudly and sing at the top of his lungs John Lennon’s Working Class Hero. I wanted to grab him and say, “hey dude, I may be wearing a pencil skirt and collared shirt, but trust me, I wish I wasn’t, I’m not trying to be anybody’s working class hero…lay off!” Instead I just looked around to see if anyone else could understand the English lyrics and took personal offense. Doesn’t look like it.

When I arrived at my destination I was excited to be breathing some fresh air and decided to grab some food. Not in the mood to dine at a table for one, I was very happy to see a man on the street with a big cart making crepes. Healthy dinner, right mom? Man, those crepes were GOOD and the fanta was cold, so once again I am a happy girl!

Saint Germaine de Près is absolutely gorgeous! There are tons of street cafes and beautiful shops. I was kind of on the border of this district and the Luxembourg Quarter, so some of the areas overlapped. Just down the street I spotted Saint Sulpice, the church I had read about in the Da Vinci Code. Although they were doing some renovation of some sort on one of the towers, it was still beautiful – especially since I was there right at sunset! Saint Sulpice is actually only slightly smaller than Notre Dame…so this is one big church!

What I liked the most was Place Saint Sulpice, a big square right next to the church, and in the middle is the most beautiful fountain. It was a great time to just stroll around and people watch…shopping looks spectacular, I need to try and come back during business hours!

From the top of the Arc!

After two days of going to work, going to dinner, going to bed, it is high time for some excitement again! I need to shake up the work routine and get back to my daily field trips. When flipping through my 'handy dandy everything you could ever want to know about paris and more' book, it dawned on me...L'Arc de Triomphe! My office is located on L'Avenue Victor Hugo only about a football field away from the Arc, so it's kind of ridiculous I haven't already checked it out.

As you might be able to tell from previous posts, "the lunch break" doesn't seem to have the same parameters as in the states. Maybe things are a little more laid back since its August and most of the city's workers are on holiday, but something tells me that an hour and a half (or two and some change if you're the boss) is pretty standard. Yesterday I grabbed lunch to go and went to sit on a bench in the shade and watched cars drive around the Arc. This proved to be extremely amusing since there are twelve roads that branch out from the central circle, causing total chaos. Lots of beeping and weaving through traffic, but shockingly I haven't seen any hand gestures - I guess the French really are très civilized!

For those of you who might need a history lesson of the day, the Arc de Triomphe is the giant arch in Paris that is a monument to honor all those who have fought for France. It was also my main man Napoleon's idea to create this in 1806 when he promised his troops "you will march home through arches of victory" (I don't know if that is a direct quote, but probably pretty close)...and the rest is history. Also underneath the arch is an eternal flame for the tomb of the unknown soldier that mark remains of an anonymous French soldier from WWI.

After taking the underpass to get to the other side of the street, I took the steps to the top of the Arc. You have to wonder how many tourists have assumed you just walk across the traffic; I am sure there is no one who has lived to tell that tale! There were fantastic views from the top of the Arc and tons of great spots for pictures.

Time to put down the camera and return to the office...

Rocking the Suburbs

Well things are a little more quiet this week as I must return to "working for the man"...and the man happens to be in the office this week. I have moved from my hotel downtown to Jean Christophe's home in the suburbs of Paris. His family is all traveling on various holidays, so it's pretty quiet at the house. Last night after work we went to dinner at a nearby restaurant and I had the best creme brulee of my lifetime (dad - besides yours of course)! I am going to try to continue to have lunchtime adventures in the city and am going to Germany this weekend to visit Celia and Toby!!!