Up to Date....finally

Monday, September 4, 2006

Today I went to the Lourve with some people that I met on the night bike tour. A brother (Dan) and sister (Carrie) and two friends (James and Whit). They all are originally from Texas.
Before meeting them, I went and sat on a bench by the Eiffel Tower. It was stating to rain a little but it was crazy to think that I was sitting within eyesight of the Eiffel Tower. Every once in a while, I have to stop and realize where exactly I am. Whether it be trekking Mt. Kili, on a safari in the Serengeti National Park, walking down the cobblestone streets of Amsterdam or riding a bike in Paris. It all seems so surreal.
The Louvre houses 300,000 works among them is the world-famous Mona Lisa (Leonardo Da Vince), Venus De Milo, and Winged Victory.
The first thing that I saw in the Lourve was the Mona Lisa. I saw it when I was in Paris about 9 years ago and it is a blur. Seeing it again was about the same. I wasn’t all that impressed. All the hype of the Mona Lisa doesn’t really make sense to me. There are far too many other works of art that I love a lot more.

Song Quote of the day: “Listen to each drop of rain…open your eyes to the love around you” Evanesance – Song Listen To The Rain

Tuesday, September 5, 2006

Today I hang out with Dan (everyone else had moved on to Rome) before he had to catch his flight back home. We went to eat by Notre Dame. I had a yummy crepe with Nutella. A sweet crepe is a must in Paris.
One of the things I wanted to do while in Paris was go to the top of the Eiffel Tower. When I was in Paris last time, we couldn’t go to top for some reason. It was closed. Anyway, after climbing the first two floors, we stood in a line to ride an elevator to the top. It was really neat to ride up and look at the views as we rose. The views from the top were outstanding. Lots of people. To get down, we waited in another line. It as hard to tell where a line started and where one ended. You would think, with the Eiffel Tower being such a tourist attraction, that they would have a much more efficient way of the elevator lines etc. I defiantly felt very claustrophobic.
The Eiffel Tower was built for the World Exhibition in 1889 and is 300 meters high.
Later that night, I went to the Arc De Triumph. The Arc was built in 1836 and is at the end of Champs-Elysses, in the middle of the Place Charles De Gaulle which is a large circular square where no less than 12 streets emanate. Champs-Elysses is a very busy street. It is bordered by cafes and luxury shops. This is where one would go if they were a shopper. The Avenue is also bordered the Jardins des Champs-Elysees.
I took the subway, which is such a wonderful mode of transportation, however, as I ride through the dark, underground of Paris, I wonder what lives or doesn’t live down here, and who, in their right mind, comes to decorate the walls with graffiti. I would be afraid of coming across something that would scare me to death. I feel much safer in the subway car. Any who, I took the subway to the Arc De Triumph and walked back along Champs-Elysees. It was fun to walk along and see the fancy stores and do a little people watching or having others watch me.
At one point, the sidewalk was blocked off because some, important person of France was just about to arrive to walk into a hotel, I think. The supposedly important individual did not look familiar to me. So, I can say that I was feet away from an important French figure.
Once I got to De La Concorde, I turned around to witness a beautiful sunset.
Song of the Day: “La la la la la la la life is wonderful, Ah la la la la la la life goes full circle, Ah la la la la la la life is so full of” Jason Mraz – Song Life is Wonderful

Wednesday, September 6, 2006

I went to Sacre Coeur, a dome towering 83m (272ft) over the top of the Montmartre hill. This has to be one of my favorite things in Paris. The streets around it are cobblestone. It was a beautiful day and not too touristy. The view from the hill was great. I enjoyed walking around the cobblestone streets and found the neighboring streets to be quaint. I really love Europe because of the small towns with the narrow roads, and the famous cobblestone streets. It was nice to find this in Paris.
I did come upon, once I got back to a main street in Paris, the Moulin Rouge. (french for "red mill") is a traditional cabaret and was built in 1889.
Later that night, I went to dinner with a family friend. I am really glad that we were able to get together because I was having a bad day and was feeling alone in a big city.
Song of the Day: “there's always one reason to feel not good enough and it's hard at the end of the day” Sarah McLachlan – Song Angel

Thursday, September 7, 2006

“The main point is to be moved, to love, to hope, to vibrate, to live, to be a man before being an artist!” A. Rodin

Today is my last day in Paris. I went to the Rodin Museum, which presents the works of the most famous 19th century sculptor. Some of his famous works include: The Thinker, The Gates of Hell, and The Kiss. I have really come to love sculptors on this trip. I am fascinated by how detailed they can be.
My train for Berlin, where my sister lives, did not leave until later that night, so I decided to go sit in a park and read. It was nice to just sit and relax for a while.

Saturday, September 9, 2006

I arrived in Berlin yesterday morning after a long night on a train.
I was ready to get to Berlin. I am glad to see and spend time with my sister. It will be nice to be in a place where I have a so-called “home” to stay at and have my own “tour” guide to show me the city of Berlin.
My sister is a dancer and has a performance going on this weekend. I went to the show last night. It was weird, but good. My sister is beautiful dancer. I have always really enjoyed watching her dance. She also has a very animated personality and because of this, it helped with the performance because there were parts where that animation was needed.

Amazingly enough I am caught up with my travel blog. It feels so great.

Check back….much more to come….hopefully some pictures…..

Song of the day: “What we gonna do when the money runs out I wish that there was something left to say where we going to find the eyes to see the bright of day” Song Nightblindness