A Broad Abroad – Page 2 – Temporarily Living in France

Stockholm, Sweden: Visiting the Motherland. October 28 – November 1, 2016

What a thrill to spend four days visiting Sweden! Mark’s dad, Dale, is 100% Swedish, and their family is so proud of their heritage. Imagine my delight to find out from my DNA analysis through 23 and Me that I was 38% Scandinavian. I was even more thrilled to learn, upon finding my biological mother’s family that my great-grandparents had emigrated from Sweden as well. We definitely felt at home among the Swedes.

This was a four-day weekend for Mark (due to All Saints Day holiday in Europe), so we flew to Stockholm, to make the most of our time. We were really fortunate to have perfect (albeit cold) Fall weather for all but our last day, when it hit a low of near-freezing and was raining steadily.

We stayed at the Stockholm, Slussen Hilton, which was a fantastic location to visit the old town (Gamla Stan). It was an easy walk either to Gamla Stan, or just a couple of blocks to the nearest metro station, which was only one or two stops to the best locations.

view-from-our-room — The view of Gamla Stan from our room.

For the first two days (Saturday and Sunday), we bought the Stockholm Pass, which gives visitors free or deeply-discounted access to many of the local attractions, plus the hop-on-hop-off bus (and in the case of Stockholm, boats as well). It was nice to be able to show the pass, and have free admission to museums, but the bus wasn’t worth it. I think I’d do it differently next time, knowing how easy it was to use the metro and bus system.

Saturday

On Saturday, we took the 3-hour morning Archipelago Boat Tour. A refurbished steamship takes passengers on a guided tour through the islands in and near Stockholm. This is a really beautiful way to get to know the area – and as an added bonus, you can sit for the whole thing! For all of the walking we do when we visit a new place, having a sitting tour is a real treat.

boat-tour-red-house — This red with white trim is a traditional color (and most popular) on Swedish houses. I love it!

After the boat tour, we visited the Vasa Museet (museum). The Vasa, a warship built in the 1600s, capsized in its maiden voyage 300+ years ago. It was found buried in mud in the 1950s. The preservation and detail of this ship and its artifacts is astonishing! They’ve got the entire ship displayed in the center of the building, with different floors containing artifacts that wrap-around the ship. As you move from floor to floor, you get to see different levels of the ship. There is also a neat set of models that show exactly how the Vasa was gently raised from the sea floor in one piece.

A super bonus to this museum: they’ve got a really great café, with some of the best Swedish meatballs, potato purée, lingonberries, and pickled cucumbers.

The remainder of the day was spent wandering the streets of Gamla Stan.

Sunday

Our first stop for Sunday was the Nordiska Museet (Nordic Museum), just down the street from the Vasa Museet. This museum celebrates Swedish culture from the 1600s to the present. There were displays of holiday tables through the years (dinnerwear, menus, food and decorations, mostly for Christmas and Easter), clothing (including some pretty funny stuff from the 70s and 80s), toys, jewelry, folk art, and the things of daily life. I thought the exhibits were a little disorganized – the floors aren’t set-up to easily view in chronological order. I also wished that the lighting was better in some areas (not things that needed to be protected from light for preservation). I wanted to see all of the detail of the Christmas morning livingroom! Overall, I’d say go, but it isn’t a must, and it doesn’t take long to view everything. Also, their café pales in comparison to the Vasa Museet’s. MEATBALLS!! They did have a pretty cool exhibit on beer-making, though.

Our second stop was a guided tour of the Stadhuset, Stockholm’s City Hall. The massive brick building, complete with a tower and courtyard, is quite modern (completed in 1923). This is the location of everyday municipal business, but it is best known for the Nobel Prize Banquet, held in the Blue Hall every December. Fun fact: there is nothing blue in the Blue Hall! The original design called for it to be blue, but the architect liked the look of the red bricks so much (hand-distressed to appear old), that he kept the bare bricks. The Blue Hall also hides Sweden’s largest pipe organ, which has 10,270 pipes.

Stadhuset Blue Hall, where the Nobel Prize dinner is hosted every December

On this tour, you get to go into the Gold Hall, an enormous hall with walls decorated entirely in tiny mosaic tiles, most of which are gold. I’m not exaggerating when I say that the room absolutely glows!

More fun facts about the Stadhuset: Weddings take place in a small hall every Saturday, and anyone can apply to be married there. You can choose a long ceremony (about 5 minutes) or a short one (under a minute). Same-sex couples have been legal in Sweden since 2009.

This afternoon, we took a Free Tour Stockholm of Gamla Stan. Many big cities have these Free Tours – it costs nothing to join the tour, but they expect (and deserve) a tip at the end of the tour. We’ve done a few of these now, and they’re great! The guides always have loads of information to share, they move you through the most interesting parts of the city, and can even recommend places to shop/eat/visit after the tour is done. Kevin shared with us that the old town area is especially popular to live-in, because of the beauty of the historic buildings, but that it is incredibly difficult to find a place to rent or buy. With a 20-year waiting list for subsidized housing, people used to sign-up their children when they were born!

Monday

Our day was spent discovering Skansen, an open-air museum where one can view real historic buildings, homes, and farms (some dating back to the 1500s) from all over Sweden. Because we were here in off-season, only a handful of the buildings were open for viewing inside. I would have loved to have seen more, but what we did get to see was really cool. There are docents in period clothing inside the buildings, and they’re ready to answer your questions. In one 1700s farmhouse, we learned that every family member had their own wooden spoon, which was cleaned and stored in a rack on the wall in-between meals. One small farmhouse may have housed the family (people typically had 6 or 7 children) and the farm workers, all in one room.

Rounding-out the experience at Skansen, they’ve got farm animals of the same breed as would have been present hundreds of years ago. You’ve heard of heirloom tomatoes? This is heirloom livestock!

Tuesday

This was our last day in Sweden, but our flight wasn’t until late afternoon, so we tried another Stockholm Free Tour. It was tempting to stay in and relax in our room, as it was near freezing, and raining pretty steadily, but the tour was calling! Bundled-up and on our way, there were several hearty souls who showed-up for the tour, and off we went! Along the way, we met two young women who were from Juneau, Alaska. We got to chatting, and learned that one of them was originally from Oregon, and had graduated from Western Washington University in 2015 (where Molly goes to school)! Small world!!

Stockholm Free Tour on a very cold, rainy morning

Toulouse, France: Business and Pleasure. October 20 – 22, 2016

The aerospace industry, including EU’s version of NASA, CNES (pronounced “Kah-ness”), is centered in Toulouse, along with Airbus and other tech companies. The final stages of the project Mark’s working on may require him to be on-site, meaning we would live there during the last few months of our stay in France. Not a problem! We visited Toulouse for some meetings Mark needed to attend, and I went along to see the city. Although Mark would work in the modern part of Toulouse, we stayed in the old town to enjoy the historic sites.

Toulouse, France, sits on both sides of the Garonne River

Located on the river Garonne in the southwest (Mid-Pyrenees/Dept. Haute-Garonne/Occitanie region), Toulouse is about 400 miles from Paris and is the fourth-largest city in France. It is only a three-hour train ride to Barcelona, Spain, which will give us lots of new places to explore.

Toulouse has a long history, and has been a very important trade city for many hundreds of years. The University of Toulouse, founded in 1229, is currently home to about 100,000 students. Its nickname, “la Ville Rose,” comes from the pink stone used in the construction of many of its buildings, and the terra cotta tiles on its rooftops.

Churches

There are some amazing churches in Toulouse, including one of the best examples of Romanesque architecture, the Basilique St-Sernin, (built between 1080 and 1120).

I didn’t go into St-Sernin on this trip, but I did visit the 14^th Century Notre Dame du Taur. Located between other buildings on a main street, it isn’t impressive on the outside, but it is quite beautiful inside, and I liked the stained glass in particular. The church is said to be built on the exact location where the body of Saint Sernin became detached from the bull which had dragged him to his death. Gory, right?! The poor guy was really in the wrong place at the wrong time: Pagan priests were getting ready to sacrifice a bull, but weren’t too crazy about the Christian influence of the Church. The bishop was walking by, and they decided to spare the bull, but murder him instead, by roping him to the bull. Who says history is dull?

Notre Dame du Taur's ceiling — Notre Dame du Taur’s ceiling

Regional Food

This region of France has its own culinary traditions, based on its climate, trading history, and proximity to the river, mountains, and Spain. One of the traditional foods here is cassoulet, a hearty dish of slow-cooked white beans, duck, and sausage. I ordered it at Le Florida, on the Place du Capitole, and it was delicious!

Mark ordered pork in red wine sauce (top) and I had the Cassoulet (bottom)

Museum Visit

I visited the Musée des Augustins, a fine art museum located in what once was an Augustin church and convent. They’ve got a great collection of art and sculpture from Roman times, through the Gothic and up to the 19^th Century.

Our Lady of Grace, Gothic, sculpted between 1460-1480

Cloister of the Church, which has a fruit and vegetable garden at its center

Place du Capitole

The Capitole is the name of the main administrative building (Hôtel de Ville) in the center of Toulouse’ Old Town.

It is named after the original regional magistrates of the region, The Capitouls, who were in charge of Justice, Trade, Church, and Construction from the Middle Ages until the French Revolution in 1789. These Capitouls were among the privileged class who were allowed to have towers on their homes – the more prestige one had, the higher the tower could be. On the Toulouse Walking Tour, Penny, our British expat guide, pointed-out many of these grand homes. She was so knowledgeable, and truly enjoyed sharing the history of Toulouse with her tour group.

All of this, and we’ve only scratched the surface of Toulouse! Mark needs to go back in a few weeks for meetings, but I’m not sure if I’ll join him on this trip. Hopefully, we’ll have plenty of time to really explore the region in the Spring.

Boardgames for Mark, Sightseeing for Me: A Weekend in Essen, Germany. October 14 – 16, 2016

Living in Paris, one of our main goals for the weekends is to travel to places close enough for a weekend getaway. The question is: Do you go back to places you’ve visited and loved, or go somewhere new and different? I guess the answer for us is: do a little of both.

Mark, in his element :) — Mark, in his element 🙂

Every year, Essen, Germany hosts the largest game convention in the world, Internationale Spieltage. Approximately 100,000 visitors enter the convention center over the space of 5 days: people who design, publish, sell, and play games are all mixed-together, and it is a family affair for many.

Check out this short video for Spieltage:

Though boardgames are not as popular a hobby in the United States, Europeans are big fans of games, and this is why Spieltage Essen is like a mecca to many, including Mark and lots of his friends. In 2003, Mark and I took our first trip to Europe. In addition to the castles and cathedrals, the Internationale Spieltage in Essen was one of our stops.

This year, it was a no-brainer that we would take the train to Essen, a highlight for Mark to be sure: games old and new, things you can’t buy in stores yet (or in the US), catching-up with some California friends, and meeting people who are long-time listeners of Mark’s podcasts, Boardgames To Go, and Wargames To Go.

http://boardgamestogo.com

http://WargamesToGo.com

You can't go to Spiel without buying some games! — You can’t go to Spiel without buying some games!

I’ll play the occasional boardgame, but it isn’t my hobby, so this trip was my opportunity to explore a little bit of the town. I racked-up almost nine miles of walking each day (by choice). On Saturday, it was drizzling rain most of the day, but I visited the local botanical garden, Gugapark, just the same. There are acres of streams, flowers, ponds, and even a sequoia grove. The grey weather was great for photographing the flowers, which were still holding-on in the cooler Autumn weather.

Inside Grugapark, where it shares a road with the university hospital, is the Ronald McDonald House, Essen. There are more than 350 Ronald McDonald Houses worldwide, “Keeping families with sick children close to each other and the care and resources they need.” If you eat at McDonald’s, you might notice the donation boxes at the registers and the drive-through windows. All of that spare change goes to support the Ronald McDonald House charities. I usually drop my change in there, and I’ve known several families who have benefitted from their services. This house was so interesting to see, and in such a wonderful location. The Essen house was designed by artist and architect, Friedensreich Hundertwasser, and looks more like the house of a child’s imagination than a real structure.

Essen Ronald McDonald House, "Hundertwasser Haus" — Essen Ronald McDonald House, “Hundertwasser Haus”

If you’re interested in the Ronald McDonald House charities, you can find more info here: http://www.rmhc.org

I also walked past the university hospital area, and through the bike paths and hiking trails to a neighborhood called Kruppsiedlung Margarethenhohe. This group of charming homes is named after Margarethe Krupp, who had housing built for the workers at the Krupp steel factories in the 1800s. Her husband, Alfred Krupp, paved the way for workers’ rights, offering benefits previously unknown to workers of that time, such as accident and medical insurance, social programs, care for widows and orphans and education. It isn’t company housing today, but these homes are still much in demand, and you can see why. . .

Sunday morning in Essen, and it was a gorgeous Fall day. I walked a couple of miles (literally over the river and through the woods!) to visit the Krupp Mansion.

I got all of the way there, only to find-out that the buildings were closed (the website had said it was open). I was pretty disappointed, and honestly feeling a little sorry for myself; I think just being alone was getting to me a little bit. Plus, I was tired from all of the walking, so it was frustrating to get to the end of the walk with nothing to show for it. I had hours to kill before our train, but now just felt like taking it easy. I used the MyTaxi app we’d seen in some info about Germany. Easy as Über, I had a taxi pick me up. The driver was a man about my age, from Syria. We had a nice conversation, and I learned that his daughter had recently finished university, spoke six languages, and was now working in Turkey for Turkish Airlines. He also had a son working on a business degree in Germany and another in high school. We shared photos of our kids. No matter where I’ve been in the world, I’ve really found that people are really more alike than they are different.

Back at the hotel, I grabbed my book, found a nice place to read, and ordered a coffee.

La Côte d’Émeraude (The Emerald Coast): Weekend in Saint-Malo, Bretagne (Brittany), France. October 7-9, 2016

When I spent a month in France in 2014 on the COC Study Abroad program, our group took a weekend trip to the Northwest of France, the region called Brittany/Bretagne. We stayed in the historic, walled port city of Saint-Malo, and I was excited for Mark and I to visit together.

walled-city-of-saint-malo — A view of Saint-Malo and its wall from the tidal island, Grand Bé. Poet Chateaubriand is buried on this island.

fort-on-island — One of the forts on the islands near Saint-Malo

mark-with-canon-on-wall — Mark and one of the canons atop the walkway on the city wall of Saint-Malo

Originally, this city on the English Channel was known for its privateers (pirates with the King’s blessing). Its strategic location on the Channel made it valuable for trade and transportation between Great Britain and the Continent. Centuries later, it was occupied by the Germans in WWII, and sustained heavy bombing by the Allied Forces at the end of the war. Once peace had returned, the old city of Saint-Malo was carefully rebuilt to bring it back to its historic charm.

Saint-Malo flag, Bretagne flag, French Flag and EU flag

Currently, Saint-Malo is still a busy port. It is also a very popular tourist destination, with its old world charm, delicious regional food, and pristine beaches.

The tides here are amazing. The difference between low-tide and high-tide is best illustrated with these photos of the enormous sea-water pool at La Plage de Bon Secour. In 1937, a smart businessman, René Lesaunier, realized that Saint-Malo would have better tourist trade if people could easily access the sea regardless of the tide. He had the sea-water pool built so that folks could swim any time of the day.

Directly on the Channel, seafood is found in most restaurants. Mussels, oysters, lobster, shrimp, and crab, are all popular, as are the smaller sea snails (bulots) and many varieties of fresh fish. Other regional specialties are the buttery, sweet pastry, kouign-amann, apple cider (with alcohol) warm and cold, crêpes and galettes (savory crêpes, made with buckwheat flour).

moules — Moules-frites (mussels and french fries) are on just about every menu. Yummy!

kouign-amann-and-coffee — Kouign-amann the best we found were at Boulangerie de la Cathédrale, when we were lucky to get them still warm from the oven. Heaven!

Outside of the walled city of Saint-Malo, there is more to see. We walked along the port to Tour Solidor, at the mouth of the river Rance. It was built in the late 1300s by John V, Duke of Brittany (Jean IV in French), to control access to the river.

Also outside the city walls is the Memorial 39-45. We visited this site as part of Mark’s Magical History Tour – it’s a WWII German anti-aircraft defense blockhouse, and you can see the effects of the Allied bombing here firsthand.

wwii-damage — Evidence of damage from bombing in WWII

Back in Saint-Malo’s old city walls (Intra-muros), there were some “everyday” sights to see. I’ve mentioned before that most French cities have at least one merry-go-round (manège), and Saint-Malo is no exception. I thought theirs was a particularly beautiful one.

Also, on Saturdays throughout France, you’ll often see weddings at the Hôtel de Ville (the headquarters of a city’s administration). French law requires that all marriages be officiated at the city’s Hôtel de Ville – a church service may take place at another time. It looks like the family and friends often accompany the bride and groom to the civil service, waiting outside to throw rice as the newlyweds exit the building. Just like in the U.S., you’ll see them being driven away in a decorated car, the party following in their vehicles, honking their horns in celebration.

candy-on-the-city-walls — Standing on the walkway of the city walls, the buildings are so picturesque!

Weekend in Leiden, Netherlands: 23 – 25 September

Mark had been in The Netherlands a some years ago for work, and when he had a few free hours before leaving, he visited Leiden – a college town, and a city rich in history. I had hoped to visit someday, and when we talked about going to Holland, we chose small-town charm over the bigger, busier tourist city of Amsterdam.

The high-speed (180mph) Thalys train to The Netherlands

Transportation

Our transportation to Leiden was a little trickier than we had planned, but it all worked-out. It was supposed to be an easy, high-speed Thalys train from Paris to Rotterdam, and then a regional train to Leiden. Shortly before we arrived at the Paris Nord station, tickets were sold-out! We scrambled to purchase tickets on another train, BUT WAIT, there had been a fire in a train tunnel, re-routing many trains that evening in Holland. Got the tickets, and a new itinerary, and were just told to change in Rotterdam on the first available train going to Leiden. This is what everyone else was doing, too. We were lucky to squeeze onto that regional train, together, and have standing-room-only spots in the aisle. This, my friends, is why it is so much easier to travel light (and bring a snack)! We arrived a couple of hours later than planned, but none the worse for the wear.

Mark on the regional train (Rotterdam to Leiden). Standing-room only!

This town, like the rest of The Netherlands, is all about public transportation. Trains and buses are easy to use, and one can get anywhere in town quickly. (As long as you get off of the bus at your stop. We were so busy looking at the sights that we passed our stop, and had to get off the bus to wait for another going the opposite direction, LOL). The KING of transportation here is the bicycle. All ages ride bikes along the safe, dedicated bike paths on main streets, as well as through the smaller streets next to the canals. Families have bikes with big wooden buckets in front, used to tote little kids, groceries, you name it! Smartly-dressed businesspeople commute to work, and retirees do their shopping – all on their bikes.

This is how you get your groceries (or your little ones) home!

Train station double-decker bike storage!

Mark and mass transportation: train above, bikes below.

College Town

The Universiteit Leiden, established in 1575, has educated heads of state and includes among its Nobel Laureates Albert Einstein. Tulips were first introduced to Holland in 1593 by professor Carolinus Clusius, who planted bulbs in the botanical garden he established in the University of Leiden. This cultivation of tulips led to the Dutch tulip industry.

Leiden's city symbol, keys, are everywhere. — Leiden’s city symbol, keys, are everywhere.

Saturday Market

Lots of people bring their dogs to the market.

Leiden’s bustling Saturday market has stalls in the street along a canal. There are vendors selling cheese, flowers, fish and meat, nuts and olives, freshly-made sweets, and clothing. I tried a local treat, a fresh stroopwafel: two thin waffle cookies sandwiched with a warm caramel spread.

One local delicacy neither of us tried: fresh, raw herring. They’re served at the market with their little heads removed, but the tail is still attached. Folks wait their turn to hold them by the tail, tip back their heads, open wide and drop ‘em in. Just like the trained sea lions at the aquarium! I’m sure they’re delicious, if you’ve acquired the taste, but I couldn’t get past their size (not easily swallowed, these require chewing), and the fact that everyone who ate them had to finish by picking the bones out of their teeth. PASS!

Fish of all kinds were for sale, including some really delicious-looking friend cod and shrimp. Smoked mackerel were also waiting to be someone’s dinner.

Not a fan of fish? How about a traditional Dutch pannekoek? These are platter-sized pancakes, thinner than an American pancake, but thicker than a crêpe, and they can be filled with sweet or savory ingredients. Mark had one with ham, cheese and mushrooms, and I chose sour cherries with whipped cream and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. YUM!

American Pilgrims Lived in Leiden Before They Sailed on the Mayflower

“But now we are all, in all places, strangers and pilgrims, travelers and sojourners…”

~ Robert Cushman, Pilgrim leader, 1622

Words just as relevant today as they were almost 400 years ago. America was settled by refugees, people looking for a safe place to worship, work, and raise their children. The Pilgrims fled England in order to be free to practice their religion. Before sailing for the New World (America), they lived for several years in Leiden, Netherlands. These religious refugees and their descendants were the building blocks of the country we have today. “A number of American presidents have had Pilgrims as ancestors, including Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Bush senior and junior and Barack Obama. Obama’s forefathers, the Blossoms, lived here, on Pieterskerkhof.” (from a plaque at the church)

One of the true highlights of this trip was to see the tiny American Pilgrim Museum, and Pieterskerkhof. The museum is located in two side-by-side homes which have not been changed since the Pilgrims inhabited the area in the 1600s.

The kitchen of a Pilgrim home. They cooked over a peat fire, and the little wooden contraption in the lower right is a baby chair!

This little alcove is the parent's bed. People believed it was unhealthy to sleep lying-down, so they sat, propped-up on pillows. — This little alcove is the parent’s bed. People believed it was unhealthy to sleep lying-down, so they sat, propped-up on pillows.

The American Pilgrim Museum is housed in this original 15th Century building. the lower two rooms are the museum, while the rest of the building is modernized and lived-in!

Nearby, Pieterskerkhof has a cluster of homes which were originally built for the Pilgrims by their leader, then became an almshouse, and still provides housing today.

Those Iconic Dutch Canals

The center of Leiden’s old town is threaded with canals, populated with tourist boats and the boats of locals who are just out for a picnic on the water with friends and family. And dogs! So many of the boats included the family dog – and they were clearly having as much fun as their skippers and crew.

I'm King of the World! — I’m King of the World!

The canals are a great way to sightsee: pretty, inexpensive, and no walking. We took a tour, which was well-narrated (in Dutch and English) by a Leiden college student. He gave us information about Leiden’s history, as we floated through the old town, past the university, historic windmills, and houseboats.

The houseboats ranged from modern places with floating terraces to old, run-down boats. Most, like this one, were very nice!

Leiden was definitely a great spot for a weekend getaway. I’d highly recommend it to people who want a taste of The Netherlands, but prefer to stay away from the larger cities. I think it would be perfect intro to Europe for Americans who have not traveled outside of the US, because just about everyone we met there spoke English. It is a friendly, safe, easy place to be – and everywhere you turn, a picture-perfect Kodak moment!

UNESCO World Heritage Site, Château de Fontainebleau: “The true home of kings, the house of ages” ~ Napoleon in Saint Helena, August 1816

From Paris, the Château is about 40 minutes (via the Ter or Transilien train) from Paris’ Gare de Lyon. If you’ve got a 5-zone Navigo pass, this trip is included at no extra charge (we didn’t realize that until after we’d purchased our one-way tickets – oops! €8.50 each direction). Exit at Fontainebleau-Avon.

For specific info, see their website (there’s an English version to choose): http://www.musee-chateau-fontainebleau.fr

There’s a bus right outside of the train station that can take you to the Château, but it’s also possible to walk through the neighborhood and along the Grand Canal. Mark had found a Mexican restaurant in Avon on TripAdvisor. That’s what I said: Mexican restaurant!!! We could walk to the Château and have lunch on the way. Let’s see how this small town in France does Mexican food!!!

El Salvo Restaurant Mexicaine was actually pretty good! This is a surprise for several reasons: it’s in a non-commercial, suburban French neighborhood, and one doesn’t find a lot of Mexican food in France (or even ingredients in large grocery stores). If you saw my post on Facebook, I’ll apologize for repeating myself, but I need to include this, on our funny experience with the server:

I ordered an appetizer of guacamole with chips and a beef enchilada, Mark got the quesadilla appetizer with the enchilada. When the food came, the waiter brought two sauces (a tobasco-type red and a green jalapeño). He explained, in great detail, for both the appetizer and the main, how the first bite should be taken on its own. Maybe the second bite with some sauce, (he prefers the green) but if it is too spicy, maybe have a bite with the avocado or the cream (crème fraiche, sort of like sour cream). . . We couldn’t bring ourselves to interrupt and tell him that we are VERY familiar with Mexican food! He might’ve fainted if he’d seen how much of the green sauce I put on everything?.

Enjoying our Mexican lunch in Avon, Ile de France, 17 September 2016

From lunch, we walked the rest of the way to the Château. We were lucky that the weather cooperated – the only real rain fell while we were eating lunch.

Mark at the Grand Canal, just outside of the palace grounds, 17 September 2016

The Château de Fontainebleau is the only palace to have been continuously inhabited by French royalty (including Napoleons I and III) for seven centuries. There are over 1,500 rooms, and visitors can wander through about 1/4 of the space (which are decorated and furnished as they were when kings and queens roamed the halls). Much of the décor is original! The grounds, with a Grand Canal, formal French and English gardens, early tennis courts and woods, spread-out among 130 well-tended acres.

At the gardens on the grounds of Château Fontainebleau

The courtyard of the Château has a dramatic, horseshoe-shaped staircase, which was built for King Louis XIII (1610-1643).

If you’ve visited Versailles, you’ll see some similarities with both the layout and the décor of the rooms in Fontainebleau. The stone walls are covered in silk “wallpaper”, tapestries, and portraits. Some are painted to appear to be marble.

Bedroom of the Pope and the Queen Mothers (obviously, not at the same time, haha)

Nursery of Napoleon I's son, dubbed King of Rome — Nursery of Napoleon I’s son, dubbed King of Rome

Like Versailles, there is a long gallery leading to the King’s apartments, but this one is not mirrored. Decorated for François I in the 1530s, it was here that the Italian Renaissance style was introduced to France.

Mark, in the Gallery which leads to the King's apartments — Mark, in the Gallery which leads to the King’s apartments

In the 1800s (practically modern times!), Napoleon I made Fontainebleau his home when he became Emperor (you know, when he wasn’t off on one of his military campaigns). He had apartments decorated for the Pope’s visit, and when the Pope came to crown Napoleon Emperor, Napoleon famously grabbed the crown from the Pope, and crowned himself – to make a point that the state was more important than religion. The golden bee, a symbol of immortality and resurrection, was chosen by Napoleon as the symbol of his reign. You’ll see golden bees on the throne he used.

Throne of Napoleon I. Note the symbolic golden bees on the velvet drapery.

Napoleon’s nephew, Napoleon III, was baptized here, and it was in these rooms that Napoleon I abdicated in 1814, just before he was exiled to the island of Elba.

On our way out of the courtyard, we noticed a few people going into a door – which revealed the royal jeu de paume (early tennis) courts, where a pro was inviting tourists to try and play the game (we were satisfied to watch – the little rackets and long court looked pretty challenging). Jeu de paume was a favorite royal sport. King Henry IV (who lived 1553-1610) had the first indoor court built on the grounds. After a couple of restorations over the centuries, it remains much the same.

And Now for Something Completely Different. . .

The blog took a backseat the past couple of weeks, as we had left France to return home for a previously-planned vacation (many months before we knew about France). From 3-10 September, Mark and I, along with another couple, took a Princess Cruise from Seattle, WA, to Alaska and Canada. The ports included Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay, Ketchikan, and Victoria, B.C.

Mark and I onboard the Crown Princess, Seattle

We boarded the Crown Princess on a warm, clear, sunny Autumn day in Seattle. Balcony Stateroom, Aloha 608, was super comfy, and it gave us the opportunity to stay in the comfort of our room while still viewing glorious Alaska if we didn’t really want to go up on deck.

Juneau – Alaska’s Remote Capital

It was a grey, rainy morning when the ship was pulling-in to our first port city, Juneau. We all had our layers, gloves, scarves, hats and waterproof jackets, so off we went to find our way to the Mendenhall Glacier park, 12 miles out of town. The original plan was to take a city bus to the park (the most economical option, compared with the private shuttles, taxis and ship excursions). We hadn’t counted on the fact that it was Labor Day, and the buses were not running! As we were about to ask the closest taxi/van for their rates, another group of four asked if we wanted to share. Sure! Small world – when we introduced ourselves along the way, we discovered that all of us are from Santa Clarita! One of the other group’s members graduated from Saugus High (where our kids also attended high school).

The first stop at the park: a short walk on a mostly-raised boardwalk along the creek, where salmon were still spawning. We really hoped to (safely) see a bear (or two or three). Turns-out, we missed seeing a mama bear and three cubs by about 15 minutes! We did see salmon, of both the swimming-upstream and spawned-and-dead varieties, along with the wide vistas of mountains, evergreens and the beginning of Fall colors.

Near Mendenhall Glacier, just outside of Juneau, Alaska

The Mendenhall Glacier is part of the Tongass National Forest, and there is an easy, level, 0.8-mile hike from the parking lot of the Visitor Center to the beach of the lake where one can easily view the Glacier, as well as get up-close and personal with towering (377 feet high) Nugget Falls. (Side note: we have friends who got engaged right on this beach about a year ago!)

My friend, Janet, getting a closeup photo of Nugget Falls. Near Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau, AK

Skagway – Gateway to the Klondike Gold Rush

At Skagway, our second port, there was a light rain most of the day – but off we went. I have to say, it is crazy how large these cruise ships are when they’re docked at the end of the main street of one of these little towns. I wish I’d taken a photo, because the ships absolutely dwarf the buildings (and there were two next to each other, as well as another two on the other side of the inlet). With over 3,000 people on each ship, that was 12,000 tourists descending on Skagway, a town with a peak summer population of just under 1,000 people! Right off the ship, we hopped-onto the local SMART shuttle ($5 bucks for an all-day pass – have them stamp inside your wrist, so it doesn’t wash off!), and took it out to the stop nearest the town’s historic cemetery. 1898 Gold Rush-era scoundrel, “Soapy” Smith, along with less infamous citizens, were buried here on the slope of a forested hillside.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soapy_Smith

There were a few old, original headstones, but most of the headstones were actually new, white-painted wooden markers. Kind of like the ones you’d see in the neighborhood on Halloween. I know that the cemetery is authentic, and heck, the wooden “headstones” probably were made of wood and had degraded over time, requiring the new ones. However, if you’re looking for a really old, charming cemetery, this is not it. Keep walking up the hill, though, and you can take the trail to the waterfall. It is a short, simple hike up the hill to the falls, and look in the water – you might even see little flecks of gold!

Skagway, Lower Reid Falls, near Gold Rush Cemetery

From the falls, we walked over to the entrance of Jewel Gardens, where we caught the SMART shuttle back into town. The whole downtown area of Skagway is actually part of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park, with its charming buildings, dating back to the 1800s, lovingly restored.

After a lunch of locally-caught halibut fish & chips and a Spruce Tip Ale at the Skagway Brewing Company, we took two park-ranger-led tours of downtown. These tours run throughout the day, and have several different themes. The tours are free, but can fill-up, so visit the park Visitor Center on 2^nd and Broadway to get tickets ahead of time. The tours we chose were about an hour-long, and while both included Skagway’s Gold Rush history, one was focused on how goods and services were (and still are) brought into the remote location for the use of the citizens, while the other provided information on the lives of minorities during the Gold Rush era (including the African American “Buffalo” Soldiers sent here to serve in 1899, as well as the Japanese (and other) women enslaved by the sex trade.

Historic Skagway Crib (where prostitutes were forced to work during the Gold Rush days).

After about 20,000 steps around Skagway, it was time to warm-up and enjoy dinner on the ship!

Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve

This was the highlight of our cruise – the day the ship spent in Glacier Bay National Park. The ship arrived in Glacier Bay in the morning, after being boarded by Rangers from the National Park Service, who would set-up a temporary Ranger’s Station onboard and broadcast information about the glaciers, bay and wildlife throughout the day.

Most of our time was spent in the bay next to the tidewater glacier, Marjorie. The face of the glacier (about 20 stories high) was crackling and crunching while we watched, and it calved several times while we watched. The sound was fascinating to experience, and unlike anything we’d heard before. As large chunks calved off of the face of the glacier, the deep rumbling boom was followed by more crackling and a wave of new icebergs flowing into the jade-green water. The water of the bay, as with any body of water near a glacier, is full of ultra-fine particles of glacial silt (powdery sand). Silt is created when the glacial ice grinds the rocks as it moves past/over land, and is deposited into the water, leaving it quite opaque.

Gorgeous silt-filled water in Glacier Bay, AK

Moving further into the park, the ship entered Johns Hopkins Inlet, giving us a more distant view of the Johns Hopkins glacier.

Johns Hopkins Glacier, Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve, AK

Ketchikan – Alaska’s First City, The Salmon Capital of the World, AND The Rainiest City in the US

With up to 200 inches of rain per year, we were happily surprised with a sunny Autumn day on our visit to Ketchikan. Pulling into port, we spied bald eagles in the shorleline trees (look for their white heads in the evergreens) and floatplanes taking off over the bay.

Mark & I on the main street in Ketchikan, AK

Today, we walked from the ship, through downtown Ketchikan, to the tourist shops along the creek. Filled with spawning salmon, there was a lone seal in the creek, barking at greedy seagulls. This path leads to the salmon ladder, where you can watch as they choose to either climb the ladder, or swim up the natural waterfall to the wide, shallow creek above. They were there, spawning and dying by the hundreds (no fishy smell, I promise).

Ketchikan's Creek Street — Ketchikan’s Creek Street

Walking along the creek, we took a few minutes to visit the Totem Heritage Center ($5, not a lot to see, but it was cool to view some of the oldest surviving totem poles in Alaska, along with some Native Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian art).

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Our final port for the cruise was a night-time visit to Victoria. Primarily a sea day, we arrived in Victoria with just enough time to visit downtown and stop at a pub. We had all been to Victoria before, so missing-out on Butchart Gardens wasn’t a disappointment. While it would have been fun to see more of this pretty Canadian city, the capital of British Columbia, we enjoyed a nice post-dinner walk on a clear evening.

Parliament Building, Victoria, BC, Canada

Shout Out to Social Media, Meetup, and Bringing People Together

Sunday Funday! Mark had joined the social media site, Meetup, to see if there were any groups in Paris where we could meet nice people and do cool stuff. One of the most promising was the Paris Dog Walking Meetup.

After contacting the Event Host to ask if we could join them, despite the fact that our dog was back in the States, we were encouraged to come. They meet every Sunday at the Bois de Vincennes (the woods on the Eastern edge of Paris), and all responsible dog owners are welcome.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bois_de_Vincennes

We had such fun meeting dogs and owners – French and Expats alike. It was great to have some exercise in the green, shady woods, watch the dogs play in the stream, and chat with people who all enjoy travel, love their dogs, and were glad to have us along. I even got to practice my French!

An Ocean Breeze with a Side of History

Trying to escape unseasonably hot weather in Paris (99 degrees!), we took a day-trip on a high-speed TGV train to the Northern coastal city of Dunkerque, France (AKA Dunkirk). Dutch for “Church in the Dunes,” Dunkerque is only about 6 miles from the Belgian border on the English Channel, in the French region Nord-Pas-de-Calais. Originating as a fishing village in the 10^th Century, it has a rich history. Over the centuries, the area has been disputed by France, Spain, United Netherlands, and England.

A map of Dunkerque, France and the English Channel

We did a lot of walking today (23,000 steps before we got back on the train!), including the historic Old Town part of Dunkerque. The TI (Tourist Information) is located inside the Belfry. After getting a free map of the town, we took the elevator up to the 5^th floor where the bells and carillon are located, and then up a VERY steep spiral stairway to the roof. I told Mark this may be my last tower – we have climbed narrow stairs and ladders in towers and church domes in Belgium, Italy, and France, and they just creep me out. I admit to being a little claustrophobic – the view is nice, but I’m not sure it’s worth it. Here is a video of the bells ringing in the the Saint-Eloi Belfry, a historic monument and a UNESCO World Heritage site, built during the 15th century.

https://youtu.be/Niqc_8fqjxQ

Mark and I in the Belfry Tower in Dunkerque, a World Heritage Site

Church of Saint-Elio in Dunkerque, France, as seen from the Belfry Tower

Another highlight was a lunch of Moules Frites (Mussels and Fries) at, Édito, a restaurant on the water, near the Old Town. Moules Frites is one of the most popular dishes in France, and comes in many preparations, from a white wine broth to creamy and even curried.

Another location on Mark’s Magical History Tour, Dunkerque was the site of WWII’s Operation Dynamo. In May 1940, the British Expeditionary Force (aiding the French) was cut-off from the rest of the French army by the Germans. Winston Churchill ordered every sailing vessel (including civilian ships and boats) to sail across the English Channel and help evacuate the soldiers. 338,226 men (including 123,000 French soldiers) were evacuated using over 900 ships and boats. Churchill called Operation Dynamo “The miracle of Dunkirk,” because Hitler’s army could have decimated the allied troops who were surrounded and exposed on the long, flat beach. Although the operation was a success, Churchill reminded the nation: “…we must be very careful not to assign to this deliverance the attributes of a victory. Wars are not won by evacuations.”

Allies: It is far better to build bridges than walls.

What else can one do in Dunkerque, you ask? Well, there is one of the longest, widest stretches of white sand I’ve ever seen. We were here on a hot August weekend, when most of France is on vacation, and the shore was full of people of every shape, size and dress (or undress). Thousands of people (mostly French) and their families were enjoying the beach, including one older topless woman and another woman in a burkini. The shore is lined with a wide promenade for biking (even unicycling!), skating, walking and jogging. There are countless shops, restaurants and holiday hotels and apartments along the way. One of the highlights for us was watching a group of people who had joined the “Just Dance” instructors to learn a line-dance. I took this video – check-out the guy in the orange shorts, he’s really into it!

https://youtu.be/YwzuxVP1MZg

Dunkerque beach: Plage de Malo-les-Bains

Before making our way back to the train station, we both were thinking of dessert. The place where we’d had lunch also served ice cream sundaes, and that was just the ticket! What better way to end a fun trip to the coast than with a treat?

Marché Bastille

Marché Bastille in the 11^th Arrondissement, is one of the largest Parisian outdoor markets, located just down the street from Place de la Bastille’s landmark, Colonne de Juillet. It is held every Thursday (7am – 2:30pm) and Sunday (7am – 3:00pm). I think there are more vendors on Sunday than Thursday, but a wide variety of goods are on offer either day. There are stalls selling everything from household goods, leather goods, clothing and scarves to fresh fruits & vegetables, meat, cheese, breads and take-out food, such as crêpes, galettes, roasted chickens and paella. Hungry yet?

Marche Bastille Seafood Screen Shot — Those langoustines were huge!

This is where the Marché Bastille is located, in central Paris.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/marché-de-la-bastille-paris-2

Feast your eyes on the amazing fresh fruits and vegetables for sale.

I was on my own at the marché this morning, and since we’re currently in a hotel without a kitchen, I was there to browse more than to buy. I did get an amazing treat, though, and you’ll probably laugh when I tell you that it was a peach! Usually, back home, it is quite rare for me to find a truly delicious piece of fruit in the supermarket, and I don’t get to the farmer’s market in Santa Clarita often, so I can’t speak to the quality of the peaches you might find there. When I was here during the summer of ’14, I would often stop at the corner market (something like a 7-11 in the States), and buy a peach to take back to the apartment. Every peach I bought (in a corner market or at an outdoor marché) tasted like it had just been picked. Seriously – I never had a hard, flavorless peach in France. So, with the heat of the day kicking-in (we’re having a heatwave here, and the forecast was 99°), I took my peach back to the hotel, where I enjoyed every juicy bite!