photo - ilivetotravel's travel log

Arriving in the Southern Island of Middle Earth: Christchurch, New Zealand

21 June 2009 by Raul 5 Comments

There are so many awesome places in New Zealand but I feel Christchurch, though not one of the top 2 cities in NZ, may be the best place to hit first on a trip over (Dunedin is not far behind!).

The arrival

I arrived in Christchurch on the eastern coast of the southern island of New Zealand (where Lord of the Rings was filmed; the lands in the movie were called “Middle Earth” for those who may not be familiar with the movie!). From the plane we flew over the southern Alps, as they are unofficially called. In this picture, we pass over the highest peaks and you can even see a glacier coming down. This is the view you want to see ahead of coming to NZ!

Southern Alps, New Zealand, Christchurch, glacier, nature

Glacier flowing to lower right corner of pic as I fly over the Southern Alps in New Zealand

It was around 230 PM and we were delayed getting off the plane because a passenger had flu-like symptoms. Nice. The health person from the airport had to board the plane and do some kind of test on the passenger before any of us could get off. I could not see exactly what he was doing but after a few minutes of whatever, we were allowed to get off the plane. The airport claims to be the “top carbon neutral airport company in the southern hemisphere” which I found amusing for a couple of reasons, one of which is the recurrent theme in Australia and NZ of claims about a place being the “—-est” (tallest, biggest, cleanest, etc.) in the “southern hemisphere”. Considering how little of the world is in the southern hemisphere, these claims almost seem too easy 🙂 but, heck, someone’s got to make the claim!

Besides being carbon neutral, the airport is nice and small and it was very easy to just go to the bus stop and catch bus 29 intown. It dropped me off very close to my bed and breakfast but apparently I signaled “stop” one street too early so I walked an extra block. No worries, extra exercise. The streets were very pleasant and had the air of a place where people knew each other, where people felt safe, and where the pace was not too fast and not too slow – a great place to get to know NZ and, especially, the south island.

A great place to stay in Christchurch

The Orari Bed and Breakfast was in an old house and was very nice. At 6 PM they cracked open some wine for the guests so I knew I had ample time to walk around before sunset (around 430 PM) and be back to shower, unpack and get some wine. The room was frigid when I got there though they had turned on the standing heating unit probably just before I arrived. I thought I would freeze that night but the standing units (there was another one) and the heating blanket worked really well. In fact, all too well, I was burning up in the middle of the night and had to turn off the heating blanket! It was the first time I had used one… I was very glad with my choice of place to stay due to a great location next to an art museum but otherwise not in the middle of things, yet a short walk away from places to eat, the city center, etc. Oh, and the staff is great! It definitely made me feel Christchurch and NZ was putting its best foot forward to welcome me.

The Garden City

The town of Christchurch is called the Garden City and I would agree with that although it was the beginning of winter. The “suburbs” were very nice but also the areas closer to the city center. The city center itself was manageable and with some key sights to check out.

Christchurch, New Zealand, cathedral, earthquake, southern island, architecture, Canon EOS Rebel

The ill-fated cathedral, fatally damaged in the earthquake and now being rebuilt in Christchurch

Christchurch cathedral New Zealand earthquake southern island

Interior of the cathedral of Christchurch before it was destroyed

Christchurch square plaza chess New Zealand

A friendly game of chess in Christchurch’s main square

architecture center of Christchurch New Zealand, Canon EOS Rebel

Beautiful architecture in the center of Christchurch

New Regent street in Christchurch before earthquake New Zealand Canon EOS Rebel

New Regent St. in Christchurch – seriously damaged during the earthquake

I strolled down Oxford Terrace by the small river that cuts through the town as there were a lot of restaurants/cafes/pubs along the street and I wanted to scope out where I would have dinner later that night. I settled for a place called Sticky Fingers where I later got to enjoy a very nice Sauvignon Blanc wine from Marlborough called Cloudy Bay. The place has a nice smart and modern ambiance. The seating areas was very comfy and next to but separate enough from the bar area. The food was good but I would not say stellar. Other restaurants in the strip that caught my attention were Ferment and Liquidity.

My visit in Christchurch was short and I am going back at the end of my tour of the southern island so I should get to sample another restaurant and sip on the wine at Orari. The tempo of the city and its charm served as a great welcome mat for this first time visitor to the magical place that is New Zealand.

(Pictures taken with Canon EOS Rebel)

Filed Under: Australia & NZ, New Zealand - Southern Island Tagged With: architecture, Canon EOS Rebel, cathedral, Christchurch, earthquake, Marlborough, New Zealand, photo, Sauvignon Blanc, travel, Wine

Exploring Wineglass Bay in Tasmania

16 June 2009 by Raul 22 Comments

Our exploration of Tasmania in no time continued on Day 3. After taking breakfast overlooking Coles Bay, we wasted little time in getting going to see Wineglass Bay, which some call the best beach in Australia (I am sure there are many who may not agree; I certainly don’t know much about Australian beaches to opine conclusively!).

Again, Getting There Is Half the Fun

Yes, Wineglass Bay beach is not of the type where you drive up and park next to the beach with your cooler, chairs, bodysurfing board, bags of food, etc. Nor is it the type where you walk a few blocks to get to, similarly loaded with things. And what a good thing it is that it is neither!

To get there one embarks on a 1.5 hr or so hike. Of course, there is a lookout available way up higher than the trail to the beach so we made our way to the lookout for a good view of the beach. The path to the lookout is really not much higher than the highest point on the trail on the way to the beach so if you are making to the beach might as well climb a few more steps to the lookout! The view is quite worth the small extra effort.

Gorgeous Wineglass Bay

We were discussing why it may be called Wineglass Bay. As we had no computer access except the kiosk at the hotel and, as we were not about to get on a computer anyway, we speculated on the why. Our main theory is that the shape of the bay does look like a wineglass but the cup part of it. That is, it may be more appropriate to have called it Stemless Wineglass Bay but we realize that does not quite flow out as easily and musically as Wineglass Bay so we accepted the poetic license.

After the lookout, we descended into the beach itself. As most beaches, just the sound of waves itself is a reward but the setting of this beach is indeed quite spectacular. It was nice to hang out and soak in the view and sounds, as well as rest from the effort to get there so we could do it in reverse!

At Wineglass Bay

The Other Half of the Fun?

The other half of the fun, if I put aside my attempts at artistic picture-taking, could be the sandsurfing on a tiny sand “dune” of 3 ft in height. After a few times doing it and getting it on video, we had a good amount of sand in our shoes. Good for me, I had thick socks so I didn’t really notice or care – until I got my boots off at the hotel that evening!

The hike up clearly was not as exhilarating as the climb down as we had already seen the trail and we were just headed back to the car to hit the road. However, the beauty of this trail is that a good part of it is set between massive red boulders, especially towards the highest point of the trail.

Waiting for us at the parking was one of the 2 wallabies we had deemed to be “drunk” when we saw them on our way in. It was used to humans enough to be petted and still stay put.

Tasmanian Wine on Our Path

As with the prior day’s hike, what followed was lunch. We ate at the bistro at the lodge where I enjoyed fish and chips and a fantastic mixed salad. Oh, and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc for good measure. With that, we started our 3 hr drive to Hobart but we quickly found out that the Milton winery, whose wine we had enjoyed the night before, was about 40 minutes away from the lodge and on our way to Hobart to boot! We stopped at the winery where we got to sample their Pinot Grigio, Rose, Riesling, Iced Riesling, Gewurztraminer, and the Pinot Noir (not in that order!). They were all decent wines but the Riesling was not quite like the German Rieslings I am used to; does not mean it was not good but not what I was expecting. However, the Iced Riesling was simply delicious so I bought a bottle – not sure when I would drink it or how far I could carry it with me but I was willing to take the risk!

Wrapping Up the Day and the Trip in Hobart

The drive to Hobart was on the Tasman Highway which gave us a glimpse on the beauty of the east coast of the island. It was a nice way to wrap up exploring…

On the way back to Hobart on the east coast

We did not have much time left for Hobart but did follow a Lonely Planet recommendation for a restaurant. The restaurant was called Da Angelo and it was located in the Battery Park area. I had the carbonara which was close to the best I have ever had (maybe number 2 after a place in Rome near the Vatican). I could not eat the entire serving though I so badly wanted to eat every bit of it!

With that and our early morning flight on the next day, our long weekend in Tasmania came to a close. I was wishing my trip had been for even longer so I could spend even more time in Tasmania but I am finding that I am feeling that way pretty much about every place so far in this trip… I am astounded when I am told that New Zealand scenery will be even more impressive so I am eager to get there to check it out. In the meantime, I will continue exploring Melbourne and hanging out with my friends whose idea it was to explore Tasmania together – for which I am very thankful!

Tasmania deserves being explored though it may be far for many of us and it does deserve more days than we could give it. The folks there are super friendly and the scenery will indeed leave you wanting more.

(Pictures taken with Canon EOS Rebel)

Filed Under: Australia - Tasmania, Australia & NZ, Good Eats and Drinks Tagged With: Australia, Hobart, photo, Tasmania, tourism, travel, Wine, Wineglass Bay

Tasmania – The Lakes, the Mountains and the “Tinas”

16 June 2009 by Raul 2 Comments

Planning the Day

We hit the lodge breakfast (which gets high marks!) and planned our course of action for the day. The lodge offered a guided walk to Crater Lake at 1 PM but we thought that would waste a little bit of time waiting until then to do a 3 hr hike. We also had to get across the island for our next stop so we opted, after some research at the front desk, to head out on our own. The front desk offered a map and said the trails were well marked (they were). They also indicated weather tends to be better earlier in the day so that settled it for us. We were ready for our walk!

Day 2 – The Hike

After driving into the park and getting the car permit (around $22AU), we made it to the start of the trail. The trail begins with like a 20-min walk over a boardwalk set up above the grassland. The grassland was not quite just as grassland as there was plenty of water on the ground but you could not see it due to the bushy grasses. I supposed that is why they thought it would be good to install the boardwalk. The bushy grasses, due to my inability to properly describe vegatation or determine what they really are, were baptized the “Tinas” by us as they resemble Tina Turner’s hair. Later on, on our way back we determined that when the paths were covered in water and deep in mud, stepping on the Tinas at the edge of the path was the only way to make it across the pools of water and mud. Tinas became our friends!

Walking towards Cradle Mountain

The path then turned to a gradual climb with rock steps and wooden steps which alternated in different sections of the trail. Eventually we hit the waterfall along the path, nested deep into a very wooded and green area where you could almost not see the sky. I felt like I was in a tropical forest without being in the tropics. The sounds of water and nothing else and the smell in the air clearly “screamed” that we were not anywhere near human habitats.

Soon afterwards we saw the edge of Crater Lake. The lake did not have a blue color as the sky was somewhat overcast but the lake and the hills that surrounded it seemed majestic. We were in for a nice surprise further along…

Crater Lake

… As We Reached Marion’s Lookout

Though we had registered at the trailhead as only planning to go to Crater Lake, we had planned to go to the lookout above the lake. Upon seeing the lake, we knew that was the right plan! We embarked on the trail that would take us to that lookout –Marion’s Lookout. Of course, that meant we were climbing even higher, almost to the peak of one of the hills/mountains (which is it??) around the lake. Eventually, the route became so steep that a chain handrail was required to be able to climb the steps to the lookout. At the lookout, the effort was rewarded many times over by the view of Cradle Mountain, Crater Lake and neighboring Dove Lake. It was very cold at the lookout but that did not matter. We got to soak in the view and snap a few pix, of course, before descending back to the trail.

View from Marion’s Lookout (with the author in the way)

We decided to return to the trailhead via Dove Lake, not Crater Lake, so we could enjoy another part of the park. It was pretty easy to alter our route as the trails were very well signed (though the front desk said to not trust the time estimates on the signs; this must be part of Tasmanian psyche as the Hobart tourism brochure carried ads telling visitors “It’ll take longer than you think” and there were similarly-themed billboards along the road!).

Do Not Feed the Animals – They Feed Themselves Quite Alright, Thank You Very Much!

Once we reached the trailhead and the parking area, we went to sign out at the hike registration book (I am glad they ask for this; if someonen gets lost, I suppose someone from the park would know if they see a hike registered in but not registered out). At the little shelter where the registration book was, we noticed a few pieces of animal excrement and had a good laugh at how wildlife chose to come into the small shelter to take a dump. Well, we were in for a pleasant surprise when we walked back out and saw a wombat calmly eating grass next to a parking spot just like the one in the picture below (not my pic). It did not care that humans were around it as it went to town on the grass! I suppose it first made a stop at the shelter before proceeding to have lunch…

Headed East

After the hike, we were starving so headed back to the lodge for lunch before departing the park and the area to go all the way to Freycinet National Park on the east coast of the island (a 4-hr drive) to check out Wineglass Bay (see map in my prior entry on Tasmania).

The route we took was less scenic and a “faster” route than our way in which was fine with us. We got to drive through small towns (where I appreciated the fact that all towns seem to have public restrooms in their squares!) and see a little bit of different scenery. We bypassed Launceston, one of the main cities on the island, and entered the eastern part of the island as nighttime set in (it begins to get dark here around 430PM and before 6PM, you are in total nighttime). We could not see the beautiful landscape around us, we would see it the next day.

Finding the next lodge (Freycinet Lodge, http://www.freycinetlodge.com.au/) was not a problem as it was right inside the Freycinet National Park. This lodge seemed a step more upscale than our prior one (but it was cheaper pricewise).

And Now Time for Us to Feed Ourselves

We were very tired from the hike and looked forward to a nice dinner so after settling in and cleaning up, we headed for dinner. I had a fantastic pumpkin and rosemary soup and my main dish was a fish called Trevelle. One of the neat discoveries was this powder called “Bushdust”. Nothing to do with a U.S. political family, instead it is a mix of nuts and spices that you sprinkle on bread or soup or whatever to spice it up (spice up flavor-wise, that is).

We also made a fantastic discovery: Milton winery’s Pinot Noir (Tasmanian). It was quite full-bodied with great flavors and a good finish. A perfect ending to a great day!

(Pictures taken with Canon EOS Rebel)

Filed Under: Australia - Tasmania, Australia & NZ, Good Eats and Drinks Tagged With: Australia, cradle mountain, crater lake, Marion's Lookout, photo, Tasmania, tourism, travel

Tasmania – Starting Our Visit to a Southern Paradise

16 June 2009 by Raul 2 Comments

Well, I got to Melbourne from Sydney but will delay writing about Melbourne until I have covered more ground here. Instead, I thought I would share about my very short 3-day visit to Tasmania, a place I only dreamt of ever seeing given how remote it feels to me as a Southeast U.S. resident… The visit was short but, what a visit!

Getting There

Before telling you about the visit, I first have to comment on how easy one navigates domestic air travel in Australia. Not sure if that is good (speed, less hassles) or bad (security concerns) but it is certainly different than in the U.S. and parts of Europe. For domestic travel, you only need to be there 30 mins in advance. Security lines are short and speedy (TSA, take a field trip to Australia). Only laptops need be pulled out of bags. Liquids are OK to carry on. A breeze! Of course, feeling sad when saying bye to relatives is just as hard here. I saw a boy of about 5 with his parents saying goodbye to his grandparents and his uncontrolled sobbing after passing security was truly heart-wrenching…

What to Do in 3 Days in Tasmania?

I posed this question in a forum and on Twitter and I think people thought us insane to attempt to cover much ground in 3 days. Well, it is true that you can only cover so much in 3 days but we were not expecting to do it all or do any one site to its fullest extent. No speeding up the laws of physics. We were told to stick around the southeast corner (or so) near Hobart which was not bad advice at all, but I think we had our heart set on a couple of places. So what did we aim for? Covering the island (er, state) like the dew…

Day 1 – Hobart to Cradle Mountain

We took the 7AM flight from Melbourne (one of those sacrifices we had to make…) for the hour-long or so flight over to Hobart. The flight was smooth as could be (which made me VERY glad we did not take the overnight ferry ride on fairly rough seas…) and getting through the airport and car rental went pretty smoothly and fast.

We decided that we still needed some breakfast and coffee as we expected to have a 4.5 hr drive through the Cradle Mountain National Park to get to the lodge we were going to use as base to see Crater Mountain and the neighboring lakes. So, before embarking on that long drive, we decided to head into Hobart center to the weekly Saturday market in Salamanca Square. We had been told it was worth checking out so we got to kill two birds with one stone (does that sound too violent?) and enjoy coffee and a donut while browsing. The setting was very nice, the produce being sold by the same farmers that grow it, and the arts/crafts section pretty much like any festival in any city I have been to, except some of the arts stuff was more unique to the area.

We began our journey inland following the riverside until eventually we left it and headed to the national park. The map in this entry may make it seem a straight drive but we went sort of west and then sort of north across a mountain range. The views were simply amazing; it seemed very lush with eucalyptus and ferns everywhere – and the occasional hydroelectric plant with the huge set of pipes funneling water from up high to the plants for extra push. The roads got a little windy but not excessively so. It was definitely a drive we enjoyed.

A Stop in a Queenstown

Around 1:30 PM we stopped at the first town we had seen that seemed to have open businesses (this was on a Saturday afternoon) or, for that matter, that just had businesses! This town was a mining town called Queenstown. The neighboring hills/mountains seemed to be iron since the color was a rust color on exposed rock and reddish on rocks that perhaps were more recently exposed. The town felt like a frontier town though I have never been to a real mining town. There was no trace of tourists (‘cept us). We ate at a small eatery (not sure what to call it) – a souvlaki for $6.50AU which was a real bargain compared to any other lunch I have had in Australia!

And Finally to the Lodge!

After another 1.5 hrs of our 4.5 hr trip, we made it to the Cradle Mountain Lodge (not the Chateau) (http://www.cradlemountainlodge.com.au/). This lodge is close to the entrance to the park and had better recommendations than the chateau. We really enjoyed the feel of the lodge with its “living room” with a humongous fireplace where we sat before and after dinner sipping nice Tasmanian pinot noir. Our cabin (our type was called Pencil Pine) was very functional and the day bed was really a full bed and quite comfortable. Our cabin overlooked a pond and had its own local wildlife right there. At the lodge you could eat at a restaurant or the tavern and we chose the latter. The food was actually quite good (I had chicken schnitzel) and had the only TV for the guests which helped one disconnect from the world. We were exhausted after our early start (and after dinner and some wine) so we called it a night so we could have a decent recovery ahead of our hike the following day. The lodge offers a number of organized activities from hikes and walks, to movies and wine tastings. Something for everyone and, seemingly, a place to stay for 2-3 days easily while enjoying nature.

Our first day, though tiring, was quite a succesful day and we thoroughly enjoyed the scenic drive we got to do through the heart of Tasmania. Here is what awaited us the next day…

Filed Under: Australia - Tasmania, Australia & NZ Tagged With: Australia, cradle mountain, crater lake, Hobart, photo, Queenstown, Tasmania, tourism, travel

Roaming Around Panama, Coast to Coast

21 April 2009 by Raul 1 Comment

I visited Panama to see relatives and enjoy a little low-key sightseeing beyond my usual haunts of Panama City and the Pearl archipelago. It started with an unusual stop for a tourist…

Witnessing the good work of the Missionaries of Charity

One day during my visit, we visited the house of the Missionaries of Charity (Mother Teresa’s order). My aunt volunteers there every day and she wanted to show us the place. WOW, these nuns do incredible work with those who have nothing and who are the worse-off of the poor and sick. Amazing. The nuns themselves come from all over the world and many actually come from India. It is neat to hear their Spanish with a very slight Indian accent. Later, when we drove to the other side of Panama, to the town of Colón, we visited the other house these Missionaries have in Panama. So in one weekend I covered all their houses in Panama! Anyway, kind and selfless work.

Colón, a true Caribbean town in Panama

Colón, on the Caribbean end of the Panama Canal (Panama City is on the Pacific end of the Canal), is most definitely a Caribbean town. The architecture, the people, and something in the air just made me feel I was in the Caribbean. Interesting how less than 50 miles distance can make such a big difference! I was told the road was really bad (the new highway is still being built but is close to being finished) but, actually, it didn’t seem that bad to me. Perhaps I was expecting rural Tanzania type of road conditions… Anyhow, the drive took an hour and a half and it will be very nice when this highway is finished as it should take an hour or less. The drive is scenic though my relatives said it wasn’t totally safe. Colón is the second largest trade free zone in the world (after Hong Kong) and it seems to be doing OK with that business. I wish I had more time to stay around and explore but we had to get back to Panama City as I was leaving the next morning.

architecture, Colon, Panama, Caribbean, street scene, colorful, vacation, travel, photo, Canon EOS Rebel

Damaged building

Typical home in the center of Colón

The streets of Colón are very colorful!

An inland “oasis” in Gamboa

I also got to visit Gamboa in the interior and next to Lake Gatún (which provides the water the Panama Canal needs to operate since water is a key tool in operating the gates or “esclusas” that control ships crossing the Canal). We visited the Gamboa Resort which had great views of the area.

Gamboa, resort, Lake Gatun, Panama, tropical, travel, photo, vacation, Canon EOS Rebel

The view from the main building at the resort: spectacular!

There are tours that take you to see monkeys and other wildlife as well as a canopy tram tour that allows a bird’s eye view over the area. Next time, I will try to take advantage of some of those tour opportunities for a change!

Beach time near Coronado

Finally, we went to a beach next to Coronado on the Pacific called Punto Barco where one of my cousins has a beach house. The beach may not be the best in the world but to have a house there would be a dream! My cousin outdid herself with great food (ceviche!!) and the family had a great time hanging out.

As usual, my visit ends and I long for more time there. My relatives there always manage to take great care of us and make us feel very welcome. I hope to go back and maybe this time not take 2 years in between trips!

Filed Under: South America Tagged With: beach, Canon EOS Rebel, Caribbean, Colon, Coronado, duty free zone, Gamboa, Lake Gatun, Pacific, Panama, photo, Punto Barco, travel

My Everyday in Paris

7 February 2009 by Raul Leave a Comment

I am sure the world does not need another writeup about Paris. But I think we all experience Paris differently so here is my take. It is such a unique place (as are other places like Venice, Rio, Istanbul, etc.) that I never get tired of visiting. At some point I will add to the endless writeups on Paris out there to share my favorite sights. Today, the everyday takes center stage…

Landing in Paris in 1999

I spent 6 months in Paris in 1999 on a work assignment with another group of folks from the U.S.; we had all worked together for a few months prior to going to France and the trip felt like an adventure. It was great to be sharing it with others even if we all didn’t hang out together all the time. At first, most of us lived in the same building near the Arc de Triomphe and with a rooftop terrace with one of the best views in town! Check it out!

Want to better see where this location was? Check THIS out!!!!

Aerial view of the Arc de Triomphe and Charles de Gaulle Etoile

The star marks the spot!!

Once there, most of the time I was working which was crazy and unfortunate and for which I have given myself grief in retrospect, with no real effect on the past (how does that not happen??). However, even with the long days and many days of work, living there was a fantastic experience as I got a taste of life in a one-of-a-kind city. There were some experiences I would rather forget and probably have (… except the work ones!).

The daily life of a non-Parisian in Paris

Of course, being there for 6 months, we got to see a lot of the main sights in our free time. But we also got to live and deal with the mundane. Among the mundane, I can recall going to a hardware store looking for a particular type of lock (with my back-then limited French so I didn’t even know how to say “lock”), phoning locksmiths on behalf of my American colleagues (still not being able to say lock but using the words “cannot close the door” to indicate we needed help), doing laundry at public laundromats (which was quite the experience the first time as we didn’t know where the detergent went in those industrial machines), fighting to be able to buy a monthly carte orange for the metro with the more obtuse clerks, dealing with the throngs of tourists in the summer who made our commute in the metro more painful, etc..

Of course, I have to talk about food

The best part of the everyday (which, actually, was only possible on the weekends – if I didn’t have to work) was having breakfast at the neighborhood cafe (where the bread with butter was more butter with bread) and sit there for a few hours reading a book and watching people. The cafe au lait, of course, was the ever faithful companion of the butter with bread… and it was delicious.

I guess there was the other everyday breakfast routine which I also enjoyed – the one during weekdays. During weekdays we would go to the bakery near our office which offered -how can I say “selling” when these things were glorious- the freshest bakery items. Our everyday routine was to take a break around 9 AM and gather any interested colleagues for the 5 minute walk to the bakery. The baker didn’t speak English but baked goods know no language (I should be a philosopher). Her pain au chocolat (chocolate croissant) was fantastic and, of course, freshly baked. In August, as many other locals do, she took vacation and went to the beach. We had no idea at first what had happened and why the bakery was closed. We figured it out and rejoiced upon her return when, with my limited French, I managed to figure out she had gone with her family to the beach and to tell her we had missed her baked goods. Worthwhile to note, I lost like 10 lbs when I lived in Paris, even with this diet… That’s what walking daily does to you…

I also loved the movie theaters where you could enjoy a beer as you watched a movie (how adult of the French). I mentioned in an earlier entry about Paris about my favorite steak place and my favorite hot chocolate place so I will not repeat here lest this entry become War and Peace length.

Glorious end of the day

For me, and possibly for my friends Troy and Cybil, the “highlight” of the everyday was the end of the day and I don’t just mean leaving work which was probably the runner up of the highlight of the day. We lived in the first ring street around the Arc de Triomphe across from the Belgian Embassy. Our building had a rooftop terrace overlooking the Arc and behind it, further away, was the Eiffel Tower with its sign counting down the days until the year 2000.

At the end of just about every night, we would grab a bottle of cheap local wine (for like $2, perhaps the French version of two-buck Chuck? what would that make it? cinq-franc-Jacques?) and go to the terrace to drink the wine and sit back and take in the view until, 10 seconds before midnight, the counter would begin flickering, and at the stroke of midnight, the counter would change. At that point it was “good night”, “good night”, “see you tomorrow” and off to bed. That was the life.

Eiffel Tower in Paris, France 62 days before the year 2000

Eiffel Tower 62 days before the year 2000; the counter we saw change just about every night!

I have surely left off many aspects of the daily life. If I think of others, I will add as comments but please, if you have your own routines or experiences to share, would love to hear about them. I will add to the Paris category in the future.