Paris in the fall

You know when you love someone, and then see them in a new light? Maybe they do something you've never seen before or make a weird noise and you see them through new eyes?

Well, I thought I loved Paris when we met in the summer. And then we met again in autumn...it was colder, the leaves were falling, the population of tourists had taken a dip...and I realized we were definitely meant to be.

My aunt Dawn and I had a beautiful weekend. She is a flight attendant and caught a flight to France just to see me! I think after two trips to India, she needed a European break. The two of us met up at our hotel (The Marriott on Rue St. Jacques, which I would highly recommend) on Friday night and spent the next four days having a blast.

Our view from the hotel room:


Our first night we spent catching up over red wine and hors-d'oeuvres in our VIP lounge and then we went out to a little restaurant nearby. We mapped out our weekend a little bit and just had a good time.

Saturday morning we started with breakfast (coffee, croissants with apricot jam and/or nutella, and cereal) and a jog in the sunshine. Pretty perfect, huh? Then we got ready and took the metro to the Pere Lachaise cemetary...final resting ground for Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison, and Edith Piaf. Of course, I had to put roses on Piaf's grave and after navigating the map for a long time, it turned out she was right in front of us!


We also had lunch next to Hotel de Ville and went shopping on Rue Rivoli before retiring for the evening. Funny side note: at the restaurant where we ate lunch, there were a bunch of bees flying around and I noticed you could tell someone's nationality by how they handled the little guys. French people ignored them entirely, Americans blew at them or waved them away with a menu, and Italians clubbed them to death. Gotta love cultural differences!

Sunday morning Dawn and I headed out to Les Puces de St. Ouen. I love antiques (especially chandeliers) and wanted to visit the flea market...especially after seeing A Midnight in Paris.

On the metro to the market:






Of course, the two of us didn't buy anything since chandeliers and giraffe carvings are difficult to pack in carry-ons, but we did get Dawn a new jacket! It's glamorous, you'll see a picture soon. Then, we went to see Sainte-Chapelle! I had no idea this church even existed until a friend of mine recommended it a few days earlier. And since my trip was all about seeing new things in Paris, we put it at the top of the list of things to see!

The church itself is pretty small, but the stained glass windows were out of control. Each pane represented a book of the Bible and the big rose window depicted Revelation.




Conveniently, the Palais de Justice and Notre Dame just happen to be next door:




Dawn and I also visited Pont de l'Archeveche, which is known for its "Love Locks". Couples write or engrave their names and the date on a padlock, lock it to the bridge, and throw the keys into the river below. It got both of us a little teary...


Another highlight was seeing the bird and flower market!




Our last day we spent moseying through the Jardin de Tuileries and the Champs-Elysees...stopping by the Grand Palais, the Petit Palais, the National Assembly, and Pont Alexandre III.




I can not tell you how refreshing the weekend was.
Europe has been the greatest adventure, but Paris still has my heart.

xoxo
Caitlin
caitlinboyd72@gmail.com

Oktoberfest!

I'm in a blogging mood, so get ready for about three in a row!

When I left you, I was getting ready to go to THE ORIGINAL Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany. Oktoberfest started in 1810 as a celebration of the wedding of a Bavarian princess...and has continued ever since! My friend Megan and I left after my class on Friday afternoon and took a train to Paris, where we transferred and took an over-night train to Munich...or Munchen (pronounced Moon-chin). Word to the wise: I would definitely recommend upgrading from bottom class when taking an over-nighter. We were cramped in a cabin with 4 other people and without leg room or reclining chairs. Obviously, I wasn't too well-rested the next morning when we arrived in Germany.

However, the atmosphere carried us through the day. We got off the train at 7am, in already crowded Central Station. The station is not just for incoming trains, but also all the metro lines, so it was FULL of men in lederhosen and women in dirndls (the traditional Bavarian outfits- all eating a breakfast of champions: pretzels, sausage and beer.

Megan and I walked around for a little bit, exploring where the Oktoberfest tent grounds were, and trying to find cheap dirndls. Then, we got in touch with our CouchSurfing host. Yes, COUCHSURFING! It was my first time trying out this online forum, where travelers can network and stay on someone's couch for free. I was a bit nervous...and ready to resort to finding a hostel...but it turned out to be one of the greatest experiences! We stayed with Jorn and his dog Lola, who were both extremely hospitable.

For the rest of our first day in Munich, Jorn took us to a beer-garden since all the tents were already full and showed us the ropes (and etiquette) of Oktoberfest. It was nice to have a translator since Megan and I don't know ANY German, but then again, beer is the same in both languages. We spent most of the afternoon at the Paulaner Biergarten. Megan and I both agreed it was our favorite beer of the trip :)

Main entrance:


Paulaner Biergarten:


There are 14 beer tents at the festival, with a bunch of little food and souvenir stands between them, outdoor beer gardens, and a carnival section with rides and roller coasters:


Miss Lola:


The Hippodrome is the most exclusive (and colorful!) beer tent at Oktoberfest:


Our second and third days in Munich were really the most eventful after we learned Oktoberfest basics and the metro system that first day. We got up early on Sunday morning and made it into the Lowenbrau beer tent around 9:30am, finding a couple spots to sit with native Germans! They were a little shy at first, but got more confident in their English with a little time...and maybe a liter.







As you can see in the next two pictures, the beer tents are HUGE! And each one has a different theme or dish it's famous for. The Lowenbrau tent is obviously famous for the mechanical lion that sits on top of it. Easy to spot!




Aside from the beer, the cuisine, and the costumes, I learned about another Oktoberfest tradition. I'm not sure what they're called, but there are all of these cookie stands throughout the festival decorated with flowers and phrases in frosting, like 'I love you' and 'Best mom ever'. The first day, I told Jorn I really wanted to eat one, and he was caught off guard because they're not for eating! Little did I know that would be an Oktoberfest no-no. You're supposed to buy them as gifts for other people, who then wear them as a necklace. And the bigger the better!



On our last day in Munich, Megan and I decided to stay away from beer and went exploring the rest of the city. We took one of those 'hop on, hop off' buses, which took us past some really cool memorials, city center, Marienplatz, and even a former Nazi building.

Marienplatz (one of the most beautiful architectural works I've seen):


The statue of Bavaria, who the region is named after:


Before catching our train out, we finished the trip with an amazing meal in the Marienplatz center and shared real German apple strudel. Yummmmmm. On a side note, Germany makes a lot of cars, and all of the taxis are beige Mercedes. Classy.


Overall, Munich has become one of my favorite cities along with Paris and Amsterdam. Next time I visit I have to go on one of the castle tours!

xoxo
Caitlin
caitlinboyd72@gmail.com

where i've been (so far)

I thought this was cool:



xoxo
Caitlin
caitlinboyd72@gmail.com