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mchookem finally leaves the continent!


mchookem

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Posted (edited)

I forgot. Sainte Chapelle is a must see when it first opens or towards closing. It's usually crowded as shit through out the day but if you get there at those times, the crowd is significantly less. Depending on what time of year you go, I like the light in the chapel at closing better.

Edited by crash_davis
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@mchookem, this is fun to watch come together and I am glad to see it shaping up. 
 

My advice (toss it or use it) to anyone going to Europe is this— once you have the basic sketch, you should CUT activities and destinations before you try to fit any more in. I know that’s painful as you look at a trip like this but it has always paid off for me.  Getting the most in and having great photos ends up being more rewarding for your friends than for you personally.  Seeing the Med is awesome, but even more awesome is just to give up a bit and experience where you are.

If you are finding a day or block of time, my best advice is to simply not fill it. In your case, I’d just leave unscheduled time in Florence or Rome.  You can wander around, you can go back and get deeper into a place that caught your eye, you can do a last minute side trip that you didn’t think about.  But you won’t regret it. In nearly all my travels in Europe, the unscheduled “let’s see what comes up” have been the best.

Except when my kids demanded another aquarium. Fuck that. There are fish in the U.S. 

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On 3/28/2024 at 11:08 PM, mchookem said:

btw i get to start my attempts to actually get tickets for the big ticket Roman sites (Vatican/Sistine Chapel, Colosseum/Roman Forum) this weekend 😐

i'm not very optimistic and have already prepared myself for just getting to see external views of these places. i mean i knew it was going to be busy as we're there the first week of high season...but i honestly didn't expect 1) their websites to be so crappy (i imagine UI/UX just really isn't a priority for ancient historical sites 😄) and 2) for the whole process to be as stressful and unsuccessful as trying to get Tool tickets! 😂

it's cool... the experience will still be incredible if we can't get in...and it will leave more time to visit the coast and stroll around the city gawking at incredible ancient shit! 😁

yay - success with the Vatican/Sistine Chapel tickets!😀 first choice day was already sold out (i don't even know when that happened, sometime b/t 12-2am locally lol) but got lucky for the next day.

next biggie...Colosseum tickets, can first try about 4 weeks from now.

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God bless you mc, we are having very different trips. I'm in London right now on day 7 of a 35 day solo trip. I pre-booked nothing except my initial accommodations landing in Dublin. 

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  • 4 weeks later...
Posted (edited)

update...

we're about 2 1/2 weeks out from departure, really getting excited now 😊, just working on final touches, reservations, etc. 

some changes...dad suddenly realized there's not much to see at the Eagle's Nest😑 which i had already tried to convince him of, and @rage-a-holic had confirmed, but he had it set in his head (until he didn't🙄)...

but i'd figured out how to make it work and had adjusted our schedule/lodging...and this week he calls and is like 'nah, let's skip it, it's in the opposite direction we need to go anyway' which...DUH, I TOLD YOU THAT A MONTH AGO! lol

anyway...so now instead of Berchtsgaden we're heading to Garmisch-Partenkirchen for a few days. unfortunately the cogwheel train/cable cars to Zugspitze are closed for spring maintenance, but scheduled to reopen our last day...but that actually gives us a plenty of time then to visit Neuschwanstein Castle/ Hohenschwangau Castle and/or Linderhoff Palace, which is awesome. it also knocks over an hour off our drivetime to Strasbourg, also awesome.

and hopefully we'll be able to ride to the top the morning before we leave, assuming Germany keeps the 'trains running on time', which is probably a bad pun re: Germany haha

regarding Rome, i think we are going to take a slower-paced day trip to the coast, probably Ostia as @texasdago suggested. i've been reading up and i guess you can get a good look at the Colosseum without having to go inside - lots of areas to actually look into it, overlook it, etc., there don't seem to be any big barriers surrounding it, and there's just SO MANY other ancient ruins, piazzas, etc...plenty to see! we definitely have the Vatican/Sistine Chapel tickets already, which was what i really didn't want to miss, so the rest we're just going to play by ear. it seems the tourist crowds are already NOLA/LV levels, so i think we'll just end up getting out of the city a bit. 

family hasn't decided if they are going to stay a second night with us in Paris or go on to Luxembourg...but i'm trying to encourage them to also just play it by ear and call an audible once we get to the apartment in Paris. we'll have been traveling for almost two weeks at that point, so i'm hoping my sister will be a bit more relaxed by the time we get there and will want to hang out a bit 😊

finally...i've been the crazy lady riding her bike around Denver talking to herself in French for a few weeks now 😆but it's been a good way to practice, i.e., imaginary 'realistic' conversations lol. took a test today, figured i was A1, maybe A2 at the most...damn if i'm not B1! 😀 i've actually been practicing 'thinking in French' which really helps it be more natural/fluid. i know it's not really going to be necessary in Paris as i imagine they'll get one dose of my Tex-french accent and start talking in english😋but we're going to be spending over a week traveling around the countryside and other places - Strasbourg, Normandie, Brittany - and it will come in handy there. the trick really is just being confident, i think it's okay to make slight gender or conjugation errors if you master the flow and accent (which in all seriousness, my accent is really pretty good). 

brushing up my language skills has actually been one of the more fun things in all this. i'll need to plan a trip to Montreal next 😄  

Edited by mchookem
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  • 2 weeks later...

well. we made it to Iceland. heh.

the sun dipped below the horizon but it never fully got dark. that was kinda weird. also, Greenland was cool looking at night/not night.

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so here's my first rec...if you're like me and you freak out a bit on flights longer than four hours, and you are willing to pay a bit more for comfort/room/service but aren't a surly 1%er and can't afford Polaris, and if you live in a city that has a nonstop flight to Reykjavik...then I highly recommend Icelandair Premium Saga class. it's basically domestic first class service and comfort. nonstop from Denver, with a 4 hour layover with full access to United lounge in Denver and Icelandair lounge in Reykjavik. 

reviews for economy class are full of horror stories...but splurge for Saga and it's pretty freaking awesome. food was shockingly good, and the gin choices were outstanding... apparently that's an Iceland specialty. i did not know that but i was happy to sample a few! and the lounge in Iceland is open bar... and by that i mean there's just a counter with open bottles of whatever liquors, with an ice bucket and glassware and setups/mixers... and you just make your own drink. 🍸 

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Good to know. I have always skipped over IcelandAir becuase no lay flat, and why break up what is already a short flight from NYC.  However, if I am just popping over for a weekend (and it isn't work related), I might have to check it out.  Glad to hear about this.

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17 hours ago, mchookem said:

then I highly recommend Icelandair Premium Saga class

"Saga class."  Does that mean that you get to raid England, plunder some monasteries, grab some wenches, and then sing about it drunkenly in the langhus later?

Because if it does....I'm listening....

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Posted (edited)

a few shots from the last two days. or three. i'm not sure. the effect of jetlag on me specifically has been interesting...i have insomnia and am a night owl by nature, have been since childhood. then i retired and it became extreme, so at home i am often up very late and typically sleep until at least 930-10, and i only get up then bc i set my alarm every day. that has somehow translated here to...i am sleepy and in bed by 11pm, and am wide awake at 730am. weird.

the thing i'm most surprised by so far...i think i could live in Germany.

Leaning Tower of Kitzigen. we recreated a family photo from 1969 in front of it. pretty cool deal. 

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Munich biergarten 20240516_112453.thumb.jpg.8d63383a0f0691da3f7f8b53ac2120cd.jpg

Zugspitze

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german wine and german funyuns for hotel hh in the rain 

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Edited by mchookem
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a few shots from the last two days. or three. i'm not sure. the effect of jetlag on me specifically has been interesting...i have insomnia and am a night owl by nature, have been since childhood. then i retired and it became extreme, so at home i am often up very late and typically sleep until at least 930-10, and i only get up then bc i set my alarm every day. that has somehow translated here to...i am sleepy and in bed by 11pm, and am wide awake at 730am. weird.
the thing i'm most surprised by so far...i think i could live in Germany.
Leaning Tower of Kitzigen
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Munich biergarten 20240516_112453.thumb.jpg.8d63383a0f0691da3f7f8b53ac2120cd.jpg
Zugspitze
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german wine and german funyuns for hotel hh in the rain 
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I love Germany. Never would have expected that, but there you are. Its great. And yeah, I dig the grub and beer.
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Posted (edited)

Strasbourg

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Notre Dame de Strasbourg. so big it looked like an optical illusion and it triggered a bit of my megalophobia. i can't imagine what the Paris one is going to be like. definitely had me gawking like a tourist dork. which i am. who gives a shit. 😄

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most of France has had a ton of rain this year, lots of flooding around the country. 

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in general the French seem to be much more engaging and effusive than Germans, kind of snarky and smartass. i fit right in 😄 also, France has ALL the nationalities. 

but wtf with the absolute dearth of ice in Europe. i mean it only requires water, it's not exactly a luxury 🤨

Edited by mchookem
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13 hours ago, mchookem said:

but wtf with the absolute dearth of ice in Europe. i mean it only requires water, it's not exactly a luxury 🤨

Totally a cultural thing.  It's a running joke in our family.  If you ask for ice, and if they have it and will bring it, you get....one ice cube.  "YOU GET ONE ICE!"

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2 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

Totally a cultural thing.  It's a running joke in our family.  If you ask for ice, and if they have it and will bring it, you get....one ice cube.  "YOU GET ONE ICE!"

It is.  But in Paris, they will bring you cups of ice with your champagne/wine.  LOL.  

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well... we drove across France today. which was mostly just beautiful and breathtaking and there's like 11th century castles just there on the side of the toll road lol...but MY GOD between the traffic and the absolutely torrential downpour... just going around Paris almost did us in 😳 it was like trying to drive 610 around Houston at 5pm during Harvey.

ANYway... the sun was still up at 10pm (which was unexpected and weird!) when we finally arrived here...

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watching my dad walk across the street and stand on Utah beach was...well, you don't get many moments like that, especially at 76. pretty special.

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well. do i have some pictures.

here's just a couple from tonight. 

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this one has a german bunker and the full moon...

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anybody visiting Normandie that needs an AirBnB recommendation, lmk... this is the most awesome place i think we've ever stayed. 

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also that^ pic was taken at 10:20pm 😮

Edited by mchookem
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the last few days...

Utah beach 

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i was told all the Longhorns were back at home sipping tea 🤔

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moving...and prescient 

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i can't decide if it's weird or cool that they have that guy up there

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rifle found off Omaha in 2013 😮20240522_075224.thumb.jpg.c4160bc780bbc95270ece2a284fc552e.jpg

last evening in this place...i could spend two weeks in this exact home easily... and we're already planning it 🥰20240522_133923.thumb.jpg.2c620c4f91ad5cf29b82d2fbe1cbeaed.jpg

American Cemetery...i was not expecting Omaha beach and the English channel to look like the coast of Hawaii 😮 20240523_031642.thumb.jpg.b4df9488f3b08b08c6a0d5b112d376ae.jpg20240523_033233.thumb.jpg.de0b7a7ff68f1d79979adc66752e4757.jpg

this might literally be the most unbelievable place i've ever been/seen...

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...and this is the best purchase i've ever made 😆20240523_181443.thumb.jpg.2fc9e7c38919f3a4f9ff4dc2a529d437.jpg

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3 hours ago, mchookem said:

high speed train to Paris is bitchin!

as big as US is we are absolute idiots for not having this system. but we are still in our belligerent adolescence, hopefully we'll grow out of it before we crash ourselves into a wall. 

One of the best things about traveling in Europe are the trains. We are a country of idiots. 

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spent the last couple of days in Brest in Bretagne, which is not at all a tourist destination but is where our French friend lives and works, and it turned out to be a really nice midpoint stop. Brest is home to the French Naval Academy and has been a French naval base and military harbor since 1631. it has a 3rd century castle that houses the Maritime museum. it's full of rowdy sailors 😄, a cool lift bridge, and some damn good food, especially the oysters.

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these narrow openings allow archers to shoot arrows out but were too narrow for anyone to shoot back.20240524_082948.thumb.jpg.4ada8f1896014e7a5a5a889faef48ec0.jpg

Normandie was covered in USA flags which made sense. seeing our colors flying over this castle was cool, we think it was for upcoming DDay celebrations which are apparently going to be huge.  20240524_092501.thumb.jpg.2344fb950c7f00435d85338574239e63.jpgScreenshot_20240525_150620_PhotoEditor.thumb.jpg.822180d8defe474618bc60f9d4d725c3.jpg

so we had to change some plans, primarily bc my sister was really struggling with the anxiety. there's a lot behind it...but basically we all concluded there was literally no way she could handle Paris...she didn't even leave the apartment once in Brest and it's less than half the size of Corpus! it was disappointing for my dad bc he wanted to see Paris, but we'd already gone thru two unprecedented panic attacks with her and barely avoided a third, so we all decided a change in plans was best. so that's how my mate and i ended up on a regional high speed train from Brest to Paris which was awesome 😁 so it's just us now in this gorgeous Paris apartment.

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only problem now is our nosy Parisian neighbor who is freaking my husband out 😆20240525_133625.thumb.jpg.99bfdc1b91b76250dffb7f9cb6fa41cc.jpg

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spent the last couple of days in Brest in Bretagne, which is not at all a tourist destination but is where our French friend lives and works, and it turned out to be a really nice midpoint stop. Brest is home to the French Naval Academy and has been a French naval base and military harbor since 1631. it has a 3rd century castle that houses the Maritime museum. it's full of rowdy sailors , a cool lift bridge, and some damn good food, especially the oysters.
20240524_074821.thumb.jpg.cf9f93768d2c6427f733f48e18f54195.jpg20240524_084119.thumb.jpg.14b0b18cfaa9de0402169ec643237dd3.jpg
these narrow openings allow archers to shoot arrows out but were too narrow for anyone to shoot back.20240524_082948.thumb.jpg.4ada8f1896014e7a5a5a889faef48ec0.jpg
Normandie was covered in USA flags which made sense. seeing our colors flying over this castle was cool, we think it was for upcoming DDay celebrations which are apparently going to be huge.  20240524_092501.thumb.jpg.2344fb950c7f00435d85338574239e63.jpgScreenshot_20240525_150620_PhotoEditor.thumb.jpg.822180d8defe474618bc60f9d4d725c3.jpg
so we had to change some plans, primarily bc my sister was really struggling with the anxiety. there's a lot behind it...but basically we all concluded there was literally no way she could handle Paris...she didn't even leave the apartment once in Brest and it's less than half the size of Corpus! it was disappointing for my dad bc he wanted to see Paris, but we'd already gone thru two unprecedented panic attacks with her and barely avoided a third, so we all decided a change in plans was best. so that's how my mate and i ended up on a regional high speed train from Brest to Paris which was awesome so it's just us now in this gorgeous Paris apartment.
20240525_101804(0).thumb.jpg.077d7510536e4a81d84c50418722a269.jpg20240525_141433.thumb.jpg.901066ef9bd7a6800510c08a975f2b77.jpg
only problem now is our nosy Parisian neighbor who is freaking my husband out 20240525_133625.thumb.jpg.99bfdc1b91b76250dffb7f9cb6fa41cc.jpg

Leave the window open at night. That way, the neighbors can hear yall getting busy.
It’s a Parisian thing. Trust me.
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14 hours ago, rage-a-holic said:

French BBQ?

not in the slightest...

On 5/26/2024 at 3:50 PM, mchookem said:

why eat bbq on the other side of the world? because their pitmaster is from central Texas. and because it's waaay better than Colorado's 😆

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the taste has not been adjusted for French palettes...this was straight up Texas bbq. even the sides tasted like Texas - the potato salad was fantastic. i wish we'd gotten there before they sold out of the ribs! 😆

Edited by mchookem
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