Well, last week I travelled with 50 other danes on a 16 hour bus trip to Paris. We left at 5pm and arrived in Paris at 9am. The bus journey was long and uncomfortable, but I managed to get some sleep on the floor of the bus amid the many excited Danish travellers. We stopped in Germany and Belgium on the way, but I can't tell you much about it as it was 3 am and very dark.
Paris was incredible. Our hotel was quite basic, but it was just walking distance to all the main Parisian sights and very close to shops and creperies.
Mette and Marie outside our hotel -
Each day, we got up at 8am to eat breakfast and head off to see the sights. Our class presented short presentations on each of the monuments of paris at each site and it was a good way to have a cheap tour guide!
In no particular order, we visited:
Den Tour d'Eiffel -
Versaille -
Versaille again, with a statue posing behind me:
Versaille hall of mirrors:
Tina med Versailles Gardens:
Den Triomfbuen med Nette, Tina og Marie:
The Lourve with Marie and I:
Sacre Cour i Montmartre med Mads, Maria, Mette og Michael:
We spent about an hour wandering around a ghetto in Paris before we found this church. We were looked at very suspiciously as affluent danish tourists and managed to get some death stares in a Muslim cafe after we said we were from Denmark, due to the Danish newspaper publications of Mohammad.
Streets of montmartre:
Daniel i der Musee D'Orsay:
Daniel with just about the best crepe i've ever eaten in my life:
Asbjern, Michael og Alexander on one of many trips through small French alleys shopping:
Marie and I on a shopping trip, me with my new hat:
An Australian eating japanese food with a Dane in France. nice!:
A pretty little cafe near Montmartre:
The Pompidou Centre with our passionate french guide:
Eating Rugbrod (danish rye bread) with my roommate, Niels:
Danes eating baguettes in Versaille:
Many of the class in the Notre Dame:
We went to a Turkish restaurant to hear turkish music, with the Danes dressed up in Berets and false french moustaches and had a great night:
Another dinner out with me, Kristine og Johanna:
Torturing Danes with Vegemite on the bus trip:
Other ways to pass time on the bus:
Basically, each morning we visited the sights of Paris with the class group, and in the afternoons, we were free at about 3pm to do as we wished. We caught the metro all over Paris to visit places we wanted to see more of and to shop and spend time together. At night, we split into small groups and found restaurants to eat at. After dinner, we would often go to French pubs and clubs to socialise with our class. I also went out with a few boys one night to find some live music, but we couldnt find the place and ended up in a Turkish restaurant where they happened to have a live Gypsy band playing and it was very very cool.
I came back yesterday morning and I feel like I know all my classmates much better. Niels, my roommate, has invited me to go to Roskilde, one of Europe's biggest rock festivals, with him and I really hope Rotary will let me go. I didnt have school today, but instead spent time with a US exchange student, Dierdre, also just back form her class trip to Austria. Tomorrow is a normal school day, but then I have a week of holidays. My family is planning to go to Germany on next Wednesday for a day trip. I still can't quite comprehend that I can catch a bus to Paris, and take a day trip to Germany, but that's Europe for you!
I'm having a brilliant time with everything here. I have bonded so much with my classmates on the "study tour" to Paris which was much more of a social trip than anything. I felt a little homesick for Denmark while in Paris which was a strange experience, but i definately feel as though i am settled in here.
I will update again soon!
Love to all, Daniel
4 comments:
HEY!!!!! Great photos! All look fabulous!!!! Most jealous of all this travelling, but i am going away these holidays to so yay! Also, I love your hat and will be stealing it upon our return, and your hair is really long! It reminds me of my hair in year 11. But yours is much sexier of course!hehehehehe
All my love as always!
Connie xxx
What a great trip! Sleep better on the return trip? That was one busy program. Twister on the bus would have been very interesting!
Hot as hot here still. Adelaide has achieved the dubious distinction of having experienced a record number of over 35 days in a capital city. We, here in Melbourne, do not aspire to break their record, but have unfortunately shared some of their weather.
Richard returned on Friday from a school camp in the Grampians, staying in cabins unprotected from the sun. Baking boys... He slept much of Saturday, then attended a sleepover birthday party and on his return today has spent more time asleep. Hmm.
Emmi decided that my opening the gate early this morning to water the garden (we have two hours 6-8 am alloted twice a week) that she should visit her neighbourhood friends. Accordingly I chased her as silently as a 6am chase should be from here to next door (the cat has been gone at least 4 months but she still checks) then to the next next door where there is a puppy of about the same age. Pepper was sleeping, sensible dog. Having collected Emmi and admonished her, she looked chastened and I foolishly let her stay outside with me. Did she stay around? Not. She retraced her steps...no the cat is still gone, and yes Pepper is still asleep. Hmm. Meanwhile the garden waited, panting.
I did a reading at a Port Melbourne book shop yesterday which was fun. The adage of never working with children or animals was upheld as a 3 yo boy at the front of the group told me that Sam and Ebi's activities in the shed included putting their faces in water! Note to self: don't ask open-ended questions!
Kerry's lighting design for a one person show last year has been nominated for a Green Room Award. Not bad for his first full lighting design.
Easter is rushing towards us. I wonder what new traditions you will experience. I hope the easter bunny finds you...
love
Claire
The paris trip sounded fantastic Dan!!
I remember how easy it was to get around on the Metro, but I am greatly impressed with your find of the gypsy band.
Versailles was so over the top I loved it. Can't imagine anyone living there ... even the movie Marie Antoinette didn't give a good picture of the place.
We nearly got ripped off at sacre cour...a common tourist experience.
Hope the rotary let you go to the rock concert. Are you the mosh-pit cowd-surfing type? or the serious critical muso type when you go to concerts?
Enjoying your blog. The adventure seems to continue to grow
Paul ox
Love the photography Daniel. What a multicultural experience! Sushi in Paris with Danish friends and an Aussie exchange student.
Jane and I love the hat, how was the coffee?
Sewers, did you go before or after you had eaten.
We are well.
Typical Newcastle Easter, wet, misty and big seas. Love mum
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