Hello all.
I have 22 minutes this time so this should be a little more detailed and a little less sporatic. I am in Paris! But before we start with Paris, let me update you on Munich. The Castle, like I said before, was fantastic and the countryside was beautiful as well. The next day we went to Dachau concentration camp. It was a very somber and serious trip but it was worth it. I think visiting a WWII concentration camp and seeing the horror that humanity can commit against one another is very important. We toured most of the camp including the dorms, torture rooms, crematory (spelling? sorry), and gas chambers. It was eerie at times especially when walking through the long corridors of the rooms used for torture and solid confinement. It was horrible hearing about the methods of torture and the brutality that the SS guards and Nazis committed against Jews, homosexuals, gypsies and anyone else who was not blonde hair and blue-eyed. Walking through the gas chamber with the word "shower" (in German) above the entrance was one of the worst experiences and feelings of my life. I couldn't be in their for more than 5 minutes and I would never again want to go back. I can't even express how I felt because I have no idea how to put it all into words and phrases. It's indescribable but something I suggest everyone experiences if given the chance. All in all Munich was a success. Although I was sad to leave Jared (and his fantastic med school friends), I was ready to go to Paris.
Means of transportation to Paris? Night train. At first I was a little sketched out because I had heard so many creepy stories. However, it was pleasant. Cramped but pleasant. After popping two sleeping pills, I was out like a light and barely woke up through the night until the train guy woke us up in the morning. One of the best nights sleep I have had on this little adventure since leaving Spain. Yay! Night train was a success! I barely got the the hostel in the Montmartre district before I left to go take a free walking tour of the city. What an introduction! I saw a little bit of it all today: Notre Dame in all her glory, Shakespeare's book shop where starving writers live and work, Eiffel Tower from a distance (tomorrow I'll go to the top), Napolean's tomb, the thriving and entertaining Latin Quarter, Tuileries gardens in bloom, Opera Garnier, Champs-Elysees, Place de la Concorde, the Grand and Petit Palais (didn't go inside but they were pretty on the outside), Place St. Michel and the Arc de Triomphe (with a car accident occurring every 30 seconds on average). We walked by the Louve and tomorrow, since there is rain in the forecast, I have plans to go see the Mona Lisa, other works by DaVinci, Venus de Milo, the sculpture room and all 35,000 other works of art housed in the Louve. I also hope to go to the Musee D'Orsay, which was the old train station and is now a museum.
Today I also visited the neighborhood I am staying in - the Montmartre District, known for its artists. In this district is the Moulin Rouge, Sacre Coeur (on Paris's highest hill and has a stunning view), Toulouse-Lautrec and his can-can dancers, Lapin Agile - the bar where Picasso exchanged paintings for food back in the day, the Red Light District, Paris's last surviving windmill, the Artists' Square where there are wall-to-wall artists wanting to sketch your portrait, Van Gogh's house, Picasso's studio and sooo much more. This area has so much character and quirks. Full of coffee shops, bakeries, cafes and food and art stands. I hope I have time to return and explore some more but it's Paris and there is soo much to see!
And sooo much to eat! Paris is known for its baguettes, cheeses (there are 365 different types - one for every day of the year), crepes and any other type of delicious baked goods. Today, I had a nutella crepe made by the original crepe people from the town of Brittney (spelling?) in France. I also bought a baguette from the man who was elected to make the best baguettes in France this year (in the Montmartre district as well). The feeling of a warm, fresh out of the oven baguette.... indescribable. I also bought some local Brie cheese... (honestly I wasn't that impressed but don't tell the Parisians - I plan to give it another go tomorrow). Mmmmm delicious.
I have enjoyed meeting so many wonderful people on my journey from Vienna, Austria to Paris, France. It has been a wonderful adventure and Paris, as a last stop, will be going out with a bang! So much to see. It's almost overwelming. Traveling has also made me realize that seeing the sites is really not enough. I wish I could live in these places and become part of them instead of just passing through. I feel too tourist-y. I don't like it. I love to travel and see the places, smell the fragrances, taste the food and experience it all... but it's not the same as living in a place like I did in Spain for five months. It has has to do with people. Traveling alone has its perks but I miss laughing with someone in Paris, getting lost with someone else in Paris etc. That's why I am ready to come back to the States. I want to see my family and friends. If I can't be in Spain, I want to be home, ya know?
Anyways, time to get going. I'll try to update the day before I plane out of Paris to Chicago.
Adios.
Hasta pronto.
Dos besos.
Sarah
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