*possible* Last post!

Hard to believe, but today is Dan's last day of class. He is very excited to be completing the program and is even more excited to sleep in when he's done. We discovered this morning that he hasn't slept in for 2 months, including weekends, and the sleep deprivation has taken its toll.

Because it's his last day, we may or may not have internet access for the rest of our time here. We leave Tuesday morning and arrive back in "the states" on Tuesday night. If you don't hear from us until we're back, assume that our plane crashed. Just kidding.

On a final note of Parisien exploration, we've been trying to go out more since Katie arrived, and since we typically can't understand anything on the menu, we randomly pick what we'll eat with no idea what it will be. Meals here are usually three courses, so that's a lot of picking. Below are some of the quotes after our culinary discoveries:

Katie: (after a thoughtful glance at her plate of pate) "It tastes like catfood."
Dan: (upon realizing that he doesn't know how to say "medium-rare" in French) "Maybe I should just get the fish."
Meghan: (after her first taste of salad with chicken gizzard) "It's actually not that bad."
Dan: (after trying Meghan's gizzard) "Yeah, it's good. Pretty salty."
Katie: "seriously, this taste like catfood" (said repeatedly until the nausea dies down)
Meghan and Katie: "Is that the charlotte aux fruits rouges? It looks like cheesecake. I'm getting that."

My all-time favorite food conversation:
Ordering
Meghan: "Je voudrais ragnons geneux aucilles, s'il vous plait." (or something like that.)

*Katie points at what she wants. The waiter attempts to explain in English what she's getting. He says that what Meghan ordered is a veal dish. Emphasizes the "young" part of the calf or something like that. Meghan has a moral opposition to veal, but didn't change her order for some unfortunate reason.*

The meal is served
Dan: This is fantastic. I love duck a l'orange! Katie, what's yours?
Katie: I don't know. But I think it's chicken.
*deep breaths coming from Meghan's side of the table*
Meghan: It's ok, really. I'm fine. It's good. These potatoes are great.
Katie and Dan: Yeah, the French really know how to do potatoes.
Dan: (to Meghan) Do you want to switch? Because mine's great. Totally edible.
Meghan: No, it's fine. Really.
Dan: Let me try some. (he tries some, chewing slowly) Not my favorite.
Katie: Now I don't know if I want to try some. Aw, give me some anyway. (she tries some). That tastes like cow, and I don't mean steak. I feel like I'm actually eating a cow. That's God awful. (Katie is a seminary student.)
*Meghan tries another bite, and this time, almost gags and has to stop eating. She remains worried that she'll offend the waiter and chef, who are actually both wonderful. She begins to wonder how to make it look like she ate more than 4 bites.*
Katie and Dan: Here, give me some. I can take some for the team. Seriously, we'll help you out.
Dan: We can put some in my pocket! Just wrap it in your napkin!
Katie: We can put some in my purse.
*Meghan seriously considers this possibility*
Katie: I was joking.
Meghan: Well can I hide some under your chicken bones then?

Midway through our conversation of how to make the meal look like it disappeared, the table is cleared. Meghan feels awful, because although she's the one who didn't eat her meal, Dan is the one who's forced to have an awkward conversation in French about how "full" Meghan was, but the food was good, while Katie points. Katie LOVES to point.

We came to find that Meghan's dish was actually veal kidneys. Dan later admitted the dish was more than "not his favorite."
Dan: There's not much I won't eat, as long as it's cooked. But that was one of the most disgusting things I've ever put in my body. That was horrible! I can't believe you ate as much as you did. I wanted to gag after my 2nd bite. Why did I take a second bite!?!!?

Editor's note: this was also the meal of the chicken gizzard salad. We went home and immediately looked up the words of the meal I ordered. CRAZY.

Leave comments! Hopefully we'll be able to read them (and post again!) before we leave. Love you!

Rules of the Metro

First of all, the alps were wonderful. We went on an incredible (and incredibly exhausting) hike to a beautiful turquoise lake surrounded by mountains. We were high enough that there was still snow around when we got to the top, and the views were among the best either of us could ever remember seeing. It was a great last weekend excursion!

We thought we'd continue your French education by teaching you the proper etiquette for Metro riding (or at least the way Dan and I think it should work).

1. Give up your seat (if you have one) for people with babies, old people, or others who seem to need it. Duh.
2. When you enter the car, don't just stop right inside the door (thereby blocking everyone else's way in and out). Move to the back!
3. On that note, don't even enter the car until everyone who's getting off is off. You'll just clog things up. This guideline will henceforth be called "the elevator principle."
4. If you have a bag/luggage, YOU DO NOT GET A SEAT. Taking "one" seat is more like taking three: one for your body, one for your legs (extending into someone else's standing space), and one for your bag. Having luggage means relegating yourself to the depths of discomfort: squished in the back, with little hope of getting off. It's the risk you take.
5. If you're sitting on a seat that will fold away and it gets crowded, you should stand (opening up extra room for more passengers). If you're rude enough to stay seated, don't you dare roll your eyes when someone is forced to stick their derriere in your face.
6. When trying to exit the train, a simple "pardon" will suffice. Pushing, shoving, or rough-housing of any sort is uncalled for.
7. If you're standing near the door on a crowded car, even if it's not your stop, step out when you are at a station. This allows others to exit more quickly.
   
8. Similarly, if you desire to board a packed train where someone has performed the selfless gesture listed above, give that person the right of way. "First dibbs," as we like to call it.
   
9. Tourists: keep your mouth shut, and please don't say stupid things and then brag about being an American. It makes the rest of us look bad.
10. Don't lean your entire body against the safety poles. About 10 people can hold on for support if you avoid this temptation.

Common decency. Spreading this gospel on the Metro is our new mission.

At the Crossroads

(Before I start, I thought I'd give you at least one picture from Nice. Here I am, looking sweet.)

Well, we're at t-minus two weeks left in Europe. Pretty crazy. I just talked with a buddy of mine at the Alliance, Lars, who agreed with me that after the first week, the past month and a half has flown by. Crazy stuff. Here are some cool things, however, that Meghan and I are looking to do and experience in the short amount of time we have left:

1. Hang out with Katie Dayton. Yes, Deeker Maximus is coming to hang with us for our last week in France. She arrives Monday so look for great photos of us doing ridiculous stuff following that point.
2. Hit the Alps this weekend. For the first time, Meghan and I actually planned a bit ahead and grabbed tickets to Chamonix for this weekend. Time to see the majestic beauty of the Alps. I love the juxtaposition between Nice last weekend and Chamonix this weekend. I'm digging it.
3. Do all those touristy things I've been saving. You know, I've hit some of the major spots in Paris, but I didn't have my camera back then. Thus, I'm really looking forward to doing the Eiffel Tower again with the camera; seeing the Arc de Triomph again, etc. With Dayton I'm thinking we're going to be "true toursits." Much like our days back in California (sigh).
4. Research at the big-boy place. I feel so awesome. Yesterday I went to the Bibliotheque Nationale and got my official "researcher's card" which gives me access to the national archives. This is phenomenal to me. I have the ability (and indeed today I think it might happen) to hold in my hand a book that was written over four hundred years ago. For a historian, this is like winning the lottery. Well, actually for a historian winning the lottery is like winning the lottery, but whatever.
5. Eating at awesome spots in Paris. Meghan and I have decided to throw caution (and euros) to the wind and go grab some good eats and cool little hot spots in Paris. Meghan picked the first one and it rocked (La Petit Machon). I picked the second one and it was just okay (so for those of you at home keeping score, that's Meghan - 1 and Dan - 0). Meghan gets to pick the next one. We'll see how it goes. When Katie's here, I think we might try the semi-fancy style restaurant again. I LOVE French food (and I'm eating foie gras sometime soon...it MUST happen).

That sounds like a pretty good plan for the last two weeks. I think eventually (probably once I get back home), I'm going to setup a yahoo slide show like old time for all the picks from Europe. So, don't feel jealous that you haven't seen a lot of them.

Nice is nice!

I apologize for the lame and unavoidable pun. Sorry, but no pictures today. I'm on a public computer and can't post any.

Our weekend in the south of France was wonderful. There was a bit of a challenge when we first got on the train. Our "first class" seats were actually a bench only slightly smaller than one seat that was situated between the passenger car and the bathroom/dining car. One porthole-type window. Our first class dreams were finally realized when a kind conductor found two seats together for us in the cabin, and we rode the final 3 hours or so in comfort.

Our hotel was exactly what we were looking for. It was very cheap (only 39 euros a night), close to the beach, and had a ton of character. The owner was multilingual and totally cool. We checked in (which included him entering us into their fingerprint database so the door would open for us!), then went for a walk in the town. When we came back, the owner and few other guests were just finishing up dinner (that the innkeeper cooked just to be nice). We walked past them and to our room, and the phone rang just as we were unlocking the door. Dan answered, and the conversation went something like this:

Innkeeper: You join us for drinks?
Dan: Uh, well...(looks at me questioningly)
Innkeeper: Why not? (I can see him shrugging his shoulders and pursing his lips in my mind's eye)
Dan: Why not.

We went to the dining room, where the owner and his friend, a French couple, a Britsh woman, and Dan and I all engaged in a great conversation that mixed French and English together. It was awesome for Dan to get to use his language skills in that setting, because it was definitely heavy with French, but there was always the innkeeper to bail us out if we needed English.

We spent most of Saturday in Monaco, the world's second-smallest country (1.95 square kilometers, I believe) and home of the famous Monte Carlo casino. Words can't describe how opulent it was. It was a cool and awe-inspiring place...to visit.

Sunday morning, we lay on the beach. That only lasted for a few hours, because the beach is all small stones/pebbles. Not the utmost in comfort. But it did make for gorgeous colored water...as far we could see, the water still looked blue. Absolutely beautiful. We had checked out already, but when we were done at the beach, the innkeeper invited us to take a shower before we got on the train. He also kept our luggage because we were going to have to keep it with us until we left. How awesome is that?!?!

We returned home Sunday afternoon. This time, I had a seat on the train, but Dan was once again relegated to the bench. He tried to find another seat, but the people weren't as helpful, and he spent most of the time in the dining car. Bummer. But he took it pretty well, and had a great view of the trip!

In Paris, it's back the usual. Dan's in his first week of the next level of classes (which are going well). I went and bought another book (I have LOTS of time to read). We had the best meal of our time in France so far today at lunch. Great food, great service, awesome place. Life is good.

Happy Fourth of July, in case we're not in contact before then. We'll miss the celebration, but hey, we have Bastille Day to look forward to! Love you all!

How to Survive in France

I thought it would behoove each and every one of you to get a feel of the ins and outs of everyday French life. Consider this post my contribution to your education.

When you leave the house, of course you'll need to bring money. Things are expensive here, so you'll need a lot of money. In France, the currency is the euro (abbreviated €). Prices are usually written with the whole numbers before the € and the cents after (for instance, "5€40"). They switch around when they use commas and decimals here, so you may also see "5,40€" or something along those lines. You'll often see prices that are multiples of 20 (like 40 or 80) instead of multiples of 25 (like 50 or 75) because there is no 25 cent coin.

Problem is, everything 2€ and under is in coin form. It gets pretty darn heavy, plus you want to have pockets in which to keep all those coins! There are coins for 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, & 50 cents. There are also coints for 1 and 2 euros.
The bills are all different colors and sizes. The bigger the bill, the more it's worth. (Dan loves his money clip.)

Don't forget your key when you leave! If you live in a place like ours, you have an ancient skeleton key to get into your apartment. To get into the building, you have to enter a "digicode" on a pad outside the main door. Hi tech meets low tech.

To get around you'll walk a lot. When you're going a little further, you'll take the Metro (short for "Metropolitain"). The metro is super easy. The stops are all very clearly marked. You just have to look for one of the signs, which come in a few different designs. Here's one:(I would avoid this one, though, because the actual stop is in Montmartre high on a hill WAY above where the trains travel. The stairs to get out are ENDLESS!!!!)

You can buy a single metro ticket, a "carnet" of 10 tickets, or a "carte orange." The carte orange comes in weekly or monthly varieties, and is the best deal if you'll be around for a while. Pictured here are a carte orange (the actual card), the ticket you use with your carte orange, and a single ride ticket (which is actually lavendar, but didn't turn out in the photo).Sidenote: they only use graph paper here. Notebooks are all filled with graph paper, not "notebook" paper. Dan loves it.

Unlike many places I've been in the US, only 1 train arrives per platform. You don't wait at the platform with everybody else searching for your particular train. Instead, you follow the signs for your specific train in your specific direction. The Metro tunnels are all tiled in white, so they have this odd "clean vs. dingy" thing going on.

If you get hungry, you can buy something from the vending machines in the metro (though I wouldn't recommend it). To back up my "portions are actually huge in France" theory, check out these 2-packs from the vending machine. They even sell Twix in 2-packs. That's like 4 Twix!!

In LOTS of buildings and public places, you have to watch your step. The stone staircases are so old, they've been worn down by years of people walking on them. They all kinda lean back and have dips in them.

When you go to the Eiffel Tower, you will be surprised at how broad the bottom of it is. Just saying.

After your extensive walking, you'll probably get hungry. You can get something to eat at a crepe or panini stand (cheapest), a cafe (not great selection, mostly for drinks and hanging out), a brasserie (think Dan's sausage and saurkraut), or a restaurant (ooh lah lah). They all have to post their menus outside, which really helps. They also offer either "formule" or "menu." Don't ask for a menu, because it's not a sheet of paper. It's a meal. Formule is your choice of either appetizer and main course or main course and dessert. Menu is appetizer, main course, and dessert. Only certain items are available on the formule or menu. Also, "entree" is an appetizer, not an entree like in the US.(notice the comma instead of a decimal point, and the use of "entree")

I don't have a picture of this, but everyone here drinks this thing called "Orangina." It's like sprite or squirt mixed with orange juice. There's actually pulp in there. I thought this was cool, until I discovered that all the pulp was settling in the bottom of the can, but I couldn't shake it because it's a caffeinated drink. What a pickle.

If you've made it this far, congratulations! You will survive in France! Dan and I are going to Nice this weekend. We're looking forward to our trip the beautiful Mediterranean coast! They only had first class train tickets left, so we'll let you know how that goes, too.

Anni-Versailles-ry

I am laughing out loud at that title, so I hope you think it's funny!

Anniversary

Dan and I have been married for 1 year and 3 days (give or take with the time differences). We celebrated our first anniversary on Sunday, June 24, and it was wonderful! Dan made us excellent breakfast sandwiches in bed (an homage to a staple meal of our first married year). They were great with all the fresh French ingredients! Then we went to and English-speaking church, which was fun, and Ocean's 13 in "version originale," which means it was in English with French subtitles. It was a sublimely English morning and afternoon. We enjoyed ice cream at Berthillon, the most famous ice cream place in Paris (I think they invented the ice cream cone there). It was delish.

For dinner, we went to Bofinger, the first brasserie in Paris (that's a popular type of restuarant). Here's a view of the dining room from the 2nd floor, where we ate:

I had escargo and bouilabaisse, which were incredible.

Dan enjoyed choucrutte, an specialty of the Alsace region made of saurkraut and assorted meats/sausages. He loved it. In case you haven't noticed, from this picture, French portions are NOT smaller as people say they are. They are often huge, in our experience.

We went from there to see the lit up Eiffel Tower (WAY better than the tower in the daylight!) We even got to see it in a kinda light-show style, where they make it go crazy on the hour. It was awesome, and a great way to begin our second year of marriage!

Versailles

We went to Versailles yesterday with 2 of the other people (kids, actually) from Dan's class. One, Voytek, is from Poland and is only 16 years old. The other, Lars, is from Germany and is 19. We've kinda been hanging out with them because we almost feel like they need some people to help them along so they won't be lonely. They've been fun, though, plus they both speak English!

The Versailles (prounounced "verse-eye", hence my title joke) Chateau (where French royalty, most famously Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, lived) was great, but the best part of the tour was the massive gardens. The grounds are bigger than the actual town of Versailles. Some highlight pictures for you:

Lars, Dan, and Voytek at the edge of a fountain (near the area constructed to replicate farmland for Marie Antoinette)

A side garden with awesome manicured fleur-de-lye that we loved
The view down the grand canal from the chateau (the side gardens weren't nearly as crowded)
The orangerie, where they store the many orange trees in the winter (the orange blossoms smelled AMAZING)
A soon-to-be-famous sculpture imitation by Dan

Hope you enjoyed your mini-tour. Love you, miss you, leave comments! (Can you tell Dan and I are desparate for comments?)

We haven't forgotten you!

Hello Everyone! It's been a while, so I wanted to make a quick post and let you know that we're still here, and we're still doing well. It was a wonderful weekend (our first wedding anniversary!) and we've been busy seeing sights, reading books, playing bejewled on dad's old PDA, and (in Dan's case) working hard. This afternoon, we're going to Versailles. I've heard it's gorgeous, so I'm excited. Only downside is it's a bit cold and rainy. But we can still have fun!

Hopefully we'll be able to post some cool pics and a more detailed update soon. As great as things are here, we do miss you all very much and love you even more! Keep checking in!