ATHENS! -best trip planned in 15 minutes ever!

Athens was the best 15 minute planned trip. Props to me and Dunc, if I'm allowed to give props to myself..

I couldn't really sleep Thursday night because I wasn't tired but was really excited. Me, Carrie, Alex, and Dunc met at our gate at the airport. I knew the trip was gonna be great when Dunc was getting felt up by security and was thoroughly searched. The look on his face was priceless.

It was nice flying on a real airline instead of RyanAir! However, after the layover in Germany, I was stuck next to an overweight American who liked to shake his legs and be annoying. He didn't pay to invade half of my seat..

The weather was great when we finally touched down. We hopped on the metro after some confusion and eventually found ourselves in the middle of the city. We walked down the main shopping street and the girls' eyes were just glowing. More on that later.

Our hostel was on this quaint little street with some cool shops then a whole square of restaurants. The smell was simply phenomenal. We checked in and they told us that we were gonna be split into different rooms. I was not amused, as I had requested the same room for all of us and had received confirmation. I pulled up the email and I was right. We were upgraded to a private room. Score.

My main objective for Athens was to eat. And did we. We headed out for a

restaurant. There was one right outside the door. Excellent. The managers of all the restaurants stand outside and try to convince you to come in with free drinks and dessert. It didn't take much convincing for us! We started out with fried eggplant and fried saganaki cheese. Saganaki is my favorite thing and reminds me of Greektown in Chicago. I got lamb slovaki for my main dish. It came with fries and the white cucumber sauce. Very delicious. A perk about eating with Carrie is how she never finishes her meal and is happy to share afterward!

We were quite tired, so we took a 30 minute nap that accidentally turned into 2 hours. No big deal, everything was still awake and alive. We walked around and took in more delicious scents and heard live music everywhere. A stray dog started following us thanks to Carrie. She called him Rover. It was strange to see how many stray dogs and cats there were in the streets. We saw more than 50 in just a few days. Rover followed us for over 2 hours and even waited for us as we got our SECOND dinner. We couldn't resist. I had more saganaki and got chicken kebabs. Too good! The waiter gave us free dessert, honey and yogurt with some sort of moist cake thing. We all loved the environment.

From the street, we could see the acropolis all lit up in the night. It was beautiful. It would have been incredible to see it in its original form.

After returning to the hostel, we stayed up talking and it felt like a slumber party. Getting up in the morning was still hard. The beds were comfortable, especially to tired bodies. We left in the morning and got Greek pastries for breakfast then headed to the Acropolis museum. There were thousands of ancient artifacts. My favorite thing was how the museum portrayed fragments of the artifacts. They would align them like a puzzle and added a mold and a design of what the entire artifact used to look like. Again, the detail and craftsmanship is incredible when you think about how long ago these objects were constructed, especially without today's technology.

We started up the giant hill to the acropolis. The path was lined with remnants

from ancient temples, stages, and such. The view was just amazing. As we reached higher and higher, we could see more and more of the city and the sea. The top was too cool. We were finally staring at such a monumental piece of history-and it wasn't in our history books! We were also dumbfounded because Rover had found us at the top! Crazy odds.

We walked around and found more remnants and eventually had to happily give in to our hunger. At a street-side restaurant, we ordered an appetizer plate with the most amazing food. It consisted of fried cheeses and eggplant, sausages, tiny meat balls, other cheeses, a delicious potato salad, tomatoes and cucumbers, and other fried mixes that we could have easily made a meal out of. But it didn't stop there. We had toasted bread with olive oil and olives. Then the main dish. Alex and I ordered moussaka. It looks like lasagna and has a bottom layer of potatoes, another layer of eggplant, and minced meat on the inside. It was a generous portion and Alex couldn't finish. We didn't have room for dessert!

We headed to the flea market next, which was a few streets lined with little shops. The girls went nuts. I bought an Athens t-shirt (I'm getting a shirt from every country I visit). Next we went up the main street with more commercial stores. The look in the girls eyes was indescribable. How women rationalize their purchases and encourage each other to make them-incredible!

We went back to the hostel because we were wiped out from walking all day. Another accidental 2 hour nap! We got ready to go see the Athens nightlife. The map we had wasn't ideal and we got lost. We found some random place to stop into, but we quickly decided to move on. We found a place with some live music. The girls were a bit tired so we took them home. Dunc and I left again and found some ridiculously cheap yet delicious food. We went to a bar near our hostel and just chilled. We had a good laugh when we got back to find Carrie locked out of the room because Alex had fallen asleep!

We had to check out the next morning, but the hostel let us keep our stuff in a

storage room. We went on another walk and took in some more sights. We had lunch at a cafe and headed back to the main square. We noticed some streets blocked off and security everywhere, including the riot squad. All of a sudden, parades of Muslims started pouring into the square, waving green flags and chanting. It ended up being a peaceful demonstration, but we couldn't really find out what it was for.

Dunc had to leave to catch an earlier flight, but we continued on to a quaint yet giant park that had a little zoo and a creek with cool stone paths and bridges. Then we found the Athens Poet Sandal Maker. He is a very old man now, but he makes custom sandals. The Beatles are among several famous customers. Carrie and Alex both bought a pair. It was cool to see them made and cut right before us.

Our weekend had to come to a close and we headed back to the airport. We arrived 20 minutes before boarding. Good thing security is much quicker in Europe! Our flights weren't too bad, but it was really late when I was finally able to settle into my bed. It was a great weekend for sure. And Alex and I (and Brian) just booked tickets to visit our friend Max in Germany for Spring Break! Now time to catch up on some work..

Super delayed video.. And sorry for saying "uh" more than Obama!

Take that Dunc

I basically needed to update my blog before Dunc. So unless he is writing it at the same time, I'm a winner.

The past week was a lot of the same stuff of course. Had my second week of courses. This semester is going to be a lot easier than last because I know what to expect, I have one less course, and one of my courses is just a language course. So lundi (Monday) I have 2 in a row, mardi 2 in a row, and mercredi one. It's pretty great-4 day weekends all the time!!

On Wednesday, Dunc babysat with me the whole time. The kids love him and his American accent. We went to the store with the kids and I let them pick out a pizza. It was a pack of three of course! The parents came home at the same time and Dunc was nervous haha but they're so nice so he felt better. He was glad to get out though..

Thursday night we watched a movie with Alex and Matthew. Saturday, Matthew, Alex,

and I took a train to Fontainebleu to see an old chateau. It was beautiful. What amazes me the most about these structures is how they were built and adorned with such precision and detail so many years ago before the current wonders of technology.

Host grand parents had their 58th anniversary the other day, so they went to dinner and then to their home in the country side for the week. I need to figure out what they used to do..

Singles' Awareness Day, popularly known as Valentine's Day was Monday. I wasn't bitter about it-good for you if you have someone to send you chocolate! Alex, Brian, Dunc, and I went to cheap university dining, bought some chocolate and wine, and went to my place to watch atypical comedy movies to celebrate. It was actually really enjoyable!





Yesterday morning I had a class excursion to a memorial in Le Marais for prosecuted French Jews during WWII. Though it was a quick visit, it was equally interesting as it was emotional. Seeing an entire room of pictures of persecuted children was the hardest part to learn about. There were so many horrors of that war, but I believe the treatment of these children was the worst.

On a lighter note..

I'm so excited for Carrie to come back to Paris in preparation for our trip to Athens on Friday! Alex, Dunc, Carrie and I are gonna eat like (Greek) gods!!

Ben L'Oncle Soul - Soulman

Currently playing on my iPod:

"I'd rather you DON'T tell me what I'm eating!"

So the younger kids LOVED the fajitas, but it was actually too spicy for them. (in French) "Nick it's TOO good but in fact it's too spicy!"

I stayed up late Wednesday night again, and in the morning I woke up to Emilie (the mom) calling. Lou was sick so I went early to pick her up. I don't know if she was REALLY sick but we all enjoy a sick day or five.. Vic that night got mad at me. He had his dessert like normal, then Lou had hers, except it was somethin else that he "hadn't seen." So he went to have another one. I told him no, one dessert like normal! Then he continued to open it and said "too late." So I said "no it's not" and took it away. Then he cried and cried and said I was sooo mean. Whatever haha. He liked me again after ten minutes or so! I stayed late again because the parents go out with friends sometimes.

I stayed up all night again for NO REASON but had to catch a train Friday morning. I was nervous about making it to the station in time because the metros hadn't yet commenced. So I was waiting, and it said 8 minutes. Ok fine, I'll wait. 8 minutes later, a metro literally rolled through without stopping. Then the sign said 9 minutes until the next one. I ended up walking to where I would've transferred. I made it with time to spare though. 6:10 am train to Toulouse. I got there around 11:30ish. Delphine was waiting for me on the platform, and after initial hellos, we established French as the weekend's language!  We drove to a few stores to get things to eat for the evening then did a walking tour of the city. It's a smaller city for sure, but bigger than Nantes (where I went for Christmas). We saw three cathedrals that were pretty dated. I really liked them though because they are very different from those in Paris and not as well-restored. However, I feel like the lack of restoration adds a lot to the character of the old buildings. We saw administrative buildings, a few educational institutions, and the river that goes along the city. The style is really different too, many things are built with red or pinkish brick. It's really nice to get away from the hustle and bustle of Paris and spending some time in a quieter area of France. Ah and the metro there is new and CLEAN. It doesn't smell like an outhouse..

She and her "permanent boyfriend," Nicolas were happy to have me in their apartment-nice having a spare bed! In France, civil unions, or the PACS, are becoming more and more popular. So yep, they are a 'united' couple with all or most of the benefits of being married without the title. Delphine is a teacher and a couple (in both senses of the word) of her friends came over to have the apertif with us. We started with a drink that is typical of the region. It tasted like liquorish a little bit. After that was a white wine, accompanied by pistachio nuts, chips, and delicious homemade quiche. We talked about everything from the rugby tournament to American television to politics. However, I was finally not the center of the political conversation, as I often find myself due being American! Conversation in France can last for hours, without paying attention to the time or without having something to eat or drink at all moments. After at least an hour and a half, their friends left and let us continue to the dinner. Delphine had prepared a typical dish from the Southwest of France. We had baked potatoes and some duck. It was definitely a good meal. Of course, we had more wine, this time red. After dinner, (it's at least 10pm by now) we started up the Wii to play some Mario Kart and Guitar Hero-with Champagne of course! I was so tired so I eventually went to bed, even though it was well after midnight. I slept until noon because the windows were shut and allowed NO light to enter-and I didn't set my alarm. Oops.

Nicolas and Delphine drove me around the city to see some other sights. We went to the very south of Toulouse and climbed up a big hill with an overview of everything. It was a beautiful day as well. We saw the building where the Airbus planes are constructed. They're huge--with two levels. We continued onto a pleasant little Japanese garden where a lot of people take their wedding pictures. Sure enough, there was a family there snapping away. It was all quiet and pleasant, aside from a park monitor obnoxiously blowing her whistle at anyone stepping on the grass!

After lunch and a little nap, we went back into town to meet another couple (x2) of their friends. We ate well, that's for sure. First they brought out a HUGE selection of dry sausages in a basket, along with foie gras and bread. Everything was made from regional products, so it was all delicious. After that, they brought out cured ham and some other thing that looked like sausage. So I tried it (When in Rome..or Toulouse..). While I was eating it, Nicolas started to explain to me what I was eating. Uhh not while I'm eating! However, the damage was done, he was pointing to his head while referring to a pig. Anyways.. Next up was more foie gras with seasoned apricots. Again, the idea of foie gras is a little unappetizing, but in the end it's quite delicious. Finally it was time for the main course. I ordered "cotes d'agneau," which are lamb ribs. It was one of th emost delicious things I've ever eaten. Trop bon. After la salade et les frites, dinner wasn't over! We ended the meal with ice cream: pistachio and coffee flavored (not mixed). During all this we drank beer and red wine (again, not mixed!). In total, it was a 3.5 hour meal! But time flies, especially because everything is in  a different language.

We got back to the apartment, and what do you know, time for more champagne! My train is at 10 in the morning and is unfortunately 7 hours back to Paris. So that's when I can sleep..

This weekend's been great though. Delphine and Nicolas have been so accommodating and excellent hosts. A lot of people may have the stereotype that the French are rude. While this may be true some of the time, you need to realize that once you know a French person and have an established relationship, they can be some of the most welcoming and generous people. That's definitely what I saw this weekend!

Next destination: Athens.

First week of classes

The weekend ended nicely with a dinner at Jack's(Ireland). It was one of Charlie's (England) last nights, so everyone brought something to pass while they made chicken fajitas. It was delicious; I've had a craving for Tex-Mex!  I went with Alex (Canada) and Harlem (Peru). Brian and Matthew (Ireland) met up with us to. It's awesome that we're from all over the world like this-and good friends too. It's also weird to think that I didn't know any of these people before arriving in Paris and now we're so familiar. The fajitas were so good that I bought the ingredients to make for the kids' dinner tonight.

So since I was basically in the Central timezone, I tried to get to sleep Sunday night around midnight. It worked, but I woke up halfway through my slumber. I eventually fell back asleep. My first class, Political Economy of the Media, is taught by an American who gets really excited about the course material, in a good way. The course will be pretty casual and I had a few good laughs. My next course, les risques sanitaires (sanitary risks), is going to be a bit dry, but it talks about new environmental problems and how to combat them. My final class of the day is L'information, c'est la guerre (info, it's the war, loosely translated)/ It deals with the media and who controls information. It's reaaaaly dry and I'm thinking of dropping it since I have the option. Yesterday, I had a French language course, no big deal, followed by Media Relations in the Business World. Another American teacher. score. He opened with a Canadian joke. Today's only class was interesting: Theories of International  Relations. I think I'll get a lot out of this course; it seems well structured!

Well off to babysit. Things got a little complicated. The oldest isn't working very hard and school and is spending too much time on the computer and playing games when he tells me he's doing homework. Time to get down to business! (and fajitas)