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delayed delaaaaaaayed!

Okay okay, so I fell behind the last two odd weeks of my study abroad experience. But I had good reason! 1) France. 2) 2000 + word papers 3) moving out of flat 4) Sweden

Make sense? So where shall I begin?

FRANCE:

In short, was absolutely fantastic. We left Thursday evening on the Eurostar—“we” being my roommates and I—and arrived around 11 PM. Our hotel was very near Gard du Nord, so no problem, right? Wrong. The night manager thought it’d be a good idea to give away our TRIPLE room to a SINGLE woman because he thought we were a no show. Yeeeeeah. So for one night, we had to deal with a double room. Not too bad. We went to a little grocery store and got food, and had a bit of a picnic whilst watching CNN, the only English tv station in paris.

Friday morning, we got up early and headed to the l’ouvre. Great place to spend the morning, especially if it’s dreary and cold and rainy, as it was then. My friend Rachel, from my creative writing class, was also in paris that weekend, so I walked around the museum a bit with her. That place is seriously amazing, you could probably spend two full days there and still not see everything.

After the museum, el roomies and I decided to walk over to the Eiffel tower as we could see it, plus get some lunch. Bad idea since it started freezing raining on us, and it took FOREVER to find an eatery. But the food was good, so I guess that makes up for it?

Gave up on the tower (for now) and found the opera house. Oh my goodness, that was on of the best parts of the weekend! It is sooooo gorgeous! I didn’t even get to go into the theatre itself as there was a rehearsal going on, but we walked around the atrium and other rooms and everything is absolutely stunning. I think that’s where “phantom of the opera” is supposed to take place? Wow.

From there we headed to Notre Dame, and saw that bit. For some reason, that church depresses me. I think because there’s mass going on whilst tourists are rummaging about. I don’t know, it seems just commercial and empty to me.

We had a brief rest at the newly acquired triple room at the hotel, and even watched some “7 a la maison” for fun, heh heh. Then we got cleaned up, and met up with Isac at the Eiffel Tower for some dinner and photos! Eiffel Tower is so beautiful at night, sigh. We then went to some random part of town and got dinner (mmm pizza) and then went to this random bar we read about in Time Out. It was kind of random and slightly dodgy, but not bad at all.

The next morning we got up earlyish again and headed to the catacombs to see piles of bones and stuff. Quite spooky but really really intriguing, I’ve never heard of it before so I’m glad we went. Went back to the Eiffel and took the lift to the second floor, and took some lovely photos of the sunset from there. It was flipping cold though, and some alarm kept going off that was a bit nervewracking at first.

After that, we met up with Isac and his friend Claire (who is studying in Paris for the year) as she knew of a great creperie to get dinner at. Oh my goodness, it was amazing!! Mine was spinach and goat cheese and bacon (I think?). Mmm, I couldn’t actually finish it. Let me point out that I had also consumed about two or three nutella or sugar crepes thus far…heh heh.

After that, the roomies and I walked to the l’ouvre to see it at night, then found a little café and enjoyed some crème brule (my first!) and chatting time. Wonderful, wonderful time, I’ll cherish it, believe me.

Then we caught the metro to the dodgy Moulin rouge area, took photos, hung out at a pub (I had a weird drink called a New Dehli that tasted like a Junior Mint), got crepes AGAIN and was chatted up by some entertaining French old men ( “You want to go to America?! HAH AHAHAHAWWW”). Realized our hotel wasn’t far, and so walked home. Lovely lovely. Managed to find the right train to the airport the next day, and got home just in time to write even more papers!!

PAPERS/MOVING OUT:

Well actually, I need to back up and say I had amazing last two days at Nettwerk, Tuesday being a mini party in which I had multiple breakfasts and lunches. Mmmm.

Wednesday was the last day of theatre class, awww, but then I ate some amazing amazing amazing Moroccan food/mint tea with Isac and oh my gooooosh, I want to go back! But alas. I need to find Moroccan food in Nashville though, seriously.

As for papers/moving out? Well, not much needs to be said on this. It took awhile, but I managed to get everything done. Saying goodbye to people in my class was sad—the last day of creative writing, our American teacher had to go write a letter asking not to be deported so basically I hung out with some of my british friends I’ve made there around Holloway road (ghetto, anyone?). Management was boring but I did get the paper done. My parents arrived on Thursday, so we and bethany’s parents and roommates got dinner that evening, which was quite lovely.

Friday I had to turn everything in, and then I went with my parents up to nettwerk to say “bye” to everyone and deliver some Christmas American stockings. Awwww. It was sad bidding them farewell, everyone there was so nice and wonderful. I’ll definitely be back to visit, for sure. They can’t get rid of me now!

That evening, we (being my flat, flat 2, alaine isac and Joanne) had a party out in Ladbroke grove, where one of them is housesitting for a professor (not fair, not fair). Awesome awesome flat, and we all had a great evening! Diane came too, and we just were all silly and eating lots of food, dancing, taking dumb photos, etc. Unfortunatley, since Ladbroke Grove is out West, it took FOREVER to get home, hence why I only got 3 hours of sleep that evening. But it was worth seeing the guy dressed up in the Viking hat, that’s at least true. It was sad saying goodbye to most people though.

Saturday I finally moved out, oiiiii veeeey. Someone my dad and I managed though!

For lunch, Isac came along with my parents and I, and then the two of us went back to portebello road for last minute shopping/hanging out. Man, I’m going to miss that guy. It’s unbelievable the people I’ve met on this trip, I am always speechless when I think about it.

That night was a pub dinner with rents and Diane, then Diane and I caught three hours of sleep before our 6 AM flight to…

SWEDEN:!!

What can I say? It was cold. And got dark at 2.30 PM. But a gorgeous city, all split up on like 14 islands I think.

The airport was about an hour and a half outside of town, so we took the bus in, checked into our hostel that was on a BOAT!! (so pretty and picturesque) bought some weird sandwiches for lunch, and took a ferry boat to skansen, the largest open air museum.

The reason? A huuuge Christmas market is held there every year, and this was the last day we could attend. So glad we did, it was cute and I found some gifts for people, tried some Swedish culinary delights, and enjoyed the scenery and the freezing cold…okay, nix that last bit. I thought my legs were going to fall off, I was so freezing! Thankfully we headed out and found the free Nordic Museum which had some cool tidbits about Swedish history and culture for us to check out. Glad we saw it.

Took the ferry back, ate some gingerbread for dinner, and collapsed at half past 8 for sleep, no joke. Slept almost 12 hours, it was glorious!!

The next morning we ate a big breakfast at the hostel, then headed out Gamla Stan (Old Town) to check it out, and found Seven Eleven there!!! Why Sweden has that store but not Nashville is beyond my comprehension.

Then we headed over to the Grand Hotel area and took a long boat tour of Stockholm. It went around several of the islands, and was at the perfect time to go, just when the sun was setting. Lovely photos taken there, obviously!

For dinner, we headed back to Gamla Stan and found another Christmas market, ate some French hot dogs (that saved our life, since the Kron is EXPENSIVE and we have no comprehension on how ot budget it. Eugh that currency is the devil).

Dinner part deux was a split Swedish roll. Those things are yummy. And I had some weird Swedish carbonated beverage that I’m not quite sure about the contents. Whatever.

Another early bedtime, then Tuesday morning we got up around 9.30, and got some breakfast in gamla stan at the café we had been to the first day. Huuuge mugs of hot chocolate and buns were consumed. Mmm. More wandering, another French hot dog, then it was off to the central t-bana station to find our bus (we were pretty tired). After stopping in a church for some views, we caught an early bus and spent the afternoon playing cards in the airport terminal. And then our plane arrived and a snowstorm hit so we were delayed an hour getting out. And then we got back and the stansted express was delayed due to fog. And then the underground was a mess due to who-knows-what.

BUT, we finally got home around 9, and my parents met up at nandos with us for some quality food. I had to sadly say goodbye to Diane (for THREE WHOLE MONTHS?!?!?!), and head back to the hotel with the ‘rents.

Would’ve gotten a good sleep were it not for the fire alarm going off at 3 am, forcing us to head outside in the freezing cold until they turned it off. That was fun. Note the sarcasm. Three hours later and our car to the airport arrived. I somehow managed to pack up my life into three suitcases (two being smallish) plus my carry on bag. Hellz yeah!

The flight is okay thus far (I’m writing this on it, so this part is going to be in the wrong tense). I’m by the window, so I’m cornered. My video screen doesn’t work, and there’s awesome movies to watch. They said I could move if I preferred but it’s alright. We were delayed getting out and I’m getting stir crazy for the Mexican food charley is going to take me to when I arrive.

I feel like a final reflection on London is due, but my hands are cramped, so I’ll wait until I am safe at home. Hopefully photos will be updated for whoever cares to see! Cheers!

posted by Marion M. @ 4:45 AM Comments: 16