July 24th & 25th - Two for the price of one

Well we've missed out on blogging the past couple of days due to spotty Internet access in Amsterdam. Here is the recap:

On the 24th, we flew from Switzerland to Amsterdam. The interesting part came when we tried to rent the car. We had to return it to the French airport and not the Swiss airport where we were flying out of. We were informed of this after returning the car to the Swiss airport. We ended up having to drive 20 minutes through a maze of industrial streets to get to the French Airport. Much to our surprise after entering the building, we were just on the other side of the exact same building. Basically, curbing turned a 30 second drive into a 20 minute drive!

The flight was pretty uneventful and we made it to Amsterdam safe and sound. We grabbed some dinner and strolled along the many canals, nothing too exciting.

Yesterday, we decided to rent bikes and ride out to the countryside. The bikes were classic 3 speed cruisers, so our plan was a little ambitious. We got lost more times than I can count, but every few miles we'd find some signs that would point us in the right direction. It ended up being probably over 40 km at a very slow pace, but it was nice to see the country side and some cows, sheep and goats. We did see a few windmills but cut the trip short before we hit the motherload. When we got back, I grabbed 2 pre-dinner roast beef sandwiches and then we headed out to eat. We set our record by finishing dinner in less than an hour. We took a pretty aggressive stance and requested the check as he was clearing the table. This gave us plenty of time to explore the city some more before bed time.

We also bought a copy of the new Harry Potter to keep us company on the flight. The flight is so long, we probably should have bought the entire series.

July 23rd - Tour de Suisse

Today we didn't have any set plans so we decided to rent some mountain bikes and take a tour of the Interlaken area. There are lots of great trails here along the 2 lakes so we took advantage of some great weather to get some exercise and enjoy the views. It wasn't very long, about 40 km, but there was an unexpected category 3 climb early on that got our heart rates going. The water in the lakes here is a really crazy light teal color, almost Caribbean sea color. It is really beautiful, but it just seems out of place. We also came across 12th century castle ruins. These were really cool and we could go all the way to the top of the tower. There was even a moat, but it was too shallow to bother throwing April in. On the way back we came across some sheep and April stopped to feed and pet them. They all had bells, and I felt bad for them because that clanging must get annoying.

After our ride, we did some laundry that had been piling up. While we were there, some younger Americans came in to do theirs and made us feel really old. To compensate, we talked with an even older 2 ladies from Australia. If you are familiar with Australian TV, these 2 sounded and acted just like Kath & Kim. They complained about everything. They went on and on about how everything is the best in Australia (normal Australian conversation). They also said how expensive everything is in Europe and how cheap it is in Australia, that is a departure from standard Australian dogma. Apparently, everyone they encountered in France was a jerk, but I bet it stems from the fact that they don't even try to speak French. We met a couple in Paris who were having bad experiences with the French, but they admitted that they just assumed everyone understands English. We found everyone very polite and willing to speak English, but probably because we tried to start with French. It was usually the French who opted for English.

Today we are heading to Amsterdam, but we are scared because neither of us speak Netherleese (sp?).

July 22nd - Die Jungfrau

Despite a forecast of rain, we decided to wake up early this morning and see if it was worth heading up to the top of the Jungfrau, a nearby alp with the highest train station and post office in Europe known for its views. When we woke up at 5:45 there were a few breaks in the clouds so we decided to give it a try as there is no guarantee the weather will be better on Monday.

The train leaves at 6:30 and after showers we didn't leave the hotel until 6:10. So we had to double time the 1.5 miles to the station. That was pretty tough early in the morning with backpacks. We made it with about 4 minutes to spare so we were proud of ourselves (and sweaty).

The train took about 2.5 hours to make it to the top. Most of the lower ride was through misty fog and clouds and the upper portion was actually through the mountain. We had to change trains a few times, but that went smoothly. At one station we had 10 minutes so we quickly grabbed some food, but we were scared to bring it on because everything is so clean here and we figured they didn't allow food on the train. When we asked the conductor she said it was fine because we looked neat, not like the Indians who get soup all over the floor. She seemed pretty upset by it. Let me say here, that all the Indians I know are very neat, with the exception of Mandira who is famously messy but I don't think that is an Indian-thing. On a related note, on our way down the mountain the same conductor was facilitating the train deboarding and reboarding. As we were getting off, there was a huge Indian tour group waiting to get on our train and a couple were trying to get on the train before everyone got off. The same conductor looked very stressed out trying to ask them politely to wait as she was holding back about 50 others. It was quite funny to see her so uncomfortable.

Back to the mountain. When we arrived at the top, we were pleased to find mostly sunny skies with some clouds nestled around the adjoining mountain tops. We went outside to a clear view of the glacier and shocking temperatures of about 1 degree Celsius. Luckily we planned ahead and brought some extra layers. We then headed to the Ice Palace, a system of tunnels cut into the glacier complete with ice sculptures and mini tunnels. I got wedged pretty good into a mini tunnel and April had to push me out. The floor was also ice, but it wasn't very slippery.

On the way down we stopped in Grindewald and the skies began to clear. There were dramatic views of the valley and the mountains that were pretty awesome. We probably saw more waterfalls today then our whole Maui trip. The views were some of the best we've ever seen. We bet that if the day had been perfectly clear that the majestic views would have been unbelievable.

This area in Switzerland is amazingly clean. The whole train trip we could see neatly piled stacks of wood in preparation for next winter. These are a very organized and prepared people. All the houses had neat yards with blooming flower boxes and flourishing gardens. Our whole stay we've been trying to find trash or generally less than perfectly kept buildings and yards and have largely been unsuccessful. April has been rubbing her fingers over every corner and nook and cranny in search of dust but has yet to find any!

Tomorrow we are going to rent some bikes and just go around the town and lakes. Hopefully the weather will be as nice as it ended up being today.

July 21st - Interlaken, Switzerland

Well we left France today and headed to Switzerland. It took us about 4 and a half hours by car, but it went by pretty quick. Highways here are a joy to drive on because there are so few cars by American standards, especially LA! It was cloudy most of the day but started to clear as we got into Interlaken. However, it didn't hold and now it is raining pretty hard. I just checked the forecast and it looks like it will continue for most of tomorrow. We were planning on taking a train up to the top of the nearby mountain, the Jungsfrau, but this may change our plans.

When we got in today, we were starved but we hit the lull between lunch and dinner when all the restaurants aren't serving food, so we had to resort to McDonald's. It was cool because they had a flat screen with the Tour de France on so we watched for a while as the rain got harder outside. They charge you for ketchup here, 10 cents a pack! The default value meal is also with small fries and drink.

We are excited to go out for dinner tonight and compare the experience with France. We were getting quite sick of terrible service at the restaurants there. Either the waiter took for ever to come over and take your order or forever to bring your check - and sometimes both. Last night we waited 45 minutes for the check after asking for it a couple of times. It actually made dinner a little bit of a chore everynight knowing it was a 2 hour affair. We heard conflicting reports of wheter tips were included in the meal, but let's just say if they weren't a lot of waiters were justifiably stiffed. We are guessing that the Swiss will be a little more efficeint.

July 20th - Welcome to Thunderdome

We didn't get a chance to mention this earlier, but France is absolutely insane. No one here follows any traffic laws. Pedestrians cross whenever they want, wherever they want. Usually right in front of the Police who don't care. To get where we were going, I drove down a bus only street. A cop was crossing the street and I stopped for her and she waved thanks. She didn't care for a second that I was breaking the law - she was just happy I stopped which no one else would.

Bikes and motorcycles can apparently go wherever they want. They regularly drive on sidewalks and through crowded markets. The only place I haven't seen them is in a store, but I'm holding out hope.

Parking is also another anything goes proposition. If your car fits there and it doesn't block traffic, by all means go ahead. They park in no parking zones, on the sidewalk, and anywhere else they can squeeze their car. And I have yet to see a parking ticket. This place was made for Gillis.

July 20 -- L'Alpe d'Huez

Yesterday we drove from Marseille to our hotel near the base of L'Alpe d'Huez and the usual hilarity ensued. I can't tell you how frustrating it is to drive around in an area that refuses to post street signs. We did about 3 hours on the highway and that was fine but then we had to take little windy roads up into the Alps. April got a little carsick-- actually I'm not sure if it was all carsickness or a combination of that and nervousness from what was awaiting me the next day.

Our hotel was in a place called Allemont about 6 miles from the base of L'Alpe d'Huez. Alpe d'Huez is one of the famous climbs the pros climb during the Tour de France. Our hotel was pretty nice, it had a waterfall out back. However, by 8:30 everything was closed and we were still hungry because dinner at the hotel wasn't enough (this may only apply to Tom).

We got up early today to go rent bikes and were starting the climb just before 10 AM. The climb was really tough-- especially considering the fact that the only exercise we did over the past two weeks was a lot of walking and the bike ride around the grounds of Versailles which wasn't much-- and Tom's knee was bothering him ever since because those bikes were kind of crappy.

The climb was 8 miles long and 3700 feet of elevation gain. There are 21 switchbacks which thank god are numbered so you can keep track of how much pain is left. Luckily the ride is shaded for a good portion and clouds did the rest so it wasn't too hot. It took Tom a little over an hour and a half and April about 10 minutes longer. Even though we rode apart, there were plenty of flies to keep us company. We were going so slow, I think they thought we were ready to die. I do remember seeing some vultures skulking about come to think of it.

At the top there was a cozy little village with a street market, We grabbed some drinks and rested before we heading back down the treacherous descent. We stopped every so often because our rims were heating up due to the constant braking to slow us down. At some point Tom got a flat and we had to put on a spare inner tube. It actually went pretty well, but the hand pump wasn't very effective. Not to mention, only 2 bikers out of at least a dozen asked if we needed help. Poor form!

We were happy to make it down safely and decided that we'd see if we could find a place to stay in town since we didn't have a hotel for tonight and didn't feel like sticking with the original plan and heading to Lyon or Grenoble. Luckily there was a hotel right downtown with an available room, so here we rest our heads tonight. Tomorrow it's off to Interlaken, Switzerland for 3 days.

July 18th - Le Tour

Today we made our first drive of any length, from Nice to Marseille. We missed the first entrance on to the highway and were driving in circles somewhere near Cannes. We ended up driving into a flea market in a parking lot and feared we'd be trapped there because the road in was so narrow. We made it out and found our way to the highway, but not before I tried to turn down a walkway. A nice looking couple almost had to dive for cover - imagine Bourne Identity when he drove the mini down the stairs. I was surprised to see our car could make it up to 130 but it certainly took a while. I decided that the problem is its automatic transmission isn't very good. (Stop worrying mom, it was KPH not MPH)

It was a 2.5 hour drive total, with some hefty toll prices - 15 Euros! The country side actually looked like some parts of California, dry bushes with jagged rocks. We got in to Marseille and got completely lost trying to find the hotel. We think we figured out the problem: Google directions give insane detail and roads here don't have signs. Also, I think the directions stink. But we found the hotel just before they closed the road for the Tour, so that worked out really well.

The hotel is pretty sweet, it's actually a long term residence hotel so we have a living room, separate bedroom, mini kitchen and huge balcony. Alas, no bidet :( After grabbing the usual cafe lunch, we went down to the finish line to check out the race. It was really crowded, but it was great seeing all the huge team buses and fancy road bikes. The crowds were so big that we focused on setting up near a big screen so we could watch the race and still catch a glimpse of the bunch sprint at the end.

There was a 12 man break away that was whittled down to 5 with about 30 km left and it came down to them speeding past us at 55kph+ at the 150m to go mark. A Frenchman won, so everyone was happy. Our boy Jens Voigt of team CSC finished last of the 5, but we still like him. Unfortunately, when I tried to snap a picture of the peloton when they zoomed by 10 minutes later, I pressed the off button instead of the picture button. By the time I turned it back on, the peloton had already passed so I just got shots of a few stragglers.

We went to check out the team buses again, but they had pretty much packed up with only a few menacing Russians outside the Discovery bus. Not Maxim the silent killer menacing, more a beat you up menacing. We ogled some bikes and then headed back to the hotel.

Tonight we headed to downtown Marseille (the harbor area), but I don't have anything nice to say so I won't say anything at all. Tomorrow we head up to the French Alps to get ready for our ride up the famous l'Alpe D'Huez on Friday.

July 17th - Au Revior Paris, Bonjour Nice

We weren't sure if we were going to wake up in time to make our plane today as we were out so late last night we missed the last train and had to walk home. We spent about a half hour chatting with a nice couple from Atlanta on the Pont Neuf. At one point they told us that they tried to rent bikes but were unsuccessful. That made us feel a little better about our failure, but not much because they seemed pretty clueless. Thankfully, we woke up and made it to the airport (Orly) in plenty of time for the cattle rush that is Europe's version of Southwest Airlines, Easyjet. April was able to wedge in and race to the exit row so we had nice roomy seats for the short flight.

When we got to Nice, it was hot! We had to walk about a mile to the car rental station (why is National always the furthest away?). We rented a Citroen C3. It kind of looks like an egg, which April approves of. It's not the fastest car, I'm not sure if I'm working it properly as it feels like I'm riding with the parking brake on (I'm not). After about 20 minutes of driving around in circles of 1 way unmarked streets with crazy pedestrians, other drivers, and motorcyclists trying to get hit we made it to the hotel which is very nice and not too far from the beach, and the have a bidet!

We immediately went out to grab some food and head down to the beach to swim. The water is crystal clear and not too cold (probably low 70's if your body is tuned to tell the exact temp - Nathan). The beach is actually pebbles and small rocks - no sand. It looks really cool and is probably great fun if you aren't barefoot. OUCH. We usually take a while to get used to the water, but the pain of cold water was nothing compared to the pain of those damn rocks, so we jumped right in. It's very salty, so you can float really well.

Nice is a beautiful city with a much different feel than Paris. The same types of apartment buildings with elaborate iron railings in front of the windows but several of the buildings are painted in pastel colors. It really gives the area a tropical feel. We are here just until tomorrow when we head to Marseilles to check out the Tour de France.

July 16th - It's Liptonic!

On our way home last night, we stopped off for something to drink. We decided on some good old lipton iced-tea. However, nothing is ever that simple in France. When we got home we realized the horrible truth, it was carbonated. Either we didn't notice or didn't understand the "Liptonic" in bold writing on the label. Or it could be that we would never in our wildest dreams imagine someone would carbonate iced-tea. I think I thought it was just some horrible marketing campaign word like "crumbelievable" or "schweppevesence". Apparently, it actually meant tonic.

Apparently a large cog in the Parisian economy is the accordion grinder on trains. On the way in from the airport, a couple of kids jumped on the train and began playing a song to try and get some money. One kid played the accordion and the other "played" the tambourine. The whole time I was thinking, boy I hope tambourine boy isn't getting a very big cut, he's not bringing much to the table. Then on our epic train ride to Versailles we encountered another duo. This time a father/son (Tom thinks it was probably uncle/nephew) team boarded. The father had an accordion and the son had a guitar. They played a little ditty that sounded oddly out of tune. At first I wasn't sure what was going on, but then I realized, the kid could not play the guitar. He was simply strumming the open strings to the beat. And I thought tambourine boy was bad. This being a double decker train, I shudder to think how much money these guys made as I saw a few dumb tourists reaching for their pockets. I wonder if these guys can make a living?

Another huge money maker is the trinket selling business. At all the major tourist hot spots there are a gang of people selling miniature Tour Eiffels. These guys are pretty funny. They come up to you about once every 15 seconds. It's like, "you just saw me say no to the last guy selling the same thing." They even go back and pester the same people they just sold to. The old adage is true: "don't feed them, they'll just come back for more." At Versailles, a different bunch of guys selling the same miniature Tour Eiffels had lined up across the exit road completely blocking people from leaving without running through their gauntlet. I admire their persistence, but wouldn't miniature Versailles palaces have made more sense? I did almost buy an umbrella hat though because it was pretty hot!

Today we went back to Notre Dame for a tour. We did a walk by last time because the line to get in was insanely long. After a few days in Paris, we've figured out how to get around lines though, just say you need to get in for the lost and found. Or just walk right in through the exit. They never seem to be paying attention as a huge mass of people is simultaneously leaving. April does not advocate this line cutting method-- this is all Tom.

Well it rained today on and off but it wasn't too bad. We did some more walking around the city. For those of you familiar with the Boston area, today we stumbled upon Paris' version of Downtown Crossing, complete with grime and high schoolers. We tried to go to the catacombs but they are closed on Mondays. So now I guess we have something to see if we come back. We also tried to rent one of those bikes we mentioned the other day. Boy they look fun. But alas, we still can't figure the machine out so no soup for us.

We are flying down to Nice tomorrow morning and then heading to Marseilles on Wednesday. Hopefully we'll still have access to the Internet to bore you with our rantings. At least now we will have an answer when asked "how was your trip?" -- Read the blog!

July 15th - A Tale of Two Cities

Today was truly the "best of times" and the "worst of times". We went to Versailles today, but we had trouble getting on the right train and wound up heading in the wrong direction. We had to take a train back in the other direction to the right station to make a switch, but almost got right back on another wrong train. Alas, we made it to Versailles but the line to get in the palace was incredibly long so we decided to just go out to the gardens (how many ornate mansions can you see anyway?).

The gardens were pretty amazing. Huge manicured lawns and fountains. There were also tons of wooded trails with pave (cobble stones). We were able to rent bikes and ride along them. We came across a baby goat and April got off to feed him. Later, a small puppy launched an attack, but luckily we were just a little to quick for him. It was really hot out, but the breeze on the bike was great. This was by far the most fun we had so far in Paris. (Best of Times) However, by the time we made it to Marie Antoinette's house, we realized April lost her phone somewhere along the way. (Worst of times). Tom retraced the route while April headed back to the start but predictably we came up empty. We initially thought Monsieur Le Goat had taken the phone as he was no longer around and was eating up everything in sight earlier, but we didn't have any proof. Needless to say the ride home was pretty sad.

When we got home, Tom cancelled the service on my phone and activated the service on his phone, we watched a little live Tour de France coverage then took a nap. At around seven we decided to go out for the evening. As we were getting ready to head out the door Tom's cell rang and it was a french number. I answered and it was an American on the other line asking if I knew someone who had lost a cell phone. I was ecstatic. It turns out someone was riding the same bike path saw the phone in the grass and decided instead of turning it in to just try to contact the owner. I got their location and we went out to pick up the phone with thank you pastries and a bottle of wine.

We decided to walk because they were staying in the Latin Quarter not far from us. We met them at their hotel - a really nice lady named Franny from Massachusetts and her daughter. We talked for a while and even took pictures. They were really friendly and sweet.

After that we headed out to dinner at a nice cafe and April had a great salad. Tom's steak wasn't that great, but he was happy to have a large coke, even if it cost almost 8 euros (over half of what the steak cost). As usual, it was really late even though it felt like 8:30 so we decided to turn in and plan our Monday, our last day in Paris.

July 14th - Vive la France (Bastille Day)

Today we visited the Eiffel Tower. It was amazing,but the lines were pretty long so we were kinda drained by the time we got up to the observation area. We were ambitious at first and paid for a ticket to the top level but really only made it up to the second level. The second level was cool enough though. You could see pretty far from where we were so we were happy with that. They had those little viewfinder things you could use to get a close up view of different parts of the city.

I was psyched because right in the same area they were having an outdoor concert for Bastille Day and Nelly Furtado was performing. She sang a couple of songs with Timbaland, but Tom thinks it was a voice track. He's probably right (Tom wrote this).

Today we noticed that they have these automated bike stations all over the city with bike rentals. We think the first half hour is free and then you can drop them off at any other station. We are excited to try these before we leave.

After a late lunch, we headed back the Champs Elysee and caught the latest Harry Potter flick. It was pretty good considering the story in Book 5 was kind of annoying, but I'll leave the movie reviews to Maxim.

July 13th - How much for that Pepsi?

Standard tourist stuff today. We hit the louvre first and then Notre Dame. Let me say, what you've heard about the smell is right. It is kindy of stinky here. Especially on the "orange" line of the metro which is like 100 degrees. Other than the heat and smell it gets us where we need to go so its not that bad. The only bad thing so far has been the outrageous prices. It costs about 5 euros for a coke at a restaurant!! We discovered to our absolute dismay that the best deal in town for a meal is chez McDo-- McDonald's where you can get a combo "Best Of" meal for about 5 Euros. The same 5 Euros that will get you a teeny tiny coke at a cafe.

As for the sightseeing we did today, the Louvre was pretty neat. We saw the standard stuff like the Mona Lisa but we also saw some cool stuff in the other wings like Egyptian artifacts and some medieval building stuff on the lower floor of the Sully wing. Although truth be told, we saw this as Tom was trying to find the exit and was mistakenly following the emergency exit signs all over the building!

After the louvre we happened across the pet district with tons of bunnies and guinea pigs. They were pretty cute, but they spoke mostly french so we couldn't really understand them. I must say, there's nothing cuter than a plump guinea pig trying to speak english with a french accent!!

The best part so far has been just walking around the city. It is really beautiful and great fun to just walk around and get lost, which we have done several times. In fact, we've been lost more than we've been found. Despite Tom's usual great sense of direction, every direction he has chosen has been the exact opposite. The streets are pretty narrow with slight bends and you can't get a point of reference. Regardless, it has actually been quite fun to just walk around. We eventually get to where we are headed.

July 12th - Bonjour Paris

We arrived at CDG at 11 AM in pretty good shape considering we didn't get much sleep. Luckily we had a DVD of Blue Planet to put us down for at least awhile. We made it through customs and took a train into the city where who we think were Russians attempted to solicit our help in figuring out how the train system worked. I guess they figured they were better off with english than french, but really the only thing they could do was smile and point at a map. We tried to help them as much as we could then we just got on our train and took off. They made it to the right station to change trains, but we didn't see them again.

We arrived at our apartment located in the Latin Quarter section of the city about 30 minutes later. The location is fantastic. There are a couple of cool cafes on the corner which we have yet to try and a bunch of shops lining the streets. We're actually down the street from a Whole Foods like grocery store--it's actually a little fancier than our whole foods but it has similar types of foods and products. Tom was psyched to see they had cans of tuna and Kettle Chips, of which he purchased plenty. He was also very excited about the strawberry flavored fluff. I was disappointed at the severe lack of Nutella.

Anyway, the location is great, the apartment itself is nice one bedroom with a kitchen. The bathroom's a bit on the small side. Tom was sad because there was no bidet. Also, it is impossible for Tom to fit on the toilet as it is wedged between the wall and tub. Speaking of the tub, that's all there is, a tub with a hose. This makes shower very difficult and I'm sure the people below are getting rained on with every attempt as Tom regularly floods the bathroom.

After we grabbed some food supplies we crashed for awhile and then headed out on a long walk around the city ending up on the Champs Elysee. It's really wierd because it gets dark so late (after 10 PM) that you think it is much earlier than it really is. By the time we got home, we pretty much just went right to sleep but we still had a tough time waking up the next day thanks to the less than heavenly bed. So we didn't get out until about 11AM the next day.

July 11th - Leaving LA

We left LA on Wednesday morning and a pretty good flight to NY. However, bad weather had us doing loops over western PA so we were getting pretty anxious that we would miss our connection. However we landed in time to realize that our connecting plane never made it to NY. Luckily they brought a new plane in and we were only delayed a few hours. The wierdest thing happened, there was this strange moisture coming out of the sky. Being from SoCal, we weren't sure what this was, but it was very scary!