From Rubbish to Lovely: Dublin, Ireland

Looking back, getting home at three in the morning Friday night was probably not the wisest choice when I had a 9:15am flight to Dublin Saturday morning. However, in the moment, it was a unanimous decision that I was being the “responsible” one, leaving to go home. Everyone else went to another club, including Massimo, my friend I would be traveling there with. Leslie and I catch a cab back to my house and I double check that everything is ready for the morning. Everything packed, clothes laid out, 5:20am alarm set (or so I thought...).

Half awake and groggy eyed, I roll over and look at the clock. Closing my eyes and dozing ba..... SEVEN TWENTY-FOUR?!?! Flailing out of bed, startling Leslie half to death, I throw my (what I thought was) well pre-prepared clothes on, drop several F bombs, and panic trying to figure out a quick solution. With no better thought to cross my mind, I decide I just need to get to the airport as quickly as possible... I can still make it. Hailing a cab rather rapidly, I tell him to haul it to Beauvais. A quick smirk lit up the cab drivers face, as he knew this was going to make him a pretty penny. 

The main airport in Paris is Charles de Gaulle, but flying out of Beauvais can be much cheaper depending on the destination. Inconvenient in every sense, I had an uphill battle cut out for me as I knew this hour long cab right would be cutting it down to the wire. This was the longest hour of my life as I sat in the back seat, sulking, staring at the clock as every minute changed too quickly. For the first time, I see my reflexion in the window and am completely embarrassed at the hot mess starting back at me. Hair everywhere, shirt on backwards, tears welling in my eyes... I’m just trying to keep my composure, telling myself, everything will work out, I’ve never missed a flight in my life, I’m going to make it!

... I didn’t make it.

Gates close at 8:45. I arrived at 8:42. They wouldn’t let me go through security. This definitely qualified as an example of being in agreeance with the common phrase that expats use here: “The only thing wrong with France is the French.” Being an hour outside Paris, with no other flights to Beauvais for the day, I do the only natural thing I can think of... cry. Now I know my looks at the moment weren’t going to win me any points, but not even my crocodile tears could help this debacle. Going outside to the 30 degree weather, I stand in line to purchase a bus ticket to take me back to Paris. What a spectacle/ train wreck/ source of entertainment I must have been to those around. As if this wasn’t bad enough, now I had to break the news to Max. Turns out, he didn’t even go to sleep and went straight to the airport after getting home from the club at seven in the morning. Maybe I should have stayed out... But his flight was now boarding as the Insomniac stands straddling the plane and boarding dock. I tell him to get on the plane and I’ll figure out a way to get there.

As in many other cases of uncertainty, confusion, or crisis, I call my savior Leslie. Still at my house, she gets on my laptop and books me a new flight leaving at four pm out of Charles de Gaulle. Sparing you the details of the rest of this mess, such as my credit card getting declined, issues getting through security, and being the last to board my new flight.... I MAKE IT TO DUBLIN! 

Meeting Max at the hotel, we both just laugh at the situation as I apologize over and over again for my six hour delay. For the IRresponsible insomniac, things seemed to have worked out as he was finally able to get some shut eye while waiting for me to get there. 

Enough of the “rubbish” part of the weekend, lets talk about the “lovely” part which truly was the remainder of the trip. Once I dropped my bags off, we ended up just strolling around the city which definitely exceeded my expectations, especially lit at night. We walked by Christ Church and St. Patrick’s Cathedral, making some wrong turns along the way, but finally getting over to a popular street lined with cute shops and restaurants. Walking into Against The Grain which our awesome receptionist had suggested, we instantly feel out of place, as the whole restaurant/bar is filled with people in christmas grab and ugly sweaters! It was great! W were ready to have our first Irish beer and this place in particular is well known for having beers from all over the world. Walking to the back, we realize the little place was packed, but luckily were able to snag a table just as a group was leaving (which seemed to be a theme all weekend). Enjoying the atmosphere and beer, it was great to finally breathe and start enjoying the trip. Massimo instantly recognizes the accent to our right and starts chatting it up with his fellow homelanders, Italia! Stomaches growling, we order beef and potato stew, which we later realize is everywhere in this city and for a good reason, the stuff is damn good! 

After eating, we decide to head over to check off one of the main attractions... Temple Bar! In Dublin, the most lively, happening district is named Temple Bar. It’s promoted as “Dublin’s cultural quarter” and has preserved most of its medieval street pattern from the 17th century. In the heart of this area, is the appropriately named Temple Bar (Pub). Having a drink here was a must for me but one drink seemed to be enough for the both of us. Screaming to talk to each other over the loud music, I could only imagine what this place turns into after midnight. Once again, the theme of Christmas was apparent through everyones apparel. There wasn’t anything particularly special about this bar aside from the history and knowing it’s Dublin’s most famous bar but I’m glad I was able to see and say I’ve been there :)

Walking approximately twenty steps across the street, we were back at our hotel and were shocked as soon as we opened the door that led into the hotel bar. The place was sardines and just one big party! I didn’t know December 1st was going to be Dublin’s citywide Wear-Your-Ugly-Sweater-Day (not really but we weren’t totally sure). I never miss an opportunity to dress up, and the fact I have a killer ugly sweater back home, I was just simply depressed at this missed opportunity to rock it. Shoving past countless santas, elves, and even lit up christmas tree sweaters, we made our way to the upstairs bar to enjoy the rest of the night. 

On a side note, I later asked our friendly receptionist what's up with the ugly sweaters and she looked a me so quizzically  Turns out, they call them "Christmas Jumpers" in Ireland (and I'm pretty sure across the UK). Everywhere we walked they were on display for sale in all the store windows... I don't care where you're from, the things are still hideous (yet fabulous). 

Waking up Sunday morning, I was already off to a better start than I had the previous day. Googling the closest Starbucks, we headed out for the day. Max works for Nespresso, so we had to camouflage him walking through the doors of my home away from home. Right next to this Starbucks was Trinity College which I was really looking forward to seeing. Once on campus, I was shocked at the actual size of the campus... it was so small! However, to Max, this place was huge. Cultural differences strike again. Either way, we both thought it was very cool to see. Next up we decided to to cross the Liffey River and stroll along O’Connell street (Dublin’s Champs-Elysees). One thing I loved about Dublin is the size of the city. It’s fairly small which gave it a more hometown feel. The river cuts directly through the middle and there are unique bridges about every 100 yards or so. One I read about and was eager to see was O’Connell’s bridge, which reviews seemed enthusiastic on talking about being the only bridge that is as wide as it is long. Once actually on the bridge, it now made sense to me why our receptionist (turned friend) was puzzled when I brought this up. There was nothing special about the bridge whatsoever. It actually is more of an overpass than a bridge but nevertheless, we had to take a picture on this “famous” bridge. O’Connell street and its neighboring alleys were all festively decorated which made the city feel that much more quaint and walking around, you couldn't help but embrace the holiday charm.

Next on the agenda was the highly anticipated, Guinness Storehouse! Since I had already had my “Heineken Experience” in Amsterdam, I had somewhat of an idea of what it would be like. In some ways they were similar. For instance, both places guided us through the beer making process and explained the history behind the product. But in most ways, they were different. There was no virtual brew tour/ride as there was at Heineken (which I was completely fine with), and I felt the whole factory had a much more authentic feel whereas Heineken was much more commercialized. Guinness did have an entire level devoted to their advertising but it was much more interesting and less in your face than Heineken. On the same floor, they had the history of how the “Guinness Book of World Record’s” came to be... in short, it involved a few Guinness employees being curious about the heaviest fish ever caught. Google it if interested. But hands down, the best part of the “Guinness Experience” was the Gravity Bar! 

Before ascending to the very top, you pass their “Hall of Fame” wall with all the celebrities who have been there as well. From Obama to Clinton to Sean Penn to Queen Elizabeth II, everyone has cheer’ed here with their Guinness in hand. What makes the Gravity Bar so great is that it’s the highest view point of Dublin, with a 360 degree view of the city. This room alone made the 16 euro entrance fee worth it. Grabbing our beer that the skilled bartenders carve a shamrock on top of the foam, we found a pair of seats (just as people were getting up) and enjoyed the floor to ceiling view of Dublin. 

We decided to walk down one floor and stay there for lunch. Again, chowing down on some beef and potato stew and yes, another beer. I was so full (and rather sick of beer by then), I felt like I needed a ramp to be rolled out of the Storehouse. Lunch was great though because we had a table with a view, and live music playing right next to us. Although Irish music is not what I have set on my iPod, I have to say, it’s fantastic! Listening to traditional Irish music with a banjo, bodhran (Irish drum), accordian, guitar, and violin, you can’t help but smile, knowing for certain which country you are in... more to come on this later.

We went back to the hotel to unwind and watched The X Factor for the 29th time. It was the British version but watching a show in English seemed so foreign to me! I was mesmerized, even if it was the same boy band singing over and over again. Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about how it will feel for me to be back in the states. Situations like these have made me realize how adaptive my life have been here, and going back, I’m preparing to feel a major rush of reverse culture shock. But just like being prepared for it when I moved here, you really don’t know what it will feel like until it’s happening. 

Dinner time came and we found a great Gaudi-ish type pub called Turk’s Head. I was on a mission to find fish ‘n chips and all I can say is mission accomplished. One of my favorite authors, Frank McCourt, who wrote Angela’s Ashes, was born and raised in Limerick, Ireland. After reading all three of his books, I’ve had this picture in my head that all Irish people do is sit around in pubs, drink beer, and eat fish ‘n chips. And after being in Ireland, the reformed picture I have in my head is that all Irish people do is sit around in pubs, drink beer, and eat fish ‘n chips (or beef stew). Okay, this is not entirely true, but not far fetched either. 

I finally had to wave my white flag at dinner to beer and switched to wine instead. That compliments fish ‘n chips, right? They had wine from both California and Italy, but it was a quick victory for me when Max said he’d never drank wine from Napa Valley. The verdict was out and the Italian liked it :)

Rounding out the trip last but certainly not least was that nights source of entertainment. Earlier in the day, we walked by the Arlington Hotel and saw an advertisement for their nightly Irish music and dancing show. Walking inside to talk to the receptionist, she informed us that you can reserve a spot for their three course dinner, or come around nine and try to get lucky finding a spot at the bar. As mentioned earlier, the seating God’s were on our side the entire weekend and this was no exception. Walking in at 9:05 free of charge, we pop a squat on the two lone bar stools situated directly in front of the stage.

The band had just begun to play and we we’re both blown away with not only how good they were, but how entertaining the whole show was! The five member band played all the classic Irish songs (which I knew maybe one of) and had the audience involved the entire time. On top of these guys, four Irish river dancers came out and danced different numbers throughout the night. The show in its entirety was authentic, genuine, and bona fide awesome. I couldn’t have imagined a better end to the trip. Walking back to the hotel after the show, we both agreed that was the best part of the weekend and is something I certainly will not forget. 

Waking up bright and early Monday morning (after a restless night of sleep worrying about my alarm not going off again), we headed to the airport at a quarter to five. Aubree heading back to Paris, Max heading back to Switzerland where he currently lives and works. It’s weekends like these that make me feel unbelievably fortunate and blessed. A year ago, I would not have ever thought I’d be where I am today. And now today, I could never imagine being anywhere else. An American living in France... an Italian living in Switzerland... going to Ireland for a weekend trip. It’s exactly what this whole experience is about and I've loved every minute of it! 

Temple Bar! 

Penny Bridge with love locks

Wining and dining. Napa Valley wine

St. Patrick's Cathedral

entering Temple Bar area

Christ Church 

Inside Dublin Castle

street vendors

Trinity College

Trinity College

Love locks on Penny Bridge

Guinness Storehouse

Shamrock!

cheers!

view from Gravity Bar

lunch entertainment 

Guinness Storehouse

The Shire and Christmas tree on O'Connell !

Grafton Street lit up at night

Awesome Irish band!

"Cuz."

"But why Josh?" My instinct to mouth the word "cuz" as Josh says it simultaneously has habitually become second nature for me. This slang word has become my newly despised word that The Josher gives me no matter what the posed question might be. "Josh, why don't you want to go to school today?" "Cuz." "Josh, why won't you poop in the toilet instead of your diaper?" "Cuz." So in honor of Josh’s one and only answer to any question, I decided to post a new blog just cuz.

Who knew that being an au pair could make ME find out that I have a speech impediment? Okay, I might be slanting this a little, but Thom has brought it to my attention that Josh now says the word "um" and the source of this issue could stem from no other place except me! It's just a matter of time until he adds "like" "stoaked" and "rad" to his vernacular to become fully California bred. I'm planning on packing him on my suitcase when I move home so this will more or less happen anyways.

As anyone who has spoke to me recently might know, reality is hitting hard that "the end" is sneaking up on me much quicker than I would like. To put it simply, I’m just not ready to leave. Paris has become home to me. I have my routine, I have my friends, I have this city- none of which I want to give up just yet. Three weeks. That’s all there is left until I’m jet setting back west... or is it? Last week I found out that my “replacement” backed out and the Ricke’s are having to start from scratch again to find a new au pair. When they told me this over dinner last Sunday night, the first thing that came to my mind was, “is this a sign?” Mentally playing around with this idea, I came up with another solution for them- I stay. Now wait, before you jump to conclusions, allow me to explain. I’m still coming home for Christmas and New Years. And if I returned, it would only be until March when my Visa expires. So by next week I’ll find out if I’m staying only three more weeks, or three months. There are several variables that play factors here but as this looms over my head (and now my anxious parents), I think the odds are in favor of me moving home for good in December. I’ll just have to find a way to cope with leaving Paris sooner than I want to but this entire situation is starting to feel like a break-up right when things are at its best. Some might argue it’s best to leave on a high note, but this has truly turned into something I want to last forever. 

One thing that makes staying here a tad bit easier, is getting to see familiar faces all the time. Whenever someone is traveling to Europe, it’s almost considered illegal to not come to Paris. This time was no exception as Karen and Sophia Bonacorso came into town two weeks ago! Bonacorso should ring a bell to my close family and friends as they were my host family I lived with both times I was out in Boston playing soccer. Sophia, the oldest of their four amazing kids, was in a ballet competition here in Paris. This little girl is unbelievable!! She’s only 14 right now but is hoping to become a professional ballerina by the time she’s 16. That might sound shocking to most, but watching her on stage, I’d be shocked if it didn’t happen. Karen, the mother, was nervously holding onto her seat during her entire routine but she should definitely be a proud mama! Besides the dancing, I was able to show them around Paris a little bit and even show Karen a smidgen of the night life, taking her out to a bar with Leslie and I :) if anyone asked, she was my older sister! It was terrific getting to see both of them but also a little bitter sweet because it reminded me how much I missed them! And with only the two of them in tote, made me miss the rest of the clan that much more! If all goes according to plan, I’ll get to see all of them in March when I plan to visit Meghan in Boston... the fact that St. Patricks Day overlaps with my trip is pure coincidence... :) and who knows, Karen made an offer for me to basically come be their au pair. Boston round three? Figuratively speaking, in my life right now I feel as light as a feather... We will see where the wind blows me. 

With the most wonderful time of the year inching closer, one thing Paris (and most major European cities) is known for during Christmas time are the Christmas Markets! Vendors and booths line the streets of popular Paris areas including the Champs Elysees, La Defense, Trocadero, Montmartre, and more. Everything from corn on the cob and kebabs to hand made scarves and soaps are on display for sale. Christmas music plays and people come from near and far to see what these are all about. Hands down, my favorite thing to buy here is the “vin chaud” ... or, hot wine. Pay an extra euro and they’ll add some “rhum” to it and warms you right up! So far, I’ve strolled around the Champs Elysees Christmas Market twice, but look forward to peeping some others in the next few weeks.

With the Christmas Markets up and running, Paris decked out in Christmas garb everywhere you look, and Starbucks finally whipping out their Christmas cups (which of course, OFFICIALLY marks the start of Christmas season), it took a conscientious effort to not forget about Thanksgiving. We celebrated Thanksgiving with a dinner at our house Saturday night. Since it’s not a celebrated holiday here, Thursday was a normal Parisienne work day. Luckily, being an au pair, I have all day to trapes around this city I love so much. Leslie and I knew we had to do SOMETHING American on actual Thanksgiving so we set up going to Breakfast In America with us, Bryana, Hilary, and Katie (three other American au pairs who all went to UCSB). Kristin, a German au pair, came as well. She was keen on trying their “Obama Shake.” Breakfast In America is not a made up name or something clever we came up with. It actually exists and is so popular, there are two locations in Paris. Go here to get your fix of french toast, pancakes, breakfast burritos, and milkshakes! It was a nice time out to spend together and actually get to celebrate our American Roots. Once breakfast was over and we stepped outside, it was back to the “oui’s,” “non, merci’s,” and “pardon’s.”

Jumping back to a month ago, we decided that my family would host a thanksgiving dinner for us and the Van Gaver’s (Leslie’s host family). No biggie right? Well, when my family includes four boys, and her family includes three boys and a girl, our two families combined equal fourteen people! As the day inched nearer, Leslie and I were nearly salivating at every Pinterest and Food Network recipe we saw. But as we kept asking our host families what dishes each of us wanted to prepare, everyone seemed pretty aloof to the whole thing. Finally, Leslie and I took initiative and went shopping at Thanksgiving. Hold the confusion, to explain, Thanksgiving is a store here in Paris that sells all American food that you can’t buy in the grocery store such as Betty Crocker cake mix, Trix cereal, and PopTarts. And yes, they are open year round. And yes, they cost approximately three times as much as in the states. Nevertheless, we were able to stock up on the essentials and prepare for a promising Thanksgiving Feast! 

The day of the dinner finally rolls around and Leslie comes over at noon ready to get cookin’! We realized quickly we didn’t have half the ingredients we needed so made another grocery run. Finally back in the kitchen, the preparation gets underway. Dumber and Dumber are on a roll as we finish up the Pumpkin bread, stuffing with added cornmeal and sausage, maple and brown sugar yams with marshmallows, and green beans with sauteed mushrooms and onions. Starting on our apple pie and peacan pie desserts, reality hits us. Sadia (my host mother) walked into the kitchen and told us she was going to get a massage. Josh was taking a nap and Sam was watching tv, so we were to keep an eye on them. For the first time all day, Leslie and I realize we are getting zero help preparing this feast for fourteen people... just peachy. Back to work, we just keep laughing over the situation. Sadia is getting a massage, Leslie’s host family is currently at the town pool, and here we are, slaving away in the kitchen. In one of my earlier blogs I wrote how being an au pair is “MIT” and I think this definitely exemplifies being a Mother In Training. Leslie jokingly said, “I thought we were going to have time to relax, get ready, and even watch a movie!” In actuality we barely had time to change out of our sweats, taking alternating five minute breaks to go up to my room and throw ourselves together. I will give Thom some credit, as he picked up the turkey in the morning and checked it every now and then. ((Golf clap)) Being that the house is “european style” which means small kitchen including only one oven, it made for quite the challenge trying to cook all our dishes as well as the turkey. 

In the end however, I must say everything turned out really great! ... except for a minor debacle with the gravy. Completely forgetting about it as the boil overflowed the pot, I quickly moved it into the sink. Forgetting I left it there and starting to clean up the mess, a good amount of soap ended up in the gravy. Hesitating over what to do, Leslie and I concurred it still tasted okay?... Nobody was injured or got sick from it but let’s keep that our little secret. What kind of holiday would it be if everything went smoothly anyways? 

Once Thom and the boys got home from football practice and the Van Gaver’s arrived, it was pretty smooth sailing from here on out. We enjoyed some aperitifs and champagne then all gathered around the table to finally enjoy the feast! One of the bigger “MIT” moments came pretty early into the night as we set out our appetizers, which were our homemade “Brie Bites” (pie crust bites stuffed with of brie cheese and jam) and the pumpkin bread. My excitement quickly turned into being perturbed as Nathan went into the kitchen to open up a bag of Dorito’s instead of eat the appetizers we spent hours making! Looking back, this moment, along with going back into the kitchen every ten minutes to check on the food, makes me laugh/a little scared at how much of a parental figure I’ve become here... the inevitable is happening, I’m growing up! Everyone was very grateful and impressed with everything we had prepared. But I’d have to say the best feeling came from just the general sense of accomplishment that I felt once the night was complete.. We really pulled that off! As I’m writing this I can just see my mother laughing at this, picturing me in the kitchen all day, with an I-told-you-so grin on her face. Well mom, believe it! I took pictures of the feast just so I would have hard evidence :)

Other than the Christmas Markets and Thanksgiving, my noteworthy highlights are simply just checking things off “the list.” One thing so great about Paris is you can live here years (or nine months in my case) and still not have come close to doing/seeing everything in this city. For months now, I’ve been wanting to go to the Pére Lachaise Cemetery. Here, you can find the burial spots of Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, Giovanni  Bellini and other famous writers/musicians/artists/popular Parisian figures. I think putting this off until now actually worked out to my advantage because it was SO beautiful there (in the least morbid way possible) with the crisp fall air and colorful leaves on the ground. 

On Tuesday, Leslie and I knocked another off the list which was going to the top of Notre Dame. See for yourself below but of all the views I’ve seen in Paris, this was definitely one of my favorites. Everyone always immediately thinks the Eiffel Tower is the mantra view here (which, don’t get me wrong- it’s breathtaking), but most people forget that you can’t see the Eiffel Tower if you’re standing on the Eiffel Tower! Being at the zero point of Paris, Notre Dame gives you the best of both worlds, being able to see the Seine, Eiffel Tower, Napoleon’s Tomb, Sacre Coeur, Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, and more. (you be the judge- see for yourself below)

Going hand in hand with some more cultural exposures, yesterday Leslie, Kristin, and I stood in line in the freezing cold for almost two hours to see the current exhibit at the Grand Palais: Edward Hopper. All I have to say about that besides my toes being numb, is you’re welcome (or I’m sorry) to anyone standing within a ten foot radius of us. One thing is for sure, we girls know how to TALK and we were surely a solid source of entertainment to the others queueing. Once inside, the exhibit itself was fantastic and well worth the wait. Besides the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, and the Louvre of course, this definitely tops my list of art museums/exhibits I’ve seen. After seeing this American realist painters works of art including Nighthawks and my personal favorite, Chop Suey, we headed over to the Marais for one of our “boozy lunches.” As you know, being an au pair gives you the freedom to do whatever you like during the day while everyone else is at work so we figure what better way to spend our days than with good food, good company, and good wine? Oh how tough our lives are :) But reality quickly hits come five o’clock as I’m cleaning up a different type of liquid from the bathroom floor as Josh missed pouring his little potty “debris” into the toilet.

Jumping back to magnificent city views, tonight I’ll be going to the top of Montparnasse (the second tallest building in Paris, behind Lady Eiffel for you smarty pants). Many people traveling here opt to go the top of this building instead of the Eiffel Tower because the line is much shorter... and this view allows you to see Her Majesty. Tonight should be great for several reasons. A. I’m getting to cross another thing off the list. B. We’re going at night so seeing everything lit up should be great. And C. There’s a bar at the top. No explanation needed there :)

If you can’t read my enthusiasm about my life here, than let me spell it out. I love my life here! Not a day goes by that I don’t feel so incredibly blessed and thankful to have had this experience. In my last few weeks here, I’m determined to make every day count. This weekend I’m going to Dublin, Ireland so check back next week to hear all about my continued european adventures!

Santé!

Breakfast in America

Happy Thanksgiving! THE Feast Leslie and I prepared

Pére Lachaise Cemetery: top left- Jim Morrison. top right- Oscar Wilde 

Chataeu Ricke backyard  

My beautiful little Sophia!

So happy to have her in town!

The Champs decked out

Christmas Market

Yummyyyy!

Christmas Market and Ferris Wheel

Eiffel Tower view from Champs Elysees

British bartender dressed up in Spanish costume in Australian bar in France,
taking a picture with an American... I love Europe :)

Never want these nights to end

Park in Suresnes with my little man <3 

No idea how I'm going to say goodbye to my little monster

Ohhh Paris...

J'dore Paris 

Love this pic... View from top of Notre Dame with the Gargoyle  

"Cuz" it's Movember!

Love these two <3

"Boozy Lunch" :)

Because one is the loneliest number that you’ll ever do...

“Because one is the loneliest number that you’ll ever do...” Three Dog Night’s one hit wonder has officially become my theme song as today marks my “one month left” mark. With that said, it was somewhat heartbreaking flying home from Copenhagen last weekend knowing my European travels were over (at least for this rendezvous). 19 major cities... in 11 counties... in 8 months. How fast it’s all happened but WHAT a blast it’s been.

My last trip started last Saturday as Leslie, Christine (Leslie’s friend from home), and I flew to Berlin. I was really looking forward to Berlin because I had not been to Germany yet and have heard such great things about the country... and not to mention, I love German men! Also the fact that my mother’s side of the family is dominantly German, I felt like I was going to get a better sense of my ancestry and get more in touch with my inner roots- like finding out what type of beer my great great grandmother drank and how my great grandfather must have chowed down on some currywurst. Once we touched down in Berlin and checked into our hostel (shout out to Berlin PLUS- highly recommend to any Berlin travelers), we made our way over to one of the still-in-tack chunks of the Berlin Wall. This part was really close to where we were staying and was the longest part still together and standing today. It is now covered in art murals and is  overall very eccentric, yet rad. After our “awe” moment of seeing the Berlin Wall in person, we met up with Isabel! Isabel is the German girl who was an au pair here in Paris but is now back in Germany going to school and working. It was great to have her around not only because I’ve missed her, but also because she speaks German! Leslie in Paris, Isabel in Berlin... I’d say I’ve been pretty lucky having “crutches” every where I go. Besides translating for us every step of the way, she was really great at playing tour guide as we followed her around, literally, every step of the way. Next stop was Check Point Charlie which I didn’t know a lot about before coming except that it was a main attraction of the city. This Berlin wall crossing point between West and East Berlin was part of the Western Allies terrain and the only point visitors could cross from West to East and back again. Turns out, it got it’s name from the alphabet because it was the third checkpoint of the Allies, Checkpoint “A”- Alpha, “B”- Brava, and “C”- Charlie. Why Checkpoint Charlie is the most famous? Where Checkpoint Alpha and Checkpoint Brava are? Umm... Isabel?? However, see below for a picture I had to push and shove to get (and pay 2 euros) with two American Soldiers (or at least dressed up as) standing guard at the checkpoint. Just because I live in Europe doesn’t mean I still don’t fall for the tourist traps from time to time. 

Right next to Checkpoint Charlie was a cool outdoor free exhibit showing the history of the wall and checkpoint which was really educational and great seeing how this all came about. Also right next to Checkpoint Charlie was Starbucks which was very cultural and educational as well :) nothing screams ancestral-knowledge like a grande soy sugar free vanilla latte.

Next on the attraction list: Brandenburger Tor. This massive stone triumphal arch was the former city gate that ran along the Berlin Wall and now is one of the most well-known landmarks in all of Germany. So much in fact that the outline of this arch is plastered all over the metro windows like wall paper. Walking through Brandenburger Tor you hit the street that is like the Champs- Elysees of Berlin. Along this street there are a restaurants, shops, Starbucks :) and hotels. One of the hotels is Hotel Aldon which I had to take my touristy picture of because it was the spot that Michael Jackson notoriously showed off his baby over the balcony. 

As we continued to stroll on, we arrived at the most touching, pensive, and emotionally tough thing I’ve experienced in a while, the Holocaust Memorial and Museum. Walking up to this big square, you are uncertain to what these abstract grey cement blocks are for. Walking though the wavy aisles, you get lost as if you are in a maze, unsure to which way your friends went and a sudden surge of loneliness captivates you. This memorial felt different than any other memorial I’ve seen. You can’t put your finger on it but there is something undisputingly powerful there. With these big blocks swallowing you in, you have no idea how many people are even walking around, and your thought process becomes obstructed. It had a way of taking you there. How did the Jewish people feel? How could human beings do this to other human beings? How was the creator of this memorial able to capture you thoughts and emotions this way, through cement blocks? There is no other way to explain it unless you step foot there yourself. The feelings were overwhelming yet captivating.... and this was before you even enter the underground museum. 

Leaving the Holocaust Museum was extremely somber. There is no dry eye and not a  trace of a smile on any of our faces. How are we supposed to carry on with our trip after reading dozens of hand written letters and seeing hundreds of pictures from people at Aushwitz? A letter from a mother to her daughter read, “We are leaving tomorrow for God knows where. I’m hugging you, in tears. I would so much have loved to hug you again, my poor child. I will never see you again.” As I said, this was an absolutely troublesome place visit but I don’t think my trip to Germany would have been as complete without seeing it. As they say, the show must go on but this is one place that I will surely never forget. 

That night, we had a great dinner followed by a fun night out with Isabel. We ended up going to a place my friend Monika had suggested, Berghain. Normally I don’t go into too much detail about my nights out, but this one was definitely noteworthy. Doors don’t even open until midnight and the place itself was an old run down factory of some sort that has been transformed into one of Europe’s biggest clubs. We met two French guys in line and once the doors finally opened, we learned real quick just what we were in for. A 60 year old man with tattoo’s all over his body and face comes out looking like he wants to kill every last one of us in line. The four of us were about 30 deep in line, with a couple hundred waiting impatiently behind. Monika warned me under no circumstance, do NOT speak standing in line once doors open. Luckily, I had my German crutch Isabel by side. The 60 year old, who Isabel and I started to call “Chancellor” (because Germany is not ran by a President, but by a Chancellor) was all business. Within less than a minute of doors opening, he had already told the first ten people in line they were not getting in nor would they ever and to go away. With no visual clue as to why they weren’t getting in (they looked completely normal to me), I started to get nervous as we made our way to the Chancellor to be deemed worthy or not of entering. The next dozen or so don’t get in either! All I can think is, what is going on here?! This place can house a couple thousand people and doors just opened, why can’t anyone go in? It is now our Judgement Time and the Chancellor looks real hard at us. He asks in German how many our group is? Isabel tells him four which made me immediately think game over, he’s not going to let us in with guys. But to all of our surprise, we are granted access and the heavenly gates (or just rusty old industrial door) opens and we are in! The four of us try to contain our excitement and we walk into the completely deserted warehouse and are the first ones in the club. The club is so strict, not even cameras are allowed and have to be checked with your coat. We made our way up to a lounge area and got a drink, knowing we had probably a good hour to kill before enough people were inside for it to feel like we were at a club (maybe longer, depending on The Chancellors selection process). To this day, I’m still baffled by my experience getting into this club.

The next day, we decided to do the Hop On Hop Off bus which in the past, has turned out to be a great way to see a city with limited time. Unfortunately, this bus trip I was less than impressed with. Maybe it was largely due to the fact that Berlin is mainly just a lot of different big buildings. Don’t get me wrong, lots are very cool architecturally built buildings, but nothing that blew me away. Also, for being a prominent European city, it differs from others because it doesn’t have too many really old buildings or landmarks because so much of the city was destroyed during the second world war.

Being thankful to finally take our last “hop off,” we met up with Isabel and went to Mauerpark market. Now this is where we’re talkin’! This massive spread flea market was the epitome of hipster heaven and had everything you could imagine from vintage jewelry, to handmade scarves, to the most delicious treats and german hot spiced wine. We loved this place and came away with a couple great finds and christmas presents :)

After chowing down on some authentic German brats, walking around all the vendors, and watching some street bands perform (talk about cuties), we made our way over to the GDR (German Democratic Republic) Museum. This place was way more rad than expected and also extremely hands on and informational. Here I was able to learn way more than I ever did in school.... did I say that out loud? I meant to say I learned so much about Germany post WWII and how oppressed the citizens were and how the country was truly on the brink of communism. As mentioned before, Berlin is different than other major European cities but one advantage this city had was how recent most of the history is. Walking around Rome is remarkable yet mind boggling because it’s hard to truly grasp how long ago Caesar and the Roman Empire were walking those same steps. Walking around Berlin, however, seeing the Berlin wall, going to the Holocaust museum, learning about the GDR, this is all things that have happened even in my grandparents/ parents lifetime.

Next to the GDR Museum is the Berlin Dom (cathedral). I really wanted to check this out but it cost 10 euros to go inside! I decided to beat the system and go inside during their Sunday night service. It was great killing two birds with one stone, seeing this massive, beautiful neoclassical cathedral and getting to see first hand a German church service. Although I couldn’t understand a word besides the priests “guten tag,” I enjoyed getting to pop in for a few minutes and check it out. Places like these speak loudly to me to how lucky I am and how unbelievably blessed God has made my life.

Leaving the GDR Museum, the girls and I had a great dinner and I got to eat Spaetzle! These German noodles I fell in love with back in San Diego when my friend Volker (a German exchange student studying at SDSU at the time) made them for me. So unhealthy.... so mouthwateringly delicious. Besides sushi, Spaetzle I think might earn a top spot on my favorite foods list. Rolling out of the restaurant, we decompressed a little back at the hostel and said goodbye to Isabel as she had a late night train to catch back to Hamburg where she lives. Leslie and I decided to go out (duh) and we ended up at a club called Chalet. Like the previous night, this night was also noteworthy because of how different this club was than any other “club” I’ve been to. Have you seen the movie Animal House? It was as if were walking the set with John “Bluto” Blutarsky himself. This boarded up old mansion had been converted into an electro music club house and Leslie and I couldn’t help but laugh as we roamed the halls of this fraternity looking house, going from room to room, feeling an eerie similarity to the movie, Animal House. 

Getting a quick nap was all we could muster before heading to the airport to go to Copenhagen. But like I say, I’ll sleep when I’m dead :) For now, I was really looking forward to getting to go to Scandinavia! Once in “Copes,” we were instantly loving this city. We ate lunch a cute cafe followed by a stroll down their popular shopping street, Stroget. This street is the longest pedestrian street in the world (3.2 km or 2 miles), has a Top Shop, Urban Outfitters, and lots of other cute Scandinavian shops. Needless to say, I liked this street.

We decided to give the Hop On Hop Off bus another chance... strike two. The one big thing I will say about these buses is when you arrive to a city and have no idea where to go, they are convenient for getting a broad overview with a little audio background information as well. Cities like London, Budapest, and Vienna were great cities to do this with. However, both Berlin and Copenhagen I think I could have done better on by myself than with the help of a one hour, 25 euro bus ride. Our first time we hopped off was at Nyhavn which had a long canal running through the center. It was very quaint and cute and we were able to see their state of the art Opera House that sits right on the water. From there we “hopped” back on the bus to go see the much anticipated Little Mermaid. Our audio guide prepped us by saying “New York has their Statue of Liberty, Paris has Lady Eiffel, and we have our Little Mermaid. She is so famous here, people travel from all over the world just to get a glimpse of her. In fact, she is the most photographed person or object in all of Denmark, even more than the Queen.” Stoaked to see this chick, we get off the bus and walk out to the water. Looking around, expecting to find some phenomenal masterpiece, we see a beaten up bronze statue sitting on a rock in the water. THAT is it?

Okay, so we were less than impressed with The Little Mermaid, but the history behind much of Copenhagen’s famous story writer, Hans Christian Andersen, was fascinating. Just like Barcelona has Gaudi, HC Andersen is the man everyone associates with Copenhagen. He has written numerous story tales including The Little Mermaid, The Ugly Duckling, The Princess and the Pea, Thumbelina, and more. All which have inspiring backgrounds stemming from the city. Even his Tivoli Gardens (which were unfortunately closed due to Christmas decorating) are said to have inspired a certain man named Walt to open his own grand imaginative theme park in California. 

The next day there we started off by taking a bus over to the Norrebro area which was my favorite area of Copenhagen. One side not, being that it’s November and the “Movember” movement is officially underway, all the Copenhagen buses have huge plastered mustaches on the fronts of them (see picture below). I loved it! If you’ve been to Paris, Norrebro is the Marais of Copenhagen. Trendy, hipster, rich. Lots of boutiques and cafes lined the groomed streets and we were on a mission to find Lyst cafe for their famous cinnamon rolls. Mission accomplished. The cafe was adorable and we could have sat in there all day and just sipped tea and people watched. After our great breakfast, we strolled through a park/cemetery which was so beautiful, especially at this time of year, and back across a bridge that reminded me of being in Boston. We made our way to Rosenborg Castle where the kings and queens used to live back in the 16/1700s. King Christian IV was Cope’s dude of dudes. He was the longest reigning king of Denmark, reigning for almost 60 years. The best part of seeing this castle was seeing Denmarks Crown Jewels which are on display here. After being absolutely jaw dropping blown away by the Jewels in London, I was eager to see how another country with royalty matched up. The verdict was impressive... but not England. 

Next on the list was Christiania. This area of Copenhagen we had little information about other than it being an “artsy” area. I’m still confused on how there were no indicators or better hints towards us walking straight into their “green light district”.... but we did. With tons of artistic graffiti and hippies everywhere you looked, it was definitely a “cultural experience” and interesting walking around this area. We’ll leave it at that. 

Wednesday came in the blink of an eye and it was our day to fly back to Paris. We had a later flight so I was still able to take advantage of the day and see a few more things. Bright and early, after a coffee and danish pastry (how could you not), I went over to their big department store called Magasins. Here, at the top floor, is where HC Andresen himself used to live. They’ve restored this attic and made it open to the public to get a glimpse of what his life was like.... or so that’s what I read. I got to the top floor and just like Tivoli Gardens, closed. This time due to water damage to the floor. Get it together Copenhagen! 

I ditched that idea and went over to Round Tower which had some cool history as it was built for King Christian IV and used simultaneously as an observation tower, church, and university library. Inside the tower itself was a pretty plain spiral ramp. They didn’t have stairs because they often needed to push cannons up to the top. The view from the top was great but not nearly as great as where I went next. Our Savior Church was closed (shocker) when we tried to go the day before so I tried again today and with success. Hiking to the top was my cardio for the day and the very tip is so narrow, only one person can fit at a time. This view took my (already breathless) breath away. From the top you can see everything and one thing I had my eye on was the Osemund Bridge. This bridge connects Denmark to Sweden and is so massive, it can be seen from space. It was awesome getting to see, take a look for yourself in the picture below. One thing, however, that is not captured here is the wind that was so powerful, taking my iPhone out to take a picture made me beyond nervous!

Checking the time, I headed back to the hostel to pick up my bag and somewhat dismally made my way to the airport, knowing not only this trip, but all my travels in Europe were coming to an end. Overall, this trip was different from my other trips due mainly in part to the weather. Bundling up to go sight seeing was just a different experience than throwing on some shorts, sandals, and sunglasses. But nevertheless, great, as all my travels have been. Europe has officially made me hooked on traveling and never wanting to stop exploring the world. If I had to pick a winner for this trip, surprisingly the three of us unanimously said Copenhagen. Berlin was great and the German people are some of the nicest I’ve met in Europe, but with Copenhagen's understated vibrant, quirky vibe and distinct districts, it definitely won my vote. 

Once back in Paris, I had a few days left of the two week school break and what great timing for my birthday to fall on! I had a great time celebrating on Saturday night with Leslie and Lindsey at the club, Showcase. This location couldn’t be any more idealistic as it sits right underneath the Alexander III bridge, pertched nicely right along the Seine with a great view of the Eiffel Tower. Not too shabby. Than on Sunday (my actual birthday), I decided to do the most cliche thing I could think of, go to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Since I’ve been here, I’ve only walked up to the second tier with Grace over the summer so today, Lindsey and I rode the elevator all the way to the top. Most people say they can feel it sway from side to side when standing at the very top, but besides my slight headache from the night before, I didn’t feel it. Nevertheless, awesome views and it feels great being somewhat of a “local” as I look out and can name everything in sight. I rounded out my birthday with a family dinner with the Ricke’s and Leslie. I was a little hesitant about how I’d feel spending my birthday away from California but without a doubt, it was one of the best I’ve had and everyone here truly made me feel so loved :)

** Author side note: this blog was written before I made a spontaneous decision to do one last trip! Thom pointed out to me that I have two full weekends here in December, not just one as I had thought. Once I realized that I hoped on kayak and looked for cheap european flights for the first weekend of December. Looks like I’ll be needing to build up my beer drinking abilities and wear some green... Dublin, Ireland, I’m coming for ya!

Leslie, Christine, and I at the Berlin Wall

Berlin Wall art

Piece of Berlin Wall

Holocaust Memorial 

Berlin Dom and river

Berlin Dom 

Snow tubing in the middle of the city!

Brandenburger Tor by night

Checkpoint Charlie

My 2 euro pic with "American soliders"

Oldest street light intersection in Europe

Hotel Adlon- Top balcony was MJ's

Album hunting at Mauerpark

Mauerpark Market

Berlin Band outside Mauerpark :)

Copenhagen <3 

Cemetary

Entering into Christiania "green light district"

View from inside Rosenberg Castle

Crown Jewels Crown

Copenhagen Opera House

Street next to our hostel

The Little Mermaid

Lyst Cafe 

Our Savior Church- tippy top is where that amazing view was

View from top of Our Savior Church- Osemund Bridge is in the very back

Copenhagens famous beer Carlsberg

Outside Tivoli Gardens

I love Denmark

Lindsey and I :)

Leslie and I :)

Birthday Girl!

at Showcase

Top of the Eiffel on my birthday

Top of Eiffel with Trocadero and Monteparnasse in the background

Birthday cake! Joyeux Anniversaire :)

Josh and I blowing out my candles :)