Annecy

This weekend saw the triumphant return of summer and finally gave me an excuse to take a day trip to Annecy. Just a short 45 minute trip from Geneva, Annecy is  stunning medieval town on a lake. The water in Lac d'Annecy is all alpine run off which results in a beautiful robins egg blue color and is surprisingly much warmer than the Oregon coast (but then again were isn't?).

My friend Micheal and I arrive just in time to catch the end of a very very packed market which sold everything from pretty scarfs to this cheese I still smell in my sleep. The bluer than blue river divided up the cobblestone streets of town. Annecy isn't just pretty. It's smack you in the face with European charm pretty. The town was packed with french tourists and we all seemed to be equality in awe of the canals and quaint market stands, that is was easy to ignore the touristy kitsch crowding the streets.

It's the prettiest 12th century prison ever!

After browsing the market and eating a cheap food (5 euros a sandwich!?! That's barely a down payment on a meal in Geneva), Micheal and I went to the lake to eat and people watch. The lakeside was packed with picnickers, razor scooterities and people renting paddle boats. It was 28 degrees and the water was so inviting so I did the reasonable thing and when for a swim in my clothes while Micheal looked on in shame (not the first time). It turns out that a 10 minute walk in the other direction would have reviled a large sandy beach where normal people swam in actual swimming gear. Oh well, there's always next time. I'm looking at you Kelly! 

This weekend I'm off on my last long weekend trip of my Internship. I'm going to Brussels to enjoy beer, chocolate, waffles and enjoy one of the largest festivals in Europe.

Paris on a Budget

As an underpaid intern living in one of the top five most expensive cities in the world, I constantly feel strapped for cash. Here are my handy tips for traveling Paris at under 15 Euros a day.

My first tip is more of an confession. I am not counting the cost of my Hostel (32 Euros a night) or my bus (70 euros return) in my Paris for under 60. Four days in Paris for 220 euros isn't quite as brag worthy.

Here are my nine tips for a cheap four days in Paris;

1- The Metro
The Metro in Paris is cringe inducing 1.70 a ride however they aren't zone specific and one ticket can get you anywhere you need to go with the exception of distant neighborhoods which aren't connected by metro (see last post). Since my hostel was in Montmartre, I couldn't avoid the the metro entirely so I would take a train twice a day and do all of my own walking within the city. Avoiding the tour buses and boats saves a bundle and  Paris is a walking city. I was blessed with 80 degree weather my entire trip but Ill trust Owen Wilson's advice and stay that Paris looks beautiful in the rain as well.

2- Find a hostel with free breakfast.
This is perhaps my most important tip. Not only do you not have to pay for breakfast but if your extra cheap like me you don't have to pay for any other meals! I would eat my fat fill at the cereal bar for breakfast and then pack up all of the bread and fruit I could get my hands on.  This swag would be supplemented by...

3-Supermarkets!

Despite my previous post the french do live in Paris and buy groceries like the rest of us. I would supplement my bread with cheese, nuts and 80 cent beer. Then I would carry around the bag all day which I blame be the questions about directions in French which would come multiple times a day.  As for the location of my dunches, I found a different park each day. I enjoyed Parisian picnics on the steps of Sacre-Coeur, Champs de Mars, the gardens of the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle and the steps along the Seine. All while staying under budget!

4-One paid attraction a day.

Paris has more than enough to see without entering a single building. I wanted to see everything I could while staying withing my budget and not getting burnt out. The entirety of my first day was spent at the Louvre and  the following three days where spent mostly walking with one major paid sight. I paid to enter the Pantheon, the Eiffel Tower and the Catacombs. I would advise giving the Pantheon a miss if on a budget but it was interesting to see the shrine to the republic which is now crumbling under its own weight.  I was extra excited to see the Catacombs which I had read about for years. It was not only much larger and more impressive than I expected but student tickets were only 4 euros!

5-Climb the Eiffel Tower by foot you lazy git

If you pay to take the elevator to the extreme top of the Effiel Tower it costs 12.50 but if your willing to walk up the 700 stairs it only costs 5 euros. I never made it to the extreme top of the tower but I managed to catch a spectacular Paris sunset with a wait time of only 15 minutes.

6-Cemeteries
Not only are they free but they are also spectacular. Family tombs of all sorts and sizes are museums of the macab.  I skipped the popular resting place of Jim Morrison instead exploring Montmarte cemetery. I had the cemetery to myself to wander alone which added to a spooky atmosphere. I have decided that I am traveling back to Paris before I die so I can get entombed under a betterthanlife statue of myself. I hope that's not too much to ask.

7-Churches
Are always free to enter in France and should be all over the world. I'm looking at you Westminster....

8-Don't do this

9-Spend when you want.
I could have spent maybe 15 euros less but I broke down for french pastries and the Louvre audio guide. As strange as this sounds I don't travel intentional cheap, I just know my limited means and whats worth a little extra money. 

10- Know you'll return

Paris is not a city you could ever strike off your list. I am already
planning my next trip, hopefully with a thicker wallet!

Paris Reflections

It has been a week since I arrived in the City of Light via Bus of Eastern Europeans. I believe I have recovered enough to write.  

I never wanted to go to Paris. I wasn't opposed to the idea and my entire life seemed to contain dreams of the Louvre nevertheless, Paris wouldn't have been on my top 25. I have a desire to see everything I can and living in France without seeing Paris would have been a travesty. Upon arriving in Paris, I discovered that I already knew the city from films and novels I had read. Not that watching Moulin Rouge 1,400 times in High School makes you a Parisian but seeing the landmarks had a familial air.  I arrived at the Louvre at 6:50 in the morning, a full two hours before it opened, the city was empty save for early morning joggers and homeless on the street.  It was then that I took everything back about Paris. Why had I not wanted to go here before? It was an magical feeling to think of the men and women who had stood before me in the world capital of arts and culture.  I walked from the steps of the Louvre and out to the Place de la Cordorde my mind overflowing with thoughts of the Reign of Terror, then spied Napoleons Vendome Column before turning back to the Lourve to  take my first place in the queue. I was running on less then five hours of sleep and was overwhelmed with the knowledge of  everything that had happened with a radius of five miles. 

Then the buses came. I knew that Paris is the number one tourist destination on the planet but I don't think I was read for what came next. Just like how Switzerland reminded me of a Disney parody of itself, Paris crowds gave the entire city an amusement park feel. Where can I get a fast pass for Norte Dame?

I never expected to get to know the "real" Paris nor could I with out knowledge of French and a few extra years. Despite this I was shocked by the masses of people  and lines for everything. However I quickly learned to avoid them (15 minutes only for the Eiffel Tower if you're willing to walk up and watch the sunset).  

Traveling alone in India, I was always interacting with locals and being fed, chatted up, touched and followed.  In comparison my four short days in Paris were an introspective experience where I would wake up as early as possible and start walking trying to soak in as much as I could. On Sunday I walked out of the city completely. I reached Hauts de Siene, just over nine miles from the city center. After nerve wracking walk through St. Dennis, Paris most violent suburb, I found myself on the promenade make famous by the paintings of George Seurat. Sometimes the only way to get away from the crowds is to wake up early and tear up your feet.

Next up- An Interns Travel Guide to Paris. Four days in under 60 euros.