Paris day two...

We woke up pretty refreshed and ready to start our adventure. We had decided to go to the Catacombs. So first we went to the grocery store we had found and got some yogurt drink and fruit for breakfast. We then walked to the catacombs; we saw cool areas along the way. When we got there, there was a line and we waited to go in. we got discounted tickets because most places in France being 26 or younger is youth price :). We had to go down a lot of stairs and then through darkly lit tunnels and then we got to the bones. There was so many stacked up against the walls in such a neat way and different ways they stacked them, it was creepy but cool. It was hard to believe these were once real alive people. Mason and I each had to touch a scull, wouldn't you? Once through that we had to go up a lot of other stairs and it was tiring. When we came out it had taken us out to an area we didn't know, so we found our way back to the catacombs because Mason wanted to show me the crepe lady he met last time he was there with is family. But when we got there it was all closed down so we kept walking to find lunch. On our way we went into a few shops one with some cool posters and then a big bookstore, which reminded us of Strand in New York. We ended up eating at the same place but just a different one that we found the first day. 'Pommes'. It was good mason got a salmon and cheese baguette sandwich with a brownie for desert and I got a vegetarian quiche with chocolate cake for desert. Then we headed down to Notre Dame. We went inside and looked at all the cool architecture and stained glass windows. It was so pretty. When we got outside we noticed people walking up top and asked how we could go up there. We found it on the other side of the church a long line to buy tickets to the top so we got in line and waited. It was a lot of stairs up and first you stop at the mid area going between the two towers. It had amazing views from there! We got to see Quasimodo's Bell tower and that was really cool, you get to go inside and see the bell. Then you go up even more stairs and get to the very top of one of the towers, for even more amazing views. Then you get to walk down all those stairs. So by this time we were getting a good workout what with the catacombs and streets and Notre dame combined. Then we took the subway to the Eiffel Tower. We had some good dinner at the bottom of it and then got in line to buy our tickets to the top. The line was so long and by the time we got to buy our tickets the top level was sold out. Mason and I were very disappointed especially because Mason did not get to go to the top the first time he went to Paris with is family. So we got tickets for the second floor hoping the third would re-open. But no such luck we waited and waited and they closed it down because one of the elevators was broken. Mason and I went down to the cafe in the tower and watched the sunset it ended up being a nice evening. We got back on the subway and back to our hotel for the night.

Bonjour Paris!

After getting off the subway I was feeling awful but I was in heaven seeing Paris France all around me, the buildings the trees the French written everywhere. Mason and I looked at the closest map posted on a board along the sidewalk, we figured out how to get to our hotel from where we were and we set off. We both could not wait to take a nice shower and maybe a nap. We got to the street of our hotel and I was so excited it was such a cute little French street and so close to so many cool things. We went to check in at 10:30am and were told our room would not be ready until 2:00pm we were both so tired and gross feeling because it was warm in Paris and so the sweat didn't help either. But they stored our luggage for us and we set out to find lunch. I was pretty miserable at this point with my allergies and sore eyes, but I just kept trying to remind myself where we were and that helped. So we walked by some cool shops and found a good looking place called 'Pommes' it had sandwiches and quiches but the door was locked and it looked like no one was inside so we decided to wait and see if they would maybe come back because the keys were in the door, to kill time we walked to a park right by our hotel, it was so beautiful and green we sat on a bench under a row of trees and ate our chips we still had from Germany and Mason got us some water from a nearby McDonalds. We looked at our map we picked up from our hotel and looked at where we were and all the cool things around. We were so happy to be in Paris! While we sat there we heard children singing songs from a stage and it was so nice to just sit among the trees and listen and talk about what we were going to do while there. We decided to see if the lunch place was open but it was not; we were so hungry we just settled for a safe alternative Subway sandwiches. We decided to head back to the hotel and wait in the lobby, because it was still only 1pm but after sitting there for only about 10min they told us our room was ready! We got our key and took our luggage up in the tiny lift, only one could fit in at a time with one bag it was that small. We got into our room and it was so nice with a nice view of a small courtyard below we were on the 5th and top floor. We settled in and took showers, then decided instead of ruining our bedtime schedule we would go out for dinner and to explore. We found a great crepe stand, I got eggs and cheese and Mason got a three cheese Panini, then a Honey one for desert and two cokes. We walked to the Seine River and enjoyed them sitting by the edge. After we walked up from the river to Notre Dame, I was amazed it was so beautiful it looked like a painting against the blue sky. I could not believe I was there me Meaghan in Paris France with my husband Mason, it was a wonderful feeling. We walked around the outside and saw a bird man sitting on a bench covered in pigeons, I took a picture and he looked right at me and smiled. We then walked down the other side of the Seine towards the Louvre. We stopped and looked at some peoples stands on the sidewalk selling souvenirs. We got to The Louvre and walked into a courtyard area then through some arches where a man was playing a cello it was so pretty and on the other side you could see the glass pyramid and the Champs De Elysees. The sun was setting and it was a perfect picture. We then walked back towards our hotel and stopped and got me some medicine for what realized must be a really bad cold. We also found a small grocery store and got 2 huge waters. We got to our hotel relaxed and decided on what to do the next day. Then fell asleep.

The Train

Our train to Paris finally arrived around 11pm we got on and found our compartment, it was cheaper to get a seat in a six car compartment rather then a sleeping cabin. When we got settled we realized how musty and gross it smelled and hoping we would be the only ones in our compartment so we could each lay out on the three seats. Soon my allergies started to act up and it was awful I started sneezing and my eyes swelled up, i was so miserable. We got lucky and no one else boarded the train and our compartment was still just us. so we finally both fell asleep, and at 2:00am we woke up to us stopping and some passengers getting on the train. A young guy came into our compartment. So by an unspoken agreement I laid out on three seats Mason laid on the floor and the guy laid out on the opposite three seats my allergies were still bothering me so I kept waking up having to blow my nose with my itchy swollen eyes. When morning came we started seeing the french country side and it was beautiful, cute french homes and architecture outside out window. the guy was very nice and gave me a package of tissues and Mason and I some water because we had run out. we got our things together as our train pulled into the station. we got off the train and feeling not fully rested and pretty dirty. we found the subway system and bought our tickets and Mason figured out how to get to our hotel.

Germany Continued

So it came to be Friday. In the morning it was raining but the kind husband of the women who owned the Bed and Breakfast told us it should clear up by noon and it did. We hiked again into Fussen knowing the way now and found some walking sticks. we got into town went to go buy our tickets into Munich for Saturday to catch our train to Paris(or so we thought). So bought our tickets and had another day exploring Fussen. we went shopping some places and got me a blow dryer and straitner as to not blow up our bedroom at the B&B. Later on walking and trying to find a good place to eat dinner we found a little pizza shop down a small street that claimed to serve New York style pizza, but it was much better! all the ingredients were fresh; we got a vegetarian pizza and it was so good! We went to a internet cafe and talked with family for awhile and it got late so we went to take the bus home, but another bus did not come till 10:30pm so we took a taxi for 12euros. when we got back we packed and laid things our to get an early start for the next day. So when we woke up we had breakfast and then went to check out. The lady said that we were down for 5 nights not 4 and we were confused but she said that's alright and we got our thing and started to leave. Just out of their driveway we thought we should double check our train ticket to Paris. Sure enough our ticket was not for Saturday night but Sunday night we felt kinda dumb and I was upset because i was all ready to go to Paris but we headed back explained and stayed for one more night. But that day we thought, well we have tickets to Munich so let go. We took the train in and I saw New Town hall and it was so cool. then we walked to the back and ate our lunch. Mason wanted to show me some places so he led the way. we saw a cool area that dates back to the midevil times and the Beer house which Hitler had his first Nazi meeting. We walked through a neat farmers market type thing with a beer garden and got some raspberry ice cream. we decided we wanted to head back into the country and have dinner in Fussen and talk to family on web cam so we took the train back. Our last dinner we had there was at the same pizza place because it was that good, but this time we got a salad that I crave for now. It had hard boiled eggs, tuna, a vinaigrette, cucumber and other good stuff. So we went back to our B&B and went to bed. The next day we woke up and had a Leisurely morning. We were ready to leave by then because we had already said goodbye to it all the day before. so we got our stuff together and checked out. We headed down and caught the bus to Fussen, then we waited for the train to Munich. once in Munich we just ate dinner at the train station and played some games and read and waited for our train to Paris.

More Germany

The next morning we woke up had our breakfast and set out to go take a tour of the two castles we walked to the ticketing building bought our tickets and started towards the first castle they call the parents castle or Hohenschwangau Castle. It is a yellow castle and the place where king Ludwig grew up in as his family's summer and hunting castle. But before we made it to the castle we stopped at a souvenir shop where i saw what I wanted from Germany a hand painted ballerina music box, I fell in love with it. We didn't get it then we decided to just head up to the castle, on our way up we stopped at a bench to look at the view, because our tickets have certain times for our tours and ours didn't start for a little bit. then we decided to continue up and went into a gift shop in the castle courtyard. Mason and i were looking at different things when I realized my black moleskin book i had been using as our money holder and with our tickets in it was not in either of our hands or bag. We both panicked and mason searched the gift shop and area and I ran down the steps to the bench , and there it was on the back of the bench i was so releaved! so then it was our tour time, we went into the castle and were not aloud to take pictures but our tour guide was fun and interesting and it had some really cool art in it and the views were amazing. next we headed up the other side of the mountain to the neuschwanstein castle which was the castle King Ludwig built for himself in the late 1800's which took 17 years to build, but he was only able to live there for 6 months before he died. on our way up we bought Savannah and Sienna some cute pencils made of wood from the black forest. it was a longer and harder hike then the first castle but was well worth it once we arrived at the top. We sat and ate our rolls and cheese with the view. then we headed up for our tour, again this was a huge beautiful castle with cool rooms and a big ballroom with a stage for performers. after that Mason and i found a shop where you got a mug a piece of cake and a coffee for 5euros so we did that and have a cool blue and gold mug now from the castle. we then hiked back down half way and stopped for a beer and a pretzel. Then hiked back up to go to a bridge across from the castle called Marien Brucke or Marys Bridge. I was so high up and scarier then i thought it would be because each plank under your feet would bend. we made it across then realized we had to go back across. then we found our own path alone to hike back down to the town and we were telling each other how much it looked like the little red riding hood place. When we made it down we decided to get me that Ballerina music box and I am so happy we did. Then we got fish & chips at a little shop and sat on the steps and ate. we tryed to call home that night and i talked to Becky and mason reached his mom to say a quick hello then it was back to our B&B....More to come

Then Came Germany!

So we finally arrived in Germany after an all night flight. It was so cool to be in Germany, I had to keep reminding myself. So we got our bags and went and bought some train tickets to get from Munich to out Bed & Breakfast out near a town called Fussen. Mason was so good at figuring out the trains and which one was what to catch. we decided to stop at one of the stations in between Munich and our destination for some lunch our first in Germany. It was good baguette sandwiches with tomato and mozzarella cheese and basil, with some good water and chips. then we got back on a train and took our ride to Fussen. The countryside was so beautiful and we got our first glipses of the neuschwanstein castle! our train arrived and we caught a bus up to our Bed & breakfast below the castle. we got there and they lady who owns it greeted us and gave us some yummy orange juice, I guess she could tell how tired and worn out we were from the traveling. Then she told us breakfast was everymorning from 7:30 to 9:30am and showed us to our room. our room was so nice and cozy with french doors that led out to the deck with a beautiful view of the castle. we put our stuff down addmired how lucky we were and how beautiful Germany is and I laid down on the bed and didnt wake up untill 9pm. of course when i woke up from the crazy time difference Mason and I both thought it was the middle of the night and could not sleep it was a cool night though and it was raining and the castle was all lit up. So we put on Harry Potter till we got tired and then woke up early to get breakfast, which was so good. It consisted of hard boiled eggs, rolls with either jam of honey, hot chocolate for me and coffee for Mason, yogurt and cheeses. Everyday she told us to take the leftover rolls and cheese and make sandwiches for lunch which we did and ate everyday for lunch. that first day we wanted to go explore the town of Fussen so Mason and i walked to where the bus had droped us off the day before and waited, but we couldnt figure out the bus scheduale so we decided to walk to Fussen on a path through the black forest. It turned out to be such a fun advernture finding a lake and dock, and finding a cool hobbit hole looking door. Finally we hoped we had arrived in Fussen and realized we did. The streets were all cobblestone, and there was a neat little souviner shop we spent most of our time and money in :). we ate our rolls and cheese lunch by a fountain and had the rest of the day and explored the town then hiked back to our B&B... To be Continued

First came Niagara

So our Honeymoon started out catching our flight from LAX at 12:35am the night of our wedding, we came out to find our car(well Tresa's) covered in a white mess with cupcakes stuck to it and a bucket and cans of whip cream tied to the bumper. We couldn't even see out of the windshield but just drove blindly to the hotel down the street to switch cars. we got on our plane and arrived in Buffalo. My dad dropped us off at our hotel for the night the Sheratan Falls View Hotel. We went up to our room enjoyed the amazing view and crashed, we woke up late and decided to go have dinner at the Outback steakhouse right by the hotel. so we got ready and walked down and had a very good meal with a scrumptious Bloomin' onion and Mason had his first Canadian beer which was so good. the next morning we woke up to meet my dad down in the lobby. He took us to Tim Horton's of course for some Timbits and coffee. Then we went to the great fish and chip place Parkdale Fish & Chips, the place where my parents would get our friday night dinners sometimes when i was little. Then it was off to Toronto airport to get our flight to Munich, Germany!...