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Life in France: A Visit to Chartres, France

// November 27th, 2009 // Comments // Chartres, General

My apologies for for the lack of posts as of late, but things have been very busy. This past week I was in Egypt for business and pleasure. But I’m back in Paris now and ready to start posting again, so stay tuned in the coming weeks. On with the post…

The day immediately following my return from Egypt, I headed out for my first day-trip to one of the cities surrounding Paris. For this trip, a couple of my Alliance Francaise classmates and I chose to visit Chartres, a town located about 60 miles southwest of Paris.

Chartres, France

Chartres is best known for its Cathedrale Notre Dame, that sits on a high point within the town. While the Notre Dame cathedral located in Paris is far more famous throughout the world, Chartre’s Notre Dame is, in fact, the largest cathedral in France. Construction on this magnificent structure began in 1205 and took over 65 years to complete. It is now considered by many to be the finest Gothic cathedral in all of France. Evidently, Chartres was also a great centre of pilgrimage in the Middle Ages and the cathedral still exhibits many of the famous relics of this period including the silk tunic worn by Mary on the day she gave birth to Jesus.

While the church is the centerpiece of this town, it’s not the only reason to visit. Walking around the town is a pleasure in-and-of-itself. Chartre’s is full of beautiful winding streets that are a joy to explore. Additionally, the city is built on the left bank of the Eure River, which runs through the town. Small, yet romantic, stone bridges take one back-and-forth across the river. There are a select few restaurants that sit right on the water that make for a wonderful lunch break during your visit.

The Bridges of Chartres, France

The round-trip ticket only cost about €27 and travel time is only 1-hour each way. You could easily see much of what Chartres has to offer in a few hours, making it very simple to only spend half a day on this excursion. Overall, this was a very successful trip and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to get out of the city for a day.

Montrozier, France: Gorge du Tarn

// August 14th, 2009 // Comments // Montrozier

Early in the morning of my second day in Montrozier, the three young girls of the house decided that it was a good day to go kayaking down the Gorge du Tarn. Two hours later we were on our way. The Gorge du Tarn is a magnificent gorge located in Midi-Pyrénées region of southern France.

Gorge du Tarn, Midi-Pyrénées Region, France

I have kayaked the river two times before and it is always a breathtaking and almost surreal experience. This time I think I appreciated it a bit more, partly because the last time was almost a decade ago, but also because of just having moved from the chaos that is New York City. Because the move to France took place so recently, everything seems to stand out in stark contrast to what former life in New York. The abundance of nature, the way of living (especially in the French countryside) and just overall daily experienced make you quickly forget the rush of big cities like New York.

The journey down the Gorge de Tan took roughly 6 hours and, primarily because of the frequent stops to feed the girls or let them swim. Overall, it was a great first full day in the south of France and resulted in a very peaceful first night of sleep, as well.

Montrozier, France: My Arrival

// August 12th, 2009 // Comments // Montrozier

With less than a day and a half in Paris, I now find myself in Montrozier, France, a seven hour train ride from Paris. Montrozier, a small country town in the south of France–about 30 minutes from Rodez–is a place that I know fairly well. Throughout my many trips to France over the years, I have made my way down here a handful of times. The fact that so little has changed about Montrozier over the decade and a half since I made my first visit is quite wonderful.

Montrozier, France

The look, feel and people that are Montrozier are so completely different than any other place I’ve known–especially New York City. The feeling that I get when I arrive here is peaceful, to say the least.

Scenes like the one playing out before me as I write–a father and son wading through the stream that lies before the bridge that acts as the gateway to Montrozier–are a regular occurrence. In a way, much of what I see here in Montrozier seems as though it belongs in a movie, rather than real life.

I consider myself very lucky to have the opportunity to spend time in a place like Montrozier.

Dublin, Ireland: My First Visit

// August 10th, 2009 // Comments // Dublin

I’m just about finished with my first ever trip to Ireland and it’s been an all-around great experience. I’ve spent the entire time in Dublin, mostly walking around the city. I’ve never been big on hitting major tourist attractions, I’m much bigger on trying to get a feel for the city and the local culture. Needless to say, I spent the first couple of days walking aimlessly throughout the city. Much like Rome, Prague, Paris and other cities that I’ve spent time in, it’s easily explored on foot. I saw much of the city–at least 50% of it if I had to take a guess–and from what I gather, I saw just about 100% of the parts of the city that are worth seeing. Apparently the north side of the city doesn’t have a whole lot to offer, at least according to the few people that gave me suggestions on where to spend my time. Though I will say that Phoenix Park, which is in the northeastern portion of the city, was definitely worth checking out.

Dublin, Ireland - Guinness Storehouse

Among other places that I visited were Trinity College, Dublin Castle, General Post Office, Dublin Spire, Four Courts, Guinness Storehouse and St. Stephen’s Green. While all were worth seeing, I probably enjoyed St. Stephen’s Green–a relatively small, yet beautiful park in the middle of southern Dublin–the most. In true Irish style, I spent a night drinking in pubs in an area called Temple Bar. From what I can tell, Temple Bar is the hot spot in town for both tourists and locals to drink up. True to their reputation, it was clear to me that the Irish enjoy their alcohol and like sharing it too. For most the night, I can’t remember having an empty drink in my hand and, in fact, rarely made it through the first drink before a second one showed up. Like I said, I was well taken care of.

I certainly plan on returning to Ireland, but next time to visit the countryside and the coast.

Last Days In New York: Brooklyn Bridge Walk

// August 4th, 2009 // Comments // New York

One of the first things you realize when you arrive in New York City is how much there is to do. That’s one of the most exciting things about this city and one of the reasons, I believe, that many people become so enraptured with Manhattan. Nevertheless, just like any city, once you get used to it you take it for granted. New York was no different for me.

A View of the Brooklyn Bridge

Regardless of how long I spent in New York–2 years, almost to the day–there were still so many things I never got a chance to do. One such thing was taking a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. Granted, this is one of the first things most tourists do when they visit the city. But for some reason, I never got around to doing it until, well, two days before I left New York. I met up with my friend Taylor, who has also been in New York for roughly two years and never walked the bridge. It was a great experience.

I hope to take more advantage of my time here in Paris and throughout Europe, not taking for granted all those great experiences that are right at my fingertips.

The Transition Begins

// July 18th, 2009 // Comments // New York

The first step in the transition from begin an American in New York to American in Paris has begun–I’ve moved out of my apartment. Currently, I’m holding up with family friends in an apartment building overlooking the East River. Not a bad situation at all, if you ask me.

One of the best things about my temporary home is the view from the rooftop. I spent a good part of the afternoon reading my current book, “In The Merde for Love.” This is the second in a series of books from author Stephen Clarke who writes about his experiences and life in Paris. I recently completed his first book, “A Year in the Merde,” which I thoroughly enjoyed. In any case, it was one of the more relaxing afternoons that I’ve had in a while. Check out the picture to get an idea of why.

AmericInParis.com: What It’s All About.

// July 15th, 2009 // Comments // United States

AmericInParis.com is the brainchild of me, a 20-something American. I’ve attempted fruitlessly in the past to start a blog, but I’m hoping this time will be different. Though I intend for this blog to at least partially act as a catalog of my life and experiences over the course of the next year or more, I also hope that it will possibly serve as a source of entertainment and insight for those who take the time to read it. While I have a vague idea of what I hope people will get out of this blog, I can only imagine that its purpose will change and grow as time goes on. I encourage all of you who read this blog to ask question, share your thoughts and just engage with me in whatever way possible. Thanks and visit again soon.