Day 3
June 27 2011
13 miles
Total: 42.5
Today I awoke to no one from our small group in the hostel. My first feelings were that they had left me, which freaked me out a little, but I came to quickly and knew that they would never do that...hopefully. Immediately after I realized this, my feelings turned into anger. I was angry that even though I had asked all three days for someone to wake me, I was still up after everyone else and on my own. I am not a morning person, and when I'm PO'd and tired I'm even worse. I grabbed my things with a mixture of anger and drowsiness and walked out of the hostel.
*Hurumph* :/
Auna was sitting on the steps attempting to adjust her backpack, and Mr. March and Bree were elsewhere. I don't remember exactly what I said to her, but is was along the lines of, "Seriously? Thanks for the wake up call." Perhaps there are a few words in between the lines that I left out. I then made my way to the restrooms and did the normal morning routine; bathroom, teeth, hair, clothing, face, sunblock, etc. When I came out the other three were waiting on the steps. I grabbed my pack, grumbled good mornings and we left.
Our first stop was at the vending machines down the street. I had ran out of food, and needed something to tide me over till we arrived in Pamplona which was about 20 or so kilometers away. It was going to seem like an extremely long day, only because the first day, and the day before had been pretty rough on our bodies. I ended up choosing a bag of trail mix, and we started our walk at 6:02AM. A semi-beautiful walk through a Spanish industrial area, but it was cool, and light, perfect for walking.
About a half an hour into the trip we were walking up a slightly steep hill and we spotted some horses behind a fence near the path. There were large ones, medium sized, some were shy, and others were not. The four us petted, stroked, and patted the "horsies" until we heard people behind us. As Auna, Bree, and Mr. March went up, I stayed back and hung out with them until some backpackers used the flash on their cameras and spooked them. I then ran up the hill and met up with the rest of the group.
Auna and I tried a little experiment today, our results were that when we do any of the following we tend to walk faster, and be in better mind space: Singing children's songs, dancing, listening to our iPods, and listing foods, objects, and moments we missed from home. Yes, its our third day and we're already making lists. The feeling that is going to be a very long summer is setting in.
Although we miss home, and don't enjoy many moments of our hiking, we also know that it's an experience of a lifetime, and we enjoy the outcomes of our days. Window shopping in small European towns, meeting new people who don't speak very good English, or any English at all, eating new foods, making a show of cutting into Auna's blisters. Okay, I added that last one in there, she doesn't enjoy it, but I find it entertaining to watch her squeal and squirm.
I would like to send a shout out to the people closest to me the last few months as well; Mom, Dad, Nainoa, Papa, Jessica, Cheri, Jack, and Brittney, I love and miss you guys so much. I hope you all are having fun! You better keep Smidge in check, and make sure he knows I'm coming back!
- Deija
Monday, June 27, 2011
Day 2: Roncevalles to Zubiri (Auna)
June 26 2011
Day 2
14 miles
Total: 29.5
This morning I awoke with a small ache in my ankle but it soon went away. Yesterday was rough but easier than I expected, we did a great job pacing ourselves. As we started off our walk Deija and I were very tired. It felt just like the end of the day yesterday. I had two tiny blisters but didn't think much of it. Half way through the days journey I noticed that they got a wee bit bigger so we stopped and decided to take care of them before it got worse. Today was pretty tough, I found it to be harder than yesterday's adventure.
I was getting really hot and I noticed a slight sun burn on one of my shoulders, my pack strap rubbed against it all day... Just what I needed. Today is the 2nd day on the Camino but the 1st day on the Camino when I had to use the "bathroom" behind a bush. It was a little complicated so I decided to remove everything from the waist down. A few twigs tried to get a little friendly but I managed.
As we finish the longest steep down hill mile we arrive in Zubiri. As we enter the very small town you can't help but notice this beautiful river. After we found the hostel the first thing to do was shower! This hostel is a bit different than the other ones so far. Instead of your own small individual shower it is on big shared shower, of course the opposite sex was in a different side but it was still something I wasn't used to. By the end of my shower I felt more comfortable, it was just one of those things you have to get over. I washed some clothes and hung them up and I noticed I only had ONE of my sandals. I had them clipped on the back of my pack but I must have lost it along the way. I found the only super market in town and I stopped to see if they had any light weight sandals I could get and indeed they did. What I didn't know is the Spain has completely different shoe sizes.. I later found out I'm size 39. The workers helped me out, they were so kind. He quickly dragged out a stool for me to sit on and he began putting different shoe sizes on me to see what was perfect. It's not often that you meet people that seem so genuinely nice and really want to help.
Later I walked down to the river to find March sitting on the side of it and Bree a little further down wading in the water. I went out into the water by Bree, we stood there for about ten minutes and I couldn't resist jumping in any longer. I had to, it felt so great! It was such a hot day and tomorrow is supposed to be hotter. A few other pilgrims were by the water as well. Deija was resting back at the hostel. We walk back and ask her if she'd like to go to a tiny restaurant we saw. I got these little stuffed peppers that had mashed potatoes on the inside, and some yummy sort of mushroom dish, all that washed down with this yummy fruit juice. It was great. I savored every bite. We head back to the hostel and relax in our VERY sunken in bunk beds. Tomorrow we plan to set off extra early tomorrow at about 5:30 to beat the scorching weather. It's only a 13 mile walk to Pamplona, we've heard great stuff about that place. I'm excited and can't wait to see what tomorrow awaits!!
Auna
Day 2
14 miles
Total: 29.5
This morning I awoke with a small ache in my ankle but it soon went away. Yesterday was rough but easier than I expected, we did a great job pacing ourselves. As we started off our walk Deija and I were very tired. It felt just like the end of the day yesterday. I had two tiny blisters but didn't think much of it. Half way through the days journey I noticed that they got a wee bit bigger so we stopped and decided to take care of them before it got worse. Today was pretty tough, I found it to be harder than yesterday's adventure.
I was getting really hot and I noticed a slight sun burn on one of my shoulders, my pack strap rubbed against it all day... Just what I needed. Today is the 2nd day on the Camino but the 1st day on the Camino when I had to use the "bathroom" behind a bush. It was a little complicated so I decided to remove everything from the waist down. A few twigs tried to get a little friendly but I managed.
As we finish the longest steep down hill mile we arrive in Zubiri. As we enter the very small town you can't help but notice this beautiful river. After we found the hostel the first thing to do was shower! This hostel is a bit different than the other ones so far. Instead of your own small individual shower it is on big shared shower, of course the opposite sex was in a different side but it was still something I wasn't used to. By the end of my shower I felt more comfortable, it was just one of those things you have to get over. I washed some clothes and hung them up and I noticed I only had ONE of my sandals. I had them clipped on the back of my pack but I must have lost it along the way. I found the only super market in town and I stopped to see if they had any light weight sandals I could get and indeed they did. What I didn't know is the Spain has completely different shoe sizes.. I later found out I'm size 39. The workers helped me out, they were so kind. He quickly dragged out a stool for me to sit on and he began putting different shoe sizes on me to see what was perfect. It's not often that you meet people that seem so genuinely nice and really want to help.
Later I walked down to the river to find March sitting on the side of it and Bree a little further down wading in the water. I went out into the water by Bree, we stood there for about ten minutes and I couldn't resist jumping in any longer. I had to, it felt so great! It was such a hot day and tomorrow is supposed to be hotter. A few other pilgrims were by the water as well. Deija was resting back at the hostel. We walk back and ask her if she'd like to go to a tiny restaurant we saw. I got these little stuffed peppers that had mashed potatoes on the inside, and some yummy sort of mushroom dish, all that washed down with this yummy fruit juice. It was great. I savored every bite. We head back to the hostel and relax in our VERY sunken in bunk beds. Tomorrow we plan to set off extra early tomorrow at about 5:30 to beat the scorching weather. It's only a 13 mile walk to Pamplona, we've heard great stuff about that place. I'm excited and can't wait to see what tomorrow awaits!!
Auna
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Day 1: St. Jean Pied de Port to Roncevalles (James)
June 25, 2011
Day 1: 15.6 miles
Total: 15.6
We woke this morning to the the sounds of pilgrims trying pack as quietly as possibly in the dark. We joined the fray, unintentionally knocking stuff over and banging our metal water bottles up against bedposts. I did this once and noted how it sounded like an alarm bell. Sure enough it caused a few to stir. So much for quietly packing.
Our hostel price of 8 euro included desayuno, or breakfast, so we sat with other baggy eyed pilgrims and ate. Once again we drew the ire of the crazy woman who said we were eating too much bread. We would have stayed longer, but the road was calling. This first day has a bit of a nasty reputation. It is pretty well deserved, too. A 15 mile, 4000 foot climb over the Pyrenees is a eye opening start to the Camino. Many have quit during the first day. Bree and I were determined to make it a good day. By taking frequent short breaks and modeling good pacing on the steep parts, we were hoping to keep spirits high the entire day, which, with two teen girls, is not all that easy of a task.
The road doesn't take its time with initiation. Right out of town comes a thigh burning section of road that fortunately offers you good view after good view of the valleys below. This always gave us the sense we were making progress and who can fail to be inspired by taking in the views we have seen today? I hope the ones we have posted to our wall on facebook do it justice.
Around 11, we decided to take a lunch break. We all presented our grocery goods from the day before and began trading, fruits, vegetables, cheeses, salami, and of course, baguette. By this time though, the sun began to warm their and the cumulative affect of climbing began to take it's toll. The name of the game out here is to maintain a positive attitude. In the early morning hours, when it is cool and your legs are fresh, keeping spirits high is not all that challenging. However, it is the afternoon hours that can really expose how well you can handle stress. So as the temperature rose, the relentless terrain went on, and fatigue set in, I am happy to report that the girls did amazing. Yes, it was tough, but they also pushed on, realizing that even though their steps are small, each in their individual way brings them one step closer to a bed and a place to call home for the night.
Overall, a very successful day and it all ends in Roncevalles, a small town with the monastery dating back to the 12th century. The hostel here is amazing and we had our first shared dinner at a restaurant where conversation bounced between English, French, and Spanish.
I am hoping one of them will be up to writing tomorrows blog. (they were a bit tired today:). Again, because of iPad limitations that I was total unprepared for, I am having to post pics on facebook. Check our facebook wall for the appropriate day. I will also remind everyone that we are unsure of wi-fi availability over the coming weeks. Just know that we will post as often as possible and I will give updates whenever possible. Thanks again for all you kind words of encouragement!
Here's to hoping we can even move our legs tomorrow!
James
Day 1: 15.6 miles
Total: 15.6
We woke this morning to the the sounds of pilgrims trying pack as quietly as possibly in the dark. We joined the fray, unintentionally knocking stuff over and banging our metal water bottles up against bedposts. I did this once and noted how it sounded like an alarm bell. Sure enough it caused a few to stir. So much for quietly packing.
Our hostel price of 8 euro included desayuno, or breakfast, so we sat with other baggy eyed pilgrims and ate. Once again we drew the ire of the crazy woman who said we were eating too much bread. We would have stayed longer, but the road was calling. This first day has a bit of a nasty reputation. It is pretty well deserved, too. A 15 mile, 4000 foot climb over the Pyrenees is a eye opening start to the Camino. Many have quit during the first day. Bree and I were determined to make it a good day. By taking frequent short breaks and modeling good pacing on the steep parts, we were hoping to keep spirits high the entire day, which, with two teen girls, is not all that easy of a task.
The road doesn't take its time with initiation. Right out of town comes a thigh burning section of road that fortunately offers you good view after good view of the valleys below. This always gave us the sense we were making progress and who can fail to be inspired by taking in the views we have seen today? I hope the ones we have posted to our wall on facebook do it justice.
Around 11, we decided to take a lunch break. We all presented our grocery goods from the day before and began trading, fruits, vegetables, cheeses, salami, and of course, baguette. By this time though, the sun began to warm their and the cumulative affect of climbing began to take it's toll. The name of the game out here is to maintain a positive attitude. In the early morning hours, when it is cool and your legs are fresh, keeping spirits high is not all that challenging. However, it is the afternoon hours that can really expose how well you can handle stress. So as the temperature rose, the relentless terrain went on, and fatigue set in, I am happy to report that the girls did amazing. Yes, it was tough, but they also pushed on, realizing that even though their steps are small, each in their individual way brings them one step closer to a bed and a place to call home for the night.
Overall, a very successful day and it all ends in Roncevalles, a small town with the monastery dating back to the 12th century. The hostel here is amazing and we had our first shared dinner at a restaurant where conversation bounced between English, French, and Spanish.
I am hoping one of them will be up to writing tomorrows blog. (they were a bit tired today:). Again, because of iPad limitations that I was total unprepared for, I am having to post pics on facebook. Check our facebook wall for the appropriate day. I will also remind everyone that we are unsure of wi-fi availability over the coming weeks. Just know that we will post as often as possible and I will give updates whenever possible. Thanks again for all you kind words of encouragement!
Here's to hoping we can even move our legs tomorrow!
James
Day 0.8 St Jean Pied de Port (James)
Day 0.8 St. Jean
We arrived in St. Jean early this morning. Our overnight train from Paris to Bayonne didn't afford us much sleep. Bree was in even worse shape as she had just completed roughly the same airline schedule we had a few days ago. Once in Bayonne we waited for a train to St. Jean. In the lobby we started to recognize other pilgrims. Despite the language barriers, it was fun to see Auna and Deija communicate and share their excitement with others.
I joked when about a thousand schoolchildren arrived in the lobby saying that they would be joining us on the train. Little did I know they truly were heading to the same little town as we were. Because the kids took up the seats, Auna and Deija slept on the floor. Bree and I did our best to stay awake or fall asleep. Somehow, we were allowed to neither.
Turns out those kids had a reason to head to St. Jean for a field trip. We all instantly fell in love. The Camino themed cobblestone streets, the narrow alleys, barely enough room for a single car, the bridges over the Nive river, fresh bakeries, even a strode devoted entirely to spices, it was just pleasant. That's the first word that comes to mind: pleasant.
We first walked up to the pilgrim office where we got our pilgrim passport. We are official now! We also booked a room at the hostel. Unfortunately we couldn't check in for a few hours so we each set off exploring the town; parks were visited, paths were explored, churches were viewed, items in stores gawked at, even some laundry was done.
Around 2pm, we were allowed back in the hostel to grab a bed. Soon enough, we met the woman in charge of the dormitory. She was a bit feisty. We all walked on eggshells after she tore up a French guy for leaving water footprints from the bathroom. Nothing like being yelled at in a language you dont understand. We all had a good laugh though. No one needed to speak the same language for us all to share in our disbelief. I showered bound and determined not to leave a drop of water anywhere outside that bathroom.
We are all excited to see what tomorrow brings. Bree and I discussed our strategy and we are going to take it slow and easy. I think it's important to learn how to take breaks early on in the trip. I suppose you can say that is one of our learning objectives.
Tomorrow, we walk...
Buen Camino,
James
We arrived in St. Jean early this morning. Our overnight train from Paris to Bayonne didn't afford us much sleep. Bree was in even worse shape as she had just completed roughly the same airline schedule we had a few days ago. Once in Bayonne we waited for a train to St. Jean. In the lobby we started to recognize other pilgrims. Despite the language barriers, it was fun to see Auna and Deija communicate and share their excitement with others.
I joked when about a thousand schoolchildren arrived in the lobby saying that they would be joining us on the train. Little did I know they truly were heading to the same little town as we were. Because the kids took up the seats, Auna and Deija slept on the floor. Bree and I did our best to stay awake or fall asleep. Somehow, we were allowed to neither.
Turns out those kids had a reason to head to St. Jean for a field trip. We all instantly fell in love. The Camino themed cobblestone streets, the narrow alleys, barely enough room for a single car, the bridges over the Nive river, fresh bakeries, even a strode devoted entirely to spices, it was just pleasant. That's the first word that comes to mind: pleasant.
We first walked up to the pilgrim office where we got our pilgrim passport. We are official now! We also booked a room at the hostel. Unfortunately we couldn't check in for a few hours so we each set off exploring the town; parks were visited, paths were explored, churches were viewed, items in stores gawked at, even some laundry was done.
Around 2pm, we were allowed back in the hostel to grab a bed. Soon enough, we met the woman in charge of the dormitory. She was a bit feisty. We all walked on eggshells after she tore up a French guy for leaving water footprints from the bathroom. Nothing like being yelled at in a language you dont understand. We all had a good laugh though. No one needed to speak the same language for us all to share in our disbelief. I showered bound and determined not to leave a drop of water anywhere outside that bathroom.
We are all excited to see what tomorrow brings. Bree and I discussed our strategy and we are going to take it slow and easy. I think it's important to learn how to take breaks early on in the trip. I suppose you can say that is one of our learning objectives.
Tomorrow, we walk...
Buen Camino,
James
Day 0.7 Paris to Bayonne (Auna)
Today we're celebrating Mr. Marchs' birthday and we are also meeting Bree for the first time today! I was really excited for the big day ahead. Deija and I woke up a little flustered this morning, probably because we both stayed up till about 3:00 AM playing dice and BS. We gathered up everything and put it in our backpacks and made our way to Notre Dame. It was time to say goodbye to our little hotel because later that night we will be on our way to Bayonne, France and then to St. Jean-Pied-de-Port where we will begin our journey.
March turns, hands me a map and says "Okay, how do we get there?" .. It was my turn to guide. Following a map is harder than it looks, it takes some time getting used to but i eventually got the hang of it. After a while we sat at Notre dame for about three hours eyeing the beautiful foreign .. Uh, architecture.... ;) but it truly was amazing, a fabulous piece of work. As time went slowly by, we watched pigeons, and kept a wide eye out for Bree. Earlier we had bought pre-made Crepes along with a small jar of Nutella and fresh strawberries! Mmmm mm mmmmm! It was delightfully delicious. We had planned to save some for Bree but by the time she got there all of the strawberries had been eaten and a pigeon had flown by and sprinkle dirt all over the Nutella so all we had to greet her with was crepe wrap. By the way a crepe is like a very thin egg battered pancake usually with chocolate or just sugar spread on it and folded. There was many different options for Crepes, I prefer the ones with fresh fruit (: I like Bree a lot she's seems to be a nice lady and I'm glad she is coming with us.
As a Happy birthday gift for March she gives him a small thing of jerky, she said she got a little hungry on the plane. Haha we all went in search for a whole in the wall place to get some good food, fast and cheap. We decide on a place and the sign above says "Fast Food" ... It was not fast at all. The food was good but it took the guy at least ten minutes to make each of our meals, it was agonizing.
We finally get moving to the Eurostar train station and get our tickets. We head out just across the way and sit by a river. I leaned against my backpack and took out my journal and started to write. It was amazing, the feeling I felt was like no other before. I was care free, not a worry in mind. All I had to do was sit on a bridge, watch the beauty and cleanse my thoughts into a pen and onto some paper. I wish my mom could have been there to see it all too but don't worry, I'm taking plenty of pictures. I want you all to feel like you were there right next to me.
We board the train and it's not bad until the people in front of Deija and I begin to get a little more comfortable, then find a way to SLAM their seat down on Deijas knee and after about twenty minutes of this we switched spots because my legs are shorter and could fit fine. About ten minutes after we switch the other guy pushes his chair back so we tried to get sleep but it was nearly impossible. I just remember trying to relax in all these weird positions. My legs were streched out into the isle, my head was bent over the arm rest and it was just horrible but we finally arrived! I can never thank Mr.March enough for giving me this opportunity. I don't think this will be my last time traveling. It's now time for the next train..
Auna
March turns, hands me a map and says "Okay, how do we get there?" .. It was my turn to guide. Following a map is harder than it looks, it takes some time getting used to but i eventually got the hang of it. After a while we sat at Notre dame for about three hours eyeing the beautiful foreign .. Uh, architecture.... ;) but it truly was amazing, a fabulous piece of work. As time went slowly by, we watched pigeons, and kept a wide eye out for Bree. Earlier we had bought pre-made Crepes along with a small jar of Nutella and fresh strawberries! Mmmm mm mmmmm! It was delightfully delicious. We had planned to save some for Bree but by the time she got there all of the strawberries had been eaten and a pigeon had flown by and sprinkle dirt all over the Nutella so all we had to greet her with was crepe wrap. By the way a crepe is like a very thin egg battered pancake usually with chocolate or just sugar spread on it and folded. There was many different options for Crepes, I prefer the ones with fresh fruit (: I like Bree a lot she's seems to be a nice lady and I'm glad she is coming with us.
As a Happy birthday gift for March she gives him a small thing of jerky, she said she got a little hungry on the plane. Haha we all went in search for a whole in the wall place to get some good food, fast and cheap. We decide on a place and the sign above says "Fast Food" ... It was not fast at all. The food was good but it took the guy at least ten minutes to make each of our meals, it was agonizing.
We finally get moving to the Eurostar train station and get our tickets. We head out just across the way and sit by a river. I leaned against my backpack and took out my journal and started to write. It was amazing, the feeling I felt was like no other before. I was care free, not a worry in mind. All I had to do was sit on a bridge, watch the beauty and cleanse my thoughts into a pen and onto some paper. I wish my mom could have been there to see it all too but don't worry, I'm taking plenty of pictures. I want you all to feel like you were there right next to me.
We board the train and it's not bad until the people in front of Deija and I begin to get a little more comfortable, then find a way to SLAM their seat down on Deijas knee and after about twenty minutes of this we switched spots because my legs are shorter and could fit fine. About ten minutes after we switch the other guy pushes his chair back so we tried to get sleep but it was nearly impossible. I just remember trying to relax in all these weird positions. My legs were streched out into the isle, my head was bent over the arm rest and it was just horrible but we finally arrived! I can never thank Mr.March enough for giving me this opportunity. I don't think this will be my last time traveling. It's now time for the next train..
Auna
Day 0.6 Paris (Deija)
When we finally woke up from our slumber on our first day in Paris at twelve in the afternoon I was surprised, we hadn't received that much undisturbed sleep in a long while. We had been kidding ourselves that we had actually accustomed to the time difference, and sleeping for twelve hours really had us feeling refreshed and alive as we got ready for our Paris adventures. The first realization that French was prevalent in Europe was when we were in England, half the people there were speaking French, and when we went to the touristy hang-outs French was spoken everywhere. All this did was excite me for our soon to come activities. Between brushing our teeth and completing other morning routines, a knock came to our door... Because neither Mr. March or Auna speak any French, I was shoved to the front of the line. I opened the door and was greeted by a man, a housekeeper of sorts, that started talking to me, insinuating that he wanted to clean the room. I began to tell him no, and he kept insisting that he come in, so all I could think to say was, "No, merci."
He then grumbled and walked away. I was surprised at how different it was to speak French in a classroom than it was in an actual French setting. My mind had gone blank, and it was slightly frightening. We proceeded to get ready, then went on our way. I had been begging for a French breakfast and finally got my wish. A French coffee and a croissant were on their way to us in no time. On the walk to the cafe I had told myself that I would try to order in French, I know how from French class, but like I said before, it was frightening, and I was unable to do it. It was delicious, I loved the coffee! It was thick, creamy, and amazing, and for the record, French croissants are way better than Costco's. I now know from experience.
(It's so cool being able to say that!)
After brunch we walked towards Musee du Louvre, which was great. The Mona Lisa was there, and the architecture of the place was amazing. The arches, sculptures, paintings, people, and the aura of the whole museum was spectacular on it's own. Tourists bustling, children on field trips, backpackers like us walking. People in awe with such beauty, all together, each experiencing it differently, but similar. I loved it.
Our stroll was cut short when Auna and I began to feel thirsty, all around the place, people were selling water for a euro, but Auna and I had ignored them, until they weren't where we were anymore. We left the museum itself, and went to the grounds, the courtyard, and the area surrounding it were beautiful. We and sat down at the edge of the fountain near the gardens. Children were pushing miniature sailboats around, people were eating ice-cream, and the sun was shining bright overhead, and right next to it, in the distance you could see the Eiffel Tower. With all this to think about, Auna and I had forgotten to grab water... So we told Mr. March that we would be back in a few minutes and proceeded to find a vendor. By the time we came back Mr. March had made friends with a couple pretty ladies that were sitting next to our spots. They were recent graduates of Brampton in New York, and were traveling throughout Europe for the summer. They were also on their way towards Spain, and Mr. march had struck up a conversation. Auna and I became bored, and went to the grass to sit. A man there was playing his guitar and singing softly. Auna and I listened for a while and when the man finished and began to pack up, we clapped and told him, in French, that he was very good.
After this, we walked along the river to the Eiffel Tower and were accosted by people selling miniature Eiffel Towers, we were wondering where they all were coming from because it was as if they had made a line and trapped people. Auna even made a joke that they had all just gotten off a bus. It was about seven when we had arrived and I immediately saw the stand making and selling crepes, I was so excited to have a French crepe that I made Auna get one as well. We bought two with chocolate and strawberries. They were so delicious! I got melted chocolate and strawberry juice all over my hands, and Auna had half of her crepe on the ground.
At about 9:45 it finally started to get dark, and the orangey glow of the lights behind the tower made it look so wonderful, against the darkish blue and white skyline. After a whole hour and fifteen minutes of more waiting, the Eiffel Tower began to sparkle! It lit up bright white lights all over the tower at different times!
*BAM, BAM, BAM!*
It was such an amazing experience and I plan to go back again. We met these guys there when we were waiting and they tried to teach us some often used French. Nothing bad of course. They were very kind and Auna and I couldn't pronounce their names, they were from Eastern France. After they had went on their way, a man that was sitting by himself started talking to Mr. March about his travels. The man was named Nicolas, and he was from Quebec, Canada. He had been all around Europe, backpacking, going from country to country for two months, and his last stop was Paris. We saw him on his last day, he was leaving early the next morning. We spoke with him for a few hours, and he helped us navigate our way to the Metro. I really enjoyed the feeling of meeting new people, and especially those whose native tongue is not English. Using hand motions, eye contact, it all helps when you are completely confused, and I now know that very well.
Overall, it was a great day... We had fun.
Deija
He then grumbled and walked away. I was surprised at how different it was to speak French in a classroom than it was in an actual French setting. My mind had gone blank, and it was slightly frightening. We proceeded to get ready, then went on our way. I had been begging for a French breakfast and finally got my wish. A French coffee and a croissant were on their way to us in no time. On the walk to the cafe I had told myself that I would try to order in French, I know how from French class, but like I said before, it was frightening, and I was unable to do it. It was delicious, I loved the coffee! It was thick, creamy, and amazing, and for the record, French croissants are way better than Costco's. I now know from experience.
(It's so cool being able to say that!)
After brunch we walked towards Musee du Louvre, which was great. The Mona Lisa was there, and the architecture of the place was amazing. The arches, sculptures, paintings, people, and the aura of the whole museum was spectacular on it's own. Tourists bustling, children on field trips, backpackers like us walking. People in awe with such beauty, all together, each experiencing it differently, but similar. I loved it.
Our stroll was cut short when Auna and I began to feel thirsty, all around the place, people were selling water for a euro, but Auna and I had ignored them, until they weren't where we were anymore. We left the museum itself, and went to the grounds, the courtyard, and the area surrounding it were beautiful. We and sat down at the edge of the fountain near the gardens. Children were pushing miniature sailboats around, people were eating ice-cream, and the sun was shining bright overhead, and right next to it, in the distance you could see the Eiffel Tower. With all this to think about, Auna and I had forgotten to grab water... So we told Mr. March that we would be back in a few minutes and proceeded to find a vendor. By the time we came back Mr. March had made friends with a couple pretty ladies that were sitting next to our spots. They were recent graduates of Brampton in New York, and were traveling throughout Europe for the summer. They were also on their way towards Spain, and Mr. march had struck up a conversation. Auna and I became bored, and went to the grass to sit. A man there was playing his guitar and singing softly. Auna and I listened for a while and when the man finished and began to pack up, we clapped and told him, in French, that he was very good.
After this, we walked along the river to the Eiffel Tower and were accosted by people selling miniature Eiffel Towers, we were wondering where they all were coming from because it was as if they had made a line and trapped people. Auna even made a joke that they had all just gotten off a bus. It was about seven when we had arrived and I immediately saw the stand making and selling crepes, I was so excited to have a French crepe that I made Auna get one as well. We bought two with chocolate and strawberries. They were so delicious! I got melted chocolate and strawberry juice all over my hands, and Auna had half of her crepe on the ground.
At about 9:45 it finally started to get dark, and the orangey glow of the lights behind the tower made it look so wonderful, against the darkish blue and white skyline. After a whole hour and fifteen minutes of more waiting, the Eiffel Tower began to sparkle! It lit up bright white lights all over the tower at different times!
*BAM, BAM, BAM!*
It was such an amazing experience and I plan to go back again. We met these guys there when we were waiting and they tried to teach us some often used French. Nothing bad of course. They were very kind and Auna and I couldn't pronounce their names, they were from Eastern France. After they had went on their way, a man that was sitting by himself started talking to Mr. March about his travels. The man was named Nicolas, and he was from Quebec, Canada. He had been all around Europe, backpacking, going from country to country for two months, and his last stop was Paris. We saw him on his last day, he was leaving early the next morning. We spoke with him for a few hours, and he helped us navigate our way to the Metro. I really enjoyed the feeling of meeting new people, and especially those whose native tongue is not English. Using hand motions, eye contact, it all helps when you are completely confused, and I now know that very well.
Overall, it was a great day... We had fun.
Deija
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Day 0.5 London to Paris (James)
Woke up early again today to enjoy the complimentary breakfast offered at our hotel. Honestly, I was just after the tea. There was just something about having sugar cubes available that kept me interested cup after cup. I guess sugar packets just don't do it for me.
I took advantage of the quiet to update the blog, look over maps, and come up with a few options to present with the girls when they eventually stumbled downstairs. We discussed the possibility of doing a load of laundry, visiting Abbey Road, and heading out towards the Eastern portion of London. Although they were torn, they decided to forego the laundry and head off northwest 3 miles through Regent Park (unfortunately we can't visit the zoo. Did we mention that London is expensive?). Abbey Road and the famous Beatles album cover was the destination and a big draw for Deija. It was tough for her to pass up. The walk through the park was really pleasant. Kids in their school uniforms ran around playing cricket, folks were out walking their dogs, and occasionally a runner or cyclist would over take us, but generally we had the paths to ourselves. As we headed towards Abbey Road, it became increasingly clear that the crossing was going to be anything but quiet. Traffic zoomed in both directions and we watched as earlier Beatles enthusiasts dodged traffic for the coveted photo at the crosswalk. It literally took us five whole minutes before we even had a chance to cross and even then they had to jog the last little bit to avoid impatient locals who were undoubtedly tired of the whole idea of having confused tourists take pictures of themselves in the middle of a busy street. We already had a tough enough time looking in the correct direction when crossing a street, much less staying out there for any length of time. What turned out to be a more pleasant activity was signing the wall outside the studios. It looks as though they paint over every year to allow for a new slate of admirers to jot down their name, year, favorite lyric, or really anything they want. An "I was here" sort of thing. I dug a pen out of my bag and handed it over to Auna who after writing the inquiry, "Who are the Beatles?" relinquished the pen to Deija. Deija found possibly the only spot on 300 square feet of space where she could write something big and went to work. She did this by leaning in and reaching her long arms through the gate. Hey, maybe they won't paint over that part next year.
We were running out of British Pounds, but I figured we could ride the tube once more into the city center to put us in a better position to see more. Up until this point, we made an effort to walk to everything. This was partly due to the fact that we needed the exercise, but also because I didn't want to miss the "in between" London. I didn't want to miss those kids playing cricket in the park, or bicyclists heading to work, or the random storefronts and street signs, litter cans, and back alley streets, all the stuff you miss when you bounce from one highlight to the next. It might have been tiring, but as we sit here on the Eurostar train to Paris, I believe we got a sense of the city in a way that we couldn't have otherwise if our mode of travel had not been by foot.
It was refreshing to pop up in a different part of the town, though, especially with our tired feet, but we put the boots to the cobblestone once again and traced the Queen's walk along the river. We sat for a bit admiring views of the HMS Belfast, London Bridge, and the London Tower. We took the latter to get back to the northern side of the Thames and took a peek at the castle. Again it was really cool to see Auna and Deija take an interest in the history. When a reader board details how the king kept lions and other exotic creatures near the moat, how can you not be interested?
Much of the area we were now walking had been destroyed during the war so many of the buildings were new. The throngs of tourists we saw yesterday at places like the palace were replaced with businessman in suits and ties. The pace of life seemed a bit more frantic. Whereas everyone else seemed to be speeding up, we were slowing down. Under the shadow of The Monument, a colossal 202 foot monolithic structure built for and not long after a fire nearly destroyed the entire city in 1666, we napped. We began to move again an hour or so later and paid a quick visit to the grounds of St. Paul Cathedral. Absolutely gorgeous. I wish we had the funds to go in, but unfortunately we have to be smart with what we have. We have a long walk ahead of us and it's best to be conservative now.
As I mentioned earlier, we are currently on the train from London to Paris. We haven't quite reached "the chunnel" part yet. Just rolling English countryside as the sun sets. I am going to hand over the reigns a bit to the girls tomorrow. We have a full day in Paris and I want to let them follow their noses a bit. Of course this means they will also have to look over maps, buy tickets, plan for food, etc, but I am hoping this will better allow them to own their experience.
Plus, I look forward to not having to think so much.
James
I took advantage of the quiet to update the blog, look over maps, and come up with a few options to present with the girls when they eventually stumbled downstairs. We discussed the possibility of doing a load of laundry, visiting Abbey Road, and heading out towards the Eastern portion of London. Although they were torn, they decided to forego the laundry and head off northwest 3 miles through Regent Park (unfortunately we can't visit the zoo. Did we mention that London is expensive?). Abbey Road and the famous Beatles album cover was the destination and a big draw for Deija. It was tough for her to pass up. The walk through the park was really pleasant. Kids in their school uniforms ran around playing cricket, folks were out walking their dogs, and occasionally a runner or cyclist would over take us, but generally we had the paths to ourselves. As we headed towards Abbey Road, it became increasingly clear that the crossing was going to be anything but quiet. Traffic zoomed in both directions and we watched as earlier Beatles enthusiasts dodged traffic for the coveted photo at the crosswalk. It literally took us five whole minutes before we even had a chance to cross and even then they had to jog the last little bit to avoid impatient locals who were undoubtedly tired of the whole idea of having confused tourists take pictures of themselves in the middle of a busy street. We already had a tough enough time looking in the correct direction when crossing a street, much less staying out there for any length of time. What turned out to be a more pleasant activity was signing the wall outside the studios. It looks as though they paint over every year to allow for a new slate of admirers to jot down their name, year, favorite lyric, or really anything they want. An "I was here" sort of thing. I dug a pen out of my bag and handed it over to Auna who after writing the inquiry, "Who are the Beatles?" relinquished the pen to Deija. Deija found possibly the only spot on 300 square feet of space where she could write something big and went to work. She did this by leaning in and reaching her long arms through the gate. Hey, maybe they won't paint over that part next year.
We were running out of British Pounds, but I figured we could ride the tube once more into the city center to put us in a better position to see more. Up until this point, we made an effort to walk to everything. This was partly due to the fact that we needed the exercise, but also because I didn't want to miss the "in between" London. I didn't want to miss those kids playing cricket in the park, or bicyclists heading to work, or the random storefronts and street signs, litter cans, and back alley streets, all the stuff you miss when you bounce from one highlight to the next. It might have been tiring, but as we sit here on the Eurostar train to Paris, I believe we got a sense of the city in a way that we couldn't have otherwise if our mode of travel had not been by foot.
It was refreshing to pop up in a different part of the town, though, especially with our tired feet, but we put the boots to the cobblestone once again and traced the Queen's walk along the river. We sat for a bit admiring views of the HMS Belfast, London Bridge, and the London Tower. We took the latter to get back to the northern side of the Thames and took a peek at the castle. Again it was really cool to see Auna and Deija take an interest in the history. When a reader board details how the king kept lions and other exotic creatures near the moat, how can you not be interested?
Much of the area we were now walking had been destroyed during the war so many of the buildings were new. The throngs of tourists we saw yesterday at places like the palace were replaced with businessman in suits and ties. The pace of life seemed a bit more frantic. Whereas everyone else seemed to be speeding up, we were slowing down. Under the shadow of The Monument, a colossal 202 foot monolithic structure built for and not long after a fire nearly destroyed the entire city in 1666, we napped. We began to move again an hour or so later and paid a quick visit to the grounds of St. Paul Cathedral. Absolutely gorgeous. I wish we had the funds to go in, but unfortunately we have to be smart with what we have. We have a long walk ahead of us and it's best to be conservative now.
As I mentioned earlier, we are currently on the train from London to Paris. We haven't quite reached "the chunnel" part yet. Just rolling English countryside as the sun sets. I am going to hand over the reigns a bit to the girls tomorrow. We have a full day in Paris and I want to let them follow their noses a bit. Of course this means they will also have to look over maps, buy tickets, plan for food, etc, but I am hoping this will better allow them to own their experience.
Plus, I look forward to not having to think so much.
James
Monday, June 20, 2011
Day 0.4: London (Auna)
This morning, which seemed extremely early, we wake up to March telling us that he'll be downstairs having the free breakfast drinking tea. Haha. So Deija and I climb out of bed and go down about 6 flights of stairs to the breakfast. March has already drank a whole tea pot full already! We sat down and tried to have our best manners, we didn't know whether we have to use a spoon to put the sugar cubes in our coffee or if we just used our hands.. We used the spoons just in case haha Deija and March got the English breakfast which consist of baked beans, bacon, an egg, sausage, and toast. I had the other one which was cereal, a croissant, banana, and toast. I couldn't get enough of the OJ! Later we figured out that what we thought was creamer was actually just milk haha I was still extremely tired still so I took a shower to wake myself up, it sorta worked.
We soon set out to explore more of London! We first walked down to the Buckingham palace to watch the changing of the guards, we walked 30 minutes before it started so we could get a good spot, it only happens once a day. It felt so amazing to be so close to something that was such a big deal, it last about an hour. I saw bits and pieces of it whenever I jumped high enough to see over the guys shoulder in front of me. He seemed like a giant after 40 minutes of standing on my tippy toes. Near the end more people were leaving so I got to see about the last 10 to 15 minutes of it clearly. Some of the people moved so I could see at that time and as soon as I was able to see it clearly it was so great! It takes so much discipline to be able to stand there perfectly still with a huge fluffy hat on for what must seem like forever.
After that we walked to the British Art Museum. We are getting really good at following the maps and finding our way around. As we are walking up the steps to the beautiful museum we notice a street performer putting on some so show. He was really funny and seemed psychotic! First he said he was going to swallow a sword but right afterwards he said he couldn't lie to us and he showed us that is was fake hahaha then he stripped down into his boxers which were very patriotic, then he pulled a guy out of the crowd, he made him lay down as he walked over him juggling machetes. It was intense! Then he kept putting off his next trick which was him laying on a bed of nails with another chest sized piece of wood with more nails coming out. He had some guys out of the crowd put the chest piece on him as he laid in between all these long, sharp nails as a larger guy stand on top of it all! He last lasted 20 seconds in it all! I was impressed. Now we head into the museum, all of the painting were so beautiful, I can't really describe it. It was like nothing I have seen before. I could stare and one painting all day for hours and still notice new things about it. These paintings were so expressive, you could sense what the artist was trying to capture and every little detail was there for a certain reason.
As we left we sat on the steps looking out at the beauty of London. There were two big fountains on the side, the lions in the middle, then one of the arches and Big Ben in the distance. It still so hard to believe that I'm in London, it's so much to take in. It was just a perfect moment sitting on those steps, observing all the different people and culture surrounding me. So far this has been an amazing, unforgettable experience. We sat there for an hour.
We walked our way to The British Museum, it is huge. Everything was so ancient and interesting. There was stuff from alllll around the world, mainly from Greece, Mesopotamia, and Egypt. They had old jewelry, along with shields and swords too mummies and coffins. We saw old tools and ancient coins. The pillars and statues are huge! The big statues are intimidating and they have managed to put pieces back together to a lot of the stuff. The mummy exhibit was my favorite, it was so unbelievable. Some of them weren't even wrapped, others had x-rays and you could see where the bones are. We also saw the Rosetta Stone, I couldn't believe how close I was to all of these magnificent finds. Overall I was really impressed, I think my jaw was dropped and my eyes were studying something the whole time. I'm glad I got to see all of it, I'll probably never get another chance again.
All of our stomachs are empty by now so we find a market and we buy some sandwich making food. The doughnuts looked so delicious, it was hard to walk away. We spent our money very wisely. After buying a key chain from a very nice gentleman who gave me a discount we arrived to the hotel. We made our sandwiches, they weren't the best but they were good enough to satisfy us. Deija and I decide that we wanted some Nutella to go with our bread. We had some this morning so we decide to take a Nutella run. We emptied one of our sacks and creeped down the stairs. To get Nutella we had to sneak into the dining area and take the packets off the tables... We felt sort of bad about it, thinking things like, 'When they wake up to make breakfast, no one will have Nutella on their tables!' But that factor made it more fun. We got enough packets that would last us all night, it was DELICIOUS!!
We did a lot today, unforgettable things. Tomorrow we will be checking out of the hotel around 11:00 so we got our backpacks altogether and ready to go! I'm going to miss this little hotel, It has a lot of personality.
We soon set out to explore more of London! We first walked down to the Buckingham palace to watch the changing of the guards, we walked 30 minutes before it started so we could get a good spot, it only happens once a day. It felt so amazing to be so close to something that was such a big deal, it last about an hour. I saw bits and pieces of it whenever I jumped high enough to see over the guys shoulder in front of me. He seemed like a giant after 40 minutes of standing on my tippy toes. Near the end more people were leaving so I got to see about the last 10 to 15 minutes of it clearly. Some of the people moved so I could see at that time and as soon as I was able to see it clearly it was so great! It takes so much discipline to be able to stand there perfectly still with a huge fluffy hat on for what must seem like forever.
After that we walked to the British Art Museum. We are getting really good at following the maps and finding our way around. As we are walking up the steps to the beautiful museum we notice a street performer putting on some so show. He was really funny and seemed psychotic! First he said he was going to swallow a sword but right afterwards he said he couldn't lie to us and he showed us that is was fake hahaha then he stripped down into his boxers which were very patriotic, then he pulled a guy out of the crowd, he made him lay down as he walked over him juggling machetes. It was intense! Then he kept putting off his next trick which was him laying on a bed of nails with another chest sized piece of wood with more nails coming out. He had some guys out of the crowd put the chest piece on him as he laid in between all these long, sharp nails as a larger guy stand on top of it all! He last lasted 20 seconds in it all! I was impressed. Now we head into the museum, all of the painting were so beautiful, I can't really describe it. It was like nothing I have seen before. I could stare and one painting all day for hours and still notice new things about it. These paintings were so expressive, you could sense what the artist was trying to capture and every little detail was there for a certain reason.
As we left we sat on the steps looking out at the beauty of London. There were two big fountains on the side, the lions in the middle, then one of the arches and Big Ben in the distance. It still so hard to believe that I'm in London, it's so much to take in. It was just a perfect moment sitting on those steps, observing all the different people and culture surrounding me. So far this has been an amazing, unforgettable experience. We sat there for an hour.
We walked our way to The British Museum, it is huge. Everything was so ancient and interesting. There was stuff from alllll around the world, mainly from Greece, Mesopotamia, and Egypt. They had old jewelry, along with shields and swords too mummies and coffins. We saw old tools and ancient coins. The pillars and statues are huge! The big statues are intimidating and they have managed to put pieces back together to a lot of the stuff. The mummy exhibit was my favorite, it was so unbelievable. Some of them weren't even wrapped, others had x-rays and you could see where the bones are. We also saw the Rosetta Stone, I couldn't believe how close I was to all of these magnificent finds. Overall I was really impressed, I think my jaw was dropped and my eyes were studying something the whole time. I'm glad I got to see all of it, I'll probably never get another chance again.
All of our stomachs are empty by now so we find a market and we buy some sandwich making food. The doughnuts looked so delicious, it was hard to walk away. We spent our money very wisely. After buying a key chain from a very nice gentleman who gave me a discount we arrived to the hotel. We made our sandwiches, they weren't the best but they were good enough to satisfy us. Deija and I decide that we wanted some Nutella to go with our bread. We had some this morning so we decide to take a Nutella run. We emptied one of our sacks and creeped down the stairs. To get Nutella we had to sneak into the dining area and take the packets off the tables... We felt sort of bad about it, thinking things like, 'When they wake up to make breakfast, no one will have Nutella on their tables!' But that factor made it more fun. We got enough packets that would last us all night, it was DELICIOUS!!
We did a lot today, unforgettable things. Tomorrow we will be checking out of the hotel around 11:00 so we got our backpacks altogether and ready to go! I'm going to miss this little hotel, It has a lot of personality.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Day 0.3 London (James)
"I think we are beating this jet lag thing," Auna said as we waited to board the third leg of our Seattle to London journey. This flight was a "short" 2.5 hour flight from Iceland to London itself. I laughed, and then laughed again as both Auna and Deija accepted increasingly uncomfortable positions in an effort to get even a small wink of sleep. I was in no better shape and neither was anyone else on the plane. Come to think of it, I have never seen such a sorry looking group by the time we reached customs. Baggy eyes, wild hair, listlessness, petty arguments with family; these were the norm and we fit right in. We saw more than one parent struggle to contain their obvious desire to smack their kids upside the head. After a few probing questions from customs as to the nature of our trip we were officially stamped and allowed access. The famous London Tube, the Piccadilly Line to be exact, took us from the airport to St. Pancras train station. Not only was this the train station that will take us to Paris, but our hotel was also nearby.
Now, when I booked this hotel, the room was described as "small" on the advertising website. I figured it couldn't be that small. However, when we checked in it was definitely small. Barely large enough to fit a double bed. I made my bed on the floor somewhere beneath the one sink in the room and a cubbyhole standing in for a closet. Bathrooms were out in the hall. One thing about being insanely tired though, is that you can fall asleep anywhere and simply lying on my back and closing my eyes was pure joy. And if my face was a reader board, you could read the words, "We made it!" across my smile.
We only slept for an hour or so. We made a point of trying to get our bodies on the new schedule and if we didn't want to be wide awake at 2 in the morning, we had to force ourselves to move. We have had a few things in London we wanted to see for awhile now so rather than trying to see them all in a logical order, we decided to combine exploring and a food quest into one. From our hotel we simply walked in the general direction of the River Thames. I automatically obtained a disdain for the touristy commercial places with crowds of trendy shoppers with bags of overpriced junk. I couldn't help but note that we were about to embark on a journey that was on the complete opposite side of the spectrum. Luckily we eventually made our way closer to the cultural attractions. It was great to see Auna and Deija's faces light up when we came upon Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, and Trafalger Square. Fueling their curiosity is the whole point of the trip and it's not too hard in a place like London even after an 18 hours on travel. It also sadly reminds me of how deficient my own classroom is in the same regard.
We set up our schedule to allow for a complete day tomorrow to just walk around and experience London. We will have most of the day after that as well since our train to Paris leaves in the evening. Changing of the guard, national gallery, and the British Museum await! Thanks for all the well wishes. We are tired for sure, but excited for the adventure to come!
James
Now, when I booked this hotel, the room was described as "small" on the advertising website. I figured it couldn't be that small. However, when we checked in it was definitely small. Barely large enough to fit a double bed. I made my bed on the floor somewhere beneath the one sink in the room and a cubbyhole standing in for a closet. Bathrooms were out in the hall. One thing about being insanely tired though, is that you can fall asleep anywhere and simply lying on my back and closing my eyes was pure joy. And if my face was a reader board, you could read the words, "We made it!" across my smile.
We only slept for an hour or so. We made a point of trying to get our bodies on the new schedule and if we didn't want to be wide awake at 2 in the morning, we had to force ourselves to move. We have had a few things in London we wanted to see for awhile now so rather than trying to see them all in a logical order, we decided to combine exploring and a food quest into one. From our hotel we simply walked in the general direction of the River Thames. I automatically obtained a disdain for the touristy commercial places with crowds of trendy shoppers with bags of overpriced junk. I couldn't help but note that we were about to embark on a journey that was on the complete opposite side of the spectrum. Luckily we eventually made our way closer to the cultural attractions. It was great to see Auna and Deija's faces light up when we came upon Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, and Trafalger Square. Fueling their curiosity is the whole point of the trip and it's not too hard in a place like London even after an 18 hours on travel. It also sadly reminds me of how deficient my own classroom is in the same regard.
We set up our schedule to allow for a complete day tomorrow to just walk around and experience London. We will have most of the day after that as well since our train to Paris leaves in the evening. Changing of the guard, national gallery, and the British Museum await! Thanks for all the well wishes. We are tired for sure, but excited for the adventure to come!
James
Day 0.2 Seattle to London (Deija)
Yesterday was hectic. In and out of Airports all day, and into the next. We started in Seattle at 5:10am, waiting in front of Icelandair for about 40 minutes until we realized that our flight was actually out of Canada Air... So slightly later than we had hoped we began our long day of sitting, waiting, unloading and reloading backpacks, taking off our shoes for security and listening to a teenage boy talk about extremely random information on everything from math, science, literature, world languages, and playlist preferences to where he went last summer and how many exchange students his parents had when they were kids.
Sea-Tac to Toronto wasn't all that bad, we were all nervous, slightly hungry, and tired because we got up early. I had the most amazing idea ever, why not stay up all night, get ready uber early in the morning for the flight, not sleep on the plane, be jet lagged, still not sleep and expect to beat it!
Muahahah!!!
*Evil Plan = Failed*
After our five hour delay in French Canada, which all three of us now call "Bonjour, Merci," we finally set out for Iceland. On this flight Auna and I started speaking with this teenager from (DRUM ROLL PLEASE!) Portland, Oregon! Bam said the lady! We all clicked, talking about school, music, angle of descent on the plane... You know, normal teenage conversation. So it turns out this kid is actually kind of a genius. He is getting his diploma early...etc. Well this brings us to talking of his family, (OMG they're sitting in the next row over! What a crazy random happenstance,) and how his parents met because the dad went to Indonesia during high school and stayed with this girls family, and the next year she stayed with his family...Now guess what! They're married with two kids! Whoop whoop! So on this flight from Toronto to Iceland I was suppose to get some sleep, but instead stayed up all night talking with Cal. In the wee minutes of morning, aka 3am Iceland time, I noticed that a light of some sort was coming out from underneath the shade, I pulled it up a little and what I saw was beautiful. We were flying over Greenland and the sun was rising, it was a quiet pink color with a tint of orange on the layer closer to the surface. All this mixed in with the fact that the whole country was covered in snow, white, crisp snow, gave me the impression that it went on indefinitely. I woke Auna (who is VERY hard to wake by the way) and showed her and Cal what they were missing. It was amazing. Now that she was awake, Auna, Cal, and I talked some more and brought up the fact that she was figuring out the angle of descent of the last plane we were on. Well, being ourselves, Auna and I took Cal to a challenge that we feared we would fail miserably. He was a genius...right?
Well apparently, he didn't have Cardwell as a math teacher, so he never had to memorize the unit circle, and we had.... So we felt super smart. :) As he is trying to find the Cot of 60 degrees on his iPod graphing calculator app, Auna and I get our answer and keep our mouths shut so he can TRY To figure out the answer before us. It doesn't happen...obviously. ;) Our calculator skills gots him beat.
Deija
Sea-Tac to Toronto wasn't all that bad, we were all nervous, slightly hungry, and tired because we got up early. I had the most amazing idea ever, why not stay up all night, get ready uber early in the morning for the flight, not sleep on the plane, be jet lagged, still not sleep and expect to beat it!
Muahahah!!!
*Evil Plan = Failed*
After our five hour delay in French Canada, which all three of us now call "Bonjour, Merci," we finally set out for Iceland. On this flight Auna and I started speaking with this teenager from (DRUM ROLL PLEASE!) Portland, Oregon! Bam said the lady! We all clicked, talking about school, music, angle of descent on the plane... You know, normal teenage conversation. So it turns out this kid is actually kind of a genius. He is getting his diploma early...etc. Well this brings us to talking of his family, (OMG they're sitting in the next row over! What a crazy random happenstance,) and how his parents met because the dad went to Indonesia during high school and stayed with this girls family, and the next year she stayed with his family...Now guess what! They're married with two kids! Whoop whoop! So on this flight from Toronto to Iceland I was suppose to get some sleep, but instead stayed up all night talking with Cal. In the wee minutes of morning, aka 3am Iceland time, I noticed that a light of some sort was coming out from underneath the shade, I pulled it up a little and what I saw was beautiful. We were flying over Greenland and the sun was rising, it was a quiet pink color with a tint of orange on the layer closer to the surface. All this mixed in with the fact that the whole country was covered in snow, white, crisp snow, gave me the impression that it went on indefinitely. I woke Auna (who is VERY hard to wake by the way) and showed her and Cal what they were missing. It was amazing. Now that she was awake, Auna, Cal, and I talked some more and brought up the fact that she was figuring out the angle of descent of the last plane we were on. Well, being ourselves, Auna and I took Cal to a challenge that we feared we would fail miserably. He was a genius...right?
Well apparently, he didn't have Cardwell as a math teacher, so he never had to memorize the unit circle, and we had.... So we felt super smart. :) As he is trying to find the Cot of 60 degrees on his iPod graphing calculator app, Auna and I get our answer and keep our mouths shut so he can TRY To figure out the answer before us. It doesn't happen...obviously. ;) Our calculator skills gots him beat.
Deija
Friday, June 17, 2011
Day 0.1: Seattle (Auna)
As soon as I seen the packing list this trip became more real. I couldn't wait to get all my stuff together and test out my backpack. March had us layout all of our clothes as if we were making a little person, it was pretty sweet! Once I had most of everything I need in my pack I instantly had to try it on. Surprisingly it was really light! I began to realize that this trip might be as hard as I thought because every little ounce matters.. But we still had to get a few odds and ends, including a couple days worth of food. So my mom and I go food shopping and being the nourishing mom she is, she stocks me up! I think I now have at least a weeks worth of food, I love it now (as I'm eating out of it and not wearing it yet) but I might be shoving my face with food as we begin to walk trying to lose some weight out of my pack. It's a big majority of weight in my backpack right now but I'm still excited for my journey to begin!
The night before our ride to the SeaTac airport, I could barely sleep. I set everything out, ready to go the night before. I woke up at 5:30, my mom, step dad, two little sisters; Emily (7), Jamie (3months) and I were piling into the car. I was prepared for the car ride from hell. We set out about 6:20, everything locked and loaded to go pick up March and Dejia and we lead out to Seattle at about 7:30. It was long but faster than I expected. The kids were exceptionally great. Our first rest we had seemed phenominal! It had free cookies and coffee so it was a great surprise, i soon came back to reality as I was wiping off the toilet seat and layering it with toilet paper before I used it. So the drive goes on with plenty of mind numbing staring and heads sleeping on shoulders, we arrive at SeaTac Inn which is directly across the street from the airport.
Now my family and I haven't ever gotten to see the great sites of Seattle. We head up to see the Space Needle. As I saw my little sisters eyes widen, not much later did mine. I thought it was pretty spectacular. My step and baby sister decided to stay behind as my mom, Emily and I go up to the top of the Space Needle. I've never seen a city as big and beautiful as Seattle, in fact i really haven't ever been to a big city until now. With Mt. Rainier in the distance on such a clear beautiful, bright, and sunny day. It was a great moment as I looked out into the horizon. Tomorrow we fly!
--- NOTE ---
Our ability to upload photos on the iPad is not nearly as good as we thought. Until we figure it out, check out our facebook page (millers on the way)
Auna
The night before our ride to the SeaTac airport, I could barely sleep. I set everything out, ready to go the night before. I woke up at 5:30, my mom, step dad, two little sisters; Emily (7), Jamie (3months) and I were piling into the car. I was prepared for the car ride from hell. We set out about 6:20, everything locked and loaded to go pick up March and Dejia and we lead out to Seattle at about 7:30. It was long but faster than I expected. The kids were exceptionally great. Our first rest we had seemed phenominal! It had free cookies and coffee so it was a great surprise, i soon came back to reality as I was wiping off the toilet seat and layering it with toilet paper before I used it. So the drive goes on with plenty of mind numbing staring and heads sleeping on shoulders, we arrive at SeaTac Inn which is directly across the street from the airport.
Now my family and I haven't ever gotten to see the great sites of Seattle. We head up to see the Space Needle. As I saw my little sisters eyes widen, not much later did mine. I thought it was pretty spectacular. My step and baby sister decided to stay behind as my mom, Emily and I go up to the top of the Space Needle. I've never seen a city as big and beautiful as Seattle, in fact i really haven't ever been to a big city until now. With Mt. Rainier in the distance on such a clear beautiful, bright, and sunny day. It was a great moment as I looked out into the horizon. Tomorrow we fly!
--- NOTE ---
Our ability to upload photos on the iPad is not nearly as good as we thought. Until we figure it out, check out our facebook page (millers on the way)
Auna
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