Vacation!

I've been admonished in recent days that I should write more often, so here I am. I have been super busy and otherwise occupied, which has been a good thing, for the most part. Train rides, sight-seeing, walking, eating, laughing, more walking, buying things, and more walking...and marveling at the wonders of creation, awe-inspiring architecture, and intriguing differences in culture...that's what I've been doing lately. Oh, and did I mention walking? I'm pretty sure I could be a magazine model by the time summer comes around. ;)

I could probably write pages and pages about this whirlwind of a vacation and my return home to Angers, but I don't really have the time or the energy to write them, and I'm going to assume that you don't have the time or the energy to read them, either! (Don't worry, though, Ali - I've recorded even the little details in my journal so I won't forget.) So, allow me to share with you a list of the top 15 reasons I will never forget my vacation to Paris, Marseille, and Strasbourg (other than the obvious fact that I did indeed go to Paris, Marseille, and Strasbourg - for real-real, not for play-play). ;)

1. the train rides from Paris to Marseille, from Marseille to Strasbourg, from Strasbourg to Angers...
I really like train rides, except for the fact that I tend to get a little nauseous if I read or write too much. Getting to the right platform, into the right car, and getting out at the right stop always feels like an adventure no matter how many times you do it, and the train ride itself is always full of surprises. You never know when the police might hop on board for a visit, or what kind of random person you might strike up a conversation with. Kendra and I talked with an older woman from northern France for a couple of hours on our way to Strasbourg about work, education, church, marriage...and mistletoe. Yes, we happened to see some strange plant growths on the trees we were passing, and she explained that it was a parasitic plant called "gui" - which is mistletoe. So next time you kiss under the mistletoe at Christmas, remember...it's just a parasitic plant. :P Anyway, I really enjoyed having the downtime on the train, and especially having the time to observe the scenery of different parts of France. On the way from Marseilles to Strasbourg, the scenery reminded me of the western United States (Colorado, northern New Mexico), then it gradually changed until the rolling green hills reminded me of Virginia, and then it change yet again into something that resembled the Ozarks region, around the Buffalo river. I find all three to be extremely beautiful, so it was a lovely train ride. :) Oh, and with our student discount passes, we were also able to snag 1st class seats twice!

2. the FOOD!!!
I don’t even know where to begin, talking about the food we tasted on this trip. If we had come home after just our trip to Paris, I probably would have been satisfied with the yummy Parisian pastries we enjoyed every morning on our way to the Metro stop. (My romantic mind was definitely content with finding the nearest boulangerie/patisserie and then taking a stroll with a fresh raisin pastry or chocolate croissant in hand. It didn’t really matter what street we were on, since it was all Paris!) But, the pastries were not the only memorable cuisine from Paris. The egg, cheese, and ham filled crêpe that I bought from a tiny one-man stand in the Latin quarter was possibly one of the most amazing, mouth-watering delicious things I’ve ever eaten. But, there were even better things to come. In Marseilles, Kendra and I decided that we couldn’t leave until we’d tried some seafood. After all, it would be a shame to travel all that way and not taste the local specialties, straight from the source. I doubt that I’ve ever had seafood quite that fresh before -- as in, my oysters and mussels and shrimps were on ice and very ... raw. I managed to get several down, just to say I’d had the experience, but I don’t think they’re my favorite type of cuisine. However, the bouillabaisse was another matter entirely. Bouillabaisse was a tradition said to be started by hard-working mothers in the seaside towns who would take the leftovers of the day’s catches and throw them all together into a pot to make a fish stew. Fortunately, the tradition has evolved into something a bit, um, fresher. Our bouillabaisse was made with oysters, three different kinds of fish, and potatoes. The fish were cooked whole, because we could see the waiter cutting them up and pouring the broth over them before he brought the soup to the table. As odd as it might sound, it was one of the tastiest soups I’ve ever eaten! It does take time to eat it, though, since you have to pick out all of the bones. So, after our culinary highlight in Marseilles, we set our sights on Strasbourg and all of the yummy German-influenced foods we had heard about. And indeed they were yummy! Tarte flambée, kougelhopf, vin chaud...all amazing. Tarte flambée is like a crispy thin crust pizza topped with a thin layer of sour cream/white cheese, bacon (more like bacon fat), and onions. You can order it with other toppings, too, such as mushrooms, garlic, etc., like I did. Quite tasty. Kougelhopf is a traditional Alsacian bread made with currants or raisins and topped with almonds. It’s always made in the same shape, kind of like a Bundt pan form, and it’s not as sweet as you would expect from a raisin bread. In fact, if it’s traditionally made, it’s supposed to be a savory bread. And...I can’t finish this point on food without mentioning that yes, we did eat German food...in Germany. :) My sausage salad reminded me of high-quality bologna shredded on salad with cheese and a dijon-style dressing...a salad which I enjoyed, but didn’t know existed!

3. the walking!!
I will never forget the sheer quantity of walking we did on this vacation. I think that if you calculated the number of hours that we spent on foot, it would come to an average of 6 to 8 hours per day. (mostly because we’re too cheap to use the bus and the metro, and walking gives you a better feel for the atmosphere of a city in such a short time) We discovered lots of neat little shops and restaurants just by walking around, like the leather boutique in Marseille where the woman designs her own purses and leather goods and was more than willing to explain her work to us. I will say, though, that by the end of the vacation, I was much less willing to go out of my way to walk somewhere, because my feet were killing me. But, at least we burned enough calories to work up enough of an appetite for lots of local food!

4. the Eiffel Tower
Now I’m sure you’re wondering why this made it on the list. After all, everyone knows that it’s in Paris, but it’s still the ugliest structure in the world. If that’s true, then I must not be everyone. It’s not the most breathtakingly beautiful thing I’ve seen, for sure, but it’s not bad-looking on a pretty day. At night, though, it’s a completely different story. Laura secretly took Kendra and I to a lookout point after dark one night around 7:00, and we weren’t sure exactly what we were going to see next. We just climbed the stairs out of the Metro station and started following her to the next sight. As soon as we turned the corner, there was the Eiffel Tower, glittering and sparkling in the night sky. I’ll admit, I just stood there with a huge grin that you couldn’t have wiped off of my face, like a kid who just walked into Disneyworld for the first time. Of course, the tower didn’t hold quite the same sense of wonder the next day, but I’ll always be grateful that I had the opportunity to see it for the first time like that. Thank you, Laura, for remembering that it would be lit up on the hour, and for sharing it with us. :)

5. the deepened understanding of the importance of relationships
I would be lying if I said that I felt perfectly content throughout the entire vacation. To be honest, I would have to say that I missed my family and friends even more while I was gone than when I was in Angers (if that’s possible!). It seemed like every time I turned around, I was in the middle of another experience I wanted so badly to share with someone...but I couldn’t. Don’t get me wrong; I’m so, so, so grateful that I had the chance to travel with Laura and Kendra! I just wish that more of you could have been there with me to see the blue water, to feel the power of the wind, to play in the sand, to marvel at the churches and monuments, to enjoy a meal together. I felt like, as amazing as it was, it was only half as amazing as it would have been with the most important people in my life there to savor it with me. So, does that mean that I had a miserable vacation? No. It just means that I have a renewed sense of appreciation for the relationships God has given me. :) You are all so special to me.

6. the history
From the monuments and landmarks of Paris, to the old port and the Chateau d’If in Marseille, to the unique Alsacian heritage and identity in Strasbourg, there was always something historical to intrigue me on this trip - even things to inspire my reluctant imagination. The tomb of the Unknown Soldier under the Arc de Triomphe reminded me of the sacrifices of men and women whose names and faces we don’t even know, and the sacrifices made by their families and friends and countrymen. They were all important to someone. The fact that a country like France lost a million men in one war still blows my mind. Visiting Notre-Dame in Paris was also a special experience. The very building itself is awe-inspiring, but it somehow it held more meaning because we happened to visit during mass. It’s overwhelming to imagine how many people have come to mass there over its years of existence, who they were, and what they might have been like. I found my imagination to be even more lively when we visited Marseille and got caught in a blustery rainstorm out on the calanques of the Isle of Frioul. The wind was dashing the waves against the rocks like I’ve always heard it can do, but I’ve never seen or experienced the sheer power of it for myself. Since we were only witnessing a small rainstorm, I couldn’t help but imagine the terror of being stranded on a ship in the middle of a real storm or imprisoned in a fortress in the middle of the ocean like Edmond Dantes in the Count of Monte Cristo.

7. the playful moments, when we forgot we were 21 and decided to be 8 again

...of swinging in the park
...of climbing onto whimsical statues of birds that spin, just to see how fast we could go and make ourselves dizzy
...of running and jumping into the wind and letting it lift us off the ground
...of eating Kougelhopf, food of champions!!!
...of drawing pictures in the sand and wading in the ocean
...of trying to open a can of tuna without a can opener and laughing hysterically at the looks from the guy behind us on the train
...of eating ice cream for dinner
...of taking pictures of angry faces, sad faces, serious faces, sleepy faces, happy faces, and all faces that might occur in between

8. Kendra
It was such a blessing to be able to wake up with her, to sometimes share something we’d read in the Bible or talk about something we didn’t quite understand, to pray together, to talk over all the cultural differences we’d never seen before, and most of all to take the time to really get to know one another and discover dreams and quirks and personality we’d never seen in the other before. I will always remember the time we laughed until we couldn’t breathe at the can of tuna, which was really “man-bait,” the endless jokes we made about Kougelhopf and the Place Kleber, and the glare she gave that drunk guy who put his arm around my shoulder at the fruit stand. (I pity her children when they do something to cross her in the future...) ;) She was even the perfect person to take shopping, because she is just like me...we’re both so indecisive. We understand each other!

9. Laura
I also enjoyed spending those few days with Laura and getting to know her better! I was really glad to have the opportunity to see not only the big things in Paris, but the tiny little things she loves. The falafel, the tiny crêpe stand, the Eiffel Tower at night, the Toys’R’Us with the 5kg jar of Nutella...it was all awesome...but doubly awesome because she was there to enjoy it with us. She’s not only best guide to Paris ever, but a good friend. :)

10. the Beach and the Calanques
cold water. distant horizon. blue sky. white clouds. soft sand. messages. shells. freshest, sweetest air I’ve ever smelled. roaring wind. laughter. awe. indescribable.

11. Germany
We hopped on a train Sunday morning just to say we’d been there. Offenburg was pretty much deserted for most of the day, but we managed to find a restaurant that was open, where we ended up being the American tourists who didn’t speak a word of the native language and had to fall on the mercy of the waitress who happened to speak some English. We didn’t even know how to count or say the days of the week in German! It was a completely new feeling, since we could always fall back on our French before. Anyway, we loved listening to the normal German people having conversations around us, and we had a great deal of fun on our quest to find postcards (that we couldn’t read), stamps (we probably stuck on enough to send the cards around the world twice), and a drop box (that didn’t have a separate slot for foreign mail - but it’s not like we could read it if it did). We had a long talk over dessert that afternoon about some ideas we have for the future, and we ended up doing some impromptu brainstorming. I love afternoons like that.

12. the Markets
Strasbourg has three different outdoor markets: the produce market, the book market, and the flea market. We hit up all three on Saturday, and it was one of the best things we did in Strasbourg. The book market boasted stand after stand of old books, new books, trashy books, childrens’ books, antique books, postcards, and posters, and I found a book about all the known phobias in the world -- which should be humorous and a good opportunity to learn vocabulary. However, the flea market was where I found the real treasures, both in objects and in memories. I found a little ceramic bowl I liked, and the old man sold it to me for a euro. Not bad. But then I found a painted plate that really, really wanted...but I didn’t want to pay the 10 euros the guy was asking (even though he said he was giving me a good deal since I was pretty, or the bowl was pretty...I’m still not sure which pronoun he used). Then he offered me two plates for 15 euros...but I didn’t want the other one. I’d seen him working over a couple who was looking at a tricycle at his stand, and I got the impression that I could bargain with him, so I stood up a little straighter and told him I only had 7 euros for the one plate I wanted, and he didn’t waste a second taking me up on it. I’m sure I could have gone lower, but it was my first time...and I was bargaining in French...so I was super-proud of myself. And I now own the plate I really liked, too. After that, I found a beautiful locket at a different stand, and I came back to it three times because I just couldn’t leave without at least trying to buy it. The lady tried to sell it to me for 20 euros, and then she offered it to me for 10 euros if Kendra bought the 20 euro item she was considering for 10 euros as well. Kendra didn’t really want it, so I asked the lady if she would take 15 for the one I wanted, and then thought better of it and offered 12, which she also took. I was quite happy with that. :) Then we headed off to the produce market, where most of the vendors were packing up, but we still got to taste some locally-produced Munster cheese, 1 week old and 3 weeks old. I think I prefer the taste of the newer cheese, even though most people prefer the older. Anyway, all in all, it was a great day at the markets that I won’t soon forget.

13. the increased confidence
I CAN speak French. I CAN travel on my own. I CAN navigate a city without getting hopelessly lost. All with His help. :)

14. the new friends at the hostel
Nearly every night we stayed in the hostel, a new person came to share our the room with us, which made for great opportunities to share backgrounds and having deep, interesting conversations. I’m really glad we had the opportunity to meet Kayt, Caroline, and all of the others. :) They’ve each left me to think about a little bit of their own perspective on life, which I think is a valuable asset.

15. the realization that He is Emmanuel, God with Us, Jehovah Shalom, our Peace and Jehovah Jireh, our Provider
He is the God who sees. So many times, we could have been in the wrong place at the wrong time, or could even have been in grave danger, but he delivered us because of his mercy. I didn't find out that there was a massive storm that killed over 50 people in France until I was safe in Strasbourg after the storm had passed. Thankfully, He kept the knowledge of the storm from my parents until I was able to talk to them. What i find amazing about the entire situation is that Kendra and I were getting on our train from Paris to Marseille at the same time that Paris was instituting warnings and watches and cancelling flights. Before long, Paris was buffeted by the winds and flooding -- but we were already in the south of France, out of harm's way, enjoying the sand and the waves and the beauty of His creation. How amazing and merciful is our God!

Well, hopefully these 15 highlights give you an idea of how amazing this trip was. Unfortunately, it was also exhausting, and on top of that, I'm currently dealing with some health issues. This too shall pass. I'm pretty sleepy now though, so I'm going to sign off. Bisous!