(what's the story) morning glory?: The Day of Milestones (and Walking)

Okay, so two Canadian backpackers, three German girls, and an Argentinean street musician all walk into a cramped train compartment. The Canadians say...

This could be the start of a great joke, but alas, it’s a true story: the true story of myself and Bryan’s 10 hour overnight train ride from Munich to Paris. Just us, Martina, Jutte, Stefanie, and Sergio. A motley crew, perhaps, but collectively jolly enough. Martina even got Sergio to play his violin for us ... a more European experience we could not have asked for. A faster train ride maybe, but that’s it ;)

We got in this morning at 7 am, shook off our neck cricks, and promptly mastered the Parisian metro system. Actually, Bryan procured a map and two all-day tickets and set off, and I followed a couple paces behind him pointing out a sign every so often. Bryan may not be able to pronounce even the shortest German words correctly but darn it, he’s got a great sense of direction. We made it to our slightly out-of-the-way hotel by 8:45 am and were overjoyed when they let us check in early. Our smiles weakened somewhat, however, when we saw the stairs—6 flights, and no lift. But once we made it up there and saw the fantastic view and our private balcony, we were restored!

(At this time, Bryan would like to interject that his much-derided pronunciation of “Munich” is, astonishingly, correct. Our tour guide mentioned during our day there that Munchen, as it’s called in German, was originally called “Munichen” by the monks who founded it. 10 points!)

Even though we arrived a bit late, we still managed to see the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, the Champs d’Elysees, and tour the Museum of Modern Art. I can’t believe I can claim so many milestones in one day—I got to see all of these famous sites, AND works by Picasso, Matisse, Dali, and Pollack. AND we had croissants! I’m expecting my French citizenship any minute now.

Paris is everything you expect: hectic, historical, multicultural, and awe-inspiring. But it’s also affordable, open-minded, compact, and welcoming. Even on another cloudy day like today, you can tell people are delighted by what they’re seeing. I think that’s what makes Paris so special to so many... while Berlin has its own attractions, Paris has a little of that air of mystery and romance; it's palpable as soon as you take that first step out of the metro line.

Here are a few more pictures that I finally have the chance to post. Hope all is well back home :) We're here tomorrow, and then we leave really early on the 3rd for London, by highspeed train!