Andy in The Netherlands: Day 27 - 32

I'm sorry this took so long, Mom and Dad. It's daunting. Pictures at the end, on Flickr eventually, and on Facebook.

Day 27 - Recovery

Incasa Friday night/Saturday night was fun, but I woke up in a terrible state, and it took an entire day of laying in bed to rally in time for the Paris bus later that night. We had a good Rijnfront meet-up before Incasa, and we basically all danced the night away together, which was fun. I don't think a single soul would have guess that I was Jack White, even as I was a spitting image of the man, but it didn't matter. Multiple people said "Yes!" to Michigan.

I met up with Kyle at Leiden Centraal around 9:15 pm and we headed to Den Haag, where we boarded a bus for Paris. The bus is pretty cheap, especially booking a bit in advance, and is comfortable enough if you're sitting next to someone you know. It was snowing as we left, and the bus driver was a bit surly/bizarre, but the ride was fine. I got to rest some more, we stopped for a while at a truck stop in Flanders (first time in the motherland!), and we made good time.

Day 28 - PARIS!

We arrived in Paris around 6 in the morning, and Kyle and I navigated the Paris Metro (more on this later) to the neighborhood of our hotel, which was easy enough to find. We were hoping to be able to drop off our luggage, but when we arrived the doors were locked, and we had to rouse someone with a buzzer. He looked annoyed until he realized we had a reservation for later, and he let us check in well ahead of the scheduled check-in time. Relieved, we got to nap for a couple hours, waking up around 10 to navigate to Notre Dame. The Cathedral is really beautiful, and impressively massive. I have zero idea how such fine details were possible so long ago, but the thing took 200 years to build, so that should say something.

We met up with a free tour group for a jaunt through the Latin Quarter, which first included some history of Notre Dame which I'm sure was interesting but most of which I don't remember now. We visited some other historic churches, Shakespeare and Co. English bookstore where various famous English authors stayed in Paris, some Roman ruins, the homes of Hemingway and Descartes, the Sorbonne, and the Pantheon amongst other things. The tour was a bit dry, and the weather a bit shit, but it was a good introduction to the city and good way to see some stuff that Adam didn't mind missing. Afterward we headed back to Notre Dame to go inside - it was really crowded, but the stained glass windows were worth the (free) price of admission. After Notre Dame we grabbed sandwiches on the street, which were really great (first real food in ages), namely because the bread was pretty fantastic.

After Notre Dame we headed over to my personal request, the famous Centre Pompidou, home to amongst other things the national modern art museum. The outside of the center is eccentric and breathtaking, and I was really looking forward to checking it out. They had an exhibition on De Stijl which was a neat White Stripes connection to Paris, but it cost extra to get in (we bought Paris museum passes which got us in basically everywhere and paid for themselves really quickly) so we decided to check out the Michel Gondry film festival that was going on downstairs. We found out that Gondry was putting on a month long film festival of his own works and works that inspired him, and tired and needing to kill time until Adam arrived, we decided to go see the film playing that day - Hibernatus (1969). We knew it'd be all in French, but embraced it anyway. The theatre was pretty crowded, and as we waited I spotted a familiar face that startled me. Michel Gondry - who I had no expectation of actually being there - was in fact in the audience, and he gave an interview (en francais) before the movie. That was really exciting - the unplanned portions of the trip always are - and even though the movie was bizarre and hard to follow, it was an enjoyable experience. Afterward Gondry was in the lobby signing a few autographs, and I managed to snag one, which was really amazing. He was really nice, made it out to me, and when I told him I was from Detroit and loved his White Stripes videos, he mentioned that he'd like to build a filmmaking studio/artist's space in Detroit. Wouldn't that be something?!

Afterward we headed upstairs to see the impressive modern art collection, which included a bunch of Picasso, Matisse, and Kandinsky. The visit established what would be our preferred museum speed for the rest of the trip - appreciative but brisk. After more resting we headed out and strolled through the city a bit, including a walk around the outside of the Louvre and great views of the Eiffel Tower.

We met Adam, in from Leiden via Utrecht, at the Metro near our hotel and after a short rest headed to the Sacre Coeur, in the Montmarte area, right behind our hotel. It was a long walk up the stairs of the hill to the top, but it was worth it for a very impressive view from the top - even if it was less impressive than one would expect. The problem, though, was that everything was super seedy up there - people hawking cheap tourist shit and drinking - so I was happy to move into other parts of the Montmarte area, and got my first Parisian crepe - jambon et fromage - after ordering completely in French, which was exciting. My French proved to be sufficient to get us around and have basic interactions with people, but it was too easy to also use English. My pronunciations are amazing, if anybody cares. The crepe was delicious even on a still upset stomach, and I was happy to get back to the hotel and call it an early night (probably the first time I've fallen asleep before 3 AM in years - passed out around 11).

Day 29 - MOAR PARIS!

Monday was action-packed. We woke up early for a breakfast of croissants and jam with a gaggle of British school girls, and then headed off to the Champs d'Elysses to see the Arc de Triomphe. Walking out of the Metro station you're immediately greeted by that famous monument, and it was quite the impressive sight surrounded by a giant whirling mess of cars. We walked around it for a while, and I took a moment at the tomb of the unknown soldier, which is one thing that will always cause me to tear up (military cemeteries are another - I can't even look at pictures of Arlington). We walked up a massive spiral staircase (Kings of Leon was stuck in my head) to the top, which displayed incredibly impressive views of the city. It was sunny and a bit hazy, but there were awesome views down the radials, and a cool view of the Eiffel Tower. After some photo-opping on top we made our way down and strolled the Champs d'Elysses for a while - it was less impressive than I though it'd be, but still cool to be there.

Our next stop was the Louvre, which was just breathtaking. After wandering rather hurriedly through the Dutch Golden Age section, I proposed we split up and reconvene later, which was a tremendous idea. I got to rest my weary legs often, while still basically seeing all of the Richelieu and Denon wings, which included the magnificent Napoleon III apartments, and various masterpieces, foremost amongst them obviously being the Mona Lisa. Different from my unexpectedly negative reaction to the Red Light district in Amsterdam, I was surprised at how cool I found seeing the Mona Lisa in person was. Hokey as it sounds, I was entranced by that grin, and I got chills. The throng of people taking touristy photos kind of spoils the moment a bit, but it was still awesome. The Italian wing of the museum was by far my favorite - the paintings just have a special life to them. On a whole, the Louvre was breathtaking. Every room is physically commanding and demands as much attention as the priceless pieces it houses. One of the things that struck me was just how impossible it is for me to imagine how people hundreds, if not thousands, of years ago were able to create immense statues or incredibly detailed jewelry without the benefit of modern conveniences. The best (feel free to tell me it's the worst - never really thought it out) parallel I could think of for a modern day creation to rival the intricacy and beauty of these pieces was the internet, but that's a thought for another time.

After the Louvre we took a pit stop at the Apple Store for quick internet time before heading out to Napoleon's tomb and the Musee de l'Armee - the military history museum. While inside was a bit of a dud, the building housing Napoleon's tomb was incredible - Kyle made a reference to the gilded dome being more impressive than the golden dome in South Bend, and that her Irish father would disown her for such a remark. The military history museum was really great - they have a great history of the world wars to walk through, and plenty of stuff in english. It was definitely my second favorite experience behind the Louvre, and is without a doubt worth a visit for any history buffs.

Afterwards we walked to the Eiffel Tower - as cool as advertised, and deceptively intricate and beautiful. We went all the way up to the top, which triggered my fear of (exposed) heights a bit, but was impressive nonetheless. Less than ideal visibility limited the view, but just being up there at night was enough. It's pretty crazy to think that 110 years ago, that structure was the tallest in the world - now it's dwarfed.

After a very full day we headed home exhausted once more, and watched The Fighter on Adam's netbook, thus checking the last Best Picture nominee off my list! The Social Network was my favorite movie of the year, followed by Black Swan and The Ghost Writer, but it looks like The King's Speech will win. Whatever.

Day 30 - Versailles and Crispin Glover

We headed out to Versailles Tuesday morning on the RER suburban commuter train - yet another awesome part of the Paris train system, which I have to imagine is amongst the best in the world. The palace upon arrival was a sight to behold. Such grandeur, such splendor, such GOLD! SO MUCH GOLD! Nuts. The palace was really impressive and just ridiculously decadent and opulent, but after a while the rooms started to blend together. It's kind of frustrating that the touristy-ness of the place diminishes the history that goes along with each of those rooms. The free audio guide was great, though, and helped establish just how special each room was.

The gardens of Versailles might have been my favorite part of the entire trip. The scale of those grounds is mind-boggling, and the beauty is undeniable, even before trees are green or flowers have bloomed. We spent quite some time walking through the gardens, which I couldn't help but imagine my parents would have adored (Dad especially - I get the idea you'd love Versailles). We also visited the Grand Trainon and Petite Trainon chateaus which were less opulent but still beautiful. I could have spent hours just sitting in the breeze in those gardens.

After we left Versailles we headed to the Musee d'Orsay, the last attraction we'd hit. As we were waiting in line I spotted Crispin Glover (you can't tell me it wasn't him - unless you've got a link) leaving, which makes two indie/cult celebrity sightings in Paris! The museum itself had a really cool collection of Van Gogh, Cezanne, Serat, Monet, and Manet, and I especially enjoyed the famous Van Gogh self-portrait and was blown away by the impressionist collection. The building itself is also very cool - in a former train station - but no photography was allowed inside.

Afterward we walked along the Seine back to Notre Dame so Adam could go see it, and afterward grabbed another tremendous crepe - CREPES ARE THE BEST THING WHY DON'T THEY EXIST IN ANN ARBOR? I'm opening a crepe stand and it's going to be awesome.

We made it back to the hotel, and ended up watching Pineapple Express later that night, which is always funny, and perhaps improbably UNDER quoted. Another early night to bed was much needed.

Paris Takeaways

Paris was really great, and it was a whirlwind trip. Bullets? Bullets.

The Paris Metro is incredible. It's remarkably efficient, we never waited more than a minute for a train, and I never felt in any kind of danger like some people had warned about. It's obvious that Paris wouldn't be "PARIS" without such an awesome subway/transportation system.
It's seedy after dark. I guess that's all big cities, but I didn't like the vibe when the sun went down at all. I was happy to be at the hotel each night.
The multicultural aspect of Paris is really cool. People from all over the world call the city home, and it makes it lively and interesting. That's what Detroit should be shooting for.
Speaking of which, who the hell called Detroit the Paris of the Midwest? I guess that was during Detroit's boom times and the reference had to be cultural, but at least physically, Detroit doesn't resemble Paris in any way.
I'm glad I travelled with other people, because it's just nice to have someone to talk to, but it was also obvious to me that I could do such a trip on my own if I wanted to. Most of the time I was the one taking charge and making decisions, which is fine by me, and it was good to feel like I was doing some leading. I'm proud of being assertive, opinionated, and decisive when it comes down to it, and I think this would make travel on my own possible. I'm obviously not the most outgoing person though, so a trip alone might be a solitary affair - which may or may not be a good thing ever so often.
I call Leiden home now. This is cool.

Day 31 - In Transit

Wednesday was basically spent entirely traveling home to Leiden. We stopped in Brussels and Antwerp, but not for more than pitstops, and it'll be interesting to go back with the family in June when it's warm and not SNOWING.

Once I got back to Leiden I spent too many hours catching back up on the internet. That's about it. Really, not interesting.

Day 32 - Oh Yeah, School

Class today! Urban Inequalities continues to baffle - 1/3 of the way through and I'm not sure I've learned a single thing. It's essentially a show and tell for the Americans about what their cities are like, and I have no idea what class would look like without "Mr. Detroit" to spend half the class talking. Whatever. I'm looking forward to writing the paper at the end.

Went to Jacketz, a baked potato place, with my buddy James, and had a delicious chicken salad baked potato. Really great. We're planning a trip to London in a few weeks that should be fun.

Came home, messed around with the internet, and finally got around to uploading pictures and blogging (it's taken me 1.5 hours to write this basically without stopping). I should probably do some reading for class tomorrow.

This weekend is a goofy college party/basketball tournament at the University gym here for teams from all over Europe, which should be a fun time, but I'm also unsure what internet access this weekend will be like, so expect another blog on Sunday evening.

Pictures!