Weekend trip to Paris


 
       
We decided that the best way to celebrate Valentine's Day was to spend a romantic weekend in the most romantic city - Paris!!! We flew to Paris early Friday morning and got to the hotel around noon. After checking-in and having lunch in a cafe we walked all the way through the city, crossing the river Seine and heading for the Eiffel Tower. It was a nice way of getting in touch with the atmosphere of Paris and to be able to take lots of pictures.
No matter how many times I have been to Paris and besides the fact that I used to live in this city for three months I am still always excited and overwhelmed by its beauty and charm. It has such a distinctive character!
 		    



   
While we were walking towards the Eiffel Tower I noticed the strong wind blowing and dark clouds hanging over us and I was worried that we might not be able to get all the way to the top of the tower if the wind is too strong. But we were lucky and didn't even have to wait too long to get into the elevator that brought us up to the first floor. The was pretty nice but of course we wanted to go all the way to the top. From up here, the city looks endlessly huge and it is amazing how many human beings are living on such small grounds. But the view is just amazing and we were able to see many of the sightseeing attractions, such as the beautiful cathedral Sacre Coeur, proudly sitting on top of a hill (below left)!

But the tower itself is quite breathtaking too and deserves some special attention: it is about 1,100 ft (320m) high and the metallic structure weighs 7,300 tons! It has been built in 1889 for the World Exhibition by the French architect Gustave Eiffel. The construction took only about two years and 250 workers - a record time for such an amazing development! Today, about 6 million tourists visit the tower yearly.




 		    


 		    
 



 		  


 
   


 		    
After our visit to the Eiffel Tower we took the metro and rode across town to the famous cathedral Sacre Coeur. Also from here we had a fantastic view over Paris and the cathedral itself is quite an artwork to admire.

The area closeby is called Montmartre and is famous for artists and artists-wanna-be to hang out and try to sell their paintings! Usually, there is a lot happening on the main place where many cafes and restaurants surround the action. But when we arrived, it was rather cold and rainy so there weren't too many artists around. But we still enjoyed the nostalgic feeling and special atmosphere of the Montmartre.



 		    
 



 		  


 


 



 		  


 
   
What would Paris be without the world famous Champs d'Elysees! It is amazing to see it in person and look at the Arch of Triumph at the beginning and the Louvre at the end of it. Needless to say, the avenue looks even more splendid at night with all the ligths on and so many people strolling up and down the sidewalks. One night we walked up and down the Champs d'Elysees, had dinner in a restaurant nearby and let the impressions of its beauty sink in.

 		    


 



 		  


 
   
The next day we had planned to tour Paris by bicycle. However, as the weather wasn't looking too great and rain was a possibility, we decided to forego that plan and kept sightseeing by metro and then later on we went on a cruise on the river Seine. Our first stop for the day was the cathedral Notre Dame. It seems as if the cathedral is well aware of its beauty and is proudly standing along the Seine and patiently letting the tourists take pictures. The Notre Dame is another proof of perfection and many little details of decoration. But the famous and wonderful stained-glass windows are the real reason why everybody wants to see a glimpse of the Notre Dame.

 		    


 



 		  


 


 



 		  


 
   
Afterwards we enjoyed a cruise on the Seine which gave us the opportunity to look at many sightseeing objects and take more pictures from a different angle. We were also lucky that we were sheltered while it was pouring on us! After the cruise we headed for the touristy quarter called Quartier Latin where many restaurants of different cuisine offer something for every appetite! We chose to have a Greek lunch and then continued our tour by metro, heading for the Louvre. Due to time constraints we weren't able to really visit the exhibitions inside the Louvre but we at least wanted to see the architecture and see where the movie "Da Vinci Code" was filmed!

 		    


 



 		  


 
   


 		    
Paris is also famous for its operas. Meanwhile, there are several new operas built but the true gem is the old opera in the middle of Paris. Unfortunately, we weren't able to visit the inside of the opera but the architecture outside gives an idea of how fabulous the inside must be!

 		    


   
Sunday, we had planned to visit the beautiful castle Versailles outside of Paris. We took the local train and were highly disappointed once we arrived at the castle: most of the castle was not accessable for tourists. They only let tourists see a few areas and some rooms, such as the former bedroom of the king etc. But for each entry, they made the tourists stand in line (in the rain!) and wait for hours to get inside. We examined the situation and finally came to the conclusion that it wasn't worth the wait and pain. We left the premises within an hour and bought a nice book about the Versaille castle in a souvenir shop!

 		    


 		    
   
Back in Paris, Neil continued sightseeing a little more and I went to the hotel to get dried and warmed up. Needless to say that also our planned rollerblading tour around Paris had to be cancelled due to the rain. We were both very much looking forward to this experience and it would have been great to see Paris while rollerblading through the streets!

 		    




 
Weekend trip to the Provence with Neil's parents


 
   


 		    
A few days after our trip to Paris, Neil's parents arrived for a twelve day long stay. It was their first ever visit to France and we wanted to show them some of the amazing sights that we have seen. They arrived on a Thursday evening and we enjoyed a casual evening at our apartment with pizza and watching the Olympic figure skating on TV. On Friday I showed them around Toulouse for a bit and we got ready for a long weekend trip to the Provence.



 		    
   
Saturday morning we left and made a first stop in Carcassone to show Don and Karen the amazing sight of the old castle. Unfortunately we were on a tight schedule and we didn't have time to make a full tour of the sight. But we walked around the narrow streets for a bit and even managed to visit a souvenir store!



 		    


 		    
   
Our main target for that day was to drive to Arles and be able to see the weekly farmers market before it would close down around mid-day. We arrived in Arles around noon and Neil dropped us off and we went off cruising through the market as fast as we could trying to see all the local foods, crafts and art. After we had stormed the market enough and purchased all the desired goods, we went for a delicious lunch and enjoyed the fantastic French cuisine.

 		    


 



 		  


 
   
After lunch we toured around Arles and showed Don and Karen the sightseeing attractions, such as the Arena, the Roman Theatre, and the Cathedral. Even though Neil and I had already been here we still enjoyed to stroll through the streets of Arles and letting the atmosphere sink in.

 		    


 		    


 



 		  


 
   


 		    
The next day we had planned to do a day trip to see the famous Pont du Gard, an ancient Roman Aqueduct. It is a breathtaking experience to witness the remains of an aqueduct that had been built more than 2000 years ago!

I was also quite impressed with the development of the area around the aqueduct. Since I had been there last, an interesting museum had been built which gives the tourists a wide information on the construction of the aqueduct and on the daily life back in those Roman days.



 		    


   
The city of Nimes which is about 30 miles (50km) away from the aqueduct, had an increased population and the need of water led the officials plan to bring in water from the nearby river Eure. As the transported water needed to cross the river Gardon, the romans decided to build an aqueduct - the Pont du Gard. It is the most fascinating and spectacular part of the aqueduct as it consists of three stories of arches, and the technology and aesthetics of the contstruction are amazing and fit in the surrounding nature.



 		    


 		    


   


 		    
The construction of the aqueduct is believed to have been started 50 A.D. and it took less than five years to finish that project. The Pont du Gard is the highest aqueduct bridge of the Roman world: it is about 150 ft (49 m) tall. The Pont du Gard is 1500 ft. (490 m) long and about 75 ft. (25 m) wide; and a single stone block of the auqeduct is up to 6 tons heavy!

The surroundings allow the visitor to walk around the bridge and hike up some hills to get a better view of how giant that aqueduct is. In summer, tourists have the chance to swim and float in the river Gardon and get a different perspective of the Pont du Gard!



 		    
   
Along the walkway to the aqueduct we found an old olive tree standing pretty lonely in the sun. Once we discovered a sign closeby and found out the history of this olive tree, we decided that we would have to take some pictures of it!

The plaque says that the tree was born in 908 and because it had been living in an aride and cold valley in Spain, it had been transported and replanted in this new spot in 1988.

 		    


 



 		  


 


   
After this visit we drove further to Les Baux to share the magical sight of the old castle's ruins and the charming little village. As it was already quite late in the day, we didn't have too much time left to visit the ruins and we hurried to view all the sights and enjoy the views.

Touring the ruins of the former castle we were able to see what kind of weapons had been used in the olden days to defend their castle and properties. The weapons were reconstructions and posters showed how life used to be.

 		    


 		    


 



 		  


 
   
On the picture below to the left is the small village of Les Baux, nestled to the bottom of the castle ruins. The picture on the right shows one of the amazing views from atop of the castle ruins.

 		    


 



 		  


 
   
But Les Baux is not just worth a visit to see the castle ruin's; the village itself has a lot of charm and is built very uniquely in a old medieval style. It is quite nice to stroll through the little streets and visit all the shops. As it was getting late, we decided to have dinner in Les Baux and we chose a nice restaurant with a terrific view to the mountains.

 		    


 



 		  


 
   
The next morning we were heading to Avignon. While we were rained out during our first visit in Avignon, this time we had sunshine but a very strong and cold wind. We nevertheless walked up to the garden's by the Pope Palace to enjoy the view in all directions. But we were quickly ready to move away from the windy hill and decided to do a short walking tour around Avignon to see the main attractions.

 		    


 



 		  


 
   
From there we walked down the main boulevard and shopping street to get an impression of the architecture of Avignon. There were so many beautiful buildings and houses that show proof of the history of this city. The belltower (below) caught our attention once we heard the bells ringing at full hour and the figurines started moving around.

Even though we visited Avignon on a sunny but very windy and chilly day, we could see that the locals were fully prepared for some nice warm spring days ahead as the cafe and bars had already set up the tables and chairs outside. And it seemed as it took only a few warm days for the trees to start blossoming...



 		    


 		    
 



 		  


 
   
Our main goal was to reach the "street of the dyers": the cloth industry's dyeing and textile center used to haver their quarters here in the 1800s. The famous stylish Provencal fabrics and patterns started out here, after a pattern imported from China.

The main attraction for us were several of the waterwheels that were still working and in good shape: around 1800, these waterwheels powered the town's industry. The river Sorgue had been broken into several canals so that it could run the 23 waterwheels.

 		    


 



 		  


 
   
After our excursion to Avignon we continued our trip to Aix-en-Provence where our hotel was built on the arches of a medieval monastery and the courtyard was a former cloister. After checking-in we first went for a walking tour through Aix, which is the capital of the Provence. We started out with the belltower and the large square, which hosts one of the many farmer's markets of Aix.

 		    


 



 		  


 
   


 		    
Aix is very famous for its narrow streets and cute little boutiques and souvenir shops. Many parts of the old town are even unaccessable for cars which makes it even an even nicer experience! Aix has a pretty relaxing and laid back feeling and many street cafes are lined up along the main boulevard and on every main square.




 		    
   
On our tour through the old town we stopped at the Cathedral of St. Saveur. This cathedral was built on top of a Roman forum and it is famous for its extravagant Gothic style and the unsymmetry, but it still has beauty and charm.

 		    


 



 		  


 
   


 		    
The inside of the cathedral has many different styles and niches and the baptistery is a piece of art, built in the 4th and 5th century. The font of the baptistery and the six ancient columns are Roman but the cuppola is Renaissance (picture on left).

The aisle of the cathedral is Romanesque from the 12th century, the nave is Gothic from the 13th - 15th century and another aisle is Barock from the 17th century!

 		    


 



 		  


 
   
The next morning we started the day by visiting the various farmers markets. It seems that a market has found its home on every place that was large enough to put up some stands and merchandise! The markets are divided by product: one sells only flowers and plants, another is for antiques, and yet another sells fish and vegetables.

 		    


 		    


 



 		  


 
   
Afterwards we drove to Cassis on the ocean and enjoyed first a nice lunch sitting in one of the many restaurants along the harbor. We were lucky to get a table outside in the sun, even though we were still wrapped in our coats! But it sure felt nice to feel some sunshine on our skin.

After lunch we explored some souvenir shops and walked around the beautiful harbor. Cassis is surrounded by some rough coastal hills and it is famous for the nearby "Calanques", which are fjords with turqoise blue water.

Cassis used to be a small fishing village but these days it has become a popular weekend resort for the inhabitants who wish to escape the nearby Marseille.

 		    


 



 		  


 
   
The next morning we packed our car and headed to St. Remy, which is another very charming small town in the Provence. It is also famous for its famers markets and it turned out to be a very art oriented place. While strolling through the market Neil's parents found a nice painting from a local artist. And a little later, Neil and I also found some art from a local painter which we liked a lot.

 		    


 



 		  


 
   
After a nice lunch we walked about a mile to the outer area of St. Remy where a mental ward is located: Vincent Van Gogh was sent here after he had cut off his ear lobe. Van Gogh was living here from 1889 - 1890 and had painted 150 paintings within 53 weeks! There is a pathway around the mental instituion following Van Gogh's footsteps and showing where he had painted several famous paintings in the surroundings. Looking at the beautiful landscape one can understand why Van Gogh liked it here so much and why he was so creative and productive!

 		    


 



 		  


 
   
In 1921, old Roman ruins were found not far from the mental ward where Van Gogh had stayed. These ruins are the foundations of the former Roman market town Glanum, located at the crossroads of two ancient trade routes between Spain and Italy. The city is said to be seven times as large as the ruins we can see today.

After another full day of excursions we headed back to Toulouse, our home base.

 		    


 



 		  


 
   
We only stayed in Toulouse for one day doing some sightseeing by bicycle and resting. We then packed our car again for the next trip to the Bordeaux area. We drove towards St. Emilion and actually stayed at the same castle as we did in January. At least it wasn't snowing anymore during our visit this time! But the weather was still less than perfect as we experienced several showers and the temperatures were still chilly. After checking in to the castle we headed to St. Emilion where we had lunch and then Neil's parents participated in the tour of the historic part of St. Emilion. Even though it was raining, Don and Karen enjoyed the town and the long history that goes with it.

We also visited the extensive wine museum as the area of St. Emilion had become a very exquisite area for good wine.

 		    


 



 		  


 


 



 		  


 


 



 		  


 
   
The next day we drove to Bordeaux to visit the capital of the wine regions. We first showed Don and Karen the main sightseeing attractions of the city and then strolled down the main shopping boulevard - rue Ste. Catherine - which is almost one mile long and therefore the longest pedestrianised shopping street in Europe!

After lunch we decided to visit the Museum of Aquitaine, which presents about 25,000 years of Bordeaux history. We enjoyed this very extensive and detailed exhibition that was very well described and presented.

 		    


 



 		  


 


 



 		  


 
   
The next morning we packed our car again and instead of driving back to Toulouse the direct route, we chose to head to Biarritz so that Don and Karen would have an impression of this Basque town on the Atlantic. We arrived in Biarritz with the usual sunshine and temperatures around the freezing point as well as a strong and crisp wind. We didnt' feel like hanging around outside very long but we wanted to show Neil's parents the coastline, the Madonna statue and the lighthouse. We were all soon ready to escape into the warmth for lunch and afterwards we headed back to Toulouse. On our drive home we were also quite fortunate to see the Pyrenees mountains, all covered in snow.

 		    


 		  







 



 		  


 
   
The next day Neil had to work and we cruised around with our bicycles and rode along the Midi Canal. After lunch we stopped at the Capitol, where a section was dedicated to art and paintings of famous locals.

Don and Karen also wanted to do some last minute souvenir shopping and then we headed back to the hotel so that they could get all packed and ready for their return flight early the next morning.

 		    


 



 		  


 






 
Denise's trip to Switzerland


 
   
While Neil had a busy time at work finalizing the proposal and working long hours, I went back to Switzerland to spend some time with my friends. It turned out that Sonja's husband Rene was on a business trip that same time and Sonja welcomed the idea that I would stay with her and help her with their three small children: Dillon (6), Shannon (4), and Colin (2).

 		    


 



 		  


 
   


 		    
The kids were pretty excited to have a guest at their house but their were quite confused at the beginning because Neil wasn't around like on Christmas.

As Dillon just recently had started going to Kindergarden, I accompanied him one morning to his school and was able to look at his room with all the play possibilities. It just reminded me of the time I had gone to Kindergarden!

 		    
   
Whenever the weather permitted it the kids were playing outside with the neighbour kids. Of course, Dillon is the social one as he is already going to school and he knows many other kids from school. But amazingly enough, all the kids got along well and even though there are a few years of age difference, everybody is making sure that Colin, the youngest, would not be neglected. It seemed as if everybody is considering him to be their younger brother and they took well care of him.

 		    


 



 		  


 


 



 		  


 


 



 		  


 
   


 		    
One day we drove to Zurich and went to visit the Botanical Garden. Even though it was still winter and not too many flowers or trees were blooming, it was still entertaining for the kids. Otherwise, we stayed home and played games inside or went shopping.

 		    


 



 		  


 
   
One day the kids were keeping Sonja and myself quite busy: a stomach flu was going around and Dillon and Shannon got a part of it. We still gave them a bath and then thankfully Colin was taking his nap and soon, also Shannon fell asleep and cured her fever that way.

 		    


 



 		  


 
   


 		    
One night I had the chance to catch up and meet with my two girlfriends Mucky and Nicole. We all had gone to school together and it is always a pleasure and a treat to get back together and chat. This time, Nicole was so nice to invite us over to her place and she spoiled us with a wonderful dinner. We had a great time and before we knew it midnight had arrived! I feel very lucky and blessed to have such wonderful friends with whom I can continue my friendship even though we don't see each others all that often!

 		    


 



 		  


 


   


 		    
Just to show you how cold it had been in Zurich, I had to take a picture of this beautiful fountain with all the icicles hanging from it. Even though it seems like it is a sunny and gorgeous day, the temperatures were still very chilly and only several days later the ice had melted.

 		    
   
Another evening I spent with some of my other friends. We met in Zurich for dinner and were able to catch up on old times and old stories. Claudia (right in the picture) was my former neighbour and we have known each other for about 17 years, Corinne (middle) has always entertained us with her fantastic jewelry parties, and Heidi (on the left) I have known from my days working at the Swiss bank!

 		    
 



 		  


 






 
Weekend trip to Barcelona


 
       
Only a few days after I got back to Toulouse from my Switzerland trip, we squeezed in another weekend trip as we badly wanted to go visit Barcelona. Due to Neil's busy work schedule, we had to cut our trip short at the last minute and could not take Monday off. But we spontaneously decided Friday night to begin our drive towards Spain and once we were getting tired we stayed overnight on the way. But it still took us all Saturday morning to drive into Barcelona, find the hotel and check in.

 		    



   
We then took the metro and headed towards the harbor, where we first had a nice view of the Columbus monument (above). We found out that we could rent bicycles around the harbor area, which we decided would speed up our sightseeing tour around Barcelona. Neil was as usual on his rollerblades and I was stuck with a very unexciting bicycle: it had such small wheels and not enough gears so that I had to pedal like crazy to get anywhere!!!


 		    


 		    
   
After enjoying lunch outside on a terrasse in a restaurant in the harbor we continued riding along the boardwalk (below left). The tall buildings in the back were built to board the athletes during the 1992 Olympic Games that took place in Barcelona. A little further south we passed several Volleyball courts and of course we had to stop and watch them play!

 		    
 

 		  
 



   
Barcelona is famous for its very amazing architecture. It seems to be open to all the possibilities and mixtures between historic buildings and modern architecture. Miro and Picasso have left their footsteps in this city. But one of the most influencial architects who has left its marks in Barcelona is Gaudi.

Antoni Gaudi (1852 - 9126) already suffered as a small child from rheumatism and was not able to play much like other children. Instead, he concentrated on studying nature and he always remained fascinated by curves, arches, and other shapes. After finishing his studies in Architecture, he first started his work in Gothic style, but later on became famous for his modern architecture. Some samples of his work are shown below as he built residential homes, churches, parks, and schools.

 		        



 

 		  
 



   
 		    
La Sagrada Familia (left and below) was Gaudi's masterpiece to which he dedicated most of his working life. It is a basilica and the name means "Temple of the Holy Family". Gaudi planned three facades, dedicating them to Nativity, Passion and Glory. Each facade is crowned by four towers representing the twelve apostels. La Sagrada Familia is one of the largest projects worldwide and is even today still under construction.
Gaudi died during his construction work of the Sagrada after he had been hit by a tram. To honor Gaudi, he was buried in the crypt of the Sagrada Familia.

 		    



 

 		  
 



   
The next morning we were heading for Montserrat, about 25 miles outside of Barcelona, as several of our friends had suggested. We took a local train for about one hour and then changed to a funicolare. Montserrat is famous for a monestary that was built way up in the mountains and is surrounded by the wildest rock formations.

The massif of Montserrat reaches an elevation of about 4000 ft. (1200m) and it is about 6 miles (10km) long and 3 miles (5km) wide. The unusual shapes were created by a material that consists of pebbles, limestone, sand and clay.

 		        



 

 		  
 



   
Already in the 11th century, Montserrat's secluded area had attracted Christians to lead a life of prayer. What started out as a Benedictine monastic community turned in the 12th century into a new chapel to meet the needs of all the pilgrims and in the 16th century the current church was built. The following centuries were captured by several wars and at some point the monks even left the monestary and the Montserrat area. In the 19th century the monks came back to the monestary and began the reconstruction of everything that had been destroyed in the past wars. The highlight was the construction of a rack railway in the late 19th century, which continued to run until 1953, and brought many pilgrims to the area. A new railway was inaugurated to satisfy the desire of the pilgrims to visit Montserrat.

 		    
 		    
   
Below to the left is the Gothic cloister of Montserrat and to the right is the facade of the basilica which was built in 1900.

 		    
 

 		  
 













Montserrat is not only worth a visit for the pilgrims, but also for hikers. It offers a variety of hiking path in a beautiful environment and terrific views. This little house is proof of many hermits and Christians who had been living in this area for many centuries.







   
When we returned back to Barcelona, we then headed to the former Olympic village to see where all the athletic accomplishments were achieved. It was quite amazing to see the sight and to imagine what athletic wonders had been established at this sight! We were also wondering what kind of an organization it takes to transport all the athletes and the audience to and from the village.

 		        



   
 		    
On the other side of the Olympic village was a beautiful and ancient building, the Palau Nacional, surrounded by a beautiful park. Once we got closer we realized how huge that palace was and it was proudly sitting on top of a hill, overlooking one of the most famous places in Barcelona. This palace was originally built as a temporary pavilion for the World Exhibition in 1929! Today, it is a museum and contains an extraordinary collection of Romanesque art.
In front of the palace, a beautifully arranged waterfall fountain leads down the hill to the main fountain - the magic fountain. Unfortunately, there was no water in the fountains when we visited but we can only imagine how magical it would look, especially at night when it is all light up!

 		    



   
A trip to Barcelona wouldn't be complete without a visit to a tapas bar. Tapas are Spanish appetizers and are pretty popular all over the country. We were sitting at the bar and with our sangria and beer and the tapas were displayed on the counter so that everybody could choose to their liking. But after a few tapas and sangrias we were quite full and ready to head back to the hotel.

Monday morning we got up early and drove back to Toulouse where I dropped Neil off at the office.

 		        










Our address: Neil Lenker and Denise Nebel
Hotel Residence Parthenon
Apartment 1108
86 Allees Jean Jaures
31000 Toulouse FRANCE
011 33 5 61 10 24 58