Thursday, Oct 6
Friday, Oct 7
Saturday, Oct 8
Sunday, Oct 9
Monday, Oct 10
Tuesday, Oct 11
Wednesday, Oct 12
Thursday, Oct 13
Friday, Oct 14
Saturday, Oct 15
Sunday, Oct 16
Monday, Oct 17
Tuesday, Oct 18
Wednesday, Oct 19
Thursday, Oct. 20
Sunday, Oct 16 - The Train to Paris
Got on the train for Munich and then on to Paris. This was
a long ride. Munich had a huge station, where we changed trains. Also
got lunch. I stooped to getting a chicken sandwich from Burger King, but
Pat did the usual cheese/bread/salami/water thing. (I’m thinking
most of Europe must be constipated, if this is what they eat every mid-day.)
I’ve decided that signs are one thing, but conversational German
is another. Germans talk very fast, and their syllables are so clipped,
it’s hard to distinguish words, other than “bitte” and
“auf wieder sehen” and all the familiar ones…
German trains are always on time, and they go fast, like 201 km/hr or about 120 mph. A lot of the houses there have “hipped” roofs, with no end gables. We spent the ride planning our visit in Paris. Originally Pat had a meeting set up there, but that fell through, so it’s just a vacation. It’s a big city, and there was much to plan.
The countryside changed almost as soon as we got into France. So did the language (which still boggles my mind). The houses along our route weren’t quite so tidy and well-kept up anymore. Lots more balconies and shutters. But the French seem to be more open about showing affection, like the Italians. Lots of warm, welcoming embraces and kisses at the train stations.
Our hotel was in the business district, and Pat chose it because it wasn’t too far from the train station. It was quite fabulous in a very Parisian way, with a historic foyer filled with antique furniture. The bathroom was lovely, the room elegant. Lots of traffic outside, felt like New York City. It was a very long train trip, and we were tired.
