Luxor (12/30)

It’s way more than just a fancy casino in Las Vegas. Actually there aren’t any pyramids to be found in Luxor, which was the new ancient capital of Thebes, located much farther south of the famous pyramids at Giza/Cairo. Far more impressive than the Pyramids, Luxor was the highlight of our trip in Egypt. There were three thousand year old temples, with its walls and pillars completely covered in carvings and even still showing the colors of paints. There were the amazingly preserved tombs of the Pharos of the Valley of the Kings, and there was the Nile—a true green oasis in the middle of an extremely arid desert.

Daniel

For pictures, click here

Luxor and Valley of the Kings

Luxor gave us a true sense of the magnitude and affluence during the Egyptian Kingdoms. An early morning flight from chaotic Cairo carried us away from modern times into the heart of ancient Egypt. Honestly, we didn’t really know what to expect. We knew there were a few sites located here – after all they named a major casino/hotel after it. But we were absolutely amazed at what we saw.

First, the rural or small town setting amid enormous temples and palaces simply added to the impact. This was a huge difference from the Sphinx and the Pyramids at Giza. The KFC and Pizza Hut (just across the street) really take away from the mystique that has surrounded Giza. However, Luxor has not become overrun (yet) and the temples we visited were especially memorable. Each site was in amazing condition. Almost all the surfaces were covered with intricately carved reliefs – as sharp as if they had been completed a few years ago. Even more amazing is that when these temples were active thousands of years ago they were decorated with bright colors (mostly precious metals and brilliant natural blues, reds, and yellows). To this day, the few remaining ceiling panels of the Karnak Temple still retain most of their color.

Temples of Karnak:
These were the most impressive just based on their magnitude. The Karnak area was sacred during the New Kingdom, and each Pharaoh tried to leave his mark on the complex by adding additional pylons or temples over 500 years. It was here that we were introduced to the major cast of characters that we would hear about over and over again: Amenhotep III, Seti I, Hatshepsut (the female pharoh), Ramses II, Ramses III.

The Luxor Temple:
This was the second major site we toured – another colossal monument with towering obelisks and a massive colonnade. It is an interesting place especially because it has been built over in the past 2300 years. In one part of the complex is a working mosque that was built and still remains part of the temple. Another part has a temple where the walls were plastered over and painted with Christian frescoes by the Romans. One other fun thing about the place: the obelisk we have become familiar with in Paris (it stands today at Place de Concorde) was originally from this temple.

The Valley of the Kings:
Although the landscape here was about as desolate as you can get, the tombs below were extremely colorful. We visited four tombs on our visit, each slightly different—but with the general principle of a highly decorated passageway leading to several small rooms. The main chamber is where the mummified body was placed, in a beautiful jeweled sarcophagus. The other rooms were used as store houses for all the Pharaohs’ necessities in the afterlife. The theory was that after the tomb was sealed, the entire place would “come alive” and the Pharaoh could use whatever he had “brought” with him in his afterlife. Most of the tombs have been raided over the thousands of years since their creation, but one was rediscovered by archeologists in its entirety: the tomb of Tutankhamun (King Tut). What makes King Tut’s tomb so famous is not that he was a particularly important Pharaoh or that the tomb was especially large or special. It really is just that it is the only tomb to be discovered with all its goodies still inside. Compared to the other tombs his was tiny…only two chambers and no carvings. Historians, think that this usually meant that the Pharaoh died unexpectedly. According to tradition they must be buried in XXX days. So King Tut’s tomb was actually a rush job! The Cairo museum now exhibits all the riches and valuable found in Tut’s tomb.

Deir-el-Medina
This is the remains of the town where the artisans lived who worked to build and decorate the Pharos’ tombs in the Valley of the Kings. A rarely visited site, it was quite a treat to visit the tombs here. They were in incredible condition, with extremely vivid colors from the XX thousand year old paints carefully applied by the masters of this trade.

Temple of Hatshepsut (Deir al-Bahri)
Thiswas another desert sanctuary most famous because the Pharaoh behind its construction was not a man. Hatshepsut ruled as Pharaoh for 15 years after her husband died and their son was not yet old enough to rule – making her reagent. The temple is striking and can be seen clearly from the Nile like an entrance to a massive desert fortress. Interestingly, Hatshepsut masculinized herself, wearing the Pharaonic beard and masculine clothes—likely to increase her acceptance and legitimacy as Pharaoh. After her death, her successors took many efforts at literally erasing her from the history books—going as far as rubbing out her name at many of the temples across the kingdom.

Petra (12/25-26)

So for those of you who have never heard of Petra or have never seen pictures BUT are movie buffs, think ‘Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade’ and the lost city where Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, and the Nazis go in search of the Holy Grail....that’s Petra. It’s no film set, it's for real and it’s even more spectacular in person than on the big screen.

Kimberly

For pictures, click here.

Petra

They call Petra the “Rose City” for a lot of the stone and rock in the city is a light rose color. The reality is they should have called it the “Rose, blueberry, curry, slate, and chocolate city” as there are many other natural colors there…all of which are equally beautiful. What makes this city so remarkable isn’t just it’s obscure location and that it is hidden in a network of siqs and canyons, nor the fact that the city is huge and has an incredible variety of different tombs and buildings, nor how well some of the tombs and monuments are preserved, nor their massiveness, nor the fact that the builders created a complex network of damns and water channels to bring water into the city - what really makes it so incredible is that almost the entire city was carved out of the canyon and siq walls by hand….now that fact combined with all previously mentioned should impress the pants off of anyone.

To be honest, it is really hard to describe in words the splendor that is Petra. It is simply one of the most amazing things I have ever seen anywhere in the world. It is incredible to think that these huge structures were carved directly into the cliffs of this beautiful canyon thousands of years ago. Many of them show the erosion of time, wind, and sand. But others are preserved like they were built yesterday.

After walking a mile through the narrow siq with its 200 meter high ways,
stumbling upon "The Treasury" must have been quite an experience for the first explorers. Even we were speechless at first sight of this incredible wonder, and we knew what we were going to find at the end of our walk! We did not realize, however, that The Treasury is just one of many of these carved Nabatean tombs that survive in this valley. Our other favorite monument was "The Monastery," which we reached after a tiring 45 minute hike up the cliffs of the canyon (Merrill ended up taking a donkey, but only after long negotiations!).

Really, the whole sight is simply spectacular. I cannot describe it any better. You just have to visit to see for yourself! (Or take a look at our pictures in the meanwhile!)

Jordan: Jerash & Kings' Highway (12/24-25)

We arrived in Jordan and first visited the most amazing Roman ruins we have ever seen...not what you expect for the Middle East, right?! Then we spent Christmas day driving through the Kings' Highway in Jordan. With local castles, intact Roman sites, and Mt. Nebo (site where Moses is preseumed to have seen Jerusalem.

Daniel

For photos, click here:

Jordan: Jerash & Kings' Highway

I'll be perfectly honest, when we started planning a trip to Jordan and Egypt - I was not especially interested or comfortable with the idea. I might as well go have a picnic in some gang infested inner-city neighborhood, right? Sadly, our media does a very good job of almost training us to feel uncomfortable, nervous about a country or region that we know so little about. So, with that said, our visit to Jordan was eye opening and a breath of fresh air.

Of course, it helped that our guide in Jordan, Sufian Twassi (aka Abu Gazi), was phenomenal in all respects. In Jordan tradtion, it is more respectful to call Sufian, "Father of Gazi" his first born son than by his own first name. The same tradition applies to the women, so Umm Gazi or "Mother of Gazi". Abu Gazi made us feel unbelievebly welcome in his home, shared his family stories, and really added color to our experience way beyond any lifeless monument or relic could do. (And Robert and Merrill became Abu James and Umm James...)

Our first day we made a few day trips to sites outside of Amman. Unfortunately, Amman is more of a modern working city (although we had some fantastic Lebanese/Jordanian food, there isn't much to see, historically in the city itself). So, we spent most of our first day near Ajloun (site of an ancient castle) and Jerash (a former Roman stronghold).

Ajloun was the site of many crusade battles where Europeans and Ottomans waged some serious war. The castle site was more or less barren, but it had some great viewpoints of the surrounding valley. Also, we got a decent workout scrambling up and down some pretty steep steps.

The Roman ruins in Jerash were defintely the most impressive that we have ever seen. Our Jerash visit was defined by standing next to a 100ft tall column, watching it sway in the wind, and thinking this was built 1700 years ago! These last few standing columns were enormous in every aspect and really gave a sense for how immense Roman architecture had become.

The theatre was also a fun visit. It is very well preserved and functional to boot. We took turns testing out the keystone, located just in front of the main stage. While speaking to an invisible audience in the stands, one just walks until they are standing on the keystone. All of a sudden it's like a microphone was switched on - really amazing that it still works. I even tried standing at the very last row at the top of the stadium steps, while Bob was talking at the keystone - he may have well been sitting next to me. Just the accoustics made this a fascinating visit.

The next day we set out for Petra (THE highlight of Jordan). During the 3+ hour drive to and from Petra, we paid a visit to Mt. Nebo (famous Moses site), Madaba (a live Christian city), and Karak Castle (prime example of vaulted Islamic architecture).

Mt Nebo, was historically/religiously an intersting visit. We basically stood where Moses is believed to have looked across the Red Sea and gazed upon Jerusalem. Next we visited Madaba, a strongly Christian town with numerous examples of Roman tile work - as well as a Byzantine mosaics of the known world (back then of course).

During our visit at Karak, Abu Gazi explained the significance of headscarves, who chose to wear them, and why. He also taught us about basic traditions such as marriage in Jordan. We learned that their culture it strongly tied to the extended family unit, respect for elders, and helping those less fortunate. Almost, every major tradition at some point involves a feast. Whenever a lamb or sheep is killed for such an event, the extra (there always is) is given to those in the family who need some help or other members of the community who are in need. I wondered, when was the last time I enjoyed a feast with family and shared that very blessing with others in need? Fortunately, I can improve on that...


Petra? read on...

Paris Holidays (12/01-31)

December in Paris gave us the opportunity to reflect on the cultural differences between the U.S. and France--since we were able to take a quick trip back home. Ny parents also came to visit for a second time, and we enjoyed the holiday festivities together.

For photos, click here.

Paris Holidays

Kimberly

After having spent almost three months in France, we had the opportunity to make a quick trip back to the States. The company I am going to work for next year, Bain & Co., was having a weekend meeting for all the “offerees” in next year’s class…and they offered to fly me and Dan back to San Francisco for it. Needless to say, we jumped on the opportunity to visit family and friends, and even worked in a stopover in Chicago.

What surprised me most about the trip, though, were the little things that I was completely in awe of, the little things we take for granted in the U.S., the little things I did not even realize I had missed.

I found myself way too excited and content to be in a Walgreens. Mind you, one that I had never set foot in before in San Francisco. Wandering around the aisles, I realized that I could easily find anything I needed. This concept of logical organization and standardization between stores is a completely foreign concept in France—and something so common we don’t even notice in the U.S. And, if I couldn’t find what I was looking for, a friendly Walgreens employee would be happy to help. Try that in a store in Paris, you will be lucky if you can find anyone…and if you do, you’ll most likely just get a shrug of the shoulders and puff of the lips as your response.

But at the end of the long weekend, I found myself quite happy to be returning to Paris, with its inefficiencies and indifference—but also with its joie de vivre, slow pace of life, and incomparable cheese.

After we returned, we had to prepare for my parents’ second visit to our new home. While they were here, we visited all the parts of the city that had been illuminated and decorated for the holiday season. We saw a special projection show at Notre Dame, a concert at Eglise Trinité, the lights on the Champs Elysées, and the amazing displays at Galaries Lafayette and Printemps. We were leaving together in a few days for our Christmas/New Year’s trip to Jordan and Egypt. So we prepared by attending an amazing exhibition at the Grand Palais of the underwater archaeological expedition the French carried out in the Mediterranean Sea just north of Alexandria. It certainly whet our appetite!

As we continued the uphill battle of dealing with French Bureaucracy, we had plenty of opportunities to observe the differences between the American and French attitudes towards working. (At this point in the paperwork saga, someone had apparently lost both of our Autorisations du Travail (work permits), and now we were jumping through an innumerable amount of hoops to try to get at least a copy of them.)

So when our internet stopped working, I was horrified when the nice man at France Telecom told me that I had no choice but to call Customer Service to have them resolve the issue. If you think you speak another language, it really is another test altogether when you are trying to explain an internet problem and understand instructions from a tech support guy over the phone. I now know that debrancher means to unplug. And clignotait means blinking (which the light on our internet box was not). After several times of debrancher and brancher and checking for la lumière clignotait, the tech support man told me that I had to make a rendez-vous for someone to come to our apartment to see exactly what the problem was.

Random aside: in the U.S. we have this incredible skill of romanticizing everyday French words and phrases. In the U.S. a soirée is a fun night out, usually involving doing something swanky. In France, it just means evening. My favorite one by far is rendez-vous. Literally, it translates as “return yourself”. In the U.S. we have decided it means a special, romantic meeting, often somewhat illicit—and definitely something that you would eagerly anticipate. In France, it just means appointment, often something painful and bureaucratic—and usually just some additional step in the bureaucratic nightmare that you are dreading.

So when the date of our rendez-vous finally came, I was not looking forward to waiting around all day for a grumpy French cable guy to show up and tell me that he could not solve our problem, shrug his shoulders, and leave. Boy was I surprised when he arrived on time and with a smile on his face. He proceeded to quickly ascertain that France Telecom had signed us up for an Internet connection that was too fast and too much data for our old phone-line to handle. And while he was solving our problem, he started to ask me what the differences were between the U.S. and France. What did I miss from home?

Having just returned from the U.S., I knew what my answer was to that question: customer service. I explained that in the U.S., it was unthinkable for the supermarket to close fifteen minutes early because the manager just felt like going home. That when you walk into a store, people come over to help you—rather than ignore your presence entirely. The fact that you have to pay extra to call customer service numbers is even more proof of the difference. In the U.S., you call a 1-800 number for customer service, meaning that it is completely free, not even the price of a local call. In France, it is also an 800 number, but that means the opposite: like a 900 number back home, it means you pay extra, sometimes several Euros a minute, to talk with someone to resolve a problem that you don’t want to have anyway. The cable-guy agreed this seemed like a funny approach, and even commented that it might create the incentive for French companies to make more problems so they could make money through their customer service hotline!

He asked me why I thought the difference was so strong. It’s a complicated answer, of course. The cultural differences cannot be denied, for sure. And there is the notion that America is “the land of opportunity” where anyone can work hard and become a millionaire—whereas France’s rigid class system still reeks of nobility. But I explained that I think a lot of it has to do with incentives.

In France, the employment laws are so strict, that you cannot terminate an employee without jumping through numerous hoops and paying a very pricey severance package. And that is if you can fire him at all—often you simply cannot. In the U.S., if you aren’t doing a good job, you could show up tomorrow and find out you have been let go. And in many jobs, your pay is a function of how well you do—especially in sales or retail where things are commission based. The French choose a career, usually at the age of sixteen when they select their specialty for the baccalaureat, they get certified for the career, and once they start in it, they rarely change. Why change when your employment is essentially guaranteed? And if you don’t inherently love your work, why try?

Before I continue with the French bashing, let me say that there is something truly refreshing about the lack of commercialism over here. Yes, often you meet employees who could care less if you wanted to buy something. Yes, I agree that most French people would not even understand the statement “The customer is always right.” But you also often meet employees who chose this job or opened this store because they truly love their work and helping customers. What you NEVER meet are employees who are trying to upsell you into a product you don’t need because their livelihood depends all on commission. So, if you can’t get help in this France Telecom office, try going to another. Surely after several visits, you will eventually find one of the smiling representatives who when you gush, “Thank you so much. You have been the most helpful person throughout this entire process.” They respond incredulously, “Mais bien-sûr! Cést mon métier!” (“But of course, it’s my job!”)

After an extra half-hour of chit chat and dissection of our cultures, politics, and economic systems, the cable-guy left and wished me a bon journée (good day). It wasn’t until a few weeks later that I found the following passage in Adam Gopnick’s “Paris to the Moon” that so perfectly sums up the differences in attitude that we had been trying to articulate.

"The Eiffel Tower incident of the summer of ’97 illustrates a temperamental and even intellectual difference between the two cultures. Most Americans draw their identities from the things they buy, while the French draw theirs from the jobs they do. What we think of as “French rudeness,” and what they think of as “American arrogance,” arise from this difference…. For us, an elevator operator is only a tourist’s way of getting to the top of the Eiffel Tower. For the French, a tourist is only an elevator operator’s opportunity to practice his métier [profession] in a suitably impressive setting.

The French ideal of a world in which everyone has a métier but no customers to trouble him is more practical than it might seem. It has been achieved, for instance, by the diplomats inside the quai d’Orsay, who create foreign policy of enormous subtlety and refinement which has absolutely no effect on anyone outside the building….

The elevator operator dreams of going to the top of the tower alone in his elevator, while the Anglo-Saxon tourist, in her heart of hearts (and he knows this; it’s what terrifies him the most), dreams of an automatic elevator. When the two ideals—of absolute professionalism unfettered by customers and of absolute tourism unaffected by locals—collide, trouble happens, pain is caused. Americans long for a closed society in which everything can be bought, where laborers are either hidden away or dressed up as nonhumans, as not to be disconcerting. This place is called Disney World. The French dream of a place where everyone can practice his métier in self-enclosed perfection, with the people to be served only on sufferance, as extras, to be knocked down the moment they act up. This place, come to think of it, is called Paris in July.

More favorite restaurants:

Le Comptoir du Relais
9 Carrefour de l'Odéon - 75006, Paris - 01 44 27 07 97
(One of the hottest places in Paris these days, run by the guy who really started this movement towards high quality "bistro food"...Senderens and Robuchon have since decided this is a good idea, blowing off Michelin and "downgrading" their fancy restaurants. The food is amazing-and very afforable for the quality of cuisine. Book a table a month in advance for dinner during the week (the 40 prix fixe is supposed to be amazing) or take your chances on the weekend...or come for lunch, like we did!)

La Bastide Odeon
http://www.bastide-odeon.com/
7 rue Corneille - 75006, Paris - 01 43 26 03 65
(A great taste of Provence in the heart of Paris. The food was of exceptional quality and presentation. A refreshing meal out different from your typical Paris Bistro.)

The following three places are great for some sweet snacks during your stay:

Ladurée
http://www.laduree.fr
16 rue Royale - 75008, Paris - 01 42 60 21 79
75 avenue des Champs Elysées - 75008 Paris - 01.40.75.08.75
21 rue Bonaparte - 75006 Paris - 01.44.07.64.87
(World famous macaroons..and no, not like the Jewish cookie. Imagine a chewy French meringue with tasty fillings like chocolate, coffee, raspberry, or vanilla)

Gérard Mulot
http://www.gerard-mulot.com/
76 Rue du Seine - 75006, Paris - 01 43 26 85 77
93 Rue de la Glacière - 75013, Paris - 01 45 81 39 09
(One of the best boulangeries and patiserries in Paris. Come here for the makings of an exquisite picnic in the Luxembourg Gardens. Also have salads, sandwiches, quiches, and other prepared dishes.)

Angelina
226 rue de Rivoli - 75001, Paris - 01-42-60-82-00
(The place in Paris for hot cholocate...no, not Swiss Miss style, more like a melted bar of chocolate in a cup!)

Lisbon (12/15-17)

Nothing beats a visit to another country or city when one of your travelmates is from that place & an enthusiastic guide, eager to show the best sites of his home town. Enter our friend Gustavo, a classmate of Kim's from Stanford, and his hometown, Lisbon.

For photos, click here:

Lisbon

We had coordinated with another classmate of Kim's from the Stanford GSB, Matt, who flew in from London to meet us for the weekend. Our first night in Lisbon was a sign of things to come. Gustavo is originally from Lisbon and basically planned the entire weekend. Since he was working in Madrid that week, Kim, Matt, and I had dinner without him our first night in town. Gustavo sent us to a small restaurant known for good food. As it turns out it is one of the best places in town, and we think he must have pulled some strings to get us a table. Needless to say the food was authentic Portuguese and delicious.

The next day, when Gustavo arrived from the airport we drove out to Sintra. The town is looked over by Pena Palace a beautiful castle. Another great historical site is the National Palace with Moorish and Mauritime influences the architecture and design are very unique. Also, rumor has it that the Templar Knights began in this small town – we found many examples of the infamously shaped cross. It is also rumored that they simply changed the name of their order and resettled here after the Catholic Church tried to wipe them out.

One of the best things we did was gorge on pasteles de nata (custard pastries) made fresh at Casa Pasteis de Belem famous since 1837. They treats were so tasty we ordered 3 or 4 rounds of them between the four of us. Add a little cinnamon and powdered sugar - your in heaven. Surrounded by locals and bright blue and white tiles – the late morning feast was a great way to experience Lisbon.

We also checked out the "In" neighborhood with Gustavo and his girlfriend. All five of us dined at the trendy restaurant Pap'Acorda, where the rich can famous go to be seen. Apparently, while we were there, a hand full of prominent political figures came into the restaurant. Kim and Matt both tried this famous Acorda dish ( a seafood dish that comes to the table in a large bowl with all the ingredients piled inside). The waiter performs a table side "mixing" ritual and turns the familiar ingredients into a whipped mush. Needless, to say Kim didn't finish her entree since she can't deal with food that you can't chew. We capped off our evening with a few Super Bock, the preffered Portuguese beer in the newly renovated "Docas" area.

Strasbourg (12/8-11)

During the Christmas season cities all over Germany and France (especially in the Alsace region) explode with outside markets. They sell seasonal food and drink as well as regional & not-so-regional crafts. So, we set out for Strasbourg and neighboring Colmar in northern France for some Vin Chaud (hot spiced wine) and possibly latkes (potato pancakes).

For those of you wondering, Zookie blessed us with his presence for this Christmas season trip.

For photos, click here.

Strasbourg

Daniel

We took the very convenient TGV from central Paris straight to Strasbourg. There was a really big storm that day, so all the trains were delayed. Things got back to normal relatively quickly, and we were on our way. Zookie even enjoyed sitting in his own seat (only for a minute).

We had planned this trip to meet up with a friend, Michelle, who we know from the Stanford GSB. She was working just an hour away for SAP in the German city of Heidelberg. After meeting up, we went to the town center: the Cathedral. Interestingly the surrounding square dates back to Roman times. When we arrived in the late morning, the space was packed with tons of people and rows of vendor stalls. We threw ourselves into the chaos (quickly buying a vin chaud (spiced mulled wine) & a warm orange juice with honey to warm up). We indulged in wintry treats in view of the same place where Martin Luther nailed his theses to the Cathedral doors - and started the Reformation.

While Kimberly and Michelle took a tour of the Cathedral, Zookie and I scoped out the scene in hopes of finding the "popular" food stalls. After making our first round I stopped in front of an interesting wood carvings stall. All of a sudden I heard this ear piercing howl/scream. I looked down to see Zookie crying in pain while another dog was biting his nose. I tossed my wine aside and eventually pried the other dog off Zookie. The event probably lasted 30 seconds but it seemed like forever, the entire time Zookie was screaming in pain - I felt horrible, frustrated, and angry at the owner. All I could muster in French was "where is your muzzle, your dog needs a muzzle..." Miraculously, when I knelt down to check Zookie - there wasn't a scratch! I checked again and again and he looked fine. A woman nearby came to say hello to Zookie and offered him some pizza. He, of course, greedily chowed down and seemed back to normal. As we walked back to the Cathedral, Zookie tugged and pulled towards every dog we passed - he wanted to play with everyone as if nothing ever happened. Luckily, everything else during the trip went smoothly.

Although we never found any latkes (we think that a trip across the border to Germany would have been required) we tried a local dish called Flammenkuche which is similar to a thin crust pizza with lots of ham and emmentaler cheese. We also had a good meal at Brasserie de l'Ancienne Douane, which served very traditional fare (great for the cold weather). However, one of the highlights was not so appetizing: Kimberly's meal arrived at the table with a huge fat-covered piece of pork roast that still had many hairs left on the skin....yum.

Strasbourg also has a fantastic neighborhood, La Petite France, that used to be home to the tanners, millers, and fishermen. So this area is filled with little canals - used for trade back then. With great architecture it was fun to wander and discover hidden canals, small bridges, and even more Christmas markets. La Petite France was especially picturesque at night time when they light up a number of houses.

We also visited Colmar, another smaller town in Alsace, with similar markets but a significantly less commercial feel than Strasbourg (and better snacks). We bought some wooden ornaments, tried some more traditional food: sausages, potatoes, and sauerkraut. Zookie also met some baby goats that were in a pen for the kids. Plus, some of the exposed timber buildings date back to the 1600's (Colmar was left untouched after WWII even though many towns along the German-French border were obliterated).

It was great to see the two different towns and Christmas markets, although quite a zoo, filled with tourists and locals getting into the holiday spirit!

Paris-month two (11/06-11/30)

People ask us all the time, what do you guys do with all your free time in Paris. My answer, we don't have that much...it all gets eaten up by French bureaucracy. Truthfully, we spent the month of November getting settled in our teaching jobs, showing my parents around our new home, and, yes, dealing with a lot of red tape.

For photos, click here.

Paris, Kim's Mom & Dad visit

Kimberly

Just as soon as we arrived back from our Italian adventure, my parents came for their first visit. We were really excited to show them around our new neighborhood and take them to all our favorite places! We visited the Rodin and Orsay museums, spent an afternoon at Sacre Coeur in Montmartre, and watched the Eiffel Tower's sparkling performance at night from Trocadero square.

And one Wednesday, we even went to Disneyland Paris. Yes, I know, it seems silly to go to Disneyland over here, given that I grew up only an hour from the original. But, Daniel had never been...so this was an exciting day for him. (Really, he could have cared less...but I was excited to share the joy of Mickey and Minnie with him.) Actually, I thought it was really interesting to see what they changed for the French/European market. For example, they don't have the "Matterhorn" ride over here, Indiana Jones is a roller coaster, and Mr. Toad has a restaurant, not a ride.

The weirdest part? There were NO lines...I'm not kidding. I have NEVER seen anything like this at Disneyland. I have always had to wait for at least 45 minutes for a ride at Disneyland...and here we could just walk right onto almost all the rides Moreover, how they decided which rides to keep in English and which ones to have in French is beyond me. Given that a large majority of the park's visitors come from outside of France, I was surprised at the French language prevalence. But given that this is France, and the French are very very particular about the use of their language, I wasn't so surprised. I would love to have been a fly on the wall during the negotiations on this topic! All I know is that it was hard to fully enjoy Pirates of the Caribbean because I couldn't sing along...

On a completely opposite note, my parents took us to Taillevent, an exquisite three-Michelin-star restaurant in Paris, for a late birthday celebration, . For the price, it had better be amazing...but it was. All I have to say is "Foie Gras Creme Brulee"...I can't explain it, but it was incredible!

Teaching has been good, but very challenging. Some of my students are almost fluent in English, so I can have interesting discussions with them. These classes are great, and I feel like I am really helping them. But other classes are much harder...where most of the kids have such poor English that they don't understand anything that I say to them (except for the one smart kid who translates to the rest of them). And I've noticed something interesting...when the kids don't understand something, they just claim that they don't like it. I've been having them practice explaining images (cartoons, pictures, advertisements) because it's something they may have to do for their Baccalaureat Exam. I had several classes who all just didn't like this cartoon..then I showed it to a more advanced class, and they loved it. Hmmm....

And that leaves the last third of our time...spent dealing with French bureaucracy.

The following excerpt from "Paris to the Moon," a fabulous book by Adam Goepnick on his time living in the city, provides an interesting commentary on the French state of bureaucracy:

"Legend has it that among Frenchmen sex and food are supposed to take the place of sports, but in fact they don't. What the French do to bridge the uneasy competitive silences that seem to be the price of a Y chromosome is talk about government and particularly about the incompetence of government ministers; which minster has outdone the other in self-important pomposity is viewed as a competitive event....If talking about bureaucracy takes the place of talking about sports, getting involved with the bureaucracy takes the place of exercise. Every French man and woman is engaged in a constant entanglement with one ministry or another, and I have come to realize that these entanglements are what take the place of going to a gym where people actually work out. Three of four days a week you are given something to do that is time-consuming, takes you out of yourself, is mildly painful, forces you into close proximity with strangers, and ends, usually, with a surprising rush of exhiliration: "Hey, I did it!" Every French ministry is, like a Nautilus machine, thoughtfully designed to provide maximum possible resistance to your efforts, only to give way just at the moment of total mental failure. Parisians emerge from the government buildings on the Ile de la Cité feeling just the way New Yorkers do after a good workout: aching and exhausted, but on top of the world."

Mr. Goepnick is in no way exaggerating...yes, it really is that awful...it's that awful that you believe someone must have specifically designed the system to be this inefficient as some stupid solution to increase employment. (Really, I think so!)

And, as newly arrived foreigners here, we have lots of hoops to jump through. The problem is that they aren't so clear on where they are or how to jump through them. So, inevitably, you show up for your "rendez-vous" (appointment) with all the papers they tell you to bring, and they ask you for some other form, paper, or card that you likely have never heard of, obviously don't have with you, and likely have no idea how to procure. They make medical appointments for you to be screened by their doctors (keep in mind that we had to pass a medical exam when we applied for the program), but they don't notify you when the appointment is. When you call to try to find out, they tell you to "patienter" (which means wait...or be patient). So, you wait, and wait. A month later, you call back to inquire and they are upset with you that you missed your medical rendez-vous two weeks ago...the one that no one ever informed you of. No, not exaggerating a bit...

And then there is the added pleasure of being a recently married woman in France who has kept her maiden name. Apparently this concept is completely foreign to anyone working in French bureaucracy or banking. I don't actually plan to keep my maiden name permanently. I just was not able to change it before we left the States. So I have nothing against people calling me Kimberly Gehant or Madame Gehant. I do, however, have a problem with my bank account being in the name of Kimberly Gehant...because my passport, work-visa, and employment contract are all under the name of Kimberly Haimsohn. It took four visits to the bank, and the eventual changeover of our account manager, for them to change my name on the account. And that was only after I explained that the Academie of Versailles refused to pay Kimberly Gehant for Kimberly Haimsohn's work...so they had to change my name on the account. The really odd thing on this topic is that France is quite progressive in domestic matters like these, offering lots of domestic partnership benefits to couples (both hetero- and homo-sexual). So the banks and government offices are clearly set up to process a couple with two different last names...but apparently once you are married, you have to change your name.

All that aside, we are still loving living in France. Every time we take Zookie for a walk and pass Notre Dame or Pont Neuf or the Luxembourg Gardens, I have to pinch myself and say, "Yes, it really is true! I live in Paris!"

More restaurant recommendations:

Taillevent
http://www.taillevent.com/
15 rue Lamennais - 75008 Paris - 01 44 95 15 01
(For a three-star-Michelin dining experience, come here! Everything you would expect of such a meal. Perfectly polished service, exquisite cuisine, and an astronomical bill. Come for lunch if you can...same food, half the price.)

Le Reminet
http://www.lereminet.com/
3 rue des Grands-Degrés - 75005 Paris - 01 44 07 04 24
(A lovely little bistro just opposite Notre Dame, where Dan and I celebrated our six-month anniversary. The food was the best we have had in any Paris bistro. Just amazing! And the service was so warm and kind. They even brought out a little cake for us with a candle to celebrate our special day.)

Le Timbre
3 rue Ste-Beuve - 75006 Paris - 01 45 49 10 40
(One of the teachers at my school recommended this place, and it was spot-on! The chef is actually British, but seems to know quite well how to cook French cuisine. Slightly more upscale than Bistro basics, but still focused on simple dishes well prepared with fresh ingredients)

Civita (11/5)

During the 14 hour drive back to France, we made a quick pit-stop at this ultimate Italian hilltown, Civita di Bagnoregio.

For photos, click here.

Civita

Kimberly

Civita is terminally ill. Only fourteen residents, mostly in their 80s, remain in the town, which is connected to the world by a long pedestrian bridge. It was originally connected to nearby Bagnoregio, but the saddle eroded away over the years. After the bridge was bombed during WWII, it was replaced in 1965 by the moden footbridge that remains today.

The whole town reeks of history. The entryway arch is over 2,500 years old, and is actually from the main Etruscan road that led to the Tiber valley and Rome. In one of the towns little restaurant/cafes we found an olive press that has been used for 1,500 years. And little caves were cut into the rock below Civita for ancient wine cellars.

Cute, quaint, and quick. A perfect stop if you are making a drive north of Rome.

Rome (11/2-4)

Ahh...Rome! Such an amazing contrast of ancient and modern, religious and secular, traditional and contemporary...This was Daniel's first trip to Rome, so we had to hit all the major highlights. It was my fourth, so I had to go back to old favorites.

For photos, click here.

Rome

Kimberly

The first thing that struck me about Rome was how crowded it was for November. It seems that Italy, and especially Rome, has become incredibly popular with the tourists. The day that we went to the Vatican, we had to wait almost two hours in line to enter the museum...and this was after joining up with a tour group to cut half-way in the line!

But it is popular for a reason. There is simply so much to see! During our time here, we visited the ancient sights of the Pantheon, Colosseum, Forum, and Palatine Hill. We spent an entire day exploring the Vatican: it's museum, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Cathedral and square. And we visited all the Baroque highlights too: The Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, and Piazza Barberini.

Rome is full of tourist highlights, so rather than go into detail about the well-known monuments and museums we visited, I want to focus on one little-known museum, my favorite museum in the whole world, the Borghese Gallery. Located in the Borghese Gardens, this museum is actually the Cardinal's mansion which has been painstakingly restored and filled with his most prized art works. The museum has gone to great lengths to ensure an ideal viewing experience. First, you must make reservations in advance....several days, if not weeks, in advance. (You can make them online here.) They strictly limit the number of visitors during each two hour window, so book ahead. Second, they have organized each room of the museum around one important piece of art. So, rather than walking into a room and being overwhelmed with all the different pieces, here, you are guided through in a more harmonious experience. The Baroque sculpture is just amazing, including Bernini's Daphne and Apollo (my favorite piece of art, click here for a photo). And the paintings are world-class, featuring masters such as Caravaggio, Raphael, Titian, and Rubens.

And my other favorite thing to do in Rome is eat. My favorite restaurant in the whole world is here, just off the Piazza Barberini. It is not well known by tourists, but always packed with locals from all different parts of society. And the food is stellar, especially their famous beef canneloni. If you are going to Rome, please try it and tell me how your meal was.
Tullio
Via s. Nicola da Tolentino, 26
Tel: 39/06 474 55 60
Closed on Sunday

Umbria (11/1)

On our way to Rome, we decided to detour through Umbria, visiting St. Francis' Assisi and spending the night in romantic Spoleto.

Kimberly

For photos, click here.

Umbria

Neither of us had ever been to Umbria, and after having spent over a week in Tuscany, we were eager to see how the neighboring region compared to the famous hilltowns to the East. Perhaps it was the weather, but we didn't fall in love with Umbria. (The temperature dropped about 15 degrees on November 1st, and it rained...whereas before it had been absolutely beautiful, perfect weather.) To be fair, we visited only two towns over one day, but still, we aren't sold on Umbria.

Assisi was rather interesting, not just for the famous basilica, but also because it is so well preserved. Walking from the east to the west, you somewhat trace the history of the city. From the remains of the Roman arena, now well absorbed into the medieval architecture that followed--to the Temple of Minerva that was later converted into a church in the ninth century--to the courtyards, archways, and balconies of the 13th & 14th centuries, Assisi has quite a lot of charm.

And then there is the Basilica of St. Francis. St. Francis is the influential man who decided to live his life as Jesus did, giving all his possessions to the poor and spreading a message of tolerance and peace. He is the founder of the Order of Friars Minor, more commonly known as the Franciscans, and the patron saint of animals.

The Basilica, where he is buried, is frescoed from top to bottom by leading artists of the time, including Cimabue and Giotto. What is especially important about this art is its realism, revolutionary in its day. In the 1300s, it was radical to show real people in nature in realistic three dimensional situations. Giotto's painting of the crucifixion is likely the first one since antiquity where people are expressing emotion. Unfortunately, a large part of the upper basilica was badly damaged during a 5.5-magnitude earthquake in 1997. Some of Giotto's frescoes were shattered into over 300,000 fragments that had to be meticulously picked up and pieced back together. Somehow, they did it, and only a few patches remain unrestored.

We decided to spend the night in Spoleto because we had heard it was the "most romantic city" in Italy. It wasn't. Parts of it were nice enough, but others felt quite run down. Perhaps if you visited during the annual festival, then it might have more character. The highlight of our stay was our beautiful hotel room with an amazing view of the illuminated Ponte delle Torri, a 13th century aqueduct. Getting to the Hotel Gattapone was another situation altogether though...it took us three drives around the one way streets of the city before we found the correct route there. (Google driving directions apparently thinks you can drive on the Ponte delle Torri...) Once we did find out way, navigating the tiny and perilously steep streets was terrifying! When we arrived at the hotel and saw our room, it was completely worth it though.

Tuscan Hilltowns (10/29-31)

Under the Tuscan Sun...we spent only four days exploring the hilltowns of Tuscany, but we are ready to come back and rent a villa soon! Anyone want to join us, let us know!

For photos, click here.

Tuscany

Kimberly

After spending three days running around Florence, we were ready for some relaxing time in Tuscany. We decided to drive through the Chianti region on our way south from Florence. We did not stop at any wineries, as we knew that we would be going to Montalcino later on, but admired the picturesque views along the way. We did stop at Castello di Brullio, an old castle and vineyard, but just for a quick visit (and not a tasting, as it was unfortunately a Sunday).

Rather than stay in a hotel or B&B, we opted for an Agriturismo--a concept widely spread throughout Italy. The concept was created in the 1980s as a way for small farmers to survive in a modern economy. By renting rooms to travelers, the farmers could remain on their land and continue to produce food. In order to call yourself an Agriturismo, a certain percentage of your income must still come from food produced on the land...which means staying at a place like this is guaranteed to be a highly authentic experience. We stayed at the very charming Agriturismo San Giorgio. It was only a fifteen minute drive from Siena, and we could see the towers of the Campo from the farm. We had a very large 1 bedroom apartment with our own patio and even a loft. Every morning, for breakfast, we were given an assortment of jams and jellies that were made from fruit on the property. And there were large lawns and a playground for Zookie to play on. (Check out our photos to see Zookie on the swings, slide, and teeter-totter...) It was a wonderful experience, and we are completely sold on the concept.

With Agriturismo San Giorgio as our homebase, we explored one or two of the nearby hilltowns each day. On our first day, we went to Volterra, a relatively undiscovered hilltown just east of Siena. We loved this town! More than 2000 years ago, it was a very important Etruscan city--and remarkably, one of the gates to the town remains from that time. (Even more impressive is that the Nazis had planned to blow it up during WWII, but the town residents wanted to badly to preserve their Etruscan historical landmark, that they tore up the street and blocked their own entryway to the city and convinced the Nazis general that there was no need to destroy it!)

As with many of the other Tuscan hilltowns, the eventual decline of the city is what has kept it so well preserved in its historical state. The alleyways are narrow, streets cobblestoned, and residents quiet and calm. Today the town is known for its quality artisan crafts, especially alabaster, historical charm, and truffle festivals. We were lucky to arrive at the beginning of the fall truffle season, and thus for the "Volterra Gusta" white truffle festival. This kicked off our Italian grocery shopping spree...for the next ten days, we bought 5 bottles of olive oil, 6 bottles of wine, 1 of balsamic vinegar, 12 packages of pasta, 16 jars of various sauces, and several other artisinal grocery items...

FYI, we had two great wining and dining experiences in Volterra. We had lunch at Ristorante Il Sacco Fiorentino (Piazza XX Settembre 18, tel 0588-88537), which included a special pasta with a white truffle sauce...just divine! And we tasted a few regional wines at La Vena di Vino (Via Don Minzoni 30, tel 0588-81491), including a Super-Tuscan--the latest phenomenon in the world of wine.

That night we visited the nearby hilltown of San Gimignano, famous for its medieval skyscrapers. Today only 14 of the original 60 medieval towers remain. In the 13th century, rich families built these towers as a refuge for when the town was attached and sacked by rival city-states. Even after the town walls were built, the towers continued to rise: feuding noble families would battle things out from the protection of their respective family towers. (Think Montegue and Capulet from Romeo and Juliet.)

It was nice to visit San Gimignano at night in late October, because we understand it gets quite touristy during the day--especially during high season. There was also something quite striking about viewing the towers illuminated against the night sky. Visiting at night also gave us the opportunity to enjoy a fabulous Tuscan dinner at Ristorante Bel Soggiorno (Via San Giovanni 91, tel 0577-940375). The menu featured primarily game, and this meal was a highlight of our entire trip.

On our second day in Tuscany, we drove around the Crete Senese region, appreciating the unique landscape. In the spring, the fields are painted in yellow and green with fava beans an broom, with red poppies on the fringes. In the autumn, it was almost a lunar lanscape of clay, with olive groves and stone farmhouses, punctuated by perfect lines and curves of trees.

That afternoon, we visited the largest town in the region, Siena. Once Florence's archrival, today Siena is best known as the host for the annual Palio horserace, which turns its city-square (Il Campo) into a race course for the 17 neighborhoods of Siena to compete for the glory of the prize. However, there is much else to see in this jewel of the region. Most importantly, there is the Duomo, Siena's 13th century Gothic cathedral. The interior is a "Renaissance riot of striped columns, intricate marble inlays, Michaelangelo statues, and Bernini sculptures." And if that is not enough, the vividly colored and intricately detailed Piccolomini library features 15th century frescoes chronicalling the adventures of Siena's philanderer-turned-pope Aeneas Piccolomini (Pope Pius II).

And Sienna turned out to be a good place for shopping too! In addition to the necessary olive oil and pasta, I managed to purchase not one, but two pairs of fabulous Italian leather boots! Such a deal!

On our last day in the region, we ventured south to the town of Montalcino, famous for its wine Brunello di Montalcino. In this hilltown, we explored quaint alleyways and Tuscan views. We also visited the Fortezza, where we indulged in some wine tasting and climbed to the top of the towers--all of us, including Zookie!! (Tower climbing, not wine tasting.)

9 kilometers south of Montalcino, we found the Abbey of Sant'Antimo, one of the most beautiful Romanesque churches in Italy. Legend has it that Emperor Charlemagne founded the Abbey after his soldiers were miraculously cured from the plague in a nearby field. We came not only to see the architecture, but more to hear the beautiful Gregorian chanting by the monks that still live and practice here. For a video of the chanting, click here.

Later that afternoon, we made our final Tuscan hilltown visit to Pienza--the home of Aeneas Piccolomini, later Pope Pius II. Yes, this is the person whose life was chronicled in the cathedral in Siena. And he made quite an impression on the town when he decided to completely remodel the city center in the Renaissance fashion in the 1500s. What was extra fun about our time in Pienza was that it was on Halloween, a recently adopted holiday by the Italians. As darkness began to fall, kids appears in the streets, popping from cheese shop to artisinal store trick-or-treating...it was fabulous!

Our time in Tuscany was simply all too brief. We would love to go back and spend a week relaxing at an Agritursmo, taking cooking classes and horseback riding around the picturesque hills. And there is always more exquisite Tuscan food and wine...

Florence (10/27-28)

From masterpieces by Michelangelo to the Ponte Vecchio - the Medici Family brought the best to Firenze or 'Florence' making it a fantastic stop for beautiful art and architecture (along with great food and a little shopping).

For photos, click here.

Florence

Daniel

We stayed a little ways outside of the city center at Hotel Ungherese. (With the traffic laws in Florence, it is actually illegal to actually drive/park in the city center) The hotel was warm & pet friendly. Plus, they made some of the best cappuccinos we have ever had. Zookie made quick friends with the hotel owner, and she shared stories about her "puppy" which she pronounced "poopy." It was too funny to correct the tiny mistake.

Trying to see Florence in two days, especially if you haven't been there before, is just exhausting. In addition to all the sights, described below, we did have some authentic travel experiences--mostly thanks to Zookie!

Traveling with a dog in Europe is great because it gives you the opportunity to interact with people that you never would otherwise. All during our trip, old Italian men, little Italian children, and locals and tourists of all ages wanted to meet our fabulous pup! Unfortunately, we don't speak Italian, so we couldn't really communicate with most people, but we knew that Kane means dog, and besides, we can tell when Zookie has an admirer that wants to make friends with him. (We did learn to say "Posso potare mi Kane destra?" which means "Can I bring my dog inside?"...invaluable when we were trying to bring Zookie to dinner, in shops, or on buses--where he was technically not supposed to go.)

No where in Italy was this Zookie fan club more apparent than in Florence. There was the old man in Piazza della Republica, who kept tricking Zookie by whistling. Zookie couldn't figure out where the funny noise was coming from and kept looking around to find its source. Then, there was the Italian family with the toddler who really wanted to pet the doggy, but was still a little afraid. And the funniest experience was when three old Italian women actually stole Zookie from Dan when they were riding on the bus into Florence. Dan was trying to keep Zookie from investigating these women's shopping bags, when, suddenly, one of the women just took his leash and brought him over to their seats! Hilarious, especially because neither party could communicate with each other!

We visited a lot of sites in and around Florence so listed below are some of the major highlights. Each day we jumped on a bus that took us right to the heart of town where the Duomo towered over the central piazza. Day or night the scenary was beautiful.

Bargello Museum - full of Renaissance sculpture including two versions of David by Donatello and Verrocchio, stark contrasts to the more famous interpretation by Michelangelo. We spent a morning checking out the highlights before we hit the ultimate in Italian painting, the Uffizi Gallery.

The Uffizi Gallery - Florence was at the heart of the Renaissance and the Uffizi can take you on a walk through history as realistic art evolved during the Renaissance. Some of the best Italian paintings are found within the 'U-shaped building, including the Madonna and Child by Gioto (example of flat art during medival times) and Birth of Venus by Botticelli (Epitome of the exploding realism in art).

Ponte Vecchio - the famous bridge over the Arno River. While touring the Uffizi, we caught a glimpse of the secret passage that the Medicis used. We also took a stroll with Zookie on the bridge covered with small traditional shops that still sell gold and silver.

Accademia - a fantastic collection of sculpture including Michelangelo's masterpieces. We stared in awe at just how beautifully he carved David out of a block of marble. This statue is amazing to see in person (unfortunately they don't allow photos in the museum). They also have a interesting collection of the The Prisoners. These massive statues still remain from the unfinished commission for Pope Julius II (he also commissioned Michelangelo for the Sistine Chapel). The statues look as though they are coming to life, trying to break free from the marble they are still encased within. The most impressive part of these marble rocks is that Michelangelo was known to work completely freehand and chipped away at the stone from front to back until he was satisfied.

Baptistery - Known for its famous bronze doors whose panels were sculpted by Ghiberti who won a contest to earn the project. Brunelleschi lost the competions, fortunately since he went on to design and build the dome that covers the Duomo.

Duomo (Santa Maria del Fiore) - beautiful architecture and impressive science behind the facade. The structure that sits atop the dome is about the size of the Baptistery building, which gives you a sense of scale. The Duomo was actually built with a hole awaiting a dome in its roof...nevermind that this was before the techonology was available to span such an area. Brunelleschi solved that problem, and many others copied this first Renaissance dome in years to come.

Duomo Mueseum - contains Ghiberti's original (and Bruno's) panels submitted for the Baptistery door competition. It also showcases a Pieta statue that Michaelangelo originally carved for his own tomb and a unique Donatello statue of Mary Magdalene carved from wood.

Medici Chapels - You can almost see into the mind of Michelangelo while visiting here. He had free reign on the architecture, sculpture, and subject matter. These partly unfinished chapels/tombs celebrate the Medici family patrons who supported M through numerous commissions during his lifetime. You can even see the sketches and scribbling of Michelangelo and his assistants as they filled in the architectural space with sculpture and paintings.

Church of Santa Maria Novella - filled with beautiful frescoes as well as signs of the growing Renassaince. The inside of the Church was built to magnify the visual impression - the floor is slanted upwards as you work towards the altar. Also, the collonade narrows as you appoach the altar making the Chruch seem longer, taller, and more grandiose.

Eating in Florence

We also had some fantastic cuisine. Our favorite dinner meal in Florence was at Il Cibreo. Rich, filling Tuscan plates made this place a winner. We actually ate at the Trattoria, which does not accept reservations, has equally good food, and lower prices. (Via Andrea del Verrocchio 8r. 055-2341100)

We also dined at Filipepe, which has a more upscale Mediteranian menu. (Via de San Niccolo 39r 055-2001397)

We also enjoyed a great meal at Osteria de Benci a well known trattoria with great desserts (Via de Benci 13r 055-234-4923)

We did not make it to Acqua al Due on this trip, because we did not make a reservation in time. This was a favorite places from one of Kim's previous trips here. And, they surprisingly opened a second location in San Diego, which we have been to. Great pasta. (Via della Vigna Vecchia 40/r 055-284170)

Oh yes, and we did some shoping for leather goods. Kim found a good deal on purses while Dan finally bought another pair of shoes (at least they are Italian and stylish). We also spent a few hours touring the many street markets as we walked around the city.

Lucca & Pisa (10/26-27)

Lucca and Pisa introduced us to the Romanesque remains and Renaissance glory that endured in Italy. And Zookie had a good time too, running around the ramparts of Lucca and riding in bicycle baskets...

Daniel

For photos, click here.

Lucca & Pisa

Our first stop in Italy was Lucca, a town known for it's surrounding ramparts and Romanesque style within the town walls. Since we arrived in the evening, we spent our first night wandering the town. The old churches, cathedral, and medieval walls were all dramatically illuminated, making the architecture tower above. Although, the town within the walls was relatively quiet, we came across many couples and locals enjoying the tranquility.

The next day, we explored more of the town streets - narrow and picturesque under the sun. We got a light breakfast at Caffe di Simo, where Puccini is said to have frequented. Since Zookie was with us, he got a lot of attention from the proprietor - she eventually insisted on a piece of Parmesan cheese for Zookie. (He earned his treat by performing some tricks of course!)

Food was consistently amazing--you know we enjoy eating through our travels. One highlight was Locanda Di Bacco, Via San Giorgio 36, where we had a fantastic lunch. Zookie won the heart of our waitress (yet,again). So while we were enjoying our fine cuisine, Zookie got a fresh bowl of water to keep him occupied.

One of the best parts of Lucca, were the Ramparts. During Lucca's history, they invested nearly a third of their income in these protective walls, which today serve as parks and running/bicycling paths. We took advantage well maintained walkways atop the ramparts and rented bicycles for the day to enjoy the views. Zookie came along and ran alongside as we biked the ramparts.

The next day we set out for Pisa - yep the one one with the original leaning tower. Because Pisa is so over run with tourists and the sights are concentrated in a small area - we planned to just spend a few hours there on our way to Florence. The very touristy center of Pisa, the Campo dei Miracoli (Field of Miracles) is scenic array of grand Romanique buildings: The Leaning Tower, Duomo or Cathedral, and the Baptistry are the stand outs.

We spent time exploring the Duomo/Cathedral and the Baptistry. Each building shows just how powerful Pisa was during the 1200's. The Cathedral contained a masterpiece marble podium sculpted by Giovanni Pisano (his father, a fellow sculptor, carved the pulpit in the nearby Baptistry). Finally we made that long and very slanted climb up the leaning tower. Structural improvements in recent years has opened the tower up to tons of tourists clambering to the top.

Sidenote: Having grown up in Evanston, IL, I often drove by the Leaning Tower of Niles - now I can say that I experienced the real thing.

After a few hours in Pisa we grabbed a mediocre, but not horribly overpriced, gelato and hit the road again: destination Florence.

Burgundy, France (10/24 & 11/6)

After three hard weeks of work, we had our first vacation...got to love the French working system! For the "Vacances de Toussaint" we spent two weeks in Italy, but rather than fly or take the train, we decided to take a more leisurely pace and drive. We stopped in Burgundy both on our way to and back from Italia. Read below for our culinary and wine tasting (oh, and historical) adventures. And don't miss the photos...Zookie went to a classy restaurant and ordered of the "Menu Toutou pour les chiens!"

Kimberly

For photos, click here.

Burgundy

Lyon

We got a late start out of Paris on Friday night, so it was a race to make it to Lyon before Restaurant Paul Bocuse closed for the evening. After having watched the "Bocuse D'Or" cooking competition (think Olympics for chefs) on the Food Network, we have always wanted to eat at Paul Bocuse's restaurant in Lyon. And driving to Italy was our perfect chance! M. Bocuse is one of the most famous chefs in the world, widely credited with being one of the first chefs to emerge from the kitchen and to enter public life. He is also known for creating the "Nouvelle Cuisine" movement in France: a focus on fresh ingredients of highest quality over heavy sauces. Needless to say, dinner was superb! The dessert cart and cheese course (during both of which we could choose as many items as we wanted) were the definite highlights.

The next day, we had just the morning to spend in Lyon before heading off on our six hour drive through the Alps to Italy. Although we spent only a short time in the city of Lyon, we really enjoyed it and would like to return some day. The Roman ruins (in both the Amphitheatre and Museum) are spectacular. And the Basilique Notre -Dame de Fourvière is one of the most delightful churches I have visited. Our favorite part of the town was the "vielle ville" where traditional architecture remains, including the famous "traboules" or connective passageways.

The layout of Vieux Lyon is such that there are very few connecting streets running perpendicular to the river. These shortcuts thus allowed workmen and craftsmen to transport clothes and other textiles through the city while remaining sheltered from inclement weather. However, they served other purposes throughout history too...especially for the resistance during WWII. The traboules of Lyon are often credited as one of the reasons why the occupying Nazis were unable to take complete control of these areas.

After purchasing the necessary picnic supplies for our drive to Italy, we set off on the road. The drive was just as beautiful as we could hope for. The leaves were changing colors, so all the hills were different shades of green, yellow, orange, and red. All the way to Lucca, we truly enjoyed the scenery.

Beaune

On our way back to Paris, we stopped this time in a different part of Burgundy, near the celebrated wine village of Beaune. Since we were driving, we booked ourselves at a chateau in a small town of Auxey-Duresses just a ten minute drive outside of Beaune. Yes, you heard right, a chateau! It was Chateau de Melin and was absolutely beautiful. We were the only guests, since it was low season. Our room was enormous and beautifully furnished...and there is just something amazing about staying in a chateau in France.

During the day, we drove around the beautiful countryside and visited some tasting rooms. Unlike in Napa or Sonoma, it is quite unusual to visit the wineries themselves (and you must make reservations in advance). But you can stop in the tasting rooms in many of the small towns where they will offer you several glasses of different wines from the region, and the option to purchase your favorites. We also visited the Hotel Dieu (Charity Hospital) in Beaune. The highlight of the trip was certainly our dinner at Le Relais de la Diligence...and most certainly the highlight of Zookie's entire European experience thus far. They actually have a "Menu Toutou" pour les chiens (for the dogs)...so he feasted on ground beef, pasta, and doggie biscuits, while we had venison and steak. If anything, it made for some hilarious photos!

Bilbao (10/16)

With friends all over the world, I guess it's only natural that we might be attending a wedding in Bilbao, Spain....but I never would have guessed it! Read below about our quick weekend Spanish getaway.

Kimberly

For photos, click here.

Bilbao

I never would have guessed that I would be attending a wedding in Bilbao, Spain. And I certainly never would have imagined that 20 of my classmates (or their significant others) from the Stanford GSB would also be there with me. But I guess this is what happens when you go to business school, join a ski house where you are the only student from the U.S., and attend Jazz Fest in New Orleans with a Dutchman, Israeli, Japanese, and Spaniard. And that is where I got to know Jaime Rodriguez. To be fair, we actually met during the "Global Exchange" program during our first quarter at the GSB. We were matched up to meet for coffee and exchange perspectives. But we really got to know each other over the two years, most especially while touring the French Quarter of New Orleans and listening to some great Jazz at the festival.

The wedding was so beautiful, and a completely different experience (dinner wasn't served until 11pm...dancing started at 1am...and the night finished at 4:30am...) The wedding was held at the Casa de Misericordia and was a pretty traditional Catholic ceremony...except it was in Spanish, so who knows what we missed! And the reception was wonderful and held in a beautiful historical building called the Sociedad Bilbaina. Most of all though, it was so wonderful to have a mini-reunion with so many GSB classmates. All in told, there were 20 GSBers (and SOs) there from all over the world. (I'm not sure if Rio or Max wins the award for most miles flown to get to the wedding, from Tokyo v. Mexico City, respectively). Being with so many of our classmates made me realize how much I really miss the excitement of being around GSBers...I always knew it was a special experience, but I don't think I really appreciated how amazing it is when you put a group of us in the same room...something really magical happens.

Of course, we did a little sightseeing while we were in Bilbao. I mean, we couldn't possibly visit the city and not see the famous Guggenheim museum. I expected to hate the museum...really I did. But I found it incredibly intriguing and actually quite beautiful. The architecture really is something completely astonishing...and the art inside, well, lets just say that for modern art, it's actually not that bad.

We also wandered around the Casco Viejo, the old neighborhood of the city. We met a big group of GSB classmates for tapas is the Plaza Nueva...and then afterward, Dan and I decided we were still hungry, so we went for Jamon Iberico at Victor Montez. It was superb!

We got really lucky and snagged a last minute deal on Expedia to stay at the Hotel Carlton. It's still a place to see and be seen: Today you are likely to see such celebrities as Chelsea Clinton or Pierce Brosnan. In days of yore, it was Albert Einstein, Ernest Hemingway, or Ava Gardner. In the Civil War, the hotel was the seat of the Basque government.

The best part was that the hotel was apparently overbooked, so they upgraded us to a two-room suite! (Don't ask why they didn't upgrade someone else who was paying the rack rate...I'm not complaining!) And it made up for the fact that we had to pay twice for our plane tickets...yes, you read that correctly. Important tip for anyone flying in Europe: almost all airplane tickets are completely non-changeable. This means no standby too! So if you miss your flight (because you overslept and the RER was having mechanical problems), too bad for you. You must purchase an entirely new ticket...at the walk-up full-fare rate. (That is unless you cry and explain the situation...then they might let you buy entirely new tickets at a discounted rate...which will still be more than what you probably paid for your tickets in the first place.) Yes, I am dead serious. Be careful about this one!

Paris-our first month (09/21-10/24)

Our first month in Paris...what an adventure! If you haven't already read Stephen Clarke's "A Year in the Merde," you really should. It's great for a laugh, and should be required reading for anyone moving to the "City of Light." Yes, there really is that much bureaucracy in France...and yes, you do learn to be that patient...but, yes, life is good, the city is romantic, and the cheese is phenomenal.

For photos, click here.

Paris-Our First Month

Kimberly

We arrived in Paris on September 22nd, 2006. Miraculously, we all made it...including our 7 pieces of overweight luggage! Zookie didn't seem to upset by his experience in the cargo hold, except that I think he really needed to go to the bathroom....we think he actually held it the whole time! As Murphy's Law would have it - with all the documenting, certifying, microchiping, etc for Zookie to go to Europe. The security officer at the Paris airport simply gave Kim the crate, and we walked out the door with no more than a glance at Zookie's certificate.

We had already made arrangements to stay in an apartment in the 7th arrondissement, right near the "Bon Marche" department store for the first three weeks. The girl who lived there was going on vacation to Spain, and this provided us a place to stay while we found something more permanent. We knew it wasn't going to be easy because 1) We were looking for a short-term lease 2) We had a dog and 3) We're American. As it turned out, the first two didn't cause a problem at all...Paris seems to be set up for short-term furnished apartment rentals...and everyone LOVES dogs! The issue was our being American, not so much being American, but not being French. In addition to having no credit history in France, foreigners face this dilemma...you need to have a French bank account to rent an apartment, but you need to have an address to open a French bank account... such is the system of French bureaucracy!

After hunting and hunting, we found a wonderful place through an agent that specializes in renting to expats (thus, no annoying French hoops to jump through). It is 40 square meters, which is rather large for a 1BR apartment by Parisian standards. (Yes, that is 400 square feet.) The location is unbeatable though, on the left bank, right near St. Michel, Notre Dame, and St. Germain de Pres...we are really in the heart of Paris, a short walk from almost everything!

We didn't start our teaching jobs until October, so that gave us some time to get settled and situated. We both teach just south of Paris: Kimberly in Montrouge, and Daniel in Bagneux. Kimberly is teaching at a Lycee (or high school) and Daniel splits his week between two different Colleges (or middle schools). Our first two weeks of teaching were actually just "observation"--so we had a chance to see how the classroom dynamic differs from the U.S. The classroom dynamic is much more formal: when a teacher walks into the room, all the students stand until they are told to sit (imagine a judge walking into a courtroom!). The kids all go home at lunchtime...in fact, it seems that they are not allowed to be at the school when they are not in class. So when the bell rings, they have five minutes to get out of the building. Oh, and at middle school, they have a very regimented system for how to take notes: three pens (red, blue, and black) and a ruler...Dan still hasn't figured out what is for what...

During my first few weeks, things went really well. My kids are great (almost all of them). I had only one class where the kids had no questions except 1) How old are you? 2) Are you married? and 3) Are you for or against the war in Iraq? Other than that class, the kids are all very engaged and really interested in talking with me about life in America. They do all ask about Iraq/President Bush within the first 5 minutes (there is only one correct answer to these questions if you live in France)...oh, and they want to know if I own a gun. Funny how a biased media can completely shape a nation's perception of another country....living over here has really made me wonder about how the media affects Americans' views of the world...

The other teachers are so nice and welcoming...I was shocked that my boss organized a welcome party for me and cooked all these crepes (all the other teachers brought cidre...which is my favorite!). I did not appreciate at all what the hardest part of the job might be for me...integrating with the other teachers. I have a whole newfound appreciation for how hard it must have been for all the international students at the GSB. Every time we had a coffee break, I dreaded going to the lunch room because I didn't know how to socialize with the other teachers...I mean my French is OK, but not great...and I wasn't exactly going to butt into any conversations where I only understood 30% of what was being said... It felt really overwhelming! And, like I said, the teachers were all SO nice and friendly, but still it was very intimidating. I'm sure that as I get to know a few of them more closely, friendships will develop and it will become easier.

Oh, and during the lunch hour on my first day (after my party), the teachers had a meeting to organize themselves for a possible strike because the government is proposing a new measure which would mandate the exact curriculum in all the classes, and the teachers would be observed to make sure they don't stray from the curriculum. It was fascinating to watch the "greve" process in action...on my first day of work!

My boss is really encouraging and very supportive. He spent a long time trying to sort out the classes I'm teaching so I have an easier work schedule...and he managed to arrange things so I have to work only on Thursdays and Fridays! Isn't that crazy?! I have 5 day weekends every week!!

Obviously, this leaves a lot of time for traveling and exploring Paris. We have been to most of the major museums and eaten in many wonderful (but awfully expensive) restaurants. We even took a weekend trip to Bilbao Spain, for the wedding of a Stanford classmate of mine! Oh, and after only three weeks of teaching, we were off on a two-week vacation for "Toussaint" holiday. (literally All Saints Day). We'll try to post photos soon from that trip through central France and in Italy.

In the meanwhile, here are some our favorites, The Best of Paris:

Best Cheese: St. Marcellin (a creamy cheese that melts as it reaches room temperature, so they serve it in a ramekin and you eat it with a spoon).

Best Restaurants:

La Litote
24, rue Bosquet - 75007 Paris - Tel: 01 45 51 78 82
http://www.la-litote-paris.com/
(An amazing little restaurant with surprisingly contemporary decor, warm service, and amazing Provence inspired food...and it is incredibly reasonably priced for Paris.)

Le P'tit Troquet
28, rue de l'Exposition - 75007 Paris Tel: 01 47 05 80 39
(Traditional French Bistro food at its best. The 30 Euro prix fixe for three courses is a steal!)

L'As du Falafel
34, Rue des Rosiers - 75004 Paris - Tel: 01 48 87 63 60
(Yes, this is THE famous falafel place in the Marais (the old Jewish Quarter)...and yes, it is Lenny Kravitz's favorite falafel place...and yes, I do think it's the best falafel in the world!)

A Priori The
35, Galerie Vivienne - 75002 Paris - Tel : 01 42 97 48 75
(Wonderful Salon du The (meaning open only in the afternoons for lunch and tea) that also serves a fabulous Sunday brunch. It is run by an American woman who makes what might be the best brownies and cheesecake I have ever had.)

Oh, and if you are hungry at any odd hour of the day or night, you cannot go wrong with any one of the following French staples, found all over the city.
-Crepe (Nutella)
-Panini (Mozarella et Tomates)
-Millefeuille
-Pain au Chocolat
-Macaroon
-Tarte framboise
....and the list goes on!

Kenya (8/28-8/31)

The Wildebeest Migration!!! Every summer over 1.4 million wildebeest and 200,000 zebra and gazelle, relentlessly tracked by Africa’s great predators, migrate from the Tanzanian Serengeti to Kenya's Masai Mara in search of rain ripened grass. And we were there to see it! Read below for amusing stories, watch incredible (and some rather graphic) videos, and see some amazing photos!

For photos, click here:

Masai Mara

Kimberly

I already explained that the concentration of wildlife in Ngorongoro made South Africa look like nothing special...well, the Masai Mara was in an even different league! We were there during the annual Wildebeest migration, which meant not only that there were lots of Wildebeest, but also many other herbivores who accompanied them on their journey (Zebra & Gazelles mostly)..not to mention the predators that follow closely looking for a tasty meal. The variety of wildlife was really just astonishing.

We had to transfer to the smaller Wilson airport for our "bush plane" flight to the Mara. We saw other planes leaving that were just tiny...so we were surprised when our plane arrived. It was a normal sized passenger jet. And we were really shocked to learn that we would be the forth stop in the Mara....meaning our giant plane took off and landed on the dirt "runway"in the middle of the Masai Mara reserve three times before we got to our stop!

On our first game drive that evening, our guide asked us what we wanted to see. I told him that we had seen everything except Cheetah, so if he could find us one, that would be great. Sure enough, in about twenty minutes he had found us, not one, but two Cheetah brothers! They were literally feet away from the safari vehicle and very undisturbed by our presence. Of all the animals we saw on our trip, I found these the most beautiful by far. There is something just so graceful about the way they walk and stand, surveying the territory. In fact, I think Dan and I both found them a little too enthralling...as, at one point, we were both unknowingly hanging out of the windows of the vehicle to get better vantage points for photos....Dan was videoing one Cheetah when, all of a sudden, he realized the other one was walking directly underneath him...yes, like within petting (or attacking) distance. Watch the video here, it's one of my favorites from the entire trip! Cheetah close encounter

We were staying at the Fig Tree Camp, which is located on the Talek river in the center of the park. Our deluxe "tent" was certainly the nicest tent I have ever stayed in. This place was nothing like the luxury safari resorts we stayed at in South Africa, but it was still quite nice. The tent is kind of like a tent built into a hotel bungalow. So there was a full bathroom attached, electricity, normal beds and closets...just a tent for a roof and a door. It was quite a nice way to experience the bush without actually camping. The hotel was fine, but nothing special. Meals were dreadful...really, just awful. The guides were O.K., but the big problem is that they just stick you in a car with a random group of people for every drive. We were told that we could go out for an extended drive and eat our breakfast or lunch in the bush (which is the only way you can get to the other parts of the park...where the wildebeest are, for example). However, they kept putting us with groups of people who were leaving that day, and thus couldn't take the extended game drive.

Finally, on our last day, we managed to put together a group so we could have breakfast in the bush. It was amazing! We sat on a log in the middle of the savannah and ate our yogurt with the chorus of nearby wildebeest in the background. Afterwards we continued on to the eastern part of the park where we found thousands of wildebeest frolicking with hundreds of other animals...at one point, we counted 12 giraffe, 30 zebra, 5 hartebeest, 6 topi, not to mention the thousands (yes, literally thousands) of wildebeest! And then came the real treat...we really lucked out...we managed to arrive at the Mara river at the same time as a herd of Wildebeest. This is the really famous crossing, where the animals hurl themselves off the cliff into the river and try to swim across before a crocodile, lion, or other predator gets to them first.

It was fascinating to watch the chaos and disorder of the whole thing. First there were a bunch of wildebeest on the far side of the river who seemed to want to cross. They came all the way down to the bank of the river to drink, but no one wanted to be the first in the water. But then, all of a sudden another herd of Wildebeest arrived from behind us and stood at the top of the cliff moaning. After about twenty minutes of the wildebeest running back and forth, probably encouraging each other to just jump in already, the wildebeest on our side of the river started plunging into the water and scrambling across to the other side. Here is a video of the crossing: Wildebeest Mara River crossing.

The other highlight of our trip was certainly the Hot Air Balloon flight we took over the Masai Mara one morning. I have never done a balloon flight before, but I think I have certainly been spoiled for life now! The view of the thousands of Wildebeest, often lined up in a single-file-line (don't ask why) moving slowly across the Mara plains...it was absolutely breathtaking. And every time our balloon pilot fired the torch, the animals would get startled and start stampeding...it was amazing! We landed the balloon only a few kilometers from the Tanzanian border, where a full champagne breakfast was waiting for us. No, I am not joking, they even had an omelet station! Here are some videos from our flight:
Hot air balloon inflating
Hot air balloon launch
Wildebeest migration from balloon
Wildebeest frolicking, view from Hot Air Balloon

The only thing that we did not see during our safari adventures was a hunt. Every time we found predators, we hoped they were hungry, because we really wanted to watch the chase. Unfortunately, no luck for us. We did manage to stumble upon a very fresh kill one afternoon though. A pack of Lions had just hunted a Wildebeest, and we were there to watch the last few moments of its life...followed by some very graphic meal-time. There was one point where one of the female lions had her head completely inside the Wildebeest's gut! If you are curious, here is some video from the meal: Lion dinner time. There was this one lion cub that was very enthusiastic about the process....he decided that he wanted to try to eat the Wildebeest's head. He started with the horn, but wasn't sure what to do with that...then he went for it's teeth and lips...he had positioned himself on top of its head, straddling its neck...and then he fell off. It was hilarious! We have a short video of the antics, Lion cub kissing wildebeest (But lots of pictures.)

If you are interested in other videos, here are some highlights from other parts of our trip.

Elephants bully Giraffe
Hyena breakfast (graphic)
Lion cub has an itch
Wildebeest playtime
Hakuna Matata, again
Masai Jumpers