Monday August 21 - European calendars, missing passports, train hopping and other misadventures
The kids, Elise and Johnny, arrived safe and sound last Tuesday in Lille. They really struggled with the jet lag. Johnny had been in Samoa just 3 days before, and Elise has never been to Europe before. We dragged them to the Lille cathedral in the afternoon to keep them awake, by 5:00 p.m. they were out for the night and probably slept about 14 hours.
Wednesday we took them around Rihour (the old square) to see the shops. We also took them to the Carrefour in St. Phillibert and to our favorite boulangerie next door for a menu lunch. (Sandwich, drink and dessert)
Thursday the plan was to go to Bruge at 8:00 a.m. and be home by 6:30 p.m. We try to get on the bus, but Johnny had forgotten his passport. The bus driver waited for as long as he could, but we finally got off. Johnny arrived with his passport 5 minutes later. Thankfully we had Ouigo bus tickets which means A) they are cheap, and B) they are transferable. So we shifted the day and got on the bus at noon and got home around 10:00 p.m. Bruge was rainy but it was still a nice day. We did the canal tour and the horse and buggy tour. I think I'm okay if I never do those tours again.
We found a great Belgium waffle place that has a toppings bar with shaved chocolate. I'm okay if I never get another Belgium waffle anywhere but there again. :)
We grabbed the train to Ostend, except that we couldn't get the kiosk to accept our tickets. I wasn't too worried, since no one has ever checked tickets on that leg before. I figured I'd buy them from my phone during the ride, or get round trip tickets in Ostend. As soon as we got on the train, I decided to go to the bathroom.
While in the WC, a ticket lady came asking to see my family's tickets. They were able to say that I had them (which was sort of true.) the lady waited for me outside the WC and asked me for them when I got out. I told her they were on my phone. Which was sort of true.
I hurry to pull out my phone to buy the tickets only to discover that data is not working. I frantically try to get it to work, but no luck. She comes by again and I show her that I can't access my phone. Which was true. She said not to worry, I had plenty of time.
As soon as the train pulled into the station, I told the kids to jump off the train and run. We quickly got off the train and ran to the other platform to make it look like we were disembarking that one. I bee-lined it for the station and quickly bought round trip tickets to Ostend.
We rented segways (sp?) for the kids to run around the beach front for an hour. While we waited, Bradford needed to make a business call, so I paid the 12 Euro to see the Disney sand castles. It wasn't as good as the one in Blankenburg 3 years ago, but it had tons of couches, which I appreciated. Also cold drinks were only 2 Euro, which I also appreciated.
After we took back the segways we walked around a bit and I did something brave. I bought some escargots or snails. It was really more like snail soup. I have to admit that the flavor wasn't bad, but it was hard to get past the shape and texture. They pretty much looked like they were just missing their antennae and were super chewy. Afterwards my tummy felt kind of funny and I was wanting something normal to put in my belly.
We made it back to Bruge and walked around the water looking at the picturesque scenery. The bus came at 9:30 and got us back by 10:30 and we were home by 11:00 p.m.
That night Bradford got an email that due to weather he'd been given a waiver to delay his flight. Which he was able to do giving us 24 more hours with him.
The very next morning we got up early to take the bullet train to the airport since we already had tickets to go there, and then took the RER B to Paris Gare du Nord where Bradford dropped off his luggage in a locker. We bought the Big Bus tickets and toured Paris in the rain. The commentary for that bus was actually pretty interesting. I'd recommend it to others.
Around 2:30 or so , we tried to take the RER C to Versailles only to discover it wasn't possible. So we grabbed an Uber for 40 Euro and just drove there. We stayed at the Hôtel L'Angleterre (Hotel England) which is exactly between the train station and the Palace. Elise, Johnny, and I toured the palace since we had a 2-day pass. I'm okay if I never see that palace again, 3 times is enough for me.
It's actually kind of hard for me to see that place. All the opulence and extravagant living while at the exact same time my ancestors were struggling to make a living just a couple hours away by car is hard to look at. I can see so clearly why Napolean was able to get France behind his revolution. Say what you will about the guy, he definitely helped to separate church and state thus making family history so much easier for me.
As much as I don't like visiting the palace, I LOVE visiting the gardens and Marie Antoinette's hamlet. That is where I feel like I'm in old France and seeing things how they might have actually been. I stole a bean from the garden, which was strangely satisfying. Since that whole place was built on the backs of my ancestors and others, I feel like I should get at least one bean.
We got back to Paris around 3 or so and went to the Latin Quarter for a late lunch/early dinner. We ate at the restaurant next door to the one Bradford and I have eaten at twice. I texted Kristy to find out which crêperie was the missionaries favorite and found out we were 253 feet away from it. So after a full meal we splurged and got a crêpe too. We walked the Seine and went inside the Nôtre Dame. A mass was about to begin so the back portion was closed off. Someone was playing the organ and it seriously sounded like the music the Scooby Doo Gang would hear when they went inside a haunted mansion. So different from LDS worship services.
We grabbed our train back to Lille and crashed when we got home.
Sunday was incredible. Being back in the Villeneuve D'ascq ward is like being home. I absolutely love the people there. It makes me all the more motivated to learn French.
We got up early this morning to take the metro for one hour to get to an old train station at the very top of France (just a stone's throw from Belgium). We got in line to board the train to Disneyland only to discover I had bought train tickets for the wrong day. When I went to select my day, I forgot that in Europe the calendar week begins on Monday not Sunday like they do in the U.S. He said, "You need to come back tomorrow."
Of course I panicked, because I had bought Disneyland tickets as well, Thankfully, it is good from now until the end of September, so this mistake only cost me sleep and time.
On the way home, Elise and I decided to stop in Rihour for breakfast. It was 7:45 and I was afraid nothing would be open. We found a place called Pomme De Pain that had been open for 15 minutes. I ordered a pain au chocolat, fresh squeezed orange juice and a hot chocolate as a meal. I have never had such a fresh pain au chocolat in my life. I bit into it and steam rose up clouding my glasses. It was the flakiest I have ever eaten. Pomme De Pain for the win!
Today has been sort of a lazy day as we gear up for our second attempt to go to Disneyland. We shopped around Rihour, and I got some grocery shopping done. I'm pleased to say I didn't mess up to the point where I gummed up the line like I did three years ago, but I learned that you are not push your basket with you to check out. You are to leave it at the beginning and someone takes it away for you. But other than that, I did okay.
Elise wanted to load up on her stash to take back to Utah, so we rode the metro to St. Phillibert where my favorite Carrefour is. Now that I have a customer card, I think I'll go there the most. I had forgotten to get rhubarb jam (my favorite) and wanted more Tandoori sauce (I add milk to it and use it instead of spaghetti sauce) We then bought some Louise baguettes at my and Bradford's favorite Boulangerie. These seriously are the best baguettes I have had anywhere. I couldn't remember if I liked Camembert cheese or not, and decided to get some since it was only 2 Euro for a round. I got home and for lunch had a baguette, camembert and rhubarb jam. Yep, I like Camembert. I actually like it more than brie. It's way more mild.
Since I had woken up at 4:00 a.m. this morning, after lunch I took a short nap and then studied my French. I've got a lesson plan that is as follows:
1. Read the Book of Mormon in French (this is the hardest part so I do it first) add any new words I want to learn to my Anki flashcard system
2. Read a chapter of French Together by Benjamin Huoy. I paid $99 for 2 months of lesson and really like it so far. It's amazing how much I use what I learn from his lessons each day. He teaches conversational French, or how they really talk.
3. Learn new word on Memrise. This is pretty boring right now because it's teaching me words I already know, but it's a good review. No grammar yet.
4. Practice typing on a French keyboard. I can switch my keyboard to French and English. I have found a program on typingstudy.com that teaches me to type in French by touch. I also have a list of where to find the accent keys and punctuation since nothing is in the same place.
5. Study my Anki flashcards. This is a program that cycles through cards that you've created. It tests you and you give feedback on when you want to see that card again. It doesn't seem like it's doing anything, until I'm speaking in French, and then all of sudden the words come to me, so I'm going to keep at it.
6. Do something on DuoLingo. I am not really liking DuoLingo, but everyone once in a while I think of a word that I learned on here. They have a chat bot, where I pretend to text with a French person. This helps me to form sentences.
While I'm here in France, I get to practice speaking it every day. Today I told a cashier in French that I speak a little and study it every day. He said that he was only going to speak to me in French. He then corrected me on my pronunciation, which I really appreciate. I need all the help I can get.
Time to work on my novel, then go to bed early so we can try again to go to Disneyland.
À bientôt!
Wednesday we took them around Rihour (the old square) to see the shops. We also took them to the Carrefour in St. Phillibert and to our favorite boulangerie next door for a menu lunch. (Sandwich, drink and dessert)
Thursday the plan was to go to Bruge at 8:00 a.m. and be home by 6:30 p.m. We try to get on the bus, but Johnny had forgotten his passport. The bus driver waited for as long as he could, but we finally got off. Johnny arrived with his passport 5 minutes later. Thankfully we had Ouigo bus tickets which means A) they are cheap, and B) they are transferable. So we shifted the day and got on the bus at noon and got home around 10:00 p.m. Bruge was rainy but it was still a nice day. We did the canal tour and the horse and buggy tour. I think I'm okay if I never do those tours again.
We found a great Belgium waffle place that has a toppings bar with shaved chocolate. I'm okay if I never get another Belgium waffle anywhere but there again. :)
We grabbed the train to Ostend, except that we couldn't get the kiosk to accept our tickets. I wasn't too worried, since no one has ever checked tickets on that leg before. I figured I'd buy them from my phone during the ride, or get round trip tickets in Ostend. As soon as we got on the train, I decided to go to the bathroom.
While in the WC, a ticket lady came asking to see my family's tickets. They were able to say that I had them (which was sort of true.) the lady waited for me outside the WC and asked me for them when I got out. I told her they were on my phone. Which was sort of true.
I hurry to pull out my phone to buy the tickets only to discover that data is not working. I frantically try to get it to work, but no luck. She comes by again and I show her that I can't access my phone. Which was true. She said not to worry, I had plenty of time.
As soon as the train pulled into the station, I told the kids to jump off the train and run. We quickly got off the train and ran to the other platform to make it look like we were disembarking that one. I bee-lined it for the station and quickly bought round trip tickets to Ostend.
We rented segways (sp?) for the kids to run around the beach front for an hour. While we waited, Bradford needed to make a business call, so I paid the 12 Euro to see the Disney sand castles. It wasn't as good as the one in Blankenburg 3 years ago, but it had tons of couches, which I appreciated. Also cold drinks were only 2 Euro, which I also appreciated.
After we took back the segways we walked around a bit and I did something brave. I bought some escargots or snails. It was really more like snail soup. I have to admit that the flavor wasn't bad, but it was hard to get past the shape and texture. They pretty much looked like they were just missing their antennae and were super chewy. Afterwards my tummy felt kind of funny and I was wanting something normal to put in my belly.
We made it back to Bruge and walked around the water looking at the picturesque scenery. The bus came at 9:30 and got us back by 10:30 and we were home by 11:00 p.m.
That night Bradford got an email that due to weather he'd been given a waiver to delay his flight. Which he was able to do giving us 24 more hours with him.
The very next morning we got up early to take the bullet train to the airport since we already had tickets to go there, and then took the RER B to Paris Gare du Nord where Bradford dropped off his luggage in a locker. We bought the Big Bus tickets and toured Paris in the rain. The commentary for that bus was actually pretty interesting. I'd recommend it to others.
Around 2:30 or so , we tried to take the RER C to Versailles only to discover it wasn't possible. So we grabbed an Uber for 40 Euro and just drove there. We stayed at the Hôtel L'Angleterre (Hotel England) which is exactly between the train station and the Palace. Elise, Johnny, and I toured the palace since we had a 2-day pass. I'm okay if I never see that palace again, 3 times is enough for me.
It's actually kind of hard for me to see that place. All the opulence and extravagant living while at the exact same time my ancestors were struggling to make a living just a couple hours away by car is hard to look at. I can see so clearly why Napolean was able to get France behind his revolution. Say what you will about the guy, he definitely helped to separate church and state thus making family history so much easier for me.
As much as I don't like visiting the palace, I LOVE visiting the gardens and Marie Antoinette's hamlet. That is where I feel like I'm in old France and seeing things how they might have actually been. I stole a bean from the garden, which was strangely satisfying. Since that whole place was built on the backs of my ancestors and others, I feel like I should get at least one bean.
We got back to Paris around 3 or so and went to the Latin Quarter for a late lunch/early dinner. We ate at the restaurant next door to the one Bradford and I have eaten at twice. I texted Kristy to find out which crêperie was the missionaries favorite and found out we were 253 feet away from it. So after a full meal we splurged and got a crêpe too. We walked the Seine and went inside the Nôtre Dame. A mass was about to begin so the back portion was closed off. Someone was playing the organ and it seriously sounded like the music the Scooby Doo Gang would hear when they went inside a haunted mansion. So different from LDS worship services.
We grabbed our train back to Lille and crashed when we got home.
Sunday was incredible. Being back in the Villeneuve D'ascq ward is like being home. I absolutely love the people there. It makes me all the more motivated to learn French.
We got up early this morning to take the metro for one hour to get to an old train station at the very top of France (just a stone's throw from Belgium). We got in line to board the train to Disneyland only to discover I had bought train tickets for the wrong day. When I went to select my day, I forgot that in Europe the calendar week begins on Monday not Sunday like they do in the U.S. He said, "You need to come back tomorrow."
Of course I panicked, because I had bought Disneyland tickets as well, Thankfully, it is good from now until the end of September, so this mistake only cost me sleep and time.
On the way home, Elise and I decided to stop in Rihour for breakfast. It was 7:45 and I was afraid nothing would be open. We found a place called Pomme De Pain that had been open for 15 minutes. I ordered a pain au chocolat, fresh squeezed orange juice and a hot chocolate as a meal. I have never had such a fresh pain au chocolat in my life. I bit into it and steam rose up clouding my glasses. It was the flakiest I have ever eaten. Pomme De Pain for the win!
Today has been sort of a lazy day as we gear up for our second attempt to go to Disneyland. We shopped around Rihour, and I got some grocery shopping done. I'm pleased to say I didn't mess up to the point where I gummed up the line like I did three years ago, but I learned that you are not push your basket with you to check out. You are to leave it at the beginning and someone takes it away for you. But other than that, I did okay.
Elise wanted to load up on her stash to take back to Utah, so we rode the metro to St. Phillibert where my favorite Carrefour is. Now that I have a customer card, I think I'll go there the most. I had forgotten to get rhubarb jam (my favorite) and wanted more Tandoori sauce (I add milk to it and use it instead of spaghetti sauce) We then bought some Louise baguettes at my and Bradford's favorite Boulangerie. These seriously are the best baguettes I have had anywhere. I couldn't remember if I liked Camembert cheese or not, and decided to get some since it was only 2 Euro for a round. I got home and for lunch had a baguette, camembert and rhubarb jam. Yep, I like Camembert. I actually like it more than brie. It's way more mild.
Since I had woken up at 4:00 a.m. this morning, after lunch I took a short nap and then studied my French. I've got a lesson plan that is as follows:
1. Read the Book of Mormon in French (this is the hardest part so I do it first) add any new words I want to learn to my Anki flashcard system
2. Read a chapter of French Together by Benjamin Huoy. I paid $99 for 2 months of lesson and really like it so far. It's amazing how much I use what I learn from his lessons each day. He teaches conversational French, or how they really talk.
3. Learn new word on Memrise. This is pretty boring right now because it's teaching me words I already know, but it's a good review. No grammar yet.
4. Practice typing on a French keyboard. I can switch my keyboard to French and English. I have found a program on typingstudy.com that teaches me to type in French by touch. I also have a list of where to find the accent keys and punctuation since nothing is in the same place.
5. Study my Anki flashcards. This is a program that cycles through cards that you've created. It tests you and you give feedback on when you want to see that card again. It doesn't seem like it's doing anything, until I'm speaking in French, and then all of sudden the words come to me, so I'm going to keep at it.
6. Do something on DuoLingo. I am not really liking DuoLingo, but everyone once in a while I think of a word that I learned on here. They have a chat bot, where I pretend to text with a French person. This helps me to form sentences.
While I'm here in France, I get to practice speaking it every day. Today I told a cashier in French that I speak a little and study it every day. He said that he was only going to speak to me in French. He then corrected me on my pronunciation, which I really appreciate. I need all the help I can get.
Time to work on my novel, then go to bed early so we can try again to go to Disneyland.
À bientôt!
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