On the Road

Hello everyone,
Mike and I are sending you this update from beautiful little Brugge. Funny, Dad, that you would mention Stillwater as being like Brugge, because we were actually discussing that today. There are an insane amount of shops here that can't really sell all that much (i.e. antiques and the biggest thing in town, lace), lots of restaurants and touristy shops, just like Stillwater. However, Stillwater doesn't have a swan pond. Mike and I amused ourselves there for quite a while this evening, watching the ducks try to eat the leftovers dropped out of the swans' mouths. I actually saw a duck fight, which was pretty awesome. The two mallards puffed out their chests and got in each others faces, and eventually one backed down.
As you can see, we've been taking it easy. We are both relieved to be in a hotel (family run) while we're here. We camped in Amsterdam, which was an experience in itself. The campsite had, among other things, goats and chickens. Not to mention cold weather and hard ground. But we had a good time, and loved seeing our Mac friends in the city. We actually took a free walking tour one day that lasted 3 hours and learned a ton about the city. So now when I show you my pictures, I might actually know what they're of.
Tomorrow we're going to go see some windmills, do laundry and get some more beer (tonight we had some local stuff which was pretty good). Then it's back to Brussels for a short time, before we embark on our extremely long train ride to Milan. Hopefully we won't run out of things to read for the train. I think we leave at 6:30am on Friday and arrive at 9:30pm that evening. Should be an experience. But at least we know that Milan has good pizza and gelatto.
Well, that's it for now. Hope you're all doing well, and if we get internet access again we'll try to post something. Sorry for the lack of pictures, but the downloading here is too slow. See you all very soon, and hopefully you won't all be horribly shocked by the hundreds of pounds that Mike and I have gained from eating frites (french fries) from street vendors (Just kidding, we're trying to eat at least somewhat healthy while on the road).
Love,
Liza

some last photos before we fall off the face of the earth

Hey Everyone,

This time it's Liza, not Mike, although his post seemed to be fairly popular. Right now I'm sitting on the couch in the apartment we've rented, trying to find train tickets from Brussels to Bruges, because everyone is insisting that we have to go there. It is, after all, the Venice of the North. I have to actually go drop off my other huge suitcase at my foyer now, so I can't really write much, but here are some pictures from the last couple of days.


Here's shakespeare and company, the really cool english bookstore that let's people stay over in it...I think that Lars' friend did that when she was in Paris.
Mike in the metro...


This was taken in the catacombes, and the door says "stop, here starts the empire of the dead." happy, huh?
This is the courtyard in from of the Pompidou center, I thought it was a cool view of all the people hanging out. Mike and I got gelato at a shop along here.
Mike is really happy about these crazy striped pillars in the Palais Royal courtyard. See, fun.
This is a Rhino-sort-of-look-alike that I saw at the Louvre and had to get a picture.

Night time picnic on the Seine with my friends Caitlin and Addie. So sad to have to say goodbye!
And here's a little park by the canal where Mike and I sat this morning. They have some really great houseboats in the canal. And though it was raining, the canopy of trees kept us totally dry.

Ok, so I'm off to deliver a really heavy suitcase to lucky Anna, who gets to keep both of my cases for 10 days. So fun for her. And Mike has just informed me that he will be taking his laptop traveling, so we will perhaps be able to post once more before we arrive back in the states. Well that is it for now. See you all very soon! I'll say goodbye to Paris for you,
Liza

Some form of update...

This is Mike, taking over Liza's blog for a bit while she works on her memoir for her program. Rather than start a new blog, I've decided to just post on here.

The plane ride over wasn't too shabby. I thought I would have been more stressed than I was, but maybe getting over to see Liza helped out a bit too (I hate flying, for those unaware). My fellow passenger on the way to Philadelphia was the silent type, not that I was eager to start up a conversation. My seat-mate on the way over the Atlantic was a true-blue Parisian who had just been to Boston visiting her boyfriend who works at some restaurant. We didn't chat all that much, but we did talk about the States a bit and (the little I knew) about Paris.

It was pretty cool to finally get a stamp in my Passport. The formality of proving that I had indeed stepped foot out of the country, let alone the continent, was pretty slick. Finally seeing Liza after a semester, of course, trumped all.

But, because my Mom has been asking for pictures of me "having fun" I'll post what I've got! My camera has been taking snapshots of mostly architecture. Liza had some more people-focused shots.

I'm not sure about the chronology of all of these, so I'll just throw them down, and Liza can correct if need be:

Our friend Diana (who arrived on the same day as I did) was also in town and so the two of us hung out while Liza was busy being an intern. Here's a flattering picture of us at lunch in the Luxembourg Gardens with Liza:


It was nice to have Diana around, on account of her cheery comapny and ability to speak French. The lady at Liza's foyer was pretty keen on holding onto my ID, and so it was nice to have a translator around while Liza was at work. Among our "Liza's at work" activities was going to the Eiffel Tower.

In my opinion, the Eiffel Tower is much better looked at from the ground. Diana and I walked up to the second level (why drop more Euros to ride elevators- have you checked the exchange rate?!) The view is pretty spectacular, but I wasn't completely blown away. Not for the amount of money I paid to walk up stairs. I guess you've got to pay for the paint on the tower somehow. There were a bunch of kids with euro-mullets spitting off the observation deck, plus tourists. That ought to give everyone enough imagery.

We attempted to also go to the Musee Dorsay (pardon my lack of accents on French words). Unfortunately there was a strike, and the museum was closed for the free night. Bummer. While waiting for Liza to arrive after a IFE arranged learning experience, Diana and I watched some American kids skateboarding on Museum property.
Liza showed up and snapped this photo. See- fun!

So to be perfectly honest, blogging is sort of a time consuming process, and it is getting late. I also don't want to steal all of Liza's fire, so I'll depart with this:
Which proves that indeed I Liza and I have re-united! I'll also plug my web-album of snapshots I've taken (of architecture mostly- you can click the link).

Finally, for my father, here's what the Champs-Elysees looks like (as close to rider's eye view as I can get- the middle of a crosswalk) as you go towards the Arc du Triomphe. On one of Liza's workdays I took a stroll past all the shops and restaurants. When the Tour de France isn't going on it's packed with cars and motorbikes:

That's it folks, I'm checking out for the time being. Maybe if you comment enough Liza will re-commandeer her blog and give you some more stuff to read about!

-Mike

Spring has Sprung!

So I am sorry for not writing sooner. I had every intention of doing so, especially after Linnea pointed out my slacking off. But the problem is that every time that I go on the internet, I get really distracted and then spend lots of time chatting and things and end of wasting too much time when I should be writing my paper. So, I've been trying not to go on the internet too much, and that is why the blog hasn't been updated.
It's really beautiful here, just to rub it in for all you Minnesota folks who are still getting snow. It's been kinda hot in my little room, so I've been trying to work in libraries or parks around Paris. Last weekend it was a 4-day weekend because of May Day, and this weekend is a 5-day weekend because of May 8 being the end of WWII in Europe and because today is Pentecost. Unfortunately, because I have this paper to write, I can't fully take advantage of these long weekends, but I've been trying to make up for it by working with friends out in the sunshine.
No really exciting news, as you can tell, but I did take some pictures so that will make this post a little less boring at least.

This is my bus stop going home from work. The boulangerie (bakery, it's the red shop) is always really crowded at that time with everyone buying baguettes to take home for dinner.

This is just some street art in Belleville that I liked. This guy is actually commissioned by different businesses and the district to do his art in the Belleville neighborhood (if you want to look up where it is, it's in the north of Paris, in the 20th arrondissement). His work always has that guy, chasing the red umbrella. It's cool, because when he started, a decade or so ago, the guy was a little boy, and as time has passed, he's grown up. So his oldest murals have a boy, and the newest ones have a grown up.

This is a member of a DJ group that I saw at this club called the Fleche d'Or (Golden Arrow). They wore boxes on their heads and played music that sounded like it was from a game boy game. Very strange.

Camille and I at the Fleche d'Or, playing with settings on my camera to see how to take good pictures in the dark. We obviously didn't figure it out.

Mom, here is the Institut du Monde Arabe (the Institute of the Arab World) that you've been hearing about. It's right on the Seine and has a really lovely view. I haven't been to the museum yet, but they have a really nice library that I've done work in a few times.

Last week, the place where I work had a bunch of seminars for a group of Indonesian masters and PhD students that study Islam in the Netherlands. It was held over at Trocadero, which is right by the Eiffel Tower. This picture was taken right when I got off the metro. You can imagine that I was stunned by the view, having never seen the Eiffel Tower from this vantage point before. It's really incredible. It just opens up and you have this amazing panorama stretching out in front of you.

This is Parc Montsouris, which is just a few tram stops away from my foyer. I go there to do my homework, but as you can see, I'm not the only one. When it is nice out, Parisians come out in droves, get in their bathing suits and sprawl over every spare inch of grass in every park. It's a little overwhelming, but really good people watching. Too bad I have to write a paper.

So there are just a few glimpses into Paris life in the warm weather. I think my last post had a picture of snow, but we are way past that now. I will try to write again a couple of times before I leave, but who knows. Mike and Diana show up on Wednesday (very excited) and then Mike and I leave to go traveling on the 25th. So I just need to pack and finish my paper, plus enjoy Paris, before then, no biggie, right?
Hope it warms up for everyone in Minnesota, because I'm going to be there soon! Miss you all and can't wait to see everyone in less than a month!
Liza

When it snowed in Paris, and other events

Yes, this is what Hannah woke up to on her first morning in Paris. I'm sure that all the men in the migrant worker foyer thought that I had never seen snow before, the way I was taking pictures. Au contraire...

More snow, on the cars, although not enough to need a scraper.And then for more crazy events that same day, the Olympic Torch passed through Paris and right under my window at work. Of course me and my co-workers couldn't get anything done all afternoon, as we were too busy trying to see the torch. But, by the time that the parade got to us, they had already been so harassed that the torch was inside of a bus somewhere, as were all the honored athletes who were supposed to march.

You can see all of the police walking up and down the sidewalk. To me, the whole thing seemed like one big police parade, because most of the vehicles that passed were police ones, as well as officers on roller blades, on bikes, on motorcycles, and on foot...

This is the view from right outside my office window where I could see these two guys climb up to the roof with a banner of some sort and then lie flat on their stomachs so as to not be seen by the police......but they were of course spotted, what with there being a million to one ratio of police to onlookers/protesters. This officer promptly started climbing the roof but had a lot of trouble.My co-workers and I were highly amused...

...but the police took it all very seriously and when they did finally make it to the roof, a chase ensued, in which one of the protesters actually repelled half way down the building and then hung on to windows as he climbed around the side, trying to avoid being caught. It didn't work, and the banner got confiscated, as you can see. I don't even know what it said.

Here are the protesters, after being caught by the police. They were held here, right under my window, for at least an hour, while a crowd gathered in the courtyard to defend their right to protest. All in all, very exciting!The whole Olympic Torch thing happened while Hannah was visiting me. Poor girl, she came during the week, and so she had to be a good sport and explore on her own all day long while I was at my internship. She soon came to the realization that Paris is really not that big (shocking, I know). You can walk almost anywhere in the city in not too much time. Which she did, and then came home and wondered why her legs were so tired. She also made me dinner in the evenings, putting up with my gross kitchen, calling herself my housewife.

This is the Grand Mosque of Paris, built in the 1920s and really beautiful. Allegra, Daniel, Hannah and I went there for tea (you were right Eleni, there is a tearoom in a mosque in Paris, sorry we didn't find it when you were here!).

Having tea...the room was so beautiful. Next nice weekend day, I have vowed to go there to do homework, because they have an outdoor courtyard, with these low hanging trees, and it's really wonderful.

This is Hannah in front of the amazing view from the top of the Belleville park. What an incredible sky. We just sat and took it in for a while, while we let our stomachs digest the Algerian food we had just eaten.

more view of Paris (with what I like to call a "Simba sky" - those of you familiar with The Lion King might know what I am referring to)

I had to take a picture of this, because, even though we didn't eat here, it is named for me.

Then the Defiels came to visit...and also walked everywhere (I think they took the metro twice while they were here!). This is the group under the Eiffel Tower (funny, that is the name of this blog) just after they had been hounded for their food by what Jodi called a cult, and what most people refer to as gypsies. They ask you if you speak English, then hand you a piece of paper telling their life story and why you should give them money. Only apparently the two that the Defiels met chased them, and were demanding their grocery bags of picnic food.

A very tiny Liza and Abbie under a very huge Eiffel Tower

Yes, I did buy green pants. And you are allowed to be critical.

It had been the most beautiful day out, until we wanted to sit and picnic. Then it got windy and cold and started to rain. So we had to find shelter under this tree, where we stood since the ground was wet. Well, Olivia, Will's friend did sit, and this picture shows her inquiring whether of not she got bird poop on her butt. She did.

Jodi, not finding Paris to be that fun.

But then, when we'd finished eating, the sun came back out and it was nice for the rest of the day. Will was even nice enough to give both Olivia and Abbie piggy-back rides because, after walking all day (they didn't use the metro until 10pm!) their feet were killing them. Aren't they so cute!?!

Well, that's it for visitors in Paris, but here are some pictures of where I work now.

This is the courtyard that luckily happens to be just under the window in the office where I work. So spring-like!

more garden in the courtyard

And here is the view as you first walk in the gate to the courtyard. If you go through the arch, you come to a stairway that leads up to IISMM, where I'm an intern. You can just see the bottom of my window in the tope right-hand corner of this picture.

Well, that's it for now, folks. Not too much exciting going on this week, because the institute, being part of the national education system, is on holiday like all the students in Paris. So instead of going to work, I go to my program's office and try to work on my memoire (so hard to get started). I have a "soutenance" or defense of my thesis and my outline on Monday, so I have to get prepared for that. I'm a little nervous, but it's good motivation to really get going on the paper. So wish me luck, and I'll write again soon,
Liza

Just a note...

I just posted a bunch of pictures but for some reason blogger.com is not working very well, and so it dated the post April 1. So there is a new post, it just looks like it's not new. So you have to scroll down a little to find it.

Olympic Torch

Well, in case anyone is wondering, yes, I did see the protests against the Olympics today, because the whole parade passed right by my window. I didn't get to see the actual torch though, becaus apparently by the time it got to where I was, people had already put it out 3 times and they had moved it into a bus for safety. So all I got to see were a ton of police vans and buses, a few cars full of politicians, and protestors. There were actually 2 guys who got up on the roof of my building to hang a sign in protest, but then were chased all around by the police. Very exciting, because it all took place right outside my window. Me and a few of my coworkers were highly entertained. I did get some photos of the whole debacle (how often do you see police on teh roof wnd a parade of what should have been the Olympic torch?). I will upload them soon, I promise. I have to go and take advantage of the fact that it has stopped hailing. Oh yes, it snowed here last night, and there were still remnants of it on the ground when I went to work this morning. I guess I may have jumped the gun on thinkin gthat spring was here.
Happy Monday,
Liza