Back into Germany

Well, I’m writing this entry as we head out of France right now at over 300 km/h on the ICE train. Today is just a travel day, and there isn’t much to talk about other than how the morning went, and maybe some impressions of our visit to Paris…

Getting out of Paris was interesting. Instead of getting on the bus to Gard l’Est we took Metro underground. I would invite you to experience getting large, heavy suitcases down the stairs to the Metro, through the turnstalls (that was fun!) and on to a very crowded subway. You know, as bad as it sounds, I think it went fairly smooth. We arrived without incident to the station where we boarded the train that I’m on now. Hopefully in about 4.5 hours, we’ll be in München barring any train incidents like we had the first time!

So… what did we think about Paris?

I’ll go first:

I liked it. I was impressed with all the cool things there are to do. I’ve never been to city like this that has such a rich history that spans hundreds of years. The city itself is pretty diverse, and I think that fact makes it even more interesting… a true melting pot. The architecture is intriguing to me, since I’m not used to ornately designed buildings that are very old next to sleek, modern and cutting edge “green” design.


Really, the only complaints that I have looking back are about the smoking – it was everywhere, couldn’t enjoy an outdoor meal without it – and the water – it didn’t taste bad but just weird… it had minerals in it that made the water “non-gulpable,” not to mention it always seemed to be lukewarm.


I’ve blabbed enough. Time to hear some other perspectives:


Jeff’s turn: Yes, in case you’re wondering if I’m actually on this trip, I finally have a moment to write! It is much easier to do this on the while riding on a quiet train. I’m actually sad to leave Paris. Coordinating 6 people is a bit like herding cats in a city of poodles. But, so far nobody has gotten lost, or arrested. My impressions? Parisians live mostly in small flats, so they love to get out and live their lives in cafes and parks. And boy, do they stay up late! Last night we were on the Metro near midnight and it was standing room only. But, early in the morning the streets and sidewalks are eerily quiet. It will be interesting to compare this to Munich. I’ll check in later.


EDIT: We arrived safely at our hotel in München at about 22:00 local time. I don’t have any pictures for you today, but I did take a video from my seat of the ICE train.