Spring Break 2018, Day 10: NYC and the medium-sized plane

April 8, Sunday

I was up, showered, and finishing my blog from the day before by the time Anneliese woke up.  We wanted bagels for brunch, so we went to Manhattan, to Kossar's again (lower east side).  There was a huge line and they ran out of Everything bagels before we got to order--very sad.  We got our bagels and tea/coffee and ate part of them outside, then someone left the little window counter/table inside and we went back in to warm up and finish.  I had a poppy seed bagel--it was very good.  Then we noticed that the everything bagel bins were filled again, and we were still a little hungry, so we each had another bagel!  (Turns out that was a bad decision, because we were uncomfortably full the rest of the day.)  But you gotta love New York bagels!

Then we went to a museum gift shop where I wanted to get a few gifts for family.  By then, we didn't really have time to go somewhere else to walk and we were really full, so we found a bench in a park to sit at and talk.  We eventually moved our conversation inside a Starbucks to warm up and find a bathroom.

Then back to Anneliese's apartment for me to pack and prepare for my 9:15 flight.  I had to leave around 6:15 to allow enough time to get to the airport on the Air Train and get through security.

A slightly blurry pic of Anneliese at the subway station on our way back to her apartment.

When I got to the subway station to head to the airport, the train I needed was just sitting there!  So I hopped on and was soon on my way to Howard Beach where I catch the Air Train.  I got there and the wait for the Air Train wasn't bad either.  Short line to check in to Sun Country, then to security.  The signs said 30 minutes, so I checked my watch to see if that was true.  We stood in one spot for a full 15 minutes, the line continuing to get longer.  I couldn't see anyone actually going through the security lines.  Then people appeared to open them up and we started moving.  There were many staff, telling people to keep moving and the line kept moving!  There was a dog sniffing, so we didn't have to take out anything from our bags and we got to keep our shoes on.  So the security went rather quickly (yes, about 30 minutes total) and I got to my gate at 8:00.  Boarding wasn't supposed to start until 8:15 and they always load first class and people with children and needing extra assistance first, so I knew I had awhile.  I was finally hungry again after the morning's bagels, so I went to the only food place I saw and ate McDonald's.  I saw someone else filling up their water bottle with water at the drink fountain and followed suit (the water tasted very good--probably filtered).  Then I went to my gate--8:20 and no sign of a plane.  It said that we were leaving at 9:00, but that didn't seem likely without a plane.

Finally around 9:00, the plane arrived and we started boarding.  I was in row 5, seat D so I was near the end to board.   I hoped that the airplane had three seats on each side so that I was on the aisle.  I ended up having the whole row to myself!   Seats D, E and F!  The reason the plane was so late was because it had been delayed in Minneapolis from poor visibility due to snow.  :(  Well, we sat there a long time, rolled on to the tarmac, waited a long time.  Then to another spot, and waited some more.  We finally left around 10:00, eastern.   As soon as the seat belt sign went off, I laid down and fell soundly asleep with my sweatshirt for my pillow.  I woke up just before the  captain announced that this was the time to use the bathroom or get up to stretch, so I used the bathroom before the seat belt sign went back on.  I read until we landed at just after midnight, central time.  Pulled out my bags, walked out and texted Randy.  My text didn't go through, so I called and he came to pick me up. Arrived home to hug Joshua and give them gifts.  Then, of course, I was still hyped up and rested from my nap, so I was up talking to Joshua and Randy and putting things away until about 2:00.  Then I went to bed and set my alarm to wake up at 6:15.  (Ugh)

It is always the same near the end, or at the end, of traveling, that you are filled with a mixture of looking forward to being in your familiar home with your things and comforts, but knowing that you will miss the freedom of your trip to create your own timetable and itinerary each day.  I was filled with that feeling this entire day.  As I drifted off, I was glad to be home, but missed the thought of sleeping in the next day without having an alarm and deciding how to best spend my day.  I would miss talking to my daughter.  She was wonderful to give up two of her weekends to spend time with me.  Ah well, back to work tomorrow.  I will continue my blog in June when we go to Romania.        

Spring Break 2018, Day 9: NYC

April 7, Saturday

Today I woke up in Anneliese's bed and after breakfast, we set out for another area of Brooklyn to get discount tickets for a Broadway production, which is one thing I haven't ever done.  The discount tickets they had available were still pretty expensive (even with 40% off), but we picked one of the lowest--for Chicago.

Then Anneliese treated me to pie near the apartment she lived in last summer.  The shop is called Four and Twenty Blackbirds.  I had chocolate chess pie--pretty good. Then we needed to go back to her apartment for her to do homework and for me to finish Friday's blog post!

Anneliese at the pie shop

We stopped early enough to dress "nicely."  As nicely as you can on a tourist's wardrobe.  A black knit skirt with leggings and sandals was as good as it got!   We went to Times Square and were hungry so we stopped at a falafel cart and Anneliese got a falafel and I got a hot dog (seems like a New York thing to do!).

The show was good.  We kept comparing it to the movie, which was a problem.  But it was fun--and different from the movie.  Some fun effects and great voices.  And it was fun being in Times Square on a Saturday night--a LOT of people and a lot of energy!  After the show, we were both still hungry, so Anneliese suggested Cozy Cafe in the Village (we were there together 2 years ago and I liked it).  So we went there and decided to share an appetizer platter--yum!  The food was great and the dipping sauces were delicious!  It was the perfect amount of food for both of us and we could go back to her apartment.  A lot of subway rides today!

Back and soon to bed.

Spring Break 2018; Day 8: Paris and the Big Airplane

April 6, Friday

I was up and ready,  then had to pack.  I finished the last of my muesli and the last of my milk (worked out perfectly!).   Antoine needed me done packing and out of my space by 2:00 so that he could clean for the next person who was coming at 3:00.  My flight wasn't leaving until 6:15, but I didn't have any specific plans besides packing and leaving for the airport on time (around 2:30).  Antoine asked me this morning what my plans were and when I shrugged he guessed that I was going to hang out until I had to leave.  I finished packing and it was only 11:30.  I didn't want to spend the next three hours sitting on the couch reading.  I was in Paris!!  But where?

I picked up a guide book and leafed through and the Luxembourg Gardens popped into my head, so I looked it up online, then looked up how to get there.  I wrote a note to Antoine that I had gone out after all and would be back by 2:30.  It was only about an hour walk, so I headed out.

Another of those weird mosaics

The back of the Louvre

A small garden

Note the new metal roofing on the new building to match the roofing on the old

Small garden in front of a church

Bridge crossing the Seine

The tip of the Ile de la Cité--a popular spot for picnics

A small church I passed by

Accordian player on the Pont des Arts

The Seine

Google Maps took me through a few very quiet neighborhoods, very nice.  And this day was the awesome fantastic day that makes people want to go to Paris!  Warm (almost 70) and sunny!  What a great day for walking!  Google took me to a building surrounding part of the gardens which you cannot go through without security clearance.  So, I went a few blocks down and found an entrance to the gardens.  I 've walked through slightly different areas of the gardens before, but this was a new area.  It seemed that all of Paris was sitting at the gardens, enjoying the beautiful day!  I found an enclosed garden with benches and found one bench open.  I sat there for awhile and enjoyed the sunshine.  Kind of wished that I had brought my book, but I people watched instead.  Some super cute little boys were playing and were fun to watch.  I sat there for awhile.  I figured that I was going to walk another hour to get back and then have to make my way to the airport with my luggage, so I didn't want to wear myself out walking around.  Sitting and soaking up sunshine was a nice way to spend my last afternoon in Paris.

Jardin de Luxembourg

People playing chess

tulips!

Museum

The two outer boxes seem to be sandboxes.  The one in the middle seems
to have originally been a wading pool and was changed into a sandbox.

Eventually, I walked back, arrived just before 2:30 and gave Antoine my keys.

Interesting combination of rooflines

Classic postcard of Paris

Another accordian player (and my finger!)

The sides of the bridge are covered with plexiglas so people can't put locks on them.
They put them instead on a lightpole

A street full of electric car chargers.

Then off the airport. Taking the metro is a great way to be among actual Parisians and very few tourists.  I took the metro to the RER.  The RER is more of a regional train.  The metro pass I bought was good for zones 1-3 (I knew that I wouldn't really need to go out of those zones to see things.  The airport, however, is zone 5.  So I could use my pass  to get into the RER area, but I didn't want to buy a separate ticket to the airport when I had my pass to go most of the way.  And I didn't think that I could but a separate ticket for the last part of the journey.  I suppose that I could have gotten off the train at the edge of zone 3 and bought a ticket to go the rest of the way, but I just stayed on until I reached  the airport.  Google Maps suggested getting out before the airport and taking a bus, but I couldn't see a reason for doing that, so I stayed on all the way to the Terminals 1 and 3 stop (Terminal 2 was the end of the line).  I needed Terminal 1.  You needed to scan your metro pass again to get out and, of course, mine didn't work.  I tried it a few times and stepped back.  An RER employee came over and said, "I help" and scanned her card for me to go through!  So helpful and I saved the extra money and time that getting another ticket would have entailed.  So I had to navigate the terminals to find Terminal 1 boarding and got in line for Norwegian Air.  The line wasn't too long.  I got there, gave him my passport and put my big bag on the belt.  It was 10.2 kg.  Norwegian Air sells very cheap flights, but then charge you for everything.  Any bags you bring on the plane (up to 2) need to be less than 10 kg, weighed together.  My big bag is more than that alone, which is why I paid for it to be checked both ways when I flew to Paris.  The man at the desk said that my ticket did not include a checked bag, so I showed him the picture the woman at JFK had taken with my phone of her screen that showed that I had purchased it (thank goodness she did that).  So I was good to go.  Found the cluster of gates mine was in, went through security, and found my gate.  I knew that Norwegian wouldn't feed me or give me any drinks without paying a huge fee.  They don't even provide blankets, pillows, or earbuds. You can purchase each of those things.  I needed food, but the only food in our cluster of gates had some dubious looking sandwiches and a few pastries.  So I filled my water bottle and sat at the gate to eat the rest of my trail mix.

When it was time to board, people were clustered around the gate and in a long line, so I (and a handful of other travelers) waited until the line was much shorter.  My backpack was going under the seat in front of me, so I didn't need to worry about overhead bins or anything and knew that they weren't leaving without me.  I joined the line to board when it was very short and found my seat right in between 2 people.  They were both very nice and we tried to help each other out with the limited accommodations.  They had pre-ordered food.  I just ate my almonds and watched movies.  I saw three movies:  The Shape of Water, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, and Goodbye Christopher Robin.  Then I noticed that we were going to land two hours early.  I was very excited about that!  I tried to sleep in the last hour before we landed, but wasn't able to so I read my book and played a trivia game on the screen in front of me.  It was surprising to land early since we had left about 45 minutes late.  Oh well--glad to be back.

I got my bag and put on my sweatshirt, jacket, and scarf to head for the airport train to the subway.  I got to Anneliese's stop and walked to her apartment.  I was very tired and very hungry.  She made pasta for us (she hadn't eaten either) and we talked for awhile.  None of her roommates were home.  We were both super tired, so we went to bed early (around 1:30).  One roommate came home as were were getting ready for bed.  Anneliese gave me her bed and she slept on the couch which was nice.  A little more privacy for her, and her roommates wouldn't feel uncomfortable coming into the common room with a strange woman asleep on the couch.    

Spring Break 2018, Day 7: Paris

Wow--I've had such a busy last day in Paris!  This morning seems so long ago!  I slept in a little, but not too long.  My camera lens still does not work.  :(  No rain in sight for today, but temps only in the 40s.  (Brrrr).  I decided on a sweatshirt, jacket tied around my waist, and scarf in my bag.  Parisians everywhere wear scarves--it's kind of crazy.  I only brought one--never travel without a scarf.  By the end of the day, I had all of them (and my little knit gloves) on.  I brought a winter hat, but didn't want to go completely crazy--I'll probably need it in New York tomorrow though.   I wound the scarf around my neck as I began to walk--chilly today!

Place de Bastille

I keep seeing these creature mosaics!  

These toilets make trying to find one in Paris so much easier!  They are free.  They have
a green light when you can press the button and enter, a yellow light when it is being used, and
a blue light while it is being washed.  It cleans  the whole thing which is why the seat is sometimes wet!
I remember seeing these introduced around 10 years ago, but they charged for them.  And
now they are in many areas.

First, I had read in a review of another place about the Promenade des Plantes.  What they really meant was what popped up when I googled it:  coolée verte  René Dumonte.  If you've ever walked the High Line park in Manhattan, you know what this is like, except twice as long!  They created a park--walking path, benches, and plantings along an old elevated rail line through the city, so that you are at about the third floor of most buildings.  It is 3 miles long.  I had been intending to go to the Bois de Boulogne--a large public park.  Well, the coolée verte  René Dumonte ends nearly at Bois de Vincennes, so it made more sense to go there.  I walked to the coolée and along it to the Bois de Vincennes.   I love that this apartment is so central (2nd arrondisement) that I can walk to most things!

From Wikipedia:  The Bois de Vincennes has a total area of 995 hectares (2,459 acres), making it slightly larger than the Bois de Boulogne, (846 hectares/2,091 acres), the other great Parisian landscape park located at the western side of the city. It occupies ten percent of the total area of Paris, and is almost as large as the first six arrondissements in the center of the city combined. The Bois de Vincennes is about three times larger than Central Park in New York City (341 hectares/843 acres).  

It reportedly has an English landscape garden with four lakes; a zoo; an arboretum; a botanical garden; a hippodrome or horse-racing track; a velodrome for bicycle races; and the campus of the French national institute of sports and physical education.  I only saw one lake and lots of trees.  I walked around a lot to the sound of singing birds, cooing pigeons, quacking ducks, and honking geese (lots of geese); very different than where I have been for the past 6 days!  The park is more wild than Central Park, dirt paths and not a long of maintenance.  It was very clean, though.  And there were a lot of people there for a weekday afternoon.  It is on the far Eastern edge of Paris. 

I really loved the coolée verte René Dumonte.  It was full of spring flowering flowers, trees, and bushes!  Many of the same plants at home, but in Minnesota they're still covered in a foot of snow!  It ended before reaching the Bois de Vincennes, so I meandered my way through small city streets to get there.  Lots of pictures of this!

Another one of those mosaics, though this one appears to be a raccoon.

After walking around the Bois de Vincennes, I decided that since it was my last day, i wanted to go to Musee de l'Orangerie and walk around the Tuileries.  So, I pulled out my trusty metro pass and zoomed across the city (so that I could get to the museum before it closed).  On the walk to the Metro stop, I stopped to pick up a patisserie--a flaky pastry filled with pieces of chocolate.  I thought it would be a perfect snack to eat in the Tuileries after the museum.

Cool building on the way to the metro

Old building right next to a very modern building

Place de le Concorde

Place de le Concorde

Again, like yesterday, I went from a non-touristy area and walked off the metro into a very touristy area!  I went to the Musée de l'Orangerie.  This is the one thing that I am repeating, because I love Monet.  The museum was originally an orangerie (in the 1850s) sheltering the orange trees that lined the gardens of the Tuileries Palace.  It was used for many different purposes over the year and in the 1920s was chosen as the place to house Monet's Water Lilies paintings.  The paintings were donated by Monet to France, after the first world war, to offer Parisians "a haven of peace, inviting them to contemplate an image of nature evoking infinity" (that's from the museum guide).  Monet helped to design the rooms for his paintings which I think is awesome.  There are two elliptical rooms with the paintings surrounding you.  The eight panels "evoke the passing of the hours from sunrise in the east to sunset in the west."  From the early 90s to 2006, they have added galleries and fixed the lighting in the Monet roooms.  The galleries house a collection from Jean Walter and Paul Guillaume.  They are incredible, including photos by Cézanne, Matisse, Picasso, Modigliani, Derain, Laurencin, Renoir, Rousseay, Guillaume, and Utrillo (remember him from yesterday?).  Absolutely great.  I don't really care for the bowls of fruit and vases of flowers, but the others are very interesting.  All of Utrillo's work is of Montmartre and many of these artists were part of the group that hung out in Montmartre at the cabarets and created art together and learned from each other.

Monet

Renoir

They had models of each time the building was altered.  This shows the two elliptical rooms that Monet
designed for his paintings.  A guard saw me looking at them and gave me a great history of the building
and the impressionist painters and their paintings.  I only wish that I understood more of it!  (He
had a very heavy accent and mixed up French and English)

Renoir

Laurencin

Maurice Utrillo

The museum

After that, I walked in the Tuileries and found a nice spot for my pastry.  Very yummy.  I spread the crumbs on the ground for a bird that came over to me with an inquiring look. By this time I had added my jacket and gloves.

Across  the Seine

The Eiffel Tower in the distance

A closer view

Tuilieries

My bird friend

a small garden in the Tuileries--raspberry canes in the back!

You can see the Louvre in the distance

Musée d'Orsay across the Seine

I walked the Tuileries some more and ended up at the Louvre.  I'm reading a book right now in which the characters go to see the King at the Louvre Palace.  I sat on a bench, looking at the immense former palace, imagining that as a palace and trying to figure out which parts were the later additions to the original.  Some were easy--different style, different materials, different roof line, but the earlier additions were harder to discern.

The Louvre

Just part of one wing

Another part of the wing

The center section

Another wing

Part of another wing

After that, I walked back toward the apartment, stopping at a café for dinner.  I had Soupe de l'oignon, or French Onion Soup.  Yum!!  I've always loved the soup--with the cheese and bread in the soup.  I also received a basket of bread!  

I arrived back around 8:00, before sunset, but I decided to stay in.  Most of my interactions today were in French!  It's getting easier.  I need to pack tomorrow by 2:00 so that Antoine had time to clean before the next guest at 3:00.  I'm not sure if I'll have time to go anywhere since I'll probably need to leave around 2:30 for the airport, using the metro and either bus or RER (regional train).  I'll see what Google Maps recommends.  It only says 45-60 minutes, but it took much longer coming into the city than that.  I'll play tomorrow by ear.  I hate to waste the whole day packing and getting to the airport, but I don't want to go too far and have trouble getting back to get my bags and still get to the airport on time.