Vacance Mere/Fille Day 4 (Sept 13th ) - Chartres, Chambord, Tours

Sept 13th we were up early and on the bus at 7:45. We went to Chartres first to see the Cathedral Notre-Dame de Chartres. Seeing a pattern yet? Yep, most of the cathedral are called "Notre Dame" -- meaning, they are dedicated to Our Lady.

Chartres is famous for being the first Gothic Cathedrals, having both Romanesque and Gothic characteristics. Romanesque churches were short and wide, while Gothics were the opposite. Gothics were also more ornament and taller, since new designs of these buildings (flying buttresses and the like) could keep the building weight distributed better. 

I am so glad Mom dragged me to Amiens to see their cathedral for comparison...and (besides the stained glass) Amiens is much prettier. Chartres stain glass, however, is still there and beautiful. 

Notice that the spires (towers) look totally different. The one on the right is Romanesque and the one on the left is Gothic.

You should also notice throughout my pictures that it is much darker in Chartres cathedral than Amiens because it is not as tall (Gothic) and open.

But the stained glass is gorgeous:

 

Chartres is also known for having a relic piece of the Virgin Mary's tunic/cloak:

 

All around the back of the alter is statues. This one is when Jesus was taken down from the cross:

Zoomed in on some stained glass:

The national school to learn to make stained glass is actually the building right beside the cathedral.

Next we headed to Chambord, where King Francis the 1st made a castle for himself. This castle wasn't for defense, but more like his hunting lodge. He brought Leonardo de Vinci with him from Italy to help him design some features and to let him paint. Leonardo spent the last four years of his life in France. We get to go see his grave today (Sept 14th).

Some pics around Chambord Castle:

 Mom & I decided not to spend the money to go on the inside. It has a double helix staircase to the top and we just went up hundreds of steps to Sacre-Coeur the day before. Plus we just wanted to relax and have lunch. 

Chambord is in the Loire Valley of France. They are known for their fruit. So, even though the strawberries were 4 euros a box, "When in Rome..."

And they were ABSOLUTELY delicious. No way were they Florida strawberries. I also got to try a Croque Monsieur  for the first time (a grilled ham and cheese sandwich) and Mom had a Baggette Chaude. 

Then we went to a place where they make wine. And I was tired and the smell of alcohol was overwhelming and it was just too much for me. And my social battery was wearing out. I couldn't turn my head without getting dizzy.

Afterwards, back to the hotel for a short hour rest and off to dinner at an Italian restaurant (French style). The cod was SO good. (We on the tour got to choose either lamb or cod.) 

Then we got back to the hotel and I quickly posted a blog.

Wow, I think I've caught up! I'll try to post about today's excursions tonight.

A plus tard!

Vacance Mere/Fille: Day 3 = Paris

 Y'all don't know how lucky you are to be getting a post from me tonight. I have been exhausted most of the day, but it really hit me around 5 o'clock. Now that I've eaten dinner and had a shower, though, I have a bit of adrenaline to post a brief summary of yesterday...and it's going to have to be brief again. Disappointing even for me...I want to be able to reread this blog later too.

Okay, so we had a free day yesterday in Paris before our official tour started at 6pm with the tour guide and other tourists. We got up early and left the hotel after breakfast to go find Metro 4 to take us to Sacre-Coeur Basillica in Monmartre (Sacred Heart Basilica in the northern part of Paris called Montmartre.) Montmartre is famous because of the photographs of its staircases. We thought the stairs lead to Sacre-Coeur, but the ones we saw didn't look like the photos.

Anyway, we made it to the first metro alright, got on, and got off at the correct stop. Everything was good...except Mom had a homeless guy who wanted her water bottle. She said 'no'. 

That reminds me: I didn't tell you, but the day before in Amiens, we ran into several homeless that wanted to talk to us. You can just tell...mostly because no one else will walk up to strangers to start talking to them. And just say 'no' a lot. In Amiens and going to Sacre-Coeur, it was Mom saying 'no'. At Sacre-Coeur and for the rest of the day in Paris, it was me who had to say 'no.'

There were a lot of steps up to the top of the hill to Sacre-Coeur...oh my goodness. My calf still hurts from yesterday. And Mom's feet hurt. But we're alive. 

We also planned to go to Sacre-Coeur yesterday because it was Sunday and we wanted to go to Mass. The other church we wanted to go to in Paris, the Sainte-Chapelle, does not have Mass, so Sacre-Coeur it was. Once we made it up the stairs...and it is a lot farther than it looks in the picture, we sat down in the pews. What is interesting to me is that this church actually has pews with kneelers (but they were wooden and hurt my knees). Most of the churches I've been to in France just have chairs. This one is the only one I've been to with actual pews.

So, we had Mass, which was entirely in French. I could keep up with most of it. They handed out a folded paper to everyone that had all the songs, readings, most of the responses, and the readings on the back in English and Spanish. After Mass, I explained to Mom what the homily was about.

Then we took the time to just take pictures and walk around this basilica. Some of my pictures are below (but again, I'm not posting all of them for the sake of time.

After spending quite a while in the Basilica, we decided to go to the bakery that inspired the creators of "Miraculous: The Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir"...a famous kids' show that I really like and have gotten my niece and nephew to watch with me. Unfortunately, we got terribly lost and could not find Marinette's house anywhere. I'm pretty disappointed, but I was so hot and frustrated. Ladybug just needs to come save me while I'm here in France. Or Chat Noir. I'm not picky...and Plagg is my favorite character anyway.

Before we went on our search of Marinette's bakery, we saw a guy on the street playing La Vien Rose. I had to sneak a picture of him.

We also saw signs for the public resterooms, but they cost 1 euro and 50 cents. We didn't have to go that badly. That's another reason to carry euros and not your credit card: public bathrooms are not free. The one at Amiens' train station was only 50 cents (that's euro cents, not US dollars), so we felt like the one near Sacre-Coeur was too expensive. We could hold it. 

So, then, giving up on seeing Marinette, we searched for the correct metro to go to Sainte-Chapelle (Metro 2). And we got terribly lost. This was when I got several homeless guys coming up to me and asking me for something. Every time, I said no before they could say more than "Bonjour Madame!" Really, I was hot and frustrated and anxious and lost that by the time the last homeless guy came up to me, I didn't even respond to him. He greeted me again and I turned to look at him, waved my hand fast and furious at him, and glared. I must have had my B*tch face on, because it actually worked. I had never been so angry with so many homeless coming up to me. The good thing was that he was the last one of the day. Maybe he spread the word to avoid that crazy American girl. She's scary, man.

Finally, after looking at several maps, I found Metro 2 (by the way, the Metro is what they call the subway system in Paris). Walking down, I asked the information guy to make sure we were headed to Notre Dame. Yes, Notre Dame. While Notre Dame is not open to the public, we wanted to go to Sainte-Chapelle. So, Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris was for the commoners. Sainte-Chappelle was for the King and Queen and their servants. We're too good for Notre Dame (no we aren't. Please fix the roof soon and let me in someday). 

Here are a few pictures of Sainte-Chappelle (totally worth it to go visit. It is SO beautiful).

The outside:

The lower floor chapel (for the servants):

The upper floor (for the king and queen):

Then we had to go back to our hotel to meet our tour guide. Unfortunetly, we got lost again. After looking at several bus maps and going down into the wrong Metro on purpose to look at a better map, we found Metro 1. 

We got back to the hotel at exactly 6. Talk about perfect timing. 

And that's pretty much it. 

Hopefully, I'll have more time to write tomorrow. 

Vacance Mere/Fille: Day 2 = Amiens

Okay, I'm probably going to try to keep it brief. I didn't post yesterday, as most of you are aware, because we didn't get back to Paris until 8:30. Then, after dinner it was pretty much 11pm. Yeah, I was exhausted. 

So, we got up, had breakfast at the hotel buffet, and went to the Paris Nord train station. Just getting to the train station was hard and made me nervous. First of all, the signs at the bus station say that you can buy bus/metro/RER tickets (they're interchangeable) at the metro station, on your phone, or on the bus. Yeah...no, not that last one. At least, not anymore! So, we got on the bus to the train station and were expecting to buy a ticket, but the driver just told us "Avancez, avancez!" (Get on!). So...we got a free bus ride to the train station. Talk about making us both REALLY nervous. 

Then we got to the train station and it took me two minutes to figure out which train to board. Mom, however, was convinced that we had to go downstairs. I grabbed her shirt and lead her to platform 8 and we got on. 

The problem with traveling with someone who doesn't know the language is that sometimes they question you more than once. And then you end up questioning yourself. So then you have to be an extrovert and ask another passenger on the train to verify it is going to Amiens. (It was.) 

What is really weird about the trains (at least, as far as we can tell) is that there isn't anywhere to scan your ticket. There wasn't anyone who came around to scan our tickets or ask for them either. So, if someone knows that we are supposed to do to get on the train, please inform me. Because, the way we figure it, we could've had a free bus ride and two free train rides yesterday and no one would be the wiser. But I promise on a stack of bibles as tall as the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Amiens that we had tickets for the trains. 

Amiens is the tallest gothic cathedral ever (according to Mom...she says that there might be one other, but she can't remember).

In the interest of time tonight (it was also a long day today and I want to get this post done ASAP, because we have to be on the bus at 7:45 tomorrow), I'm just going to post a few pictures I took of/in the cathedral and the Parish Park next door. We mostly just hung out there all day, except when we walked down a street for lunch...during which I had to order for both of us in French. That was really difficult, but we got some of the best French food I've ever tasted (of course, it probably isn't "French" food, but it was made in France, so...): a salmon and shrimp wok (noodles, salmon, shrimp, carrots, and zucchini). 

 

Where we had lunch (it's empty because restaurants usually close around 2 or 3 pm and then open back up for dinner around 6 or 7 and I took the picture as we walked back to the train station when it had closed after lunch).

And just so you know, we bought a bunch of bus/metro tickets at the train station in Paris when we got back yesterday night to use all day today in Paris. 

Because we were so tired, we decided to eat at the restaurant in the hotel again. They don't have the biggest selection of food, but it is the most convenient and right in the hotel. 

 So, yeah. Pretty hectic day. Mom couldn't have gotten to Amiens or eaten lunch without me, and I couldn't have gotten to Amiens without her because I get so nervous/anxious about traveling and using French again that I literally don't want to eat breakfast. Thank goodness we spent the day with Jesus in the Cathedral of Our Lady, because I finally felt at peace. Amazing what Jesus can do.

Just so y'all know, I took way more pictures. So, you can see them when I come back home.

Bonsoir, mes amis.

Vacances Mère/Fille : Voyager et Jour 1 en Paris

 Mother/Daughter Vacation: traveling and Day 1 in Paris.

Sorry, no pictures today. We haven't done much.

Traveling is always exhausting. Flying, for me, is hyper exhausting with a slathering of airplane anxiety. But we made it: FWA to DFW and DFW to CDG airports. 

I've found the better the airplane, the easier it is on my motion sickness. Of course, it could be argued that my scopolamine patch had kicked in for several hours...and that may be. Who knows?

I do know I was a lot calmer while waiting on the Dallas plane to bring me here than I was waiting for FWA to take me to Dallas. Je n'sais pas. 

I do know that I have been exhausted ever since waking up yesterday morning before starting out on this voyage. And I knew it would only get worse: motion sickness, no complete silence, and trying to sleep in an airplane chair. I haven't even mentioned using French again.

When we arrived at Roissy (Charles de Gaulle airport...what the locals call it anyway), we got through customs and suddenly Mom says, "Oh, I have to get used to seeing and hearing French everywhere now. It totally slipped my mind." I found this a little funny, so I had to share it with y'all. 

And our shuttle driver was late picking us up, which made us nervous. I tried calling their customer support, but the teleprompter was super fast French. We ended up going to the American Airlines section of the terminal and asking a very nice lady if she could make the call for us. All's well that ends well.  Shout out to Natasha for being a good sport and a very wonderful person.

Then we had to wait on our shuttle to take us to our hotel here in Paris. And for some reason, our shuttle driver had us going to a totally different hotel. We parked outside of it and I'm looking at the address, thinking "This isn't the right place. Thankfully, it looked like it had been shut down, so the driver was confused too. I had to show him the address that I recieved from my travel agent. Car ride number 2 and another 30 minutes later, we made it.

Alex, my younger brother, texted me a few minutes ago and asked if we had gone to the Eiffel Tower yet. No, but we saw it on our excursion around Paris as the shuttle driver tried taking us to the wrong hotel.

Only to wait again. We arrived at 12:30, but check in isn't until 15:00. So, we sat in the lobby and got on wifi and contacted a few people back home: yes, we're alive and we made it to our first destination. And then we kind of cat-napped for a while. I was so ready to go to the room, wash the oil that accumulated on my face after traveling all day yesterday and most of today, and just collapse. We had these grand plans of walking around the west side of Paris this afternoon, but I couldn't even keep my eyes open for more than 15 minutes straight.

I'm trying to speak as much French as I can, but sometimes I freeze up. And other times, I just really wanted Mom to understand what they are saying too in case I forget everything. And...a big part of it is that I was (and still am) tired. Thankfully, the hotel staff here is SUPER genial (nice/kind in French). They let me switch to English whenever I just can't go anymore in their native language. 

I was able to order a shower mat just a few minutes ago on the phone only in French. I count that as a win today. Of course, the words for "shower mat" were written on the back of a card in our room, but still: I was able to figure out what I needed to say.

Backing up a little in the timeline of this story: once we rested a bit, we went downstairs to have dinner in the hotel's restaurant. At first, Mom was complaining about the prices, but then I reminded her that it's Paris (of course it's expensive) and, most importantly, restaurant workers in France actually get paid a decent wage. There is no tipping in France (well, there is if the service was outstanding and you want to leave a few cents), so the bill is going to be bigger because you are paying the cook, the waitstaff, and for your food. As it should be (in my humble opinion. It's not like I have any experience watching US waitresses get underpaid by cheap customers. Not at all.)

Then I spotted a tour guide with the same company we will be using starting Sunday. I went to ask here about all the Covid crap we have to go through, because Mom was "bucking against it all" (her words, not mine.) According to the tour guide, we don't have to have this extra pass I found. I hope and pray that is still true. But she would know: she's the guide taking a group of people and they are a week ahead of us. My only hesitation is that she could be thinking of just her group of people when they are with her. What about Mom & me as we go off to Amiens tomorrow by ourselves? Suffice to say, we've decided to take a chance and believe the tour guide: we'll just bring our CDC vaccine cards to the train station tomorrow and hope they let us ride it there and back. No extra covid test required. I hope. Pray that I'm just being paranoid. 

After that comforting conversation, we took a really short walk outside to find our bus stop to take us to the train station tomorrow. It's funny: Mom is worried about us getting to Amiens, while I'm worried about getting to the places she wants to go in Amiens. Together we are doing well. How are you?

Back to the hotel room to just chill for the rest of the evening. Sorry no photos today. Will get some tomorrow.

A plus tard mes amis!

Cell Phones & Time Zones

So, my uncle texted me and my mom this morning, asking if we can text internationally. And...I was asleep/not up yet wishing I was still asleep. I hadn't slept more than 2 hours on Monday night, so I was overdue for lots of shut-eye last night and this morning. Thank goodness I got it.

Alright, let's talk cell phones:

Like everything else, it's going to be more expensive using your phone in a different country. I go the ultra-cheap budget: don't use it at all unless I have WiFi. WiFi is $0, 0 €, etc, etc, etc. 

You could go see what your cell phone company offers, but know that it isn't going to be pretty for everyone who is money conscious like me (and my dad...and my brothers...well, most of my family). 

You can also go to a cell phone store in France/your destination country and buy a SIM card for your phone (a small card in your phone that basically IDs it and gives you a French phone number)...but I think that is a lot of hassle and even I get anxiety thinking of all the French vocab I'll have to remember.

Last time I was in France, I got away with just WiFi since I was at Colette's house and school most of the time. We'll see how this time goes, but I'm not worried. Cell data: Off; Airplane Mode: On. 

The only things that I think would be nice to have from my phone is Google Maps and my email (that way if I have tickets in my email, I can just pull it up and not have to take pictures of them or try to save them in the Wallet on my phone...which I haven't quite figured out how to do with our train tickets...saving them to Note app it is...) 

We'll be fine without our phones. No body freak out. Cell phones weren't a thing a couple decades ago. And if you're still worried about me, my parents "bought" an international data plan for my mom's phone in which they don't pay anything unless she uses it and the first 48 hours are free.

The French equivalent of 911 is 112. We're good. You think I haven't gone to France alone before?

Now, to answer my uncle's question directly: yes. We will be able to text internationally with him. We all have iPhones. Apple has iMessenger, which uses WiFi to send texts between iPhones (or even iPhone to iPad/iPod...any Apple device that has your normal Messenger app you text over) whenever they can. This means that if you have WiFi here at home and are texting a fellow iPhone user, you are sending it the text over WiFi anyway (you can tell because your text bubbles are blue instead of green). 

Don't ask me if Android phones or other types of phones have the same type of deal. I don't know. I have an iPhone. My IT degree is PC Windows computers based. Everything I learn about phones comes from the internet and personal experience. Look it up yourselves. 

Now, for my non-Apple friends and family, you can still easily text/message me. There's this thing called "Facebook Messenger": that chat that you have on Facebook? Yeah, that uses the internet. Totally free as long as you have a WiFi signal. And you can message me over an app called WhatsApp...but more on this one below.

Okay, texting out of the way, what if you want to call me while in France? 

Skype? Yes, you can also use Skype over WiFi to message/face-time/call (though I've never just called someone with Skype before...it was always face-time). 

That being said, I prefer to use WhatsApp over Skype. Why? Well, Skype was primarily designed for being used with computers, while WhatsApp was designed for smartphones.With WhatsApp, you can call, face-time, or text (and by text, I mean anyone...even your Android friends) and it syncs up with your phone contacts after you sign up for it. This means that you don't have to manually put anyone into your WhatsApp contacts. The app will automatically know who also has the app from their phone number, which is already in your normal phone contacts. 

A little bonus: if you have separate ring tones for people, those work too. My brother called me (accidentally) while I was in France last time. I was incredibly surprised when I heard Bon Jovi singing to me instead of my regular ring tone. It's like "Holey CRAP?! That's Adam's ring tone!! No way! That works too?!" 

And that little story segues into my next topic: time zones. 

My brother was calling me to talk to me because I hadn't responded to his text message earlier in the day. And when I say "earlier" I mean EARLIER...for me. I guess somehow, he forgot that France is on the other side of the world. And the earth is round. And I am not going to text you back if you message me at 3 o'clock in the morning in the time zone I am in; so, save all your emergencies for when I get back, K? 

It was so cute, though, to hear my niece on the phone with him, wondering why I was getting ready for bed when it was clearly early in the day for her. "Maybe she's taking a nap?" he asked. And I said, "Yeah...an 8 hour nap." Should've asked him if he wanted me to call him when I got up after said "nap", right? 😜

99.98% of the time, France is exactly 6 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time, so for my local friends and family, it should not be all that difficult. 6 am in Indiana = 12 noon in France. 12 noon in Indiana is 6 pm (18:00) in France. Literally, find an analog clock and just look at the number opposite it. Don't call me after 4 pm (16:00)...I'm probably not going to answer, because it will be after 10 pm (22:00) where I am. Y'all know I'm not a night owl. Don't expect it to change just because I jumped over the pond for a few weeks. 

I said 99.98% of the time, because I was glancing at the Paris clock once when I was here at home last year and realized that they were 7 hours ahead of us. I think it is just that we change our clocks at different times than they do. It eventually went back to 6 hours again. And I looked it up just now: they will change their clocks on October 31st this year.  And we will change our time on November 7th. So, in between those days, it'll be a little weird. But it doesn't matter because I'll be home before then.

Okay, this may be the last post here in the states (unless I decide to do a short-ish post about packing later today). 

Talk to you 6 hours in the future on Friday, mes amis!

Out( to )fit in

 I was going to talk about Covid stuff today, but I am still dealing with paperwork on it and may have more experiences (including trips...plural...to the Pharmacie in Paris/Caen while over there) and I'm thinking maybe I'll post about all that later when the dust has settled.

I've been asked today, "What are you wearing in France? What are you packing?"

Oh, the Parisian style...it's so me. And I don't say that sarcastically. In all honesty, I have noticed that I have become extremely French in my style (well, my "dressing up/going to work" style). What does Ally like to wear? I like black. What do the French like to wear? I'm told it's black. Black is très chique (very chic)! Even the t-shirts I wear are turning out to be either black or navy blue...I just find myself choosing those colors whenever I buy clothes. Like..."This shirt is cute...but I want it in black. White is just not me anymore."

But I am not, by any means, totally French in my clothes that I wear at home. Remember that I just stated that my style for work and dressing up is French, not my everyday wear. I'm totally American in that I like my t-shirts with prints/pictures on them. I like my casual cargo pants (Oh, how I love my cargo pants! Pockets!!!) The day that I came home from France in 2017, I actually changed out of my outfit that I wore on the plane home when I stopped at a restaurant on the way home. I couldn't wait until we got to our house! I switched into my denim skort (yes, I wore skorts for a long time) and my t-shirt that said "Caen" that was sold in the Tourist Office...that only Americans would wear. Hmm...wonder why that was the only place that I saw those shirts being sold. (Just kidding. Sarcasm.)

So, what I wear to work: black slacks, black shoes, and button-down shirts. I mostly wear navy and black, but I do have a white/blue stripped shirt, a maroon/white blouse-like shirt, a dark red button down, and a really nice hunter green blouse-like shirt (that I wore in France in 2017), any of which I would be okay with wearing again this time around (although every time I wear my red shirt I feel like I'm screaming for attention, but that's just my introverted nature coming out). 

I have researched a lot of articles, YouTube videos, and vlogs. Many say the same: neutral colors (black especially) is the French way. Accessories are where the color shines out. French women don't really wear more than three colors at once. Don't overdo anything (hair, makeup, colors, jewelry). I totally can be comfortable with all these "rules" in order to fit in and not stand out.

The main thing that needs to be remembered is that you aren't going to become "perfect" at dressing like a citizen of France. You're not one, after all! Plus, fashion is not a hard and fast rule. My host "cousin" in 2017 was into the "older" style of bold colors (I'm thinking 60s/70s) and was totally excited to show me her bright yellow converse shoes she just bought. So, if you don't feel like fitting in, don't! Even my French family breaks the "rules".

I have found that instead of researching "What should I wear" it's better to research "What shouldn't I wear?" Here's the abbreviated version:

• No tennis shoes
• No sweats
• No yoga pants
• No leggings as pants (they're fine under skirts)
• No BOLD colored outfits (That's Italy, not France)
  
• The combo of white socks, shorts, and tennis shoes is a TOURIST alert (can you tell tennis shoes are a No-no?)
• fanny packs
• baseball caps (that's the American sport after all)
• T-shirts (especially with words/College names/pictures. I got away with solid colored t-shirts in 2017)
• Tall high-heels
• Uggs (Thank God. I HATE Uggs)
  
• If you're a guy: no sandals unless you're at the beach. Sorry. No.
  
• Lots of makeup
• Looking like you spent hours on your hair (because you did)
• Tight clothes
• Loose, baggy clothes
• "Showy"/"Sexy" clothes (showing cleavage/your butt)
•  Berets & stripped shirts (those cliche, Hollywood stuff) all together, all the time and/or in tourist spots
• Khaki pants (Another thing to Thank God about...flashbacks to private school days)
  

 So: neutral colors, no casual spirit/tourist/advertisement/picture shirts, no athletic wear unless you're going to the gym or actually going on a run, wear clothes that fit (not too small or too big), and classy, modest clothes.

A chat about  the tennis shoes thing: yes, it's annoying because athletic tennis shoes are So comfortable. I agree. I got pretty upset, to tell the truth, when I heard that athletic tennis shoes are a tourist thing, because when in France (and most of Europe, I'm told) you walk a LOT; so, I want to be comfortable. My mom, who has arthritis in her feet, didn't take this news very well either. But: I have found shoes that are pretty comfortable that aren't my Asics tennis. 

The first place I would point you to for getting shoes that are good for Europe travel is Hotter. That's where I bought shoes for France in 2017. That being said, I ended up not being totally happy with my purchases there. After a while, it felt like I was wearing kids shoes...and I feel like a lot of Hotter shoes at the time looked like shoes women in older generations would wear. Looking on their website today for a few minutes, I see some that I think I would like, so it's just good to go with your style. The main rule that should not be broken is keep it plain. Don't get sneakers with a symbol on them (I'm looking at you, Nike). 

Back in February of 2020...before Covid hit Fort Wayne and we were still planning on going to Europe, Mom & I went shoe shopping for Europe. I wanted to find black sneakers with shoe strings. No slip-ons that reminded me of teachers or office workers or old lady shoes or ballet shoes (I always have a hard time with ballet shoes: they always don't fit or they scrape up my heels). We went to a store in the mall, but I can't remember its name and upon searching for it on Google, I've come to the conclusion that they've closed. I threw out the box that the shoes came in. The good thing is Mom bought the same pair as me, but we don't feel like digging through her closet to find the box tonight just to tell you what I am wearing. She's found out since buying them that they are too heavy for her. Me? I've gotten used to their weight since I have worn them as my everyday shoe since buying them, breaking them in for whenever we can go to Europe. Now, I'd rather stick with black sneakers over athletic shoes. I like black (have I mentioned that yet 😉) and they are inconspicuous. 

All this being said, I have highly encouraged Mom to take her athletic sneakers with us. When I went to Mount St. Michel, I wore my athletic Asics...and BOY am I glad I did. My feet hurt so bad after walking up a mountain (literally) and back down again most of the day. So, when we go there, she's probably going to do the same. 

Now, if you're an individualist and/or want to stand out, wear what you want! It's okay to dress in your style. Just know that you're going not fit in as well. 

Speaking of fitting in, I fully intent to "act" French again while in France. What do I mean by that? I mean, I'm leaving my mid-western friendly ways at home. Sometimes, the situation calls for "sunglasses on" scenario. 

Need more details? Okay, I'll explain:

When I was in Caen, sometimes sketchy people would approach me, asking for money. This is when I would lower my sunglasses from the top of my head to my face (if I wasn't already wearing them), say "Non!" once or twice (maybe three times), hold up my hand and angle my face away from them, and walk quickly away.This did the trick every time. There is no need to feel bad about acting a little rude...or very rude as people back here at home in the Midwest would say. Being rude is better than being scammed.

And why do I keep bringing up the Midwest? Well, if you don't know, my hometown region is known for being friendly. I've had people in other regions comment about this to me personally. We smile at each other as we pass by on the street. Yeah, French people don't do this. If you smile at someone in Paris, they are most likely going to think you're flirting with them or just plain creepy. 

Don't be a creeper. Don't smile at strangers. Don't say hi to strangers. Pretend you are an introvert (or embrace your introvert-ness, like me). Not everyone is your friend and you should not be out to make friends with everyone you meet. There isn't anyone at the front doors at the grocery stores saying "Welcome to Meijer!" Not only did I not see any Meijers in Caen...but they didn't welcome me either. Toto, we aren't in Fort Wayne anymore. The workers are not going to cater to you or pretend they are happy you are there if they are feeling sad or hurt or angry that particular day. Oh, and the customer is not always right, so leave your attitude at home (but really, leave your attitude at your house. American workers deserve better from you too).

So, it may feel like the French aren't friendly in their culture and mannerisms, but there are times when it's the other way around. For example, when you're in a store or if you actually get someone to help you on the street, the French don't just "get down to business". They want and expect friendly conversation. You can't just say "Hi, I want this. Okay thanks," leave, and expect the French to not think you were being rude. My second day in Caen, I got lost on the way home from school and forgot this. I asked a woman where a road was and forgot to say goodbye properly to her. I was a few steps away as she was saying goodbye to me, and all day (still, really) I felt bad for ending the conversation with "Oh, that's right! The road is over there! Thank you very much!". No, I should have said, "Thank you very much! You were so helpful. Have a nice rest of your day." at the very minimum. 

No wonder the French think we are rude...and vice versa.

I think that's about it for tonight.

A plus tard, mes amis!

Bonus -- good places to get info about traveling, especially in France:

https://www.youcouldtravel.com/travel-blog/what-to-wear-in-france

https://girlgonegallic.com/blog/what-not-to-wear-as-a-tourist/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWdkyAEjmq0&t=249s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWdkyAEjmq0&t=249s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8ppEYOn9w8&t=0s

Extra Bonus material:

I really really REALLY like Wolter's World, so if you want any travel info, even if it isn't France, look them up on YouTube. Here are a few videos they did on France.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OIlepE6zwE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1lGKQ_Bnd4 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvb3zDSrVjM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6hffD_-eCs

Euro Chat

In one week, I shall be traveling again. I don't really, truly believe in jinxing my chances, but I do believe in not getting my hopes up too high.

Regardless, I'm going to do this post. Just a couple notes in case anyone wants to know about traveling abroad, because they've never done it or haven't done it in a while (like my Mom).

Money while traveling:

The euro is worth more than the US dollar. According to my mother, in the 1980s it was the opposite. You have been forewarned. When you go to exchange currency, you're going to be paying more to get less and it may hurt your financially stable hearts. (Or your in-debt hearts...whichever the case may be. I'm not here to judge.)

A couple asked me in the past year or so why I can't just use travelers' checks instead of a credit card. I hate to be the one to tell you all this...or, actually, I'm not...Travelers' checks are not a thing anymore. Use the real currency, use plastic, or stay home. 

My co-worker recently asked me why I even want to get euros instead of using credit/debit cards. She made the point that if you lose euros/cash there, it's gone forever. True, but:

    First: there are instances where you cannot use the handy plastic card(s). 

• Tips are the first thing that comes to mind. Now, it's true that other countries do not tip like American's do (which, I don't agree with the US system anyway, but that is an entire discussion that I don't have time, energy, or room for on this blog post), HOWEVER, tips are still a thing. If you have wonderful service, it is good to show appreciation by leaving a bit of change for the staff.
• Machines: as in vending machines, ticket machines for buses, trams, and the like, etc. I have noticed that more vending machines are accepting credit cards, but I'm not going to take any chances. When I need a bottled water, I need a bottled water. I'm not dying of thirst just because the machine doesn't accept plastic payment. 
• Shuttles: Now, I'm not 100% certain, but I'm pretty sure the driver who got me back to the airport to come home in 2017 only took cold hard cash. Can't swear by it, but I gave him Euros anyway.
  

Second: Plastic is more expensive. Everyone I talk to understands the foreign currency exchange rate fact: if euros are worth more, we have to pay more US dollars. But I find myself having to explain to many that there's this little thing called "Foreign transaction fees": our banks/credit unions/credit card companies charge us for using our cards in foreign countries. That means we aren't only paying for the meal we just bought, but we're paying our bank back home too! To make it even more confusing, I have been told that there are other hidden fees banks/credit unions/credit card companies/etc. charge for using the plastic money in foreign countries. 

Third: sometimes the plastic is not the safest. There's always that scary thought of identity theft in a foreign country...while you aren't at home...when you are trying to save money by NOT using your phone because data plans are ridiculous and you can just survive on Wi-Fi calls and instant messaging. Because OF COURSE we want to have more stress added on to the anxiety of being in a foreign country. And we all check our accounts daily when we are in a foreign country. OF course we do. If you can't read the sarcasm, you aren't ready to travel. Stay home. 

I guess I haven't addressed the main argument, though: euros are stolen, you can't get them back. Plastic cards are stolen, you can call someone and cancel the card, and get a new one. But I feel like if your going to go down that route, you have a lot of other problems too. If your euros are stolen, most likely your cards are stolen too...unless people actually have more than one wallet? Unless people are now carrying around more than one purse. "Excusez-moi? Please steal this purse instead. It has my credit card. Yes, take this one. The other one has my passport and euros in it."

WHICH brings me to a good topic: I was told while studying abroad in 2017 that it is good practice to make paper copies of my passport, driver's license, and other important documents and keep them in a separate place than the actual papers just in case they got stolen. Sorry, Mr/Miss thief. I love visiting your country, but I love living in my own.

On the same note, it's good to try to have money scattered around you: different pockets, different purses (if you are the type to take more than one), different hiding places (like I'm going to list out my own on here on the internet). But, again, if my money is going to get stolen, I feel the chances are my papers are going to be stolen too. I figure my family back home can always send me money. They can't send me a new passport. That's a "one per customer & non-transferable" deal.

Now, after addressing the bad points about them, I'm going to admit to taking my plastic money with me. It is a good safety net: what if I don't take enough euros with me...and I have this feeling that I'm not going to...I mean, I'm not going to take thousands of euros so I can eat, shop, travel, etc. for two and a half weeks. Talk about anxiety attacks. I'd be spending all of my time abroad recounting my money to make sure it is all there. No, thank you.

Also: keep in mind that while you are in the other country, you're going to be charged at the ATM if you withdraw euros (called a withdrawal fee). It's better to just do it at home before you get there.

One more topic about the pieces of paper that runs our lives (also known as currency): When and where to get euros.

1. Please, please, PLEASE do NOT get your euros/US dollars from the airport. I'm begging you. I recently had a conversation with someone who has traveled and does travel often: I was saying that I was worried about how long it would take the bank to get me my euros. He stated that I should just get them from the airport. It may be fast and easy, but it is expensive! It's kind of like buying airport food or movie theater snacks. It'll work in a bind, but do you really want to buy a bottle of water for $7? Really? (If you answered 'yes', you need serious money help.)
2. Look up your bank/credit union/etc.'s time table for getting your euros. When I went in 2017, I got my euros from a bank and it took over three weeks for them to arrive at my house. This time, I went with a different bank/credit union/etc. and it arrived there in less than 3 days and I had the option to pick it up in person and avoid the extra mailing fee.
3. Look up your bank/credit union/etc.'s fees for foreign exchange. Mine had a smaller fee if I withdrew more than the minimum amount. This made me very happy, but I would have been frustrated if I didn't plan to withdraw more than the minimum...it would have felt like I was being punished for not spending a lot of euros.
   

Wow. I was planning on writing on more than just money, but I think this post is long enough. I'll probably write again before I leave.

Signing off, mes amis.