Best Intentions...

Turns out that the days are far too full, and the internet far too intermittent for regular updates, but I have posted pictures on my Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/stevenbland

There will be details, stories, and pictures and video I promised once I get home and can take a stay-cation to recover from my vacation!

It's raining in Cochem this morning, but we still hope to head out to skate around noon--the high temp is not expected to top 60!

The First Day on the River

Just a few pictures before bed:

Laurie and Brock in front of the hotel before we headed out.

Natalie on the ramp.  You can see that she's placed her left skate so that it will brace against the lif of the step, which then slants down.  BIZARRE!

Our first adventure before we even got on the path! A steep ramp with shallow steps which faced UP, making it virtually impossible to skate, with a sharp turn onto the path at the bottom, and the river RIGHT ahead! (Our hotel is the 12th through 14th floors of the tall building in the background.)

The fog burning off as we headed out of town.

An early view of the Mosel and the path in France

Just after consulting the map of our day's route (the right of Paul).

The campground where we got briefly lost in Malling, from the other side of the river.

Our first vineyards!  Many more to come, but everyone was very excited about the FIRST!

One of our many crossings of the Mosel, leaving Contz-les-Bains

Aaron and Tracie in Sierk-les-Bains, where we stopped for sorbets and cidre.

Steve on the bridge into Remich, Luxembourg, with our hotel just by my left ear.

The view from my window in the hotel in Remich, looking back to the bridge where the previous picture was taken.

Sunday in Paris

In order to get back to blogging what I do each day, rather than being a day or more behind, I’m going to put in a very brief ‘placeholder’ for the last day and Paris, and then jump ahead to the day I’ve just completed.


In brief (words I RARELY use!), I got up at 10:30, got all my stuff together, and checked out of the hotel at noon. Took the Metro to the train station and left my luggage in the luggage locker area. Then Laurie, Lara and I skated to the Sunday Skate at Place de la Bastille. 12 miles of skating, during which we hooked up with Blossom! Blossom joined Laurie, Lara, and I for the skate back to the train station, stopping on the way for dinner. Then the train to Thionville, a nice walk over the bridge to the hotel, and blessed sleep!

Much more later, but for now, that tells you the brief details of Sunday, and I get to work on Monday, our first day on the Mosel!

A Free Day in Paris (Saturday)

I’m sitting on the train out of Paris on day 3. We’ve had adventures and mishaps, unexpected discoveries and minor disappointments. It’s been a truly memorable vacation so far, but you’ll have to wait and learn about it in sequence. The last time I blogged we had finished the Friday night skate and I was ready to get to sleep, VERY late on Thursdayfriday. (We’ve still been too busy to relax much, and that means I haven’t gotten to share everyone’s pictures, but I expect that to change tomorrow. We leave the big city and spend some more relaxing time in the country, and I hope I’ll start SHOWING you what we’ve done, rather than just telling you about it!)

Even though I didn’t get to sleep until 3:30, I slept immediately, and like a log. I woke up around 9:15 wanting more sleep, but still refreshed. Half the group was already at breakfast when I got there, enjoying a full and varied buffet—cereal, orange juice, grapefruit juice (pamplemousse—love that word!), coffee, croissant, yogurt, hard boiled eggs, hard rolls, a beautiful fresh fruit salad…I’m sure I forgot a few things. The group (12 of us now in the hotel together) wandered in and out as some woke up later; some ate earlier and got cleaned up dressed. By 10:30 we were ready to head out.

Everyone had different things on their list of ‘must do’s’ for their one free day in Paris, and the only scheduled event wasn’t until 11 that night. Somehow we all agreed to head first to the Eiffel Tower. We wanted a picture together there as our ‘quintessential Paris memento’. Some were interested in climbing The Tower, but some just wanted to gather there and then split up for separate adventures.

We all made it through the Metro ticket-buying experience (un Carnet, s’il vous plait), and more importantly, the ticket USING process! A few stops down the light green number 6 line (in the direction Charles de Gaulle –Etoile) and we were out on the streets of Paris. This was my third trip to Paris (High School Foreign Language club junior year and a weekend in March of ’09 on my own for the skates), but somehow the first view of la Tour Eiffel UN-jades just about everyone. It is awe inspiring, familiar, touristy, personal, ugly, beautiful, and absolutely unique. This is why, despite all our individual goals for the day, we agreed that we wanted a picture taken here.

After passing the white-face statue man, the gold lamé pharaoh (woman?), and 30 or so vendors with meter-square cloths offering Eiffel Towers in 8 or 10 sizes (not to mention several trios of camouflage-clad Frenchmen with automatic rifles (I’m sorry, I know it’s 2010 and they are there for my safety…but they did NOT make me feel safer, and they reminded me that we do not live in the world that I wish we lived in), we got close enough to really see the crowd. I’ve been here before when there were skaters free-styling among the crowd, and you could stroll your way through the plaza beneath. But this was a Saturday morning in August, and the entire area under The Tower seemed to be filled with queued visitors.

We found an area across the street, and commandeered a bench where we could lean, sit, and stand in such a way that the whole group and nearly the whole tower would be in the picture—a ubiquitous image, but somehow with a new slant. (A dozen pictures on six or so cameras, auto-timer that never went off, a picture of the tower without any people…I’m sure at least ONE of these pictures will be a wonderful memento—I just hope it’s not one of the ones that is missing the cameraman—I hope Brad’s auto-focus pics come out!)

Now it was time to split up, but we couldn’t quite decide who was going where. While we were deciding, Aaron and Tracie headed off to climb The Tower (I later learned that they climbed to the second story of the second level), and Natalie went in search of information on a boat tour of the Seine, which Brad had suggested. She came back quickly and said that there was a boat right down the stairs to the quai where we were; one left every 20 minutes for a one hour tour. It was €11, and there was no line. We all looked at each other, and our individual plans took a step backward. This seemed like a great plan, and NONE of us were adamant about a specific plan for Paris, as the group experience was paramount.

Mar on the Seine with Notre Dame behind her.

Ten of us took the tour (half an hour or so to buy the tickets and wait for the tour, and then an hour on the river). We all took out our cameras, and Brock continued to shoot video. Have I mentioned yet that the weather was perfect? Blue skies with a few light clouds, comfortable temperature (by now it was about 24°C (that’s about 75°F). What an ideal day to be on the Seine! For many, this was the perfect introduction to Paris (when you only have a few days, at least you see many of the highlights) and for others like myself, it was a lovely reminder of the beauty and history of the city. It was truly a joy to share this experience with my friends—to see their first reaction at the sight of Notre Dame reminded me to LOOK at it, not just to see it as a familiar sight. It is truly a beautiful building. Eyes grew wide at the size, grandeur, and spectacle of many of the sights, and it helped me to enjoy my trip to Paris even more!

Next up we still planned to split up. Some were headed to Saint Chappelle chapel, and I was headed to a clock I was anxious to see—a modern public clock called Le Defenseur du Temps (The Defender of Time). I’d seen pictures and video of it (on the hour, man battles the three demons of time, one each hour. At noon, three, and six, it battles all three). I determined that we could all take the same subway to the same stop, and then head toward St Chappelle, where we would part. But first we would eat, as it was about 2:00, and we were all starving!

We found a nice little sidewalk café right outside the Metro stairway, pulled 5 tables together, and sat down to eat. The man sitting next to me had a wonderful looking salad with cured ham, mozzarella, tomatoes, and pine nuts. He saw me looking at it and told me in perfect English with a beautiful French accent that it was delicious, and where it was on the menu. (Later his tablemate told me that she had just finished a 7 month stint working in Houston—she had been staying in Montrose!) I ordered the salad (and a Kronebourg 1664—have I mentioned yet that I’ve adopted this as my beer to drink in Paris?) All the meals were wonderful, the service was wonderful, the location was SUPREMELY Parisian, and we were all together. (The experience WAS ruined for one of us who ordered the special, then was told they were out, but they could substitute something else. What he wasn’t told was that the ‘something else’ was 10 euro more!)

By now I had pulled out the map given to me by my coworker and friend, Jo Ellen, for ‘the best chocolate in Paris’ and realized that we were a few blocks away. Everyone seemed interested in an experience which might be a letdown, but might also be the unexpected gem of the Paris experience.

On the way we passed through an open air market filled with hand-crafted items. Marionettes from Myanmar, (she made a point of telling us as we walked by), jewelry, scarves, an AMAZING booth of candied fruit—raspberries, kiwi slices, pineapple, even WHOLE pears! It is a small regret (for both Brock and I) that we didn’t stop, and weren’t able to get back.

We turned off the main street onto a quiet side street, and a block later I saw the sign for Debauve & Gallais in the middle of the next block. This was one of the 2 things I was planning for me Paris day off (the clock being the other), and now I had everyone with me. What if the place was a bust, the staff was rude, and the chocolate failed to impress?

The facade, from their website

One side of the window was filled with exotic teas, the other with chocolate. The façade was green wood with a large picture window on each side of the beautiful door—probably quite an extravagance when this location opened just after the French Revolution in 1800! We walked through the door, and I knew that we had found a special gem. The curved presentation counter (perhaps the original?) was inspired by the previous occupation of one of the founders as a chemist (at that time, basically an apothecary). Three women with smiles and smart uniforms—and white gloves!—waited to help us. Only one (I believe) spoke English. Chocolate was everywhere. Each piece looked too good to eat. And the smell. Oh my god! The smell. They should have charged just to enter. (But instead there were small samples by the cash register.)

The left side of the counter was filled with individual pieces, the right with pre-boxed assortments. I warned everyone before we went in that this was EXPENSIVE chocolate, as I didn’t want anyone to be disappointed, or to buy a lot and then find out that their bill was €300. Despite this, many made purchases, and several of us got assortments of our own to consume on the trip. I’ve had three (anyone who knows how I can tear through a box of Godiva knows what a force of will this has been!) I’ve tried a 99% dark chocolate (I almost cried) and dark chocolate with miel (honey). I expected a liquid honey center, but it was instead an exquisite soft center unlike anything I’ve ever tasted. I also had the best mini-truffle I’ve ever had. Still to come are several with raspberry, a chocolate covered cherry, one with rhum (I hope that’s rum and not, I don’t know, rhubarb!), pistachios, and apricot. (Upon arrival in Thionville I had a couple more before taking this picture—including the cherry cordial, strong and delicious alcohol and…what is this? A PIT in the cherry!)

Well, now it was time to think about separating. After a walk by the book stalls along the quais of the Seine, the rest of the group headed for Saint Chappelle, and I aimed for Gare de L’est, the train station where we would depart Paris the next night. I wanted to determine the layout, and most importantly find out if there were luggage lockers where we could stow our bags, since check out time was noon and our skate was from 2:30 to 5:30. Sure enough, it’s a tended site where they scan the luggage and store it ‘behind the scenes’ for €5 a bag.

Next up for me was Le Defenseur du Temps, and it was about 5:30. If I hurried, I could make it for the 6:00 ‘triple show’. I found the clock in a public square in the Quartier Horologique (the clock district) just north of the Pompidou Center. There was no one waiting for the show. I asked the waiter in the café opposite if the clock worked (March-t-il?) and he told me that the time was correct, but it hadn’t performed for 4 or 5 years! HUGE disappointment. But I had enjoyed the walk, and the clock itself was very interesting.

Home by Metro now for a regrouping with the Houstonians for a night at THE MOULIN ROUGE! We were all due refunds of varying amounts (depending on what portions of the trip we were attending), and the refunds for most were just enough to cover the cost of admission. As it turned out, only the Houstonians (but ALL of the Houstonians!) were interested.

The Metro ride required a transfer to a second line, and after some confusion, I realized I had gotten us off one stop early. Back onto the same line (RUNNING to throw ourselves onto the train that arrived just as we entered the station (crazy over-dressed Americans!), one more stop, and on to the bawdy section of Paris. (The area is called Pigalle, but is intentionally mispronounced as ‘Pig Alley’ due to its reputation!) While we had been on the train it had rained a bit, and was steadily sprinkling now. Our plan had been to grab some sandwiches and eat them on a bench, but the weather changed that. We poked our heads into a few places, but found they didn’t have any areas where the ten of us could eat together. Then we found a nice little Italian place across the street and down a bit from The Moulin Rouge. They seemed pleased (but a bit rattled) to put together a round table and three small square tables for us (picture a large key hole). DEFINITELY a language barrier and not all of us got what we thought we were ordering. We had been told to be in line for the Moulin Rouge by 10:30, and at 10:15 some of our food wasn’t out yet. We asked the waitress if things could be hurried up a bit, and it seems to me that some of what we thought we were getting hadn’t even been ordered! Things were quickly put right, we all ate our fill, and we headed out.

While we were eating, the line for the show had grown down the sidewalk to the point where we only had to cross the street to join it. The show started at 11 (so we were told!), but the audience from the previous show wasn’t even let out until 11! The line finally started moving at 11:15. We had only computer print-out of our confirmation, but that was enough. As a group of ten, we were directed to a special line, up a (formerly) grand, red carpeted stairway with giant posters of Can Can girls. Into the theater and we were led to a table for ten facing the stage on a terraced floor. White tablecloths and red lamps lit the space, and there was a champagne bucket on each table with two bottles.

Soon after arrival, the champagne corks started flying, and the show began. Women wearing very little and men covered head to toe danced and sang (well, lip synched) a song called ‘Dance, Dance, Dance’. Very flashy, very showy, and very fun. In the second half of the performance, there were 3 beautiful topless women with the same fully-clothed men. The nudity was shocking and mundane at the same time—an interesting element, more than a scandal. There were many ‘set piece’ dances, all with beautiful people performing choreographed routines, with varying amounts of proficiency and enthusiasm.

Interspersed were some astounding acts—a man who balance a woman while doing incredibly acrobatic acts (he balanced her upside down on his head…then walked across the stage, sat down, lay down, and got back up again. Later he held her hands and pressed her up, lowered her to impossible angles, twisted around the stage—truly awesome), a very impressive man who did a somewhat similar balancing act on his own, and a ventriloquist (who at one point had three ‘dummies’ come up from the audience and he gave them each a voice).

The highlight of the show was definitely the Can Can when all the women came out in red, white, and blue petticoats and did a very impressive and familiar dance in a dance hall where it has been danced nightly for, what? 150 years? --quite a spectacle!

We were all in the right mood for it, and the comment was made that it was the best refund people had ever had. Basically Greece’s fiscal irresponsibility bought our tickets to a memorable night out!

The subway ride home to our hotel was very fun. We were all…feeling the effects of half a bottle of champagne, not to mention the effects of the beautiful and suggestive young men and women. One of our number who shall remain nameless treated us to a bit of pole dancing on the subway car until we were joined on the car by a couple of young men who inserted themselves into our conversation. Later when we were announcing that ours was the next stop, two ladies chimed in that they understood, too! Everyone was having fun and enjoying the camaraderie and satisfaction of a day well spent, and the knowledge that there were still many more to come.

Nous Sommes Arrivés!

This will be a text-only update, because it’s 2:40 in the morning local time, I’ve had 3 ½ hours of sleep since Thursday morning, and we just got back from the Paris Friday Night Skate, so no one has gotten me pictures yet. [As I get graphics from others I will add it into the appropriate places.]

I got to the airport yesterday at noon (thanks mom and dad!) and breezed through security. I headed right for Ruby’s (which has now become my ‘Before Departing on a European Adventure’ tradition) and had a chicken Caesar and a Blue Moon, then headed for the gate. I hadn’t been there ten minutes when Laurie, Brock, and Lara showed up, wanting to eat. So we headed…back to Ruby’s! Laurie and Brock got some food, and I realized that it was my last chance to have TEXAS beer, so I ordered a large Shiner Bock. While we were chatting about the trip, I saw Sherron walking along the concourse and yelled to her. She had met Mar by chance as they started into the airport, and the two of them joined us for a meal.

We made a special toast to those who had wanted to make the trip but hadn’t ultimately been able to go (Joel, Ann, Glenn, Marta, Rusty, Diana, Bert, Dana) and the many who would have loved to go but just couldn’t from the start. You are all on our minds, and you make our experience richer!

After finishing our meal, we headed to the terminal with 40 minutes to spare, and found Natalie and Brad worried about where we all were! They were boarding our rows when we got there, so we headed right onto the plane.

The flight was fine and miserable at the same time. Customs and baggage claim were miserable and fine at the same time. ‘Nuff said.

But as we grabbed our bags at the carousel we looked over to a bench and saw two very familiar looking strangers. We all introduced ourselves to Aaron and Tracie from Philadelphia. Okay, THAT was easy!

After some indecision and confusion over how to get to the hotel, 7 of the ten took a private shuttle to the hotel (the shuttle would only accomodate seven) , while Natalie, Brad, and I took the Air France Shuttle.

We dropped our bags at the hotel and found that a few of our rooms were ready, but some wouldn’t be ready until check in time. In twos and threes we headed out into Montparnasse for a meal.

My room was ready, so after a Croque Monsieur et Vin Blanc, I took a 4 hour nap! Afterwards we joined back together, as a group of ten for the first time outside those few moments in the airport, and headed for dinner.

Our main concern for dinner was a restaurant where we could all sit together. Aaron and Tracie didn’t know any of us, and were anxious to get to know us all as a group. We found a nice café, the waiter spoke just enough English, and we managed just enough French. I saw lamb shank, steak with bleu cheese sauce, burgers, pasta, and even some curry on the table.

Back to the hotel for a 30 minute break, and then it was off to the first real event of the trip, THE PARIS NIGHT SKATE!

We agreed to meet around 9:15 to head over to the skate rendez-vous point—skaters begin to arrive at 9:30, and the skate starts PROMPTLY at 10:00. Several of us headed to a previously-agreed-upon location to meet Soren and Celine. Within 5 minutes, two strangers came out of the Metro and became our newest friends!

We headed to Place Raoul Dautry, just a couple of blocks from the hotel, and saw skaters EVERYWHERE. 40 in blue t-shirts from a European tour group. Dozens in yellow volunteer shirts. Cops on skates. Guys with dreadlocks. Girls who I suspected might be VERY cold by the end of the night.

Aaron had sussed out the location to purchase t-shirts—he and Tracie and I had all missed out on getting them on our previous skates, but we all get them this time! Pari-Roller on the front, and Le Tour Eiffel on SKATES on the back! Now we just had to EARN them.

Brad, Paul, Lara, Sherron, Mar, Steve, Aaron, Laurie, Brock, Dana, Celine, Natalie, Soren

The skate started right on time (no Skater Time for the Parisians!) Aaron, Tracie, and I were the only ones who had done this before, so we felt exceptionally giddy knowing what a glorious skating experience our friends were in for! Aaron and I estimated (later in the night) that there might have been 4000 skaters there—small for the Paris skate, due to all of the Parisians who take vacation in August, but still larger than anything we had skated before. When the group got going, especially down a narrow street, we stretched out for 8 or 10 blocks! Skaters as far back as you could see, and a sea of bodies ahead as well!

Downhill over cobblestones was a challenge!  Skating surrounded by bodies was a challege!  The views, the speed, and the companionship of 4000 friends was beautiful.  Racing down into a tunnel under the Seine and cruising under the river without a worry in our minds about a car was one of the top skating moments of my life!

WHAT A NIGHT! Cops on skates in amongst the crowd (SEXY cops, I might add; and there to ensure our fun and the cooperation of the locals, not to harass US!), young (6? 8?) and old (many in their 60s…at least!) Many languages and nationalities, and all of us in our home town shirts—Texas flags, cowby hats, Philly Free Skate shirts—we represented! I saw one guy in a Texas shirt—turned out to be a Parisian. Lots of people questioned us on our ‘Texan-ness’, and many ‘yee-hawed’ as they passed Laurie in her cowboy hat.

Alas, 14 of us started, and only 11 finished. Lara had a skate malfunction that took her out of the skate, and worried us all terribly. Far too many people for us to stay together, and when we realized no one had seen her since the first part of the skate, we could only trust in her good sense and the luck of the gods that she was okay. (We ultimately found her cuddled up in bed and in good spirits. I look forward to her full story tomorrow!) Soren and Celine left the skate early on, as well, Dana saw them leave, but we still don’t know just what happened—though they appeared to be in good health when they left. They’re not staying at our hotel, so we’ll have to follow up with them tomorrow.

After the skate (and checking that Lara was okay!) we headed for a local Brasserie for beer, crème brulee, ham and cheese sandwiches, and a banana split!

I was sitting next to one of my newest friends, Tracie, when she said, “I’m happy. I’m eating a crème brulee." I corrected her: “You’re eating a crème brulee in Paris.” She agreed that life was INDEED good.

More tomorrow, and I promise pictures and maps (though we go to the Moulin Rouge tomorrow night and again get in after 2:00AM, so that may have to wait another day).

My love to you all. I wish you were all here. My heart is indeed full, and my life is blessed!

Welcome New Readers!

If you're new to the blog (as I suspect many of you are, since we're finally leaving Thursday!), be sure to click on the number 2010 at the right to bring up all of the blog entries.  Then scroll all the way to the bottom, and start reading the entries in the order they were posted.  This will give you some idea of the nature of the trip, the itinerary, and the people involved.  Enjoy!

The Elephant Scale

You know how everyone always comes back from vacation and says, “Oh! There was food everywhere! I gained X pounds”? Well I thought it would be interesting to see how our group fares on that front. We’re eating and drinking like fiends—good food, good beer, good wine! But we’re also skating some 250 miles! I wonder which one will win out?

I thought it would be cool if we could all get weighed as a group—that way no one has to worry about their own specific weight, but we could see as a collective whether we gained or lost. I mentioned this months ago to Natalie, and she said, “Ooh! I can get us in to use the animal scale at the Houston Zoo!”

Well, we weren’t quite able to ALL get there, but we did get 8 of our 15 travellers to the zoo after hours last Thursday, and here is a photo of the 8 of us standing on the scale (the reading is in kilograms). I’ve converted to pounds and added in 6 of the 7 others (I’ll adjust when I have the last one).

Our total going in is 2261 pounds.  What do you think? Are we going to eat more than we skate, or skate more than we eat? Tune in after the trip to find out!