July 2011
11 posts
In which we say to Lyon... pt 2
Having transcribed Alex’s final words on Lyon (for now), I decided that it was probably time for me to say a bit on the city that, in some ways, did indeed become our home for a month. As mentioned, we’re currently in Carcassonne, where we spent today and yesterday exploring the massive medieval castle/city and lounging about our surprisingly stunning hotel room. Despite knowing that...
In which we say to Lyon
Scholars have said for many centuries that Lyon is the greatest city ever created and known to mankind. We were able to come to this very same conclusion through days of rigorous study and a number of meditative and highly enlightening naps.
Over the course of a month, our surrogate home, with her many scenic stairways and slopes and narrow-street-passageway-things, treated us fairly. Her...
Milan Bullet Points
· We knew to be wary of pickpockets, but our concerns were magnified when the conductor got on the train loudspeaker and warned us that they were “on the train, so watch your stuff.” It was something like that, just more Italian.
· Our hotel was incredible, had a huge bed, and a super balcony. There was also a bidet, which I’ve never seen before. It shoots water at your...
We no speak Americano
Following the trend of opinion after returning from a side-trip, I feel as though I am obligated to say: it’s good to be back in Lyon. It really, really is.
Milan was beautiful – probably my favorite city of the ones we’ve visited so far (even coming close to Lyon). Our hotel was within five minutes from the Milano Centrale train station and in the business district, giving us a taste of...
Teal’s Omniscience Isn’t Always The Best
Yesterday we returned from an excellent 2 day jaunt in Milan, which was exceptionally fun and tourist-y, and deserves its own post which we will provide at a later date. Today, however, I will be recounting the tale of our voyage from Italy to Lyon.
We purchased our tickets to and from Milan in two legs, with a connecting train from Geneva. By “we” I mean “Teal purchased while I...
Passing the time (calm down)
Oh my goodness, where have we been? Where have we been?
After the almost overwhelming amount of fun had with Ana and Chis in Annemasse/Geneva, Alex and I promptly went into remission upon our return to Lyon. For some reason, the return trip to Lyon wiped both of us out (probably because it involved waking up before 7 am) and although we were both incredibly excited to be back in what we now call...
June 2011
34 posts
Laziness Delays Updates From American Couple in...
ANNEMASSE, France - Despite numerous adventures on their three day jaunt to Geneva, American tourists Alex Heeren and Teal Seltz have been unable to update the world on their recent activities.
“It’s been rough,” says Mr. Heeren. “We’ve been having so much fun that there’s just no time to recap it all. Everyone’s been making me go outside and the sun makes me sleepy.”
The couple...
WatchSome videos and photos from our adventure to the aquarium in Lyon.
Like ABC (Aquarium, Basilica, Coffee)
I hope that everyone has enjoyed all of the pictures from the last few days – we’re using them as proof that we’ve actually started to do something more than just play Civ 5. It’s Friday over here (as it should be by the time most of you read this), and after two days of successful sightseeing, we’ve decided to spend the day around the apartment, not playing Civ 5 (alright, maybe playing some Civ...
I Have Inflicted Teal With Civ 5
Oh France, you devil you. I fluctuate between empathy and frustration. If it’s a day that ends in an ‘i’ then there’s a 75% chance that the place you want to go is closed. * This is a policy I can, in theory, at least, endorse. I am a huge proponent of taking regular breaks in the day to sleep, play video games, nap, read, doze off, eat, or perhaps catch a few ‘z’s. The French, it seems,...
Lyon: The Land Of Silly Innovation
I started writing this post in my head Saturday about 30 seconds after Teal broke her drinking glass on the tile floor. Not long after the glass was broken, Teal started to sweep up the shards with a broom. Not long after Teal swept the glass shards into a pile, she realized we didn’t have a dustpan. Not long after Teal noticed we didn’t have a dustpan, I made the greatest invention in the...
FST (French Standard Time)
We’re working with France time here. And sometimes France time means things are closed at arbitrary hours for arbitrary reasons. Take our now familiar Cafe Cousu: closed Sundays and Mondays. Or the pizza place we went to today: Open every day except Friday and Sunday at noon, and from 8 to 2 and then 4:30 to 9. Or something.
Anyway, this is basically just a set-up for the excuse for why we...
Ehn reytahrd (en retard)
(Finished on 6/18)
-Teal’s note: Unfortunately, I keep writing these things without really thinking about when it will be when they’ll actually be posted. In most cases, you can probably assume today to mean yesterday, as usually I write my posts in the evening of the days things happen, and then post them the next day. I’ll try to be as explicit about dates as possible, kthx!
...
Best. Souvenir. Evarrrrrr.
I just bought the original Dune, in French, for 2 euros. That is all.
-Alex
Yesterday, June 15th, marked our first day in...
Now, you’re probably wondering “What do you mean, first day in France?”… or, more likely, you don’t really care and are just waiting for me to get on with it. Yes, we’ve been in France since the 13th, and in Lyon since the 14th, technically. Yet those first few days of travel were purely that: travel, and hellish amounts of it. Alex likely alluded to this before, but I’ll be somewhat frank about...
Today’s Episode Sponsored by the Word “Stairs”
We are considering today our first real day in France. We are going to sleep in the same place in which we woke up, and essentially spent the day exploring and finding food.
Our first order of business was to find Internet. This order of business took place at around noon, yet another sign that my internal clock has fully converted. It’s okay, though, it doesn’t get dark until...
A Dramatic Retelling of the Events of June 14th
Today was a day mostly spent in transition. We bid adieu to our arrangements at the Hotel Jarry in Paris and set off to the Gare de Lyon. Well, we were going to do that, but first we had to get a SIM card for my phone.
I now have a wonderful F SFR SIM card (and an unlocked phone) which should support data if I ever learn enough French to communicate with the voice system on the...
Itinerary
We fell back asleep and are just now re-waking up, 11 AM local time. This signals my body’s grudging adjustment to the new time zone.
Since I don’t know when we’ll have Internet next, I’m just gonna post our plans for the rest of today now:
Shower
Check out of hotel
Take crap to Gare de Lyon and stuff it in locker
Hang out on the Champs-Élysées/eat
Metro back to the station to take the TGV to...
WatchThis is basically what went down when the french kid tried to grab Teal’s bag. He wasn’t really wearing a beret.
On The Restorative Power Of Showers And Couscous
Editor’s note: This was written WAY BEFORE Teal’s post, but since she didn’t fall asleep and also figured out the Internet, she got the scoop on me.
Longest. Day. Ever.*
*Read in the voice of comic book guy.
Let me start where I last left you, on the tarmac at Miami International Airport.
Let me divulge for a moment about our seating arrangement on the Airbus 330. We were in the...
It's hard to stay awake when you're just a tourist
out on the streeeeeet (cue bad David Bowie impersonation)*.
Well, Alex has typed up an incredibly detailed and engaging summary of our trek from Miami Airport all the way to Hotel Jarry, Paris, and because of that I’ll try not to spoil too much (he’s asleep right now. It’s 6 pm, and I’m so jealous of him/will be joining soon). Our direct flight from Miami to Paris...
How To Avoid Lines At The Airport
Arrive 3.5 hours before your flight. Within 15 minutes we were through security and had to figure out what to do for 3 hours. In those 15 minutes the following occurred:
•We got through security.
•A French security guard looked down my shorts.
•Teal was boob-raped (not by me)
•A Miami International Airport bathroom smelled like excrement/altoids.
•Our ability to speak French was exposed as...
Pre-flight instructions
After a morning of rushing around, showering, searching, packing, finding, cat petting and printing every known confirmation e-mail known to man, we’ve finally hit the open road (sort of). Our flight leaves at 9 tonight, so we’ve got plenty of time to mosey on down to Miami a la Alligator alley (I think). Alex and I along with our intrepid partners Sonal and Harry have ventured about...
Good Timing, Wachovia (or Should I Say Wells...
Preparing for a trip where you are going to spend a long period of time away from all of the creature comforts you’ve become accustomed to (here I am talking about France like it’s some third-world country) is a harrowing experience. Making sure that your finances are in order, cats are fed, and approximately 145,305 other things are taken care of is stressful. It’s even worse...
T-Minus 22 Hours
Consider this the inaugural post in the travel blog of Teal Seltz and Alex Heeren. We are two young Americans who, at 9:00 PM tomorrow, will lift off from Miami International Airport on an Airbus A330 to Paris. A night in the city of lights and we TGV to Lyons, our adopted home for one month in a faraway land.
This Tumblr is intended to share our day-to-day experiences and memories with family...
