An enjoyable weekend...

Well before this weekend it seemed as though nothing too exciting had happened, other than starting classes last week. However, this weekend provided a few opportunities that I really enjoyed. On Friday, I received a call from a friend who lives in the village here to go oout with him and one of his friends, which I of course accepted. It was really nice, we went out in small city of Poissy, which is about 20 minutes from Bazemont. Not only was I able to drink my favorite beer (Paulaner for those of you who want to buy me some for my birthday, christmas, or just because you love me), but I enjoyed some very interesting conversation about the differences between France and the US, particularly in terms of the health care reform. I have been talking to a lot of people lately about the health care reform, since the major US news is also big news over here. People here have a difficult time understanding why Americans are so opposed to the reform, so I try to explain what I know, but they nearly always end up frustrated. And, I can't say that I blame them...Either way, I really enjoyed hanging out with the locals and really feeling like a part of France.

Sunday was the best, and most interesting, day of the weekend because I went to see Laurent's (the dad) show! It was magnificent!! Although it's difficult to describe the show itself, my best effort would say it's a mixture of classical and modern music with comedy. The transitions between the classical and modern music are absolutely incredible, as the group essentially has picked rhythms and melodies from classical music that are used in modern music and smoothly transitions from a piece by Bach to something by Michael Jackson, for example. The group, known officially as "Le Quatuor" basically invented the idea of this type of show, as nothing like it (at least in Europe) existed before the creation of this group. This year, they are celebrating 20 years together!! To put that in perspective, just think of how many popular artists have lasted 20 years...and then think about how many artists remain relevant for that period of time. Not very many...and those that have lasted that long are considered among the greatest artists we have ever known. Every detail of this show is genius at work...I know I'm doing an awful job of describing the show itself, but considering I've never seen anything like it and very few groups like this one exist, it's quite a difficult task. However, here's a link if you're interested: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2tZm3OiO_E&hl=fr This particular clip is, as the title indicates, an excerpt from the segment they call "The Music Professor" and I think it does a fairly good job of illustrating some of the more appealing parts of the ideas behind this group.

Of course, these types of shows have to take place somewhere, and even the venue was incredible. When they play in Paris, the shows take place at the Théâtre des Variétés, one of many little Parisian venues that has an incredible charm and coziness built into its walls. You can see the theatre on its website: http://www.theatre-des-varietes.fr/ just click on "le théâtre en images" or google it and look at the images. We also had the chance to go backstage, since we knew one of the artists. That was a very neat experience as well. Each performer gets essentially an apartment, complete with sofa, bed, showers, toilets, etc. A person could really live there if they wanted to! Plus, it's kind of neat to see a familiar person's name and photo at the entrance of the apartment with a sign that says (in French of course) "Laurent Vercambre's Dressing Room." I don't know exactly how to explain the place, but it is full of plush reds and warm golds and has the feeling of a living room almost (although it's a huge living room with a bunch of seats). We also were able to see the room that shows all the famous people who have played, acted, etc in the theatre and that was incredibly neat. Next weekend is my weekend with the boys and the weekend after I plan on going back to Paris for some sightseeing and friend-seeing. For now, that's the news from across the pond...I'll post some pictures of the house as soon as I finish taking them.

Recent Happenings and Future Plans

Well I thought it was about time for an update, even if I don't have anything in particular to discuss at length. Things are settling into a nice rhythm now, so I'm very happy about that, it makes the days a little better when I know exactly what is going on. The kids' activities and school are in full-swing. They both play tennis (as I think I hinted in an earlier post), Jorge(9) started hip-hop classes this week (both that and tennis on Mondays) and he also has swimming and guitar on Tuesdays, so the beginning of the week is very busy for him. Eddy isn't doing as many activities, but he has ping pong (they have ping-pong competitions here, it's pretty intense) on Tuesdays and tennis on Fridays, so they both stay fairly busy between activities and homework. I started my french classes today, which was actually mildly disappointing because my teacher is Greek. My host parents were also surprised and told me that if it's not good for me, then we can try to figure something else out. Personally, I think it will be alright because I am fairly sure I will be switching courses soon to a French professor (or at least I hope so!). The courses are always nice though for expanding vocabulary and just reinforcing things I already know. The courses are 3 times a week (Mon, Tues, Thurs) for 2 hours each time. I don't think that will be too overwhelming, although our professor did say today that he expects us to work on homework for 4 hours/week, which I think was about my workload in college...anyway, I like the structure.

I know of a few happenings in the foreseeable future and I'll share those to get up some excitement about blog postings for these events: we have a birthday party (about the 3rd or 4th since I've been here!!) on Saturday at one of the neighbors and those are always fun because it's a good opportunity to use my french and meet people, etc. Sunday we are going to the Dad's show, which opens tomorrow in Paris!! I am really looking forward to going there, first of all because it's in Paris and secondly because I think it will be a unique experience. Anyway, the whole family will be going there...and the next weekend the Mom is in Nantes for the weekend, so I get a weekend with the kids and I am actually really looking forward to that!! (don't choke on your food if you're eating...I know it's surprising) I think it will be a nice opportunity to grow closer with them and just goof around and pretend like I'm a little kid again :) Probably the biggest news in the foreseeable future is my plan to go to Amsterdam with a few Colombians. Although we haven't set a date yet, it sounds like it is going to happen for sure and that will be a lot of fun, especially because we are going to spend a day in Bruges (Belgium), a place I have wanted to visit for awhile now!

I almost forgot about the music festival I attended on Saturday! It took place in Maule, a town just 10 minutes away, which is a fairly small town (6,000 inhabitants), but they did a great job of bringing some interesting acts to the festival. I went with the family on Saturday night and we saw 3 acts, the most interesting of which I think would have to be the African big-band group, which brought a lot of energy and a different vibe. I also met a great couple who live on the outskirts of Paris, with whom I exchanged information and now I have another place to stay in Paris and people to hang out with when I go there, so that's pretty exciting as well! Unfortunately, I was allergic to some sort of grass there or something because I had a little bit of difficulty breathing and therefore sleeping that night, but it was still worth it!

Well that's it for now from this side of the pond...comments, suggestions, and snide remarks are always welcome!

Photos-Eddy & Jorge, Laurent's Birthday, Trip to Countryside

GREAT NEWS!!

I found an English translation of the book I was talking about for any of you who might be interested: http://www.amazon.com/Could-Almost-Eat-Outside-Appreciation/dp/0312203640/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1253278756&sr=1-1 The title in English is: "We Could Almost Eat Outside: An Appreciation of Life's Little Pleasures...it might be hard to find outside of Amazon, I'm not sure...but I definitely recommend reading the book, you will love it! That's it for now...wanted to share my excitement with everyone!

Just another Wednesday...not

Well I've realized that if I don't write immediately about the little things in France that I have enjoyed, I won't write about them at all. Therefore, I am writing now about last night, which was a quite fun experience. For those of you who don't know, I am the 3rd au pair my family has had. The previous two have both been Colombian, as the family wanted someone from South America, since that is where the kids are from. Anyway, one of previous au pairs' parents are in Paris now visiting their daughter who is also an au pair outside of Paris. So, my host family invited the parents and daughter to dinner last night. 2 immediate observations: (1) I have lost at least half of my Spanish (2) It is incredible to have not one, but 2 different cultural backgrounds in the same room at once and for an extended period of time. My host mother went all out making appetizers and a wonderful dinner and dessert. And although the cuisine was great, that was nothing new. The highlight of the evening was just sitting and talking (in 3 different languages, no less) with my host family and the Colombian parents and daughter. I had a great conversation with the father about the situation in Colombia with the drug trafficking (sp?) and to hear his views on Chavez and the Venezuelan situation, which were surprisingly similar to my views on the situation. It was nice to revisit Colombia a bit, since I had studied it in depth in one of my spanish courses in college and also just to hear the various perspectives. It was also neat to meet someone who is doing the same thing I am doing and who lives near Paris as well, although since there is a big Colombian contingent in Paris, I think they generally do things with one another. Nonetheless, we talked about Prague and I am now set on going there no matter what, so hopefully that will happen sooner rather than later. Anyway, these cultural exchanges are just one great part of living in France and I feel very fortunate to be able to meet and talk with such interesting people. Sorry if this post seems rather disorganized, I wrote it in a hurry and without much thought...that's it for now though!

A typical day in Bazemont

As promised, here comes my "typical day in the life of Regan Becker" post. The day usually starts around 9, since I can sleep in as much as I want and the evenings are generally pretty late. Breakfast consists of a choice between cereal or bread with an assortment of jams/butter/honey, along with the traditional morning coffee French-style (strong! :)) After breakfast, I generally take a glance at what activities are going on that particular day. Wednesdays are the busiest, since Jorge has off school, but other happenings might be tennis, guitar, or swimming, or perhaps a guest for dinner. This just gives me a good chance to plan out my day. Since Bazemont is a small village (around 1,500 inhabitants) there isn't a whole lot going on here. I guess there used to be 3 or 4 cafés and a patisserie (bread/pastry store) here, but those are gone now and now that I think about it there aren't really any interesting businesses in the village. However, it's not really a big deal because Maule and Aubergenville (both 5-8 min driving from here) have plenty to offer in terms of that. I have gone a few times to cafés in Maule, but I don't really ever need to because everything I need is here at the house.

Anyway, I have every day free until 4 pm when I go to pick up Eddy (12 yrs old) from school in Maule. My mornings are generally spent reading whatever French publication I can get my hands on. I buy the Philosophie Magazine, which is fun to read, and for other "light" reading I can always read the newspaper which comes every morning. I also now have a backlog of French books to read that have been given to me by my family as they have gotten to know my interests. Unfortunately, I am not very far in the first one I have started, but I did manage to finish "La Première Gorgée de Bière et Autres Plaisirs Miniscules", (The First Sip of Beer and other miniscule pleasures) which was one of the most incredible books I have ever read. As the title suggests, it is a book about the little things in life which bring pleasure, such as those days of spring where one could "almost" eat outside. Anyway, the morning generally goes by pretty quickly somehow and then it's time for lunch. Lunch consists of leftovers on Mon, Wed, and Thurs, but leftovers are pretty good when it's French cuisine that is left over. Things that are always included in a meal in France are: Bread, Water, Wine, and Cheese. Fortunately, there hasn't been a lot of potage (french soup consisting of who knows what ground up and somehow remaining tasteless)...generally its fish or duck or chicken or some sort of wonderful meal that we eat...and of course to finish off wine and cheese and finally un petit café.

One of my favorite parts about this family is the musical aspect and many of my afternoons are spent playing the piano, whether its playing something I know or just playing freely. Sometimes the dad (professional violinist for those of you who don't know) will accompany me on violin or guitar, which is always a lot of fun. Like many of my friends' parents, the dad has similar taste in music as I do, so its been fun to discuss different musical ideas and to exchange music. Sometimes I take walks around the village or just sit in the backyard and read (although it's beginning to get a little too cold for that).

As I mentioned, I pick up Eddy at 4 o'clock every day (although that will end once I begin classes next week because I don't get done until 3:45), Jorge (9 years old) gets home at 4:30 and they generally do their homework right away. If there are any activities I will take them to their activities for the evening, then we eat and then they basically go to bed.

Post-bedtime is reserved for catching up on e-mails, blogging, and trying to make progress of my graduate school applications (keep your fingers crossed for me!). I generally put on music (right now it's Tom Petty "You Wreck Me" playing on iTunes) and try to get down to things. Late-night for me is also the best time to talk if you are interested in skyping or if you need to get ahold of me, I am always on the computer around 3 pm CDT or 4 EDT. I also try to get my own things organized (right now that consists of reminding myself to open my bank account, charge my phone, and send mail to the French government before they come after me!) which isn't all that exciting, but is one of those things that needs to be done no matter where one is. Well that's about a typical day for me...nothing too exciting, but yet my days are at my own pace, which is really a wonderful luxury. Next post...my first piano concert in France

L'Orangerie and Sainte Chapelle

A Sunday in Paris

So I think last time I wrote I was so encouraged by the fact that I was almost caught up that I at some point decided to not write for awhile. Anyway, here’s my attempt at catching up, which may not be the most detailed account in the world, but at least will give you an idea of what I’ve been up to.

My first full weekend here, I took the day Sunday to go to Paris because all the "national museums" are free the first Sunday of every month. I drove to the train station in Maule and took the train from there into Paris (about an hour in total). I had a few ideas of what I wanted to do planned out, so I began working on that list with a trip to L'Orangerie museum. This is another impressionist museum in Paris, located in the Tuileries garden, in between the Place de la Conconrde (where Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI were executed by French revolutionaries) and the Louvre. The highlight of this museum are the two oval-shaped rooms that house panels of Monet's waterlilly paintings. The idea of the rooms (dreamt up by Monet himself) is that, surrounded by the waterlily paintings, the viewer would feel engulfed in nature. The effect is quite magnificent, especially when coupled with the intense thought-process that went into the installaiton of Monet's paintings in this old greenhouse for orange-growing. The museum itself is between the Seine and the Tuileries gardens, where a marsh-like environment such as the one depicted in Monet's paintings could very well exist. The layout of the museum along an east-west line is perfect, as the waterlillies painted towards the morning begin in the east room and then the day continues into the west room, where one eventually finds the waterlillies at dusk. I unfortunately can't remember all of the details the curators thought of when installing these pieces, but this at least gives you an idea. This museum is a MUST for all impressionism fans visiting Paris.

One of my favorite things to do in Paris is to walk along the Seine. On this particular Sunday, it was a perfect day with a little breeze from the river to dull the heat from the sun. I walked for awhile and then sat down on a bench to people watch and eat lunch. I found myself near l'Ile-de-la-Cité (Notre Dame Cathedral), so I decided to make an unplanned visit to Sainte-Chappelle (a chapel on the island) because I remembered my old French prof saying it is a wonderful place. I found out when I arrived that they are doing some restoration on the stained-glass (for which this chapel is famous), so I debated with myself as to whether I should go in or not. In the end, I decided to give it a try, since I would have wanted to go at some point during the trip and the restoration will not be finished until 2013. It did not disappoint!! The panorama of stained-glass windows everywhere you look is magical, especially when the sun is shining through and the light dances on the walls. Much of the stained glass dates from the 13th century and they have done a fabulous job of preserving original panels, so that something like 85% of the stained glass is still original. They also have concerts there every once in awhile, so now I'm dreaming of listening to classical music in that gorgeous setting, but that may just remain a dream, we'll see....(On a side note, speaking of dreams, I'm dreaming in French now, which is a sign that my French is quite good now, so I'm very happy about that!)

To finish off the day, I headed over to Victor Hugo's house (Les Misérables), on the edge of the Place des Vosges, not too far from the Place de la Bastille (where the French Revolution began for those who might not know, although I think most reading this blog will know that). It was pretty neat to see where he lived, but like many homes turned into museums, there was a lot more about his family than his work. I enjoyed the museum enough, but it wouldn't be one of my first recommendations for those travelling to Paris. The good news is I still have a lot of time to go the other places I want to go as well, so I never have to feel like anything is a waste of time!! So that was more or less my day in Paris...a good one overall!

Trip to Paris/Settling in Bazemont

So last time I left off with the minor bumps along the way on my journey to Paris. As the 30th is generally the day when EVERYONE returns from vacation in France, I decided that for my train to Paris I should buy a couple days in advance. Unfortunately, a couple days turned out to not be enough, as all 16 trains to Paris Est train station were full when I went to buy the ticket. So I took the next best option (which more or less sucked) in which I went to Marne-la-Vallée (Disneyland Paris!) by train and then had to take the RER from Marne la Vallée to Paris Est. At least, this was the plan. However, upon checking my least often checked e-mail address the morning of my departure, I found out that my host mother had lost our communications through e-mail and so was not sure what time or even what day I was arriving! Naturally, this made me a little nervous, but there was nothing I could really do at the moment, so I decided to wait until I got to Paris to figure out the arrangements. Upon my arrival in Marne-la-Vallée, I attempted to call my host family, but each attempt was unsuccessful, so I decided to leave a message and take the RER to a convenient location in Paris and try again. I went to the Gare de Lyon (train station) in essentially the middle of Paris to try and call again. Fortunately, I was successful this time. As everyone was returning from vacation, traffic was awful, so we decided to meet in St Germain en laye (where I will be taking my french courses), which was another hour on the RER. When we did finally meet up in St Germain I was definitely relieved and a bit tired from the minor stresses of the day.

The nice thing was that when we arrived back at the house, the rest of the family was just leaving a birthday party of a relative just south of Paris, so I had some time to arrange my things and take a shower before they arrived. At first, the kids were naturally a little shy and I was already tired from my travels, so it was a little difficult to connect. Another adjustment for me was listening to and speaking French all day. Of course, this is a pleasant adjustment in general, but it is amazing at first how much energy it takes!! Fortunately, I am used to it now, so it's not a problem at all.

The first few days in Bazemont, the children and I took a bicycling tour of the area (essentially seeing where the younger one, Jorge, goes to school, the church, the countryside a little bit), went to the pool, the cinema, and played a little tennis. All of this was of course also a little tiring, but it was a good period of adjustment and getting to know the kids a little better. I've been to a couple social events already with the family (a birthday party and a soirée with all the parents of schoolchildren), so I know some people in the village now and everyone seems very nice. These interactions are also nice because they afford some intellectually stimulating conversation and discussion of the differences in our respective societies, etc. In fact, every day is a learning experience, whether it's a cultural lesson or an insight into the workings of French families, I really enjoy these little pleasures. It's also a lot of fun to live in this little village because you can do things like walk by a berry bush and pick as many blackberries as you want and eat them on the spot. These are the treasures of a small village life in France. I feel now like I'm just trying to get this entry over with, so I think I'll stop writing for now, but will return soon with a typical day in the life of Regan in Bazemont, as well as a tale of a Sunday in Paris! Until then...

A few London Pictures

Florensac and Strasbourg

Well I'm feeling pretty good at the moment because I know I'm almost caught up with the blogging so I decided to be adventurous and try to do Florensac and Strasbourg all in one blog, since I don't have a ton to say about Florensac, having already been there once. We'll see how it works, these blogs have been taking longer than I would have expected, so I hope this works out alright.

I arrived in Florensac a little after 7 PM local time and my Mom's cousin and her husband (Linda and Val) picked me up from the train station in Agde, about 10 minutes from where they live. We returned to the house, where in the process of getting my things organized, I probably hit my head 4 or 5 times. For a taller person like me, many of the doorways in France are too short so I have to duck in order to get through them. There is also a doorway like that here in Bazemont, but the lump is receding and I've gotten used to ducking underneath doorways. Now I just have to hope I won't be one of those old men with a crooked back from having to duck so much. Anyway, that evening we went to a restaurant on the water in Marseillan I believe. Unfortunately, I can't remember the name of the restaurant, but the view sitting outside is beautiful because you have the docking area for the boats and the Mediterranean sea just beyond. I was pretty tired from my journey, so I returned from dinner and went straight to bed.

My stay in Florensac was just what I had hoped it would be, a nice reprieve from the busy city where I could get some R&R. I read a lot, finally finishing Dostoevsky's "The Brothers Karamazov" (good book, by the way) and just enjoyed the village and it surroundings by walking around. The courtyard at Linda and Val's is a warm, welcoming place with a variety of herbs, plants, and two cute rabbits. It's really the perfect place to reflect on the wonders of life or simply relax and enjoy the day. Another night we went to a restaurant in Pezenas, which is an older town where Molière once lived, full of old buildings and wonderful architecture. The restaurant we went to had a wonderful setting with a bunch of trees, making it feel like you're in a private garden. Since it was a tapas restaurant, we shared some tapas with some wine and good company. My final night in Florensac, we went to a jazz show at someone's house and since I love jazz it was perfect. Overall, the stay in Florensac provided some much need rest and relaxation, along with intellectually stimulating conversation and fine wine. I almost forgot to mention that they were harvesting white wine grapes while I was there (Sauvignon and Muscat if I remember correctly), so Linda and I went one morning to the Co-op to buy wine and got to see a little bit of the process, plus read about it on a computer program they had set up. It was really neat not only to see the wines of the Florensac area, but also to read how they differ from wines around the world!

The next morning it was off to Strasbourg, a charming city near the German border. It's a toss-up between Strasbourg and Edinburgh for my favorite city, as both cities were wonderful, but each offered a little different culture and attractions. My first night in Strasbourg I met someone from Switzerland, so the next day we headed out to see a few different things. First, we went to the Cathédrale de Notre Dame de Strasbourg, which is probably the most beautiful cathedral I have ever been in. Not only is the sheer size of the cathedral awe-inspiring, but the grand organ about halfway down the aisle is ornately decorated and there is a working astronomical clock which is really a pleasure to see in action when each hour passes. The angels hit the bells, the shepherd or demon or whatever happens to be the "symbol of the hour" moves back into the clock and the new hour marker appears. Plus, it accurately tells the sunrise and sunset times, among other things. And of course you have the "normal" cathedral stuff, such as beautiful stain-glassed windows and various statues of Mary and the saints, etc. Absolutely gorgeous is all I have to say...

After the cathedral, we grabbed a "little lunch" and then went to a Strasbourg history museum. Strasbourg provides an interesting historical specimen, as it has historically been caught between France and Germany, so there have been a lot of changes of lifestyle/government due to these competing influences and also the influences of the native Strasbourgeois (you at least know what I'm trying to say...). Anyway, since it was a really good deal we went there and then to the modern art museum, which I have to say I enjoyed much more than the one in London. Although it's not the original, this museum houses a plaster cast of Rodin's "The Thinker" and of course I will be going to the Rodin museum in Paris to see the original. However, even the plaster was incredibly impressive. Sitting in front of it, I felt like the statue was about to turn its eyes towards me and start contemplating me. It is an absolutely magnificent work of art.

Just wandering around Strasbourg is a lot of fun. It's a bit like Venice because a canal of sorts runs through it and the actual streets can be confusing at times. One section in particular, called "La Petite France" houses historic buildings reminiscent of Swiss chalets and in general different architecture than one normally sees in France (see pictures below). Anyway, Strasbourg was a lot of fun and on the 30th I managed to get to Paris and meet up with my host family, although not without some minor bumps along the way...

Pictures from Strasbourg

London

In London, my initial wanderings didn’t last too long, as it was necessary to take the tube to most places. Recognizing that my brain was about at its exhaustion point, I decided to do something a little more relaxing, but that would still lead me somewhere. So I meandered with the Thames across the city until I reached various sites, most of which border the Thames anyway. Initially, I ran into the Tate Modern Museum (free!), where I meandered through the modern section, stared in confusion at much of the contemporary section and left shortly after, completely stupefied…if there were ever a genre of art that warranted the label “abstract,” it would be contemporary art in my world. Anyway, right next door to this modern art museum (which happens to be housed in an extremely ugly old power station), happens to be the Globe Theatre. It’s really not much to look at, but of course is interesting for its historical implications…nothing to drool over though.

After reversing directions on the tube, I arrived at the famed London Eye (which I did not go in because I wasn’t all that impressed with London in the first place) and the Parliament building, which was actually quite nice. Since it was Sunday, the Parliament building was closed, but it is a nice architectural specimen from the outside so I wasn’t about to complain. After an afternoon nap, dinner, and some relaxation/thinking/admiring the view on the Thames, it was time to call it a day.

Day 2 in London was much better. I began the day by taking the tube to Buckingham Palace, which is very impressive. Although it was tempting to go inside, I didn’t think the £15 it cost was really a good price (of course later that day I passed by Madame Tussard’s and that was £25!!!). Plus, it was just fun to see the fountain and the guards outside and I had other things on my agenda. After Buckingham Palace I went to Trafalgar Square and saw statues of various famous Englishmen and also found the National Gallery of England (free!) which houses a collection of works that I could appreciate a little more than those in the contemporary section at Tate Modern. After spending a few hours there, I proceeded to Royal Albert Hall just to see the place where so many interesting concerts/historical events have taken place. Again I chose not to go inside, but instead to have a snack just opposite the Hall with the ornately decorated monument to Albert.

Upon return to the hostel I was planning on just having a drink and then resting for my long journey to Florensac the next day, but ran into a few Frenchmen (one who lives not far from me at all here in Bazemont), got caught up in conversation, and my quiet night turned into a somewhat more eventful, pleasant evening. The next morning it was goodbye London, taking the Eurostar under the English Channel to Paris before embarking that afternoon by train from Paris to Florensac.

Edinburgh

Well there's a lot of catching up to do here, so I'm going to try and do one place at a time, that way it is broken up a little bit and I don't have to write one extremely long blog. So here goes my attempt at Edinburgh:

I arrived in Edinburgh August 21, fresh off the plane (although not really 'fresh') from JFK, with a layover in Dublin. After passing through customs, I managed to find the bus to take me to the city center, where I got off and proceeded to haul my luggage up a rather steep incline before "going down" (too many philosophical implications) to my hostel. Since I arrived about 9 in the morning, I couldn't get into a room and, despite my fatigue, decided to take a stroll around the city. As I usually do when I first arrive in a new place, I simply began walking without any idea of where I was going. This worked surprisingly well, as I passed by "The Scotsman" newspaper and picked up a copy of the program from the International Fringe Festival and then ran into an outdoor display of essentially the geological history of Edinburgh, which turned out to be quite interesting. I was also quite near "Arthur's Seat", a large hill/small mountain that overlooks the city. While I thought it might be nice to take a hike, I wasn't wewaring the right shoes or clothes for it, so I decided to return to the hostel for a quick nap before further exploration.

Setting out for further exploration, I found myself rather at "Fringe Central" and of course had to stop to watch certain odd acts, such as a man trying to fit through a tennis racket (he succeeded) and other events only a Fringe Festival can provide. Fortunately, Fringe Central happened to be very close to Princes Street, the main street in Edinburgh, so I took a stroll down Princes Street for some nice views of the Edinburgh castle (although nothing could have prepared me for the night view, which of course I failed to get a picture of) and then to the Royal Museum of Scotland to view some artwork. The collection itself wasn't bad, but of course nearly all museums are not quite as impressive after having visited the Louvre. After more fringing about, I looked a little more closely at the program and decided to get a ticket for a Jazz Show that evening, which turned out to be a wonderful choice, particularly over a glass of wine.

I had all the next day to continue exploration and wander by street performances. Since Edinburgh Castle is THE attraction in Edinburgh, I decided to start the day there. Little did I know, it took me 3 or 4 hours to go through all of it. The castle itself is magnificent and contains wonderful little tidbits of history, such as the birth of James I of England/James VI of Scotland to Mary, Queen of Scots in 1566. The castle also contains the oldest building in Scotland, a little chapel known as Saint Margaret's chapel, built around 1130. An old church turned into a Scottish National War Memorial is another highlight, along with the 1 o'clock firing of the cannon. I always debate with myself as to whether or not I should get an audio guide when I go to some of these tourist sites, but this one was definitely worth it.

After grabbing a late lunch, I took a walk towards Calton Hill, another great spot for viewing the Edinburgh skyline and visiting historical monuments. On the way, I was fortunate enough to run into the cemetary where David Hume is buried, where I heard the whisper of a "wow" escape me. Fortunately, there was no one around to hear me talking to myself. After the cemetary, I continued my walk to Calton Hill, where I found the Scottish National Monument and another monument to a person I had never heard of which was cool nonetheless. The architects for both of these monuments were inspired by ancient Greek architecture, which the National Monument being modeled on the Parthenon. An awe-inspiring view in all directions is isn't the attraction on Calton Hill, but apparently David Hume found it as incredible as I did, as, in 1776, he petitioned the Scottish Parliament to create a circular walking path around the top of the hill so that the citizens of Edinburgh could enjoy the view from all points. The path, creatively named the "David Hume Walk", is still there today and I couldn't resist tracing his footsteps before descending into the chaos that is Edinburgh during this huge Fringe Festival.

It was more or less at this point that I grabbed dinner and returned to the hostel to grab my luggage before heading to the bus station for an overnight trip to London. I always think these overnight trips are great ideas when I book them (transportation and sleeping at the same price as a hostel, what could be better??) but I find that I don't enjoy them because it's always difficult to sleep and the trips aren't long enough to get enough sleep. Coincidentally or not, I found myself seated next to an older couple from Rochester, MN who were staying in Ainwick, England with a group of students they had brought over from St. Cloud State, where the husband is a professor. After talking to them for awhile, they told me they were staying at the duke's castle in Ainwick until December and have invited me to visit. For Harry Potter fans out there, the flying lesson scene in the first Harry Potter movie was filmed in the courtyard of this castle. So I do hope to do that, although it might be somewhat difficult with my schedule....nonetheless, these are the type of unexpected adventures European travel seems always to afford if only one's schedule is flexible enough and the money supply unlimited. Fortunately, I was able to sleep for awhile on the bus and arrived in London early the next morning ready to take my exploratory walk....