My European tour travel tips

At this moment in my journey, I feel as though I have become somewhat of a veteran European traveler. In fact, when I was booking seat reservations for a few train trips in April with Elena at the Reisezetrum (trip central – a service offered by Deutsche Bahn to help travelers plan their journeys throughout Europe by train or bus) the customer service agent complemented us on our traveling organization. He said that we planned things out like true Europeans. This came about after I explained to him a colour coded month calendar that Elena and I had drawn up indicating what flights we were taking, which hotel we were staying in, and which seat reservations for trains would be needed.

Hősök tere (Heroe’s Square) in Budapest

Just to give an impression of the amount of traveling I’m referring to: In the month of April we would travel through Hungary, South of France, Spain, Germany, and Italy. We stayed in the cities: Budapest, Godollo, Frankfurt, Marseille, Nice, Monaco, Barcelona, Girona, Munich, Berlin, Rome, Lido de Jesolo, and Venice. When you do that much traveling you have to be extremely organized if you want to actually visit the cities that you are traveling to. We managed through a few hiccups and I hope my travel tips will help others avoid similar problems while traveling through Europe.

1. Avoid traveling by train through the South of France. Seeing the French Riveria by train sounds like a great idea. This is true if you only plan on seeing the coast visually. Due to a nasty strike that occurs frequently with Frances rail services provider, SNCF, we were grounded in Nice for a night even though it was only supposed to be a day trip. Comparatively to Spain and Germany, the rail system in France is extremely unreliable.

One of the most photographed bridges in Venice

I would even say that when I have taken trains in France without a strike, the service has been far less than satisfactory. Avoid this service if possible.

• To avoid this problem rent a car. It will probably cost about the same or slightly more but you will at least be guaranteed to travel when you have planned. This was not an option for me or Elena as we were both only 20 and the requirement to rent a car is 21.

2. Plan ahead. This seems obvious but I think that it is important to note the process to help this be done efficiently. Elena and I were able to book the majority of our travels in only two days. How?

1. Start by researching the countries you think that you would like to visit. For this step I would recommend Europe on a Shoestring. This was an excellent Christmas gift from my sister and family and was a fantastic resource to give me a general understanding of which countries I would be interested in traveling too. This book is a bit expensive but is useful for pretty much every step following this one.
2. Once you know the countries that you would like to visit, it is time to narrow this down to cities.
3. Now it is time to map out your travels in a calendar.
4. Once you have the calendar figured out I recommend using www.tripadvisor.com to look into reviews about the hotel/hostel you plan on staying at. The most helpful sites to book hotels have been  www.expedia.ca and www.booking.com. Also, if you plan on renting a car expedia can get you a package deal for some hotels which helps bring down the costs. Lastly, you will probably get very familiar with www.ryanair.com, www.wizzair.com, and www.ticketpilot.com. These websites can help you find cheap flights to pretty much anywhere in Europe. Just make sure you pay close attention to what airport you are flying out of and that you know any restrictions for baggage etc. Flying may seem a bit expensive compared to trains or renting a car but sometimes it saves time. So it really depends on if you are allocating a cost to lost time…
5. If you are planning to use trains the websites and train systems are obviously very different from country to country. A EURail pass is something to look into but I recommend using this resource sparingly as Elena and I actually found it cheaper and more efficient to fly to some destinations rather than train it. However, the beautiful part of using the trains is that you don’t have to go through security, you don’t have any baggage restrictions, and it is a little easier to get work done on the train as opposed to the planes.
6. Buses are also an option for travel. The only bus that I have taken long distance was from Montpelier to Barcelona. It was a four and a half hour ride it an air conditioned leather seated bus. It was nice that we could use our Eurail pass for it but it isn’t the fastest way to travel. Plus, if you have to go to the bathroom you better have the bladder of a camel or you might wet yourself.
7. Majority of the hard stuff is out of the way and you can usually spend your time while you are in transition to plan out how each day will work in the end location. Look into the sights that are must see’s through www.lonelyplanet.com or www.wikitravel.com. Lonely planet can give you some great day by day tips and Wikitravel will help you to learn detail about where you are going. If you are keen enough buy Formers day by day travel books for specific cities in Canada. These are great little books with detailed maps and planned days for about 15 bucks. If you need travel books in English they will be harder to find in Europe and for some reason the selection of day by day travel books is even more limited. However, you won’t need a travel book for ever city. You can always print things out from Lonely planet and Wikitravel and plan your own day trips.
   • If you don’t want to really plan any kind of tours of the area you are going to there are always lots of tour companies running walking or bus tours. Sometimes great if you have lots of money…. But if you don’t one option is www.neweurope.com. This company runs free walking tours of Munich, Berlin, Amsterdam, and a bunch of other cities. Great to learn a little history and check out some of the sights. What’s the catch? You have to tip the tour guide. So the tour is free if you really hated the tour or if you enjoyed it you pay what you feel it was worth. Elena and I had a really great experience in Germany using this type of tour. It really helped us to learn allot about Berlin and Munich, despite the fact that we were only in each city for about 40 hours.
8. Don’t waste your money on maps you can always get them from train stations, bus stations, information booths, tourist offices, and a number of other ways. (in Budapest I actually found a great map just laying on the ground that we used to plan our travels to see the sights.)

 

A view of the port in Monaco while they are preparing for the F1 races in late May

3. Bring a good quality lightweight suit case. This is very important for your physical and financial well being. Firstly, unless you plan on working on your physique as you travel around, don’t bring a heavy suit case to travel with. For a week trip you will probably need about 5-8kg of clothes and other necessities. Additionally, you will probably want to purchase a few things from the destination which you are visiting; adding a few more kilos. The last thing you need is a heave base (i.e your suit case/carry on). Your financial well being is only threatened by having a heavy carry on suit case when you plan on using any discount airline. From personal experience I can tell you that if you are one kilo over on Ryan Air, it is a 35 Euro charge to check your bag.

4. Don’t cheap out when traveling by night train. Night trains can be a very efficient way to travel, provided you get the sleep you need. However, the worst experience is staying awake for the entire 8-10 hours (usually how long night trains run for). Usually, the whole point of traveling by night train is to save some money (not having to pay for a hotel) and getting half a day if not more of extra travel in your destination of choice. Be smart and get a sleeping cabin for the extra few Euros, it is well worth the money. Only if you have to would I ever recommend riding in the seated area by night train. My hand was forced on a night train to Munich. It was a brutal snore filled (not by me) and extremely cold uncomfortable not dark enough wide awake 7 hour ride. Please take my advice on this one at least if not anything else.

5. Be very careful with discount airlines. They are trying to get into your wallet at every opportunity and they are very serious about it. You are sold a ticket with a base price and then charged for pretty much every step after that. So in the end you will pay for fees (Ryan Air Example) such as online check in (5 Euros per ticket), 1^st checked bag of only 15kg (15 Euros), 2^nd checked bag (50 Euros), and then the taxes.

Brandenburg Gate - One of the most recognized and symbolic pieces of architecture for Berlin and Germany

Plus, they have very strict carry on dimension and weight regulations that if broken cost 35 Euros. Or if you lose your boarding pass/need it reprinted/changed it costs 40 Euros per ticket. Know the rules and don’t break them, it will cost you.

With these fees you should also include the travel costs to and from the airports that most discount airlines fly from/to (most of these airlines don’t pay landing fees. So they can’t afford to fly to the main airports in major cities… this is also why you get the ticket for so cheap).

6. Travel in smaller groups. Group travel in general can make things cheaper. Many trains, museums, and tour companies offer discounts if you have a group. However, if you are going to travel in a group try to keep it between 3-5 people. This is important for a few reasons.

1. Traveling with large groups it can prove very difficult to coordinate everyone and keep the group together when trying to make multiple public transportation transfers, get into bars, or find a restaurant/hotel/hostel to accommodate everyone. If you are the person planning the excursion, save yourself the agony of dealing with multiple people asking the same questions, getting lost, or not liking the plan.
2. If you keep the group size odd (either 3or 5) it will make voting on decisions easier. Sometimes, you have so many different ideas within a group it can be hard to make a decisions and really waste allot of time. This is why I recommend an odd number of people. I hope you can avoid some frustrations this way.
3. Understand what everyone’s separate goals of the trip are. Many people are simply looking for a good time and to enjoy some of the best bars in Europe. Others may be more interested in sight seeing or shopping. Try to find people with the same goals or interests. This will make your trip more enjoyable personally as well as for the others. This way you don’t have each person in the group doing their own thing and traveling alone for the entire journey.
   

   Neuschwanstein Castle

7. Don’t waste your precious Euros paying for internet. Many hotels charge to use internet or you can’t get it in your room. There are internet cafes but they are usually quite expensive. Spend a few Euros in McDonalds in most cities and you can get unlimited internet access. You don’t realize how much you love internet until you don’t have it. If you don’t feel like McDonald’s there is always Starbucks! However, it is a little pricey and there are not as many Starbucks compared to McDonald’s. Knowing this little tip makes it allot easier to hand projects and papers in while taking all of Europe.

8. Pack strategically. The last thing you want to do is be rushing counting down to your flight and slamming everything you can into random bags. For when you are coming, simply research the average weather and avoid over packing. It is very expensive to pay for the extra weight of your baggage when you are trying to return. Additionally, you should keep in mind that there will be allot of things that you will want to bring home with you. Leave some space for those items!

• If you do happen to over pack and your bags are too heavy to bring home, you can always send any paper materials home under “printed goods”. It is important you use the words “printed goods” or you will end up paying allot to send your stuff home. Elena and I had to do this and it cost 45 Euros to send 10kg of stuff home to Canada. This was a pretty good deal considering other options were 10 Euro’s per kg.

9. Avoid sleeping the night before your flight to and from home. This will help you decrease the effects of jet leg and sleep on the plane. I really found this helped when I arrived to Germany.

10. Don’t stress over the travel. Be flexible! Some things you plan might not work out. If you see something you like buy it at that moment don’t wait and plan to go back for it. You probably will have to rush around a bit and make decisions very quickly but don’t let this take away from your enjoyment of where you are.

One skill that you are supposed to master upon the completion of your degree is time management. This exchange experience has really tested my skills to do just that. I had to focus on my school work while not even in Germany, make it back to Germany to attend my classes, and still stay organized to: enjoy, experience, and learn about where I was traveling through. I think that this is just another way that an exchange experience opens your eyes and is helpful to master a skill you’re expected to know after you complete your degree.

The Coliseum- The Token I was here in Rome Picture

Life twist-turned upside down…

My best attempt to fit in...

Just when I think that I start to really understand what it is to be German and really feel in tune with the rhythm of German culture, the country seems to throw a massive curveball at me. My initial understanding of German culture was that the people are very reserved, like organization, everything is done in a timely fashion with little chit-chat, and they are very serious about recycling and garbage.

However, I happen to be staying in just the right place in Germany to experience something called Karneval (Carnival) and Fastnacht. This is a tradition that began in the 16^th century and is celebrated mostly in the Catholic areas of the Rheinland (the regions bordering the Rhine River). Karneval is known as the 5^th season and begins on November 11 and ends on Ash Wednesday in February. Don’t get ahead of me though. I don’t want you to think that Germans party in the Rheinland from November 11 through February.  The partying begins on February 11 at 11:11am with large parades/parties in Dusseldorf, Köln, and Mainz (as well as many other cities, those are just the biggest). The purpose of Karneval is to shake off the winter blues and cheer all the moody people up.

The trains going in the direction of Köln were full of people dressed in costumes. Trying to be as thrifty as possible, most exchange students could only afford to share face paint. I think that if it wasn’t for the face paint we would have been far too uncomfortable to partake in the events of Karneval. Every direction in which you look the people were wearing costumes, partying in the street with marching bands, drinking Glühwein (hot wine) and beer, as well as eating sausages and döner (donair). It was really strange to see such a stereotypically reserved bunch of people partying so hard at 11:11am on a Thursday.

Unfortunately, the TV crew goes to interview an exchange student who doesn’t speak German

For the first time I actually saw garbage on the ground in Germany. There was tons of it! But before we caught the last train home there were already snowplough like machines and a few other mechanical contraptions cleaning up the day’s debris. Unlike home, even when you are out in Germany they recycle. The garbage cans actually have different slots for different types of garbage. But in the spirit of the party I guess everyone decides that putting things in the garbage is no longer important, never mind recycle. I was really shocked by this.   

One of an endless amount of streets full with people

Unfortunately, I was only able to take part in the first day of Karneval. The remaining six days I spent either in class or studying for a final exam. Though, it was still very comical when I would be going to school and a car full of, literally, “clowns” would drive by. Or when walking home at night, which typically in Oestrich-Winkel you would see nothing, you run into a group of older-middle-aged people all dressed in costume laughing and singing with drinks in their hands.

This was yet another great experience and reason to love being on exchange.

Back in Paris

Yet another week with only two lectures and still sick with the travel bug; I was off to Lille and Paris again. With minor complications, such as the train from Frankfurt dividing into two trains in Bonn: one going to Brussels the other to Amsterdam, I was able to jump on to the right half of the train due to them not splitting apart properly. This delayed my journey by two hours but it did give me the opportunity to change wagons so that I didn’t end up in Amsterdam. I was back in Lille, two hours late but nevertheless I made it. After enjoying a nocturnal museum visit, as Elena has already mentioned, we were off to Paris. I was so happy to have Elena as my knowledgeable guide to show me around as well as have a hotel room to sleep in! No 24 hour cafe with two other random travelers and an invitation for a moped ride at 3 in the morning this time.

One thing that I should not forget to mention is that before arriving in Paris we attended a six hour lecture on French cultural differences from a global perspective (the students in Elena’s class). We all actively participated and shared our opinions on the French and their culture. Many students noticed how proud French people are about being from France. Sometimes this pride almost comes off as arrogant when they say things like “well it’s nice but in France we have … and it is better.”  Now, having been to Paris I understand why most French people aren’t really impressed with museums and art when in other countries. Sometimes it really is better in France.

One of my favourite pictures of the Eiffel Tower (we took a lot of them haha)

Arc du Triomphe- a risky picture to take but people are always dodging cars in France

The amount of things a person can see in Paris in a weekend is truly amazing. Elena and I managed to visit the Eiffel Tower, Versailles, Louvre, Montmartre, Arc du Triomphe, La Grand Arche, Moulin Rouge, and Notre Dame. I had seen pictures of most of these places but it truly is something else to see them in person. The downside of traveling in Paris at this time of year is the weather and that we never made it to the top of the Eiffel Tower or inside Rodin. However, Elena and I have already planned another day trip to Paris so that we can get to the top of the Eiffel Tower and see the beautiful sculptures of Auguste Rodin.

Montmartre- near our hotel

Hall of Mirrors in Versailles- Still waiting to see if they will accept my offer to purchase...

Not to take away from all the great things I’ve said about Paris but I think an update on the dog feces that I spoke about in my previous blog is in order. Elena and I came up with a theory for when to watch out and when you should be safe. If you are in touristy areas, the amount of feces isn’t as bad. We believe this is due to large volumes of foot traffic. However, you should be more careful in the morning because it is less likely that somebody will step in the doo-doo before you. Ok, that is the last time that I will mention dog feces. I hope…

Once again another trip comes to a conclusion and after taking some time to appreciate Paris, I feel as though I have a better understanding about French culture. As Russel Peters (one of my favourite comedians) would say, this trip was “mind blasting” from an architectural and artistic perspective. I can’t wait to go back to Paris.

A little place called Düsseldorf

A lot of the other international students are starting to make fun of the fact that the only place they ever see me is in the train station. This really isn’t surprising as I was in Paris and Lille from January 15-20 then in Poland from the 22-25 and yet again I’m leaving Oestrich-Winkel to go to another city from 28-31.  At least this time I was staying in Germany.

The original plan was to meet Nicole Schöneich, a family friend, at the Düsseldorf main train station on Friday. Being a very consistent person, I somehow managed to make another mistake when purchasing my train ticket. On Wednesday, I had myself convinced that it was Thursday. I was probably mixed up as I was trying so hard to organize myself and plan my daily schedules. It only occurred to me after purchasing my ticket and riding home that I had said “I need a ticket to Düsseldorf for tomorrow please.” I looked at my ticket and sure enough I had bought a ticket for a day earlier than I had actually intended to buy. As soon as I got back home in Oestrich-Winkel, I contacted Nicole. Previously, she had mentioned that it may be a bit of a problem if I was to come on Thursday; as she had to work late. I told her it was my mistake and that I would definitely be able to occupy myself for the day but if she could still provide me with a place to sleep that would be awesome. I wasn’t looking forward to a repeat of my night in Paris. Luckily, Nicole laughed and then said that it wouldn’t be a problem, provided I could find something to do until 10-10:30.

After receiving the good news from Nicole, I quickly sent an email to Olivia Hornung. Olivia is the current holder of the contract for the flat I’m occupying. I told her that I would be in her home town and that I would like to meet up with her and her mom to pay my rent. Olivia said this wouldn’t be a problem and met me at the main train station.

Along the Rhine with the Rheinturm in the background. Anyone got the time?

Once I arrived, Olivia took me on a tour of the city. We walked along Königsalle, a very popular luxury shopping street also known as the Kö. It is like Whyte Avenue on fashion and jewellery steroids comparatively on European standards it is the Champs-Elysees (a very famous and expensive shopping street in Paris, France) of Germany. So we all know that I was just there to look and perhaps one day, if I have copious amounts of money that I just don’t know what to do with, I will be back. From there we continued the tour through the Altstadt (the old center of the city) to the Rhine. The wind was cold but nothing worse than what I have experienced in Edmonton. I could still feel my face and my eyes weren’t frozen shut; just a bit of a runny nose. Anyhow, we made it to the Rheinturm (television tower- 240.5m/789 feet) to take a look at the city from above. The Rheinturm is also the world largest digital clock. I was told this but nobody really seems to understand how it works. Still cool though.

We had sufficiently killed enough time and I was able to try an Altbier from Schlüssel, one of the local brewers of Altbier, as well as pick up some Killerpitsch. Killerpitsch is similar to Jägermeister but with a local touch to it. Nicole picked me up from Olivia’s house after I enjoyed some dinner with her family and as usual, I was ready to crash from all the information and traveling.          

Nicole proudly wearing her Oilers T-shirt

Nicole works in customer retention for E-plus, a German telecom company, and she also goes to school. So once again, different city but same country this time, I was attending school while traveling. I don’t want that last statement to sound like a complaint either. I think it is really interesting to see how the schooling system works here. As I had stated in my first blog, I want to learn more about how things are run here. Anyhow, this time the class was in German and proved to really test my skills. I was able to participate as it was a lecture on culture and business. Very interesting as Düsseldorf is one of the most multicultural cities in Germany.

Movie ticket - Reihe (row): 15, Platz (seat): 16

From the lecture we went to Friendship!, a German film about two guys who go to America after the fall of the Berlin wall. Highly recommend it if you understand German or can find a version with subtitles. I don’t want to take away from how great the movie was but the theatre was far better than anything I have ever been to in Canada. It was more like we were going to an Oiler game than a movie. There was a full cocktail bar, ice cream/ cafe bar, and a restaurant. Furthermore, when you buy a ticket you get a seat number and pay according to where you want to sit in the theatre; so no breaking your neck to watch a movie that you paid $21.00 to see. I shouldn’t forget to mention that there are screens that show you how many tickets are available as well. This way you don’t stand in line for an hour and then end up not getting a ticket. I was totally taken back by this experience. Talking with the other international students, it seems common in large cities but perhaps not in Canada. The rest of the weekend was spent checking out Schloss Benrath (Benrath Palace), a collector car museum, a karaoke bar and a few night clubs. Overall, another amazing trip that I won’t forget!

Back from Lille, let’s go to Poland…

In the office: My Grandpa, Magdala, Monika, me, and Ann

From my first few blogs it really seems as though I’m not attending any school. Your hypothesis is half correct. In the final two weeks of January I only have three lectures, so I returned from Lille to attend my only class of the week. After finishing my class at 11:15 I received Facebook messages and emails from three employees, Ann Szyrmer, Monika Piskorek and Magdalena Domagala, at my grandfather’s manufacturing facility in Kakolewo, Poland. I was only reachable through Facebook, as I still had not had the opportunity to put more credit on my phone. All worked out very well though; my grandfather as well as Monika and Magda invited me to come join in on their celebrations for the 18^th anniversary of the company and a tour of Kan-Bud production facility for modular structures.

By mid-afternoon, I had received a ticket to fly the next morning from Frankfurt Main to Lezno. So, I unpacked my dirty clothes from Lille and repacked my bag yet again.

Budma International Construction Fair

My timing could not have been more perfect for this trip to Poland. No staying overnight without a hotel room or missing trains etc. Everything went very smoothly and I was met by my grandpa in the Lezno airport.  What I didn’t know was that upon arrival, we would be attending Budma, the International Construction Fair held from January 19-22, 2010.

I was very impressed with their world class conference center. Everything was very modern and set up to facilitate some extremely large trade shows. The conference grounds were somewhat of a mirage among the other buildings in the city though. Many buildings are covered with soot, due to the fact that coal is burned for heating purposes. However, Lezno is undergoing huge infrastructure changes to facilitate a large soccer championship; definitely a city with great character and a desire to be in the global spotlight.

From the conference it was a two hour drive to my grandfather’s house located directly on the Kan-Bud plant grounds in Kakolewo. He lives in Canada and is only in Poland a few times a year but prefers to have his house on site. This way, when he is in Poland, his full attention can be directed toward the company. After a long day of traveling, I finished dinner with my grandparents and tucked in early to prepare for the party of a lifetime.  

Well rested the following morning, I had a chance to put my party pants on. I really wanted to make sure that I represented Canada and university students well. This was not a problem. Arguably, this was one of the best parties I have ever been too. Firstly, I need to note that the party was set up similar to a Polish wedding. So it isn’t your typical night out at the club but a more formal event.

Anyhow, the evening starts with the person who is throwing the party greeting everyone at the door. There is food and drink sitting on the table and some music playing just in the background. Once everyone has piled into the wonderfully decorated hall it is time for a drink and some appetizers. The appetizers were all kinds of different salads. These were not leafy salads but shaved carrot and potato salads.  

The many plates of food- Golonka is found at the top left of the picture

The Dance Floor

Following the first shot of vodka everyone leaves their seats and dances to the first song. Whether you are ninety or five you get up for the first song; as well as probably every song after too. In this case there was a live band. They played three or four songs and then the music wrapped up. Terribly confused I was hauled off the dance floor. Now everyone has another shot and eats the main course; which is composed of Golonka (Pig knee; or Polish for really tender delicious meat if you’re in to trying new things), salmon, and many kinds of chicken (breaded, stuffed, and grilled). Time for another shot and some more dancing. The music stops again for a shot and more food. This cycle continues till after dessert and a midnight snack.

I really enjoyed the fact that there were pauses in the music for drinking, eating, and talking. There are probably three reasons to enjoy these pauses. One, you don’t ever feel drunk or tired of sitting. Two, you don’t have to yell at the person sitting next to you and you actually talk to people. Three, you don’t get a cold or a sore throat from going outside to have a conversation with someone. All in all, it was a great party and I hope to replicate something like this when I get home and throw a party. I really had a great time with the very proud, friendly, and outgoing people that I met in Kakolewo, Poland.

The dessert

Impressions of Lille

On arrival I couldn’t help but to be overjoyed that I had reached my final destination. Hospitably, Elena helped me to settle in and quickly get some rest. The first night in Lille would be a quiet one, as I was so exhausted. The following morning I awoke well rested and ready to see what one of the most underrated cities in France had to offer.

Coming from my small urban German town Oestrich-Winkle to Lille is comparable to moving from Mundare, Alberta to Toronto, Ontario. My school EBS is set in the foggy Rhein wine valley with a castle on campus. However, Elena’s EDHEC is the polar opposite, a very modern university. Furthermore, the nightlife in Oestrich-Winkel is, well, still to be found. In Lille, the nightlife is driven by the many universities in the area. Lille is an excellent and very fun university city.

Downtown Lille

Luckily, I was able to attend some of Elena’s Masters French track classes. I don’t speak any French but with diagrams and hand gestures I could get the basic intonation of what was going on. I attended a Marketing lecture and seminar, and a Finance seminar. Oddly, the Finance seminar was the most interesting. This is mostly due to the Finance TA, in my opinion; he was a very interesting character. Completely immersed in his formulas and numbers he was like a conductor orchestrating a great symphony. His classroom was set up perfectly for discussion with a U-shaped seating arrangement, so the students can face each other on opposite sides of the room. However, there was little need for discussion as the entire hour and half was filled by the TA passionately singing out finance formulas. He would move slowly from one side of the chalk board to the other, putting great emphasis on this magical formula or that. And then, every once and a while, he would mummer “voila” peacefully to himself solving the question. Not completely understanding what was going on, due to the language barrier, I still found this seminar terribly entertaining.

In between classes, Elena continued to show me around Lille. We walked through the main shopping district and downtown, enjoying the beautiful architecture. The only problem with the architecture is that it may distract you from what is on the ground. As I had experienced in Paris, dog feces covers many of the sidewalks. I have heard that this is common in many European cities but I was never told. Now that you are forewarned help the cause and bring some bags. Just kidding, it’s only bad in some places. I think that there is a bit of a movement starting to help keep the streets feces free but don’t hold your breath.

View of downtown Lille from the ferris wheel

Nevertheless, I don’t want to end on a note to take away from Elena’s temporary home in Lille. It is a fantastic city that has a lot to offer, too much for this initial short trip. I will definitely be back to take in more!

One night in Paris

No it’s not what you’re thinking. There is no grainy night vision video in this story and there won’t be any pop ups to prompt you to buy. However, I believe this to be one of my greatest adventures thus far and definitely worth writing about. Like all good stories it starts from seemingly nothing and snowballs into an escapade sure to entertain.

For the second time I go to the European Business School (EBS), this time for a free class on German culture and lifestyle. Before this class we were told to bring a change of clothes for a bus/walking tour of Frankfurt and that once in Frankfurt can do whatever we want. The class goes by relatively quickly, despite being two hours long and soon enough we are on a bus for our tour of Frankfurt.

The tour was very enjoyable and interesting but required one to have a memory like that of an elephant. We were bombarded with dates, names, and interesting unique facts about one of the most fantastic cities in Germany. From what I remember- Frankfurt: was a big deal in the Holy Roman empire, underwent some climate change and therefore no longer produces wine from grapes but rather apples, was heavily damaged in WWII but was rebuilt and almost became the capital of Germany after, has the second most internet data flow through it in the world, is the financial capital of Germany, and is otherwise known as the secret capital of Germany. Ok so there you just got a free two hour bus/walking tour of Frankfurt without the overload of dates and peculiar details that you probably would have a hard time remembering.

When the tour wraps up we were told to take to the streets and to find our own way back to Oestrich-Winkel. Now, I have become somewhat of a translator for some of my fellow international students at EBS. Everyone speaks English but very few speak people German. This has helped me to gain some confidence and has provided me with multiple situations to build my German abilities.

Some of the other students asked if I would go along with them to translate at the train station to pick up some passes to travel to other countries within Europe. While gathering information for other students I purchased a discount pass for myself and came across a 10 euro ticket to Paris. After helping my friends, I was on the train leaving to Paris and calling Elena.

Problem: My train will arrive in Paris at 22:53 and the last train to Lille leaves at 22:58. Ok so I can probably make it right. Not so much, I arrive at the north station in Paris and need to get to the east station which is about three blocks away.  So, I was forced to spend one night in Paris until 7:58 when I would be able to catch a train to Lille.

I’m not sure what you have heard about Paris but I can tell you it is a much different place late at night/early morning. Keep in mind; I didn’t pull up at a train station next to the Eiffel Tower.

Getting off the train I felt extremely stressed that I have only no place to sleep in a city that I can’t communicate to seemingly anyone. My French is too shoddy to respond, despite being able to understand some of what is being said. My cell phone had no remaining credit and Elena’s phone had also run out of credit. A pay phone was my last choice to let Elena know I had arrived safely. I would need an instruction manual and the monopoly man’s money bag to make the pay phone work though. I opted instead to try my best French/English mix to borrow a phone from another patron at the station. On the borrowed phone I called Elena to let her know I’m safe and that I would be arriving at Lille Flanders train station in the morning.

At this point I decided to check into a fancy place not too unfamiliar to most: MacDonald’s. Unfortunately, they closed at two and I’m back to wandering random streets in Paris covered with people, urine, and dog feces.

Pierre offered to let me spend the night at his place while I was walking around. He was a nice guy but I didn’t feel like a moped ride at 3 in the morning.

24hr cafe

Finally, I found two other people enjoying the discount travel experience. We decided to stick together to keep each other company and for some protection. The remainder of the morning I spent sharing and translating life stories from an English speaking Kuwaiti guy to another new friend from Germany in a 24hr cafe that we had stumbled upon.

Exchange students take over

Like most times the randomness treated me well but the best part of the journey was to finally board the train to Lille and see Elena waiting on the Lille Flanders platform for me.

Elena waiting on the platform