This was by the far the best week trip we have taken apart from
Spain, mostly because we were in France. And, as most people know by now, I
love France with its history and culture, mostly culinary culture. The first city/town
we went to was Beaune and it was incredible. As a little city located in
Burgundy, the wine was incredible. The towns cobblestone streets and old buildings
added a character to the atmosphere that made it a lot nicer and interesting. Jackson
and I actually ended up going to a wine store to buy some wine considering we
were in what most would consider, the greatest wine province in the world,
which after trying the wine, I can say that I agree. The bottle was only 20
euro and the man who helped us was amazing. So amazing in fact, that we had to
go back with Peri, Erin, Kass, and Mason. Ended the night with watching a romcom
and I can confidently say that I hate them. Or I at least hated the one that we
watched. Complete garbage in my opinion.
After
Beaune, we headed to Colmar and it was beautiful as well. However, I didn’t like
it as much as Beaune although it was similar. This is most likely due to the fact
that we didn’t spend a lot of time there and therefore we didn’t get to see a
lot or explore as much as I would’ve liked. After seeing some of the art, we
took the bus to Strasbourg. Literally stepped off the bus and stepped into the
train station, so we didn’t get to see anything which sucked a little since I know
that there is a very big German-French culture clash going on there. Oh well,
more to see for the next time I stop by.
When we
arrived in Paris, I was happy like most of the time, because how could you not
be happy stepping into Paris. Emiliano and I agreed that our room smelled like
absolute ass and had to open the windows, hoping that somehow the smell would leave
or that somehow a miracle would occur and the horrid stench would turn into the
smell of a pile of roses or McDonalds McNuggies. Since Peri had her interview
which sounded phenomenal, we waited till she was done to go out and eat. Erin
found a place that had gluten free options and we started our walk to the restaurant.
Once we were there, I was sent in as the sacrificial lamb and got a table for
the 7 of us which is honestly is tough to do in small restaurants. Luckily,
they had space for us and we got to sit down and eat. Ended up getting some wine
after the dinner and headed back to the hotel where I was told to give romcoms
another opportunity. This new one was interesting and not as bad. It definitely
had some cringy moments but overall it was a good movie. The next morning was
pretty good and we got to visit the louvre. Something that I enjoyed but felt
rushed in doing. Not enough time to see everything but I didn’t mind since I
had the opportunity to see it before. After the louvre, we had some time to
explore Paris and I went to eat with Celeste and Victoria to a taco place of
all places. However, on the way over I saw a cooking store and I took a picture
to return later. We got to the restaurant and had some good tacos and conversation.
On the way back, it started to rain a little but nothing crazy. When we got
back to the store I was amazed by how amazing and cheap the place was. It wasn’t
like the things were bad quality, but they were just a lot cheaper than I expected
considering everything was French-made. I ended up buying 2 carbon-steel pans and
a Sabatier knife which will be interesting to move back home. Best store I’ve
ever been to and someplace I hope to revisit someday. Once we finished that, we
made our way back to the group and had some crepes. Nothing too special since
some of them were burned but definitely fun to eat and taste. Ended the night with
wine and beer and the sparkling Eiffel tower. Can’t complain about such a sight
can you? Next day was normal and we got to go Montmarte and the infamous Sacre
Coeur. As always, it was beautiful and I had a blast eating a typical salad
lunch which I did not think I would ever enjoy. However, this one was insane,
and I would order it again for sure. Next stop Lyon!
We got on
the train to Lyon and it was a pretty good ride over. Once we got to Lyon, the
group split up and Jackson and I headed to the hotel where we had to choose
Five Guys for dinner due to the time. Once we woke up the next morning, we
headed up immediately to Old Lyon to see the Cathedrals, markets, and bouchons.
We got beautiful weather and had a blast just walking among the locals and
city. After seeing everything, we decided to sit down and enjoy a traditional
Lyonnais lunch. Can’t say I’ve had a better lunch in all of Europe because it
was freaking amazing. The man who worked there ended up talking with us and our
lunch conversation went on for 2-3 hours, something amazing as I got to meet
someone new and enjoy the culture. We also got to see the girls which was fun as
they stopped by to say hi before some of them went to the cathedrals and others
went to see Lyon and then head home for a movie. Once we finished eating and the
girls got back, it started to pour with everything getting soaked including the
procession of the local carnival which was fun. At the same time we noticed that
Vic was missing her phone and long story short, we ended up at the police
station filing a report with the police for a stolen phone. After waiting for a
long time, Jackson, Kass, and Vic headed out to find a place to eat while I filed
the report. One of the weirdest experiences ever since the cop did not speak English
but understood it, the exact thing with me but in French. The entire report was
done with her speaking in French and me responding in English and so on. Very
fun and interesting. We found a Brazilian place and sat down to eat. It was
freaking phenomenal, and we ended the night like that.
After
Lyon, Jackson, Vic and I headed to Annecy where we found a local market and
walked around taking pictures and exploring the city, cathedral and castle. Like
always, it started to rain and it sucked because the pics were a bit wick but hey,
if it ain’t raining then it ain’t fun said no one in the entire existence of
man. We decided to stick out the rain in a pub and eat there until our 6:30
fondue appointment. Once we got to the fondue place, Jackson and Vic noticed
the smell of the cheese which was hilarious since I liked it and it meant that
the fondue was about to hit hard. They bring it out and Jackson literally
devoured it in its entirety. Vic and I took some more time to eat it but damn,
that shit was great. Ended up trying to plan the easter break trip and came to
two conclusions. We either go to Morocco or go to Munich.
Went to
Geneva next for some 5 hours and I ended up leaving with a watch, some expensive
chocolate, and two Swiss-army knives. All I can say about Geneva is that its
beauty matched its expensive nature. For example, for a box of chocolates which
in all fairness are considered the best chocolates in Switzerland, the price
was 26 Swiss Francs. I was shocked but also found that it is worth it considering
that I will most likely not return to Geneva for a while so why not indulge in
the stupidity of expensive chocolate. After all that, we went to go buy my
watch which I had been waiting for about a year. It was a very quick purchase as
I knew exactly what I wanted and therefore there was no need to argue about anything.
We then attempted to find Jacksons watch and could not find the one he wanted, so
we decided to check Cologne when we got back. Hopefully, they have it and we
can purchase his watch there. The train ride was pleasant, and we continue on
to the next weekend. See ya next time!
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