And in the Uber I had this stupid smile, more like a grin actually that I couldn't seem to get rid off.
I made it to Paris guys. My first and almost a 4 hour train ride but she is here. Because I arrived late in the afternoon I just decided to just to do the night tour city bus. I know such a tourist thing to do but I figured I wouldn't maybe get to visit all the important and popular points of interest because I chose a festive weekend. I saw the Eiffel tower sparkle in the dark and oh my! Napoleon statues and tributes everywhere as well as people. The buildings an atmosphere so dreamy and unreal. I am happy, very very happy.
Until next time
Chels
So for my third week I decide to visit Lyon. I was very excited and scared because I was going by self, and it would be my first time staying in a hostel. However, it was a very empowering experience in just booking my bus ticket and where to stay. However beyond that I had no plans of where I would visit, how I would get around or what I would eat. But I found it nice because honestly nothing planed ever really goes as planned. There is something about winging it it and going where ever the day takes you. I arrived in Lyon at the bus station which was a 3 hour bus drive from where I am centrally staying in France. I got off at the bus station which took me maybe 10 mins to figure out how to get out off. Maps said I was about 32 minutes from hostel and 10 minutes away from the
The Musée des Tissus et des Arts Décoratifs which I choose to visit. It was so beautiful! I sadly wasn't allowed to take pictures but then it was quite a museum experience of just going and taking in the view. Only taking a picture with your memory. They had textiles and fabrics used in the middle and roman ages along with a few noble garment pieces of people of the past. It was quite fascinating to just see the level of detail in embroidery, pattern and design in dresses of that time. After the museums I was just curiously walking around with no direction until I decided to find my hostel. I then checked on maps and realized it was only a 12 minute walk so I choose to walk realizing that I walked over 40 minutes since arriving and not noticing it.
At the hostel I made a friend from Australia name Karvesh. We started talking and decided to walk around the city to try and find traboules (secret passage ways that are known for in Lyon) However we only found one but we ended taking a bunch of aesthetic pictures. He also has the best travel instagram. Back at the hostel I made two new friends who both happened to be from New Zealand. Pablo and Chelsea (I know right?) all four us hanged out in the hostel for the night and around 1am me and Chelsea went for a short walk. Honestly everything in Lyon is very close. It doesn't really feel like a 30 minute walk because things just seem to be close in the horizon. Anyways, the next day me and Chelsea decided to walk around Lyon to visit Roman Amphitheater in Lyon. After we went to the Basilquie Notre Dame de Fourviere. It was beyond breathtaking. I wish every church looked like it. It really feels holy and breathtaking. After we ended up at the free Lyon zoo and
Parc de la Tête d'Or . And that was my adventure as I chose to visit for just 2 days.
My experience was great and I was happy I found people to hang out with. I think my biggest takeaway is that traveling the world isn't really a far reach or thing only rich people can do. Also solo traveling isn't odd. Everyone I meet in Lyon was soloing traveling by themselves with money they saved. My new made friends Chelsea and Pablo were both 18 and Karvesh 20. Its was very eyeopening seeing people like be back packing or visiting different countries days at a time. It made me realize to stop doubting my dreams of traveling and to keep them still in mind.
Until next time,
-Chels
VIDEO
Click 1080p on the video setting to watch in HD! :)
Here is a little preview of my first week of France!
Until next time,
-Chels
I have had the pleasure over the past two weeks to visit some of the Museums in Dijon. I have been to the Musée des Beaux Arts, Musée d'art sacré and the Musée de la Vie Bourguignonne. It has been really great to visit these museums because they have such much history from the middle ages along with religious/catholic preservation and art depictions. I really enjoyed looking at them and the atmosphere. Below I have just attached a few pictures of some of the paintings and statues that I love.
Until next time,
The Walmart brand of croissants have lied to me. So far I had chocolate croissants and colored croissants with cream fillings and raspberry. I haven't had them warmed but they taste soft and great without being warmed, unlike trying to eat a cold croissant in America. I had my first macaroon which was great. They are so small though. The pictures on the internet and tumblr make them out to be bigger than they are. One bite and they are gone. They also are not surprisingly cheap, so I will need to refrain myself since I am trying to travel on a budget but still have no specific budgeting plan. Anyways that was my little revelation on croissants and how much I love them.
Until next time,
-Chels
VIDEO
*clicked the settings wheel option on the video and select 1080P!
Intro
Hey everyone, welcome to the travel section of my blog. Over the weeks that I am in France I will try to update my life on my blog in the form of travel vlogs and blog posts. I will *try* my best to post at least once a week and my vlogs maybe once or twice a week, It depends. If you would like you can subscribe to my blog via email. The beginning of this first travel vlog is just me traveling/surviving the airports. My other vlog will include more fun stuff like my daily activities and outings when I get a chance to record. If you feel kind you can support me on my trip financially if you wish. You can paypal me at chelsey.muah@gmail.com, use western union, zelle or cash app. Anything helps as France is expensive, along with my birthday plans for France. Anyways, this is the first edition of my travel vlog to France.
The Flight
I want to start of my by saying the highlight of my flight to France was when I was boarding my plane from Manchester to Lyon. We walked on the airport runway to enter the plane. I was so excited that I thought I was vlogging and when I went inside the plane I realized I didn't hit record. My flight from Seattle to Manchester was 9 hours. It was my first time flying with this airline as I just bought the cheapest ticket I could find. It was my first time on a plane that big. It had 3 sections/ row. On the right had two seats, the middle four seats and the left two seats, so total 8 seats per row. The flight had 302 people. My least favorite part was Manchester's border security/customs. It was very strict and time consuming. However I made it through and boarded my second flight to Lyon which was about 2 hours.
Arriving
At the airport I meet my host family. When I saw them the dad was explaing that in France they greet with bisous (kisses on the cheeks) so I did. It was really cool but I am cringing as I write this because while I was doing it I said "muah" out loud, like how it is in movies, but the family didn't say it as they did it, which I think is the normal way, you know without any dramatic sound effects lol.
I like the family. The mom is really nice and the baby likes me. She is very funny and smiles alot.
Dinner
Dinner was very nice and interesting. For dinner the mom made a dish which she said is from South of France. It was a few slices of sliced tomatoes covered in herbs with a fried egg top. And it was served with brown bread. I was a little taken back by it because when I think dinner I think rice and meat. However, though it looked small at first glance I was actually full after because the bread was thick. After dinner they had some of the left over bread with cheese and then there was desert which was crepes. I forgot that the French have dessert and because I'm not use to always eating something else after the main meal I was already satisfied. However, I still ate it to try to show appreciation. Also to get use to eating desert after. After diner I went to bed as I was very tired and it was late.
Jour deux/ Lunch and dinner
For lunch we had fries and "nuggets". I think they specifically made this because the day before they asked what I usually eat and I said fried food, because you know college. Still it was good and different. The nuggets are not like actual american nuggets like in a frozen bag or have that distinct shape. The nuggets is the family cutting the chicken very small and frying it. I went with them into town to an "Educational Farm" with their daughter and then came back home. Before dinner with the family I had a Mojito and for dinner we had corn and chicken on the grill and vin made in Burgundy.
Observations
A few observations I made so far is that most of the cars here are small. Driving, I don't see alot of Suv or jeeps.
When eating the french don't leave anything on there plate, they finish everything.
There is a lot of chocolate in the super market. You can get regular sliced bread that has chocolate pieces in it! (which I got).
The plugs here are weird, luckily the family had an american style outlet adapter.
There are mosquitoes
The toilets has a button to push and not a handles
Until Next time!
-Chels
