Ianna goes to Europe: onward to Germany

After a quick train ride (during which I may have imagined I was on my way to Hogwarts) and just one transfer, we were at the platform in Wuppertal, hugging Ren and our friend Megan, who was visiting for the weekend from Budapest, where she was finishing up her last year teaching at an elementary school. We walked back to Ren's dorm (Ian's luggage lost a wheel along the way; that's the last time we put all the heavy stuff in one suitcase) and made dinner before heading to the student center to watch the Champions League final soccer match. We were in Borussia Dortmund country, so Ren was in the minority cheering for Bayern Munich. It worked out for him though: he was one of the few people happy with the outcome (Bayern won, 2-1).



The next morning, we met up with a couple of Ren's friends, and the six of us headed to Essen to spend the rainy day indoors at the Ruhr Museum. It's an old coal plant transformed into a natural and cultural history museum. The museum covers just about everything related to the Ruhr, from the Middle Ages to WWII, from cultural artifacts to rock samples, from antique religious garb to local (taxidermy) wildlife.







And Ian was over the moon about the landscape, with the coal plant remnants repurposed into a stunning park.





The next day, Megan, Ian, and I took a short ride on the famous Schwebebahn, a hanging car rail line suspended over the picturesque Wupper River. Thanks to my ineptitude with the German language, Schwebebahn turned into "Shwarmybarm." (Fortunately, Ian's German is much better than mine.)



We hopped on another (firmly grounded and less idyllic) train to Köln. Our first stop was the Ren-recommended Kölner Dom. We climbed 533 stairs to reach the top of the largest Gothic church in Northern Europe. The journey to the top is full of twists and turns, worn down steps and narrow passageways. But every so often, you have a chance to pause and peek through intricately carved windows to the city below.




Back on the ground, it was time for some refreshment, so we popped into a pub in the old city for local fare: wienerschnitzel, Kölsch — the local brew, apfelkuchen, and apfelsaft. Those Germans really love their apfels, and I was happy to reap the benefits. (Apple soda is my favorite!)



We strolled around the historic part of downtown, then walked Megan back to the train station so she could get back to Budapest in time to teach the next day. (Thanks for meeting up with us, Megan!)



Ian and I finished our day in Köln snacking on Haribo goldbären (which taste even better in Germany) while searching for landscape architecture on Ian's can't-miss list. The landscape topping that list was the biggest challenge to find. Thankfully, the trees in front of the building were sporting some of the project's iconic seating, so we ventured inside to discover the landscape was actually the interior courtyard of an office building. From the photos, you'd never guess it was inside.



Our final stop in Köln was a brand new development along the Rhine River. The architecture was crazy - very modern, hip, and shiny. While we were walking in and around the buildings, Ian informed me that the chances of seeing this sort of creative development in the USA are slim.



For our last day in Germany, Ren pulled out all the stops. We headed to one of his favorite German cities in the area: Düsseldorf. Our tour of the city started at Schloss Benrath, or the Pink Palace, where we wandered the extensive grounds.




Next, we headed downtown to check out the impressive modern architecture along the Rhine. It was incredible to see the work of so many famous architects, all squeezed into such a short stretch of riverfront. This, of course, meant lots and lots of photos and pauses for Ian to sketch.





We also took a ride to the top of the Rhine Tower, a broadcast tower with an observation deck, for a unique view of the city. We were surprised to see a herd of sheep dotted along the banks of the Rhine, in juxtaposition to the bustling modern city surrounding it.



We finished our time in the city strolling along the Rhine Promenade and exploring downtown. It's a beautiful city, and I understand completely why Ren loves it so much.





We headed to the train station, purchased some snacks (more Haribo!), then were on our way to our last destination: Landschaftspark in Duisburg-Nord, just north of the city.

On our way, we had our one and only run-in with the German train system. Instead of using security checks or ticket validation prior to boarding a train, plainsclothes officers conduct surprise checks. If you are caught riding without a ticket, you get slapped with a hefty fine. Overall, this seems like a good system to reduce delays while keeping riders honest. However, this can put unfamiliar riders in a bind, as the system is complex. We had purchased day passes that we thought were valid for the train to Duisburg-Nord. We flashed said passes when asked by the officer, and then watched as three teenage boys were issued a fine. Then we watched as he consulted with two other hidden officers, who kept glancing our way. A few minutes later, one of the other officers forcefully asked us questions, asking for our ID cards. Thank goodness for Ren, who explained, in German, that he was a student, and we were family visiting him. The officer didn't fine us, but required us to purchase the correct ticket on the train to continue riding. After those few moments of panic, I decided I'm totally fine waiting in line to tap my Charlie card, erasing all doubts of whether or not I've paid the right fare.

We finally arrived at the park and met up with a couple of Ren's university friends. We walked around, exploring yet another creatively repurposed industrial site, this time an old ironworks.

Ian kept commenting on the brilliance of the landscape architecture and taking countless photos, while Ren climbed things people technically probably aren't supposed to climb. Just another day with the Scherling brothers. We hung around and watched the sunset, then walked through the meadow back to the train station, trying to count all the rabbits we saw silhouetted in the fading light (final count: overwhelming).

Ren, thanks for being a great host and sharing Germany with us. We're so glad we got to spend time with you!

See all our photos from Germany on Flickr, and catch up on our trip posts.

*We turned our celebrity couple name, bestowed by my brother Caleb, into an Instagram hashtag (#iannagoestoeurope) and now it's virtually impossible to refer to our trip in any other way.

Ianna goes to Europe: Le Louvre et Les Macarons

We knew our last full day in Paris was predicted to be a rainy one, so we planned to spend it inside the Louvre. Thanks to our collection of travel guides, we went through the underground shopping mall, le Carrousel du Louvre, to one of the underground entrances. Still a line, but not as long as the one outside the pyramid, exposed to the elements. We stayed dry and cozy, and soon we were at a kiosk purchasing our tickets.



Public Service Announcement: We had the Rick Steves audio tour cued up on our iPhones, but decided to download the advertised Louvre app so we could look up information for any detours we might make. This was a mistake, as the free wifi at the Louvre, limited to the app, would only let you download the app itself, and not the content. Unless you download the app AND content before you visit, it's not worth the money.



I knew the museum was massive, but I was still surprised at the size, and the entrance. Museums I've visited before have one entrance. The Louvre has three. Once you pass through security to the underground atrium, you use your ticket to enter at one of the three wings, which ultimately are all connected by labyrinthine passages and stairs.

We paused for a quick lunch in the atrium before diving into the collections. And even though we were at one of the busiest tourist attractions in the city, the pre-made sandwiches we picked up in the atrium were delicious, on perfectly crisp and chewy bread. (How do you tell how good bread is without tasting it? Not the smell, not the look, but the sound of the crust. Listen. Oh, symphony of crackle. Only great bread sound this way. —Colette in Ratatouille)



We followed Rick Steves around the museum, pausing for a detour only once, into the Ancient Egypt collection, which neither Ian or I wanted to miss.



It felt like we were traveling along a timeline more vivid than anything in a school textbook with its flat photographs. Each time period and culture illustrated with countless pieces of priceless artifacts and artwork. That bust of Caesar, that exact piece of stone, was in existence when Jesus walked the earth. That statue watched over ancient cultures that have come and gone, leaving behind only art and ruins. That painting was commissioned by His Imperial Majesty Napoleon I.



Rick Steves guided us to several of the museum's most famous pieces, but none more so than the Mona Lisa. We were warned that she was smaller than one might expect, so what surprised us the most was the setting. The crowd pressing up to the security line with cameras popping up everywhere was a scene you expect to see on television coverage of the red carpet at an award show. It is almost unbelievable that a centuries old painting can command as much attention as a current celebrity. But when you see Leonardo da Vinci's work, you understand why.



Everyone talks about the Mona Lisa, but the painting that captivated me was The Virgin and Child with St. Anne. (I can now imagine what the Mona Lisa looks like under the layers of varnish.)



We also got to see Napoleon's Coronation for the second time; a copy painted by the original artist hangs at Versailles. How someone paints a canvas on such a grand scale is mind boggling.



We finished our tour with Michelangelo's famous slaves, then headed back out into the rain to cross off a few final items from our must-see in Paris list.



We stopped by the original Angelina for a last cup of le chocolat chaud l'africain, and Ladurée for the world famous macarons. The challenge was to pick just eight flavors for our box, while neat pyramids of the famous treats beckoned from the other side of the glass.



Laden with packages, we headed back to Montmartre, stopping for dinner at a café in Montmartre to enjoy our final dinner in Paris. We took our time to enjoy every bite of mussels with tomatoes and garlic (him) and steak-frites (me) before heading back to the apartment to pack our things, so we would be ready for our 10 a.m. check out time.



The next morning, we lugged our suitcases down all 75 stairs, took a photo in front of the building's beautiful blue front door, glanced up for one last look at le moulin, and paused for one final crêpe breakfast at the café at the bottom of our street. A quick metro ride (with our prized Navigo passes), and we were at the train station waiting to depart for Germany.



We bid au revoir (and, avec optimisme, à bientôt) to Paris, and got ready to say hallo to Ren (with our tasty macarons to help keep us occupied on the train, of course).

See all our photos from Paris on Flickr, and catch up on our trip posts.

*We turned our celebrity couple name, bestowed by my brother Caleb, into an Instagram hashtag (#iannagoestoeurope) and now it's virtually impossible to refer to our trip in any other way.

Ianna goes to Europe: une journée à Versailles

We made our best effort to wake up early on Thursday to maximize our time at Versailles, and grabbed breakfast on our way to the train station. After a beautiful 45 minute train ride through the suburbs of Paris, we were pulling into the train platform at Versailles. We skipped all of the vendors selling tickets, as Ian had already purchased ours online the night before to expedite the process. But we stopped short when we saw the line for the palace. It ran the full length of the palace forecourt and wrapped around itself.



Not wanting to waste hours just waiting, we instead headed to the entrance for the gardens, which are free and don't require a ticket. We skipped ahead on our Rick Steves audio guides, and began the outdoor tour, starting behind the palace and walking down to the Apollo fountain. Unfortunately the fountain was not running, but we learned about the engineering to get all of the fountains to work by gravity.



Along our walk, we decided to pause for lunch at one of the restaurants on the palace grounds. We enjoyed some soupe à l'oignon gratinée, steak frites, and crème brûlée while chatting up the expats sitting at the table next to us. It began to rain, but the outdoor seating came with automatic awnings so we could stay dry while finishing lunch. As we headed back out to continue our tour, the rain stopped. Impeccable timing.



We continued to follow Rick Steves around the gardens, taking in the fountains, sculptures, and immaculate groundskeeping (a few of the statues were getting baths as we strolled by). Ian couldn't help gawking at the "power of the axes" and "the genius of Le Nôtre" and other landscape architecture-related jargon. But no matter what words you use to describe them, the gardens of Versailles are incredible.



As we passed the pink palace, it began to rain once again. We took the opportunity to duck inside and sample Angelina's famous chocolat chaud and our first macarons of the trip. Both were incredible. The chocolat chaud was like drinking a melted bar of rich chocolate, and the macarons were light, crisp, and exquisitely flavorful.



The rain stopped shortly, and we finished our tour of the gardens. We strolled along more peastone paths lined with manicured trees, back to the palace.



By the time we arrived at the entrance, the long line from the morning had all but disappeared. We breezed through security and made our way to the start point of the Rick Steves audio tour.



While the grounds impress with their vastness, the palace impresses with it's decadence. Not a single inch of the palace lacks decoration, and it is drenched in history, from French kings to the Treaty of Versailles that ended WWI. Every room was more opulent than the last, full of priceless artifacts.



Once we reached the end of the tour, we stepped out into the Orangerie. As another show of his power and wealth, King Louis built a magnificent collection of citrus trees in giant planters, which were brought indoors when the weather didn't suit their tropical temperaments.





Exhausted, we took one final look at the palace then headed to the train station and back to Paris. We arrived back in the city just in time to get in line for the concert Ian had noticed advertised two days before: Gregorian chanting at the Notre Dame Cathedral.



While Ian waited in line, I procured dinner at a crepe stand across the street. I admired the chef's finesse. He spread out the batter, then added the toppings in careful measure.



Gregorian chanting isn't the sort of thing I enjoy listening to on a regular basis, but there was something haunting about hearing music that has been heard in Notre Dame since foundation was laid 850 years ago. History is so much more incredible when you experience it.

See all our photos from Paris on Flickr, and catch up on our trip posts.

*We turned our celebrity couple name, bestowed by my brother Caleb, into an Instagram hashtag (#iannagoestoeurope) and now it's virtually impossible to refer to our trip in any other way.