10 posts tagged “vacation”
I'm looking for an ophthalmologist and a dermatologist in Paris. Ideally not too far from the 12th arrondissement, or at least reachable by metro lines 1 or 8. Any leads? They don't need to speak English, just be professional and thorough. Nothing serious, I just haven't seen an eye doctor in 3 years and think I might need a new prescription. And I don't even want to think about how long it's been since I've had my moles checked by a dermatologist. Luckily I wear SPF 50!
I can't believe I have to go back to school tomorrow. The past two weeks, while technically Christmas vacation, didn't feel like that much of a break. I worked almost every day, tutoring, babysitting, and lots of business English classes. Lucas' mom had a baby girl on the 28th (!!!) so I took care of him while his parents were in the clinic. I can't wait to meet her, this weekend!
So yes, officially I've been on break. But there was no traveling to clear my head, nor even many days of sleeping in. I did loads of cooking, and eating delicious meals at friends' houses, and saw a few movies and expos, but could use a weekend away. Which is why it's PERFECT that next Friday, the 15th, I'm heading down to Tours to play with Pauline. I can't wait! I hope the weather will be decent so we can go for a bike ride in the Loire. And I'll finally get to see the exhibit she mounted at the Musée des Beaux Arts there.
I'm planning on going to Italy for 10-14 days over April break. I know I want to start off in Cinque Terre, for 3 or 4 days. After that, I want to go south. I've already been to Venice, Florence, Rome, Lucca, Pisa, Siena, and San Gimignano in 2007. Back in 2000, I also was in Bologna, Naples, Pompeii, and Capri.
I don't remember much of Naples, except for a street kid who smashed a raw egg on my friend's head. It was pretty shocking, but hilarious now that I look back on it. I'd like to go back to Naples, mostly to eat, and then head to Sorrento. But after that, where? I know almost nothing about southern Italy.
I ordered a small Cinque Terre guidebook, that should have arrived a week ago, but haven't found a book that specializes in southern Italy. Remember that I travel alone, and don't drive, so all travel needs to be done by public transport. I would love to go to Sicily, but am not sure that's the best place to go solo, sans car. I do speak Italian, so communication isn't a problem. Maybe I should just spend more time in Rome, and go to Sicily and Sardenia another time, with a travel buddy? Does anyone have recommendations, either for destinations or reading material?
I'm thinking of a future trip, perhaps next year, that'll combine northern Italy with Slovenia and northern Croatia. So I'm not looking to go north right now.
NB: I just noticed that every paragraph in this post starts with the word "I." I'm not going to fix that right now, but I did catch it.
I just bought a round trip, non-stop flight from Paris to New York for 334€, or less than $498. That is an unbelievably good deal. In September I flew through Reykjavik, on a really nice flight with Iceland Air, and thought that $515 was fantastic, but this is ten times better since I don't have to stop.
I am very, very excited. The assistant headmaster at my school, who is awesome, gave me the green light to take an extra week of work off before winter vacation in February so that I can extend my time in New York. I really wanted to go for longer than just 13 days or so, and now I'll be there for a full 18.5 days! I'll have to make up the hours, of course, but I have plenty of time to do so.
Mark your calendars, 'cause I arrive February 15th and leave on March 5th. There will be a BIG party for my 30th birthday. My birthday itself is the 19th, which is a Friday this year, but it's Presidents' weekend. At least, I assume it is cause it normally is. That means that it's more likely my New York friends will be out of town, but also more likely my non-New York friends could make it in.
Regardless of if I have the party the day of or the week later, I am super-excited that I'll be able to celebrate my birthday with my family this year. I haven't done so since I turned 26, and it's been a bit sad and difficult each year. And it's especially nice since this is such a big landmark year. I still can't believe I'm going to be 30.
I realize that my grammar is not quite up to snuff in this email, which is hopefully permissible given that it's almost 2 am. I just wanted to get it out there that I'm heading back to New York in 3 months and 1 week. Or exactly 100 days. Let the countdown begin!
In other news, I just got back from 10 days in Krakow (liked it) and Budapest (LOVED it), am heading to London (whee!) on Friday, and oh, I think I might have a boyfriend.
From now until the end of 2009 I have only 61 classroom hours to teach. On top of that I have all of my private lessons and tutoring, but so many of my classes are away on stages from here on that I never once work the full 12 classroom hours a week.
It makes coming back from a great vacation a bit easier to bear!
Very very early tomorrow morning I am hopping on a plane to Krakow. I will spend four days/three nights there, and then take the night train to Budapest. I'll have six days in Hungary, that I'll split between Budapest, Eger, and maybe Sopron.
This is my first long trip since last February, when I went to Andalusia. I've been wanting to go do Krakow and Budapest for years now, so I'm pretty excited. I'm a bit nervous about the weather, cause it's supposedly very very cold for the season, but there's not much I can do about that. If there's sun, it'll be fine, but the Krakow forecast is for rain with highs in the low 50s. Eek!
While in Krakow I'll spend a day at Auschwitz, which I expect to be pretty difficult. I have no idea how I'll react once there, but I know it's something I really want to do, no matter how hard it is.
I'm also going to visit Wieliczka Salt Mines, which I've been wanting to see since reading the excellent book Salt: A World History last year.
I have two guide books for Krakow, one French and one American, but welcome any and all suggestions for places to eat, visit, shop, etc. I'll be there October 25th in the morning to October 28th at night, when I leave for Hungary. Let me know if you have tips!
Thursday was my birthday, and despite my worrying it was a wonderful day. I was really, really sick for about 10 days beforehand, and had been concerned that I would spend my whole birthday in bed. But I guess my lungs got the message, and I was up and about.
On Wednesday night Lauren, Pauline, Anna, and I had a celebratory dinner, followed by homemade birthday cake at Anna and Pauline's house:
Last night I met up with Steve, Lauren, Sam, and others at a bar in the 5th that has a real guillotine in it. That was a bit strange . . . Not the company, which was a lot of fun, but rather sitting next to a killing machine. It had been a long time since I'd socialized, due to my nasty cough, and the time went really quickly. I have to make a mental note to get out more in March.
I leave tomorrow afternoon for a week in Spain. It's my birthday present to myself, and I'm really looking forward to it. I've been wanting to do this trip for about two years now. I'll be traveling in Andalusia, visiting Cordoba, Granada, and Seville. The weather is sunny and warmer than Paris, so I plan on soaking up as much vitamin D as possible. I'm going alone, and staying in youth hostels, so wish me quiet nights and hot Spanish men!
The past few days with my mom have been fantastic. We've had some amazing meals at my friends' houses, visited three small museums (I recommend the Musée Jacquemart André, but not the Musée Maillol), walked all over Paris, and I think my mom got to see a (non-touristy) side of Paris. She complained that she hadn't seen the Seine in 3 days, so we walked over a bridge. It's funny to realize that my life here is just not really geared at the touristy spots anymore. I go days without going to the Left Bank, since both my apartment and job are Right Bank.
So I know I've been talking about this for ages, but I'm leaving tomorrow for Morocco. I'm assuming that I'll have some internet access in the riads, but I don't plan on spending my time there blogging, so I'm saying salaam alaykam until March 6th.
Until then, me and mom will be getting very clean, just like these ladies.
My blog-fairy, Dan, has pointed out that I didn't really post a hiatus note on here. This is Dan who told me to take down my address over a year ago, and Dan who told me I had to knock off the depressing shit a few months ago. Thanks, Dan. Glad to know someone's out there. :)
I thought I had mentioned it enough times, but I'm in Belgium and Holland for vacation. I spent two (boring and ugly and grey) days in Brussels, and am now tipsy on cherry beer in Bruges. I'm going to Ghent on a daytrip tomorrow, and then Antwerp on Friday, and then off to stay with Jamie in the Hague for five days over New Year's.
I'll post tons of pictures and reports when I get back to Paris. Until then, have a fantastic New Year's, and I hope your Christmas presents aren't too difficult to exchange for what you really want.
Hugs!
In a few hours I am off for ten days in Italy. I'll be in Florence for six days, taking day trips to San Gimignano, Lucca, and Siena, followed by four days in Rome.
When I get back I promise to write about the rest of my February vacation: Madrid and Amsterdam.
I hope you all get your taxes in on time, and have a great Easter!
I've talked to most of you about coming to visit me in Paris. I hope you can all come for a weekend or even longer. Here is my vacation schedule, so you can all see what matches up with your free time. Of course, you're welcome to come even if I'm working. I won't have a full-time job, so it's not a problem.
Oh! And I stop work on April 30th and am not leaving Paris until May 30th, so May is a good month to come.
I'm off to the airport in an hour. Wish me luck!
~sophie
Zone C
Bordeaux , Créteil , Paris , Versailles
Vacances de la Toussaint mercredi 25 octobre 2006 lundi 6 novembre 2006
Vacances de Noël samedi 23 décembre 2006 lundi 8 janvier 2007
Vacances d'hiver samedi 17 février 2007 lundi 5 mars 2007
Vacances de printemps samedi 7 avril 2007 lundi 23 avril 2007
