Our first trip to France!

Gina and I have been planning a trip to Europe ever since we got together 3 years ago, and we decided on spending three weeks travelling through France.

She's still working part time, so we interspersed hotel stays with Airbnb stays so that she could have a place to work. We also brought about a week's worth of clothing with the intent of doing laundry at each Airbnb. 

We left Austin in the early evening for a two and a half hour flight to Chicago. After a 2 hour layover, we boarded our 8 hour flight to Paris. Neither of us figured we'd get much sleep even after taking some melatonin, so we didn't plan much for our first day in the city.

We didn't have much trouble getting our bags, and we easily found the Metro train that would take us to our hotel. It was about $25 for the both of us for our tickets into the Latin Quarter of Paris.

We stayed at Hotel Atmosphere for four days, very close to the Maubert - Mutualité metro station and about a 4 min walk. The hotel was reasonably priced, especially since it had an amazing breakfast!

Selection of meats

Selection of cheeses

All the breads, cheeses, and meats

The rooms have a Nespresso coffee maker, as well as a mini fridge and TV. Although the AC wasn't yet enabled (the weather is still too cool), we could open our window that overlooked Rue de Ecoles. The Sorbonne University is three blocks down from the hotel, hence the street name. 

Another landmark very close to the hotel is the Pantheon, a former church that now displays a history of France, and is also the resting place of notable French, such as Voltaire, Braille, Marie and Pierre Curie, and Victor Hugo. 

The Pantheon also has some amazing views of the city. 

There are numerous sculptures and paintings inside the Pantheon showing the history of France and their historical figures such as Saint Genevieve and Joan of Arc.

We also had an opportunity to visit the catacombs under Paris. The catacombs were formed when the limestone under the city was removed to construct the buildings in early Paris. Over time, miles of underground quarry was formed. After they were no longer in use, they were utilized to rebury the millions of Parisians that filled the local cemetaries. It's estimated that there are two million people buried under Paris.

During our stay in Paris, we met up with a Navy buddy of mine, Mike, and his girlfriend Barb. We've known each other for over 30 years, and outside of the Navy, this is our first trip overseas together.

Mike, second from the left, me on the right

1992

We enjoyed a trip to the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, a lunch cruise on the Seine, and a visit to Napoleon's tomb while we were there.

View from the Eiffel Tower

Napoleon's Tomb

Musee de Armee/Napoleon's Tomb

Inside of the Louvre

Venus de Milo

Winged Victory

The Louvre

 Our next stop is Marseille! We're planning on spending 6 nights there before heading on to Lyon.

Electrical problems and more

So, I finally left Madison, NC after 10 days there. It was supposed to be a week-long visit, just to relax and do some routine upkeep on the RV. I spent the days exploring the local towns of Madison and Mayodan, and taking advantage of some of the nearby hiking trails with Darlene.

Madison, TN

Madison town clock

I attempted to leave on April 16th; after filling up the RV and attaching the car to the tow dolly, I started up the engine and found that I couldn't shift out of Park. The turn signals and the hazard signals were no longer working either due to blown fuses. So we went back to the RV park and stayed another 4 days through the weekend while I spent more time troubleshooting.

I ended up doing an hand-over-hand inspection of the running light circuit, since I've had problems with it before. That took me a day and a half before I went online to start searching for answers. I ended up going to Justanswer.com and posting my problem for a Ford mechanic to review. He had me test a couple of switches after he sent me the schematics for my E450. I had to disassemble the steering column and purchase a wire terminal tool to disconnect the hazard and turn signal wires from the wiring harness.

Bad white/blue wire

I eventually discovered that it was the left turn signal wiring that was blowing the fuses for the turn signals and the hazard signals. I reconnected all the wiring except for the left turn signal, so I'll troubleshoot that at a later time. It could just be a faulty light bulb, but I'll figure it out.

We were able to leave Madison on the 20th, and headed towards Greenville, TN. Spent the night in a rest area without any problems. Ran the generator long enough to fix coffee in the morning and kept the slideout retracted. Some rest areas don't allow overnight camping, so it's best to be discrete about staying overnight.

Greenville, TN rest area

On April 21st, we headed towards Oakdale, TN. My former shipmate, CWO4 Jimmy Shelton, is buried in a small private cemetary up in the hills there in Oakdale. Jimmy and I served together on the USS Mahlon S. Tisdale from 1991-1994 as Chief Petty Officers. It was a tough ride going up the narrow mountain roads with a 31' RV towing a car. In many places, I doubted whether I was going to be able to turn around to go back down the hill, as there were no places to turn around. I eventually found a high school where I could park the RV, and we ended up taking the car to the cemetary.

Had to ditch the RV and take the car up this road

Private cemetary

White Oak Baptist Church

After finding the church, it was an additional mile up a gravel road marked "No Trespassing". I had checked with one of the locals who told me that the sign was just to keep people from hunting up there, and that it would be okay to visit the cemetary. We found it in an open clearing, with beautiful views. So peaceful and quiet. We got to pay our respects, and I thought about the crazy times that Jimmy and I had on the ship. He was my motivation to strive for excellence, as our divisions had a friendly competition with each other. He is missed.

Lisa's RV landing, Madison, NC

I've been in Madison, NC since April 9th at Lisa's RV Landing in Madison, NC.

Lisa's RV Landing, Madison, NC

It's a small RV campground with about 8 spaces. There were only 5 RV's during my stay, so it's been a quiet stay. I spent most of the week taking care of routine RV maintenance, hiking, and cooking. It's been a challenge to keep from snacking, since I've stocked up the RV with good food. Plus my co-pilot Darlene likes her snacks, so whenever I see her reaching for the pantry I get tempted to have a snack too. At least I've been keeping up with exercise whenever I can. 

We've been eating comfort food (BBQ chicken, Frito pie, steak sandwiches) a lot for lunch, then try to eat a light dinner. Coffee and protein shakes for breakfast. Eating light and exercising keeps me from putting on the weight while trying to self quarantine during this pandemic. 

Steak sandwich

Frito pie

I've been checking out the local hiking trails, and had a 2 mile hike at the Knight Brown Nature Preserve the other day. It's a very quiet setting, with a pond and a couple of streams running through the park. If I can hike or walk for an hour everyday and do an hour of stretching, that keeps me happy.

Knight Brown Nature Preserve

Stream in Knight Brown Nature Preserve

Hiking Trail, Knight Brown Nature Preserve

I'm leaving for Tennessee tomorrow. I'm planning on visiting the gravesite of my former shipmate, Jimmy Shelton, while I'm in Tennessee. Jimmy and I were on the USS Mahlon S. Tisdale from 1991-1994 together, and he was the sole reason that I put in my officer's package for a commission. He and I were very competitive, and there was no way that I was going to watch him put in a commissioning package without me doing the same. We were both selected for commissioning the following year. He finished 30 years of service, and we remained in touch until his untimely death in 2014. He was a good friend, and I'm looking forward to seeing him again one day.

First days on the road; Winston-Salem and surrounding areas

I left Raleigh, NC a few days ago on April 9th. I stopped in Kernersville, NC at Car Tow Dolly to pickup a towing dolly for my 2013 Honda Civic. The guys there, Joe and Alex, got my car up on the dolly and explained every step to ensure that the car was safely secured. I appreciated the extra time that they took with me.

I looked for an RV park that was still open and not shuttered up due to the coronavirus pandemic, and found Lisa's RV landing in Madison, NC. Rates are very reasonable for a full hookup (sewer, water, electricity), plus they have a good WiFi signal too. It's a small RV park, maybe 8 spaces, but there's only 4 RV's here. It's right next to a convenience store too. I'm spending 3 nights here, so it'll give me a chance to adjust my RV's parking brake and take care of a couple maintenance issues.

Madison is a definitely a country town! It's quiet, and there are ponds and streams all over the place. Last night, I took a ride out to Farris Memorial Park in Mayodan, NC, for a 2 mile trail hike. It's a huge park with a quiet fishing pond and bike trails. Today, I checked out Hanging Rock State Park about 30 minutes away to enjoy more of the trails here, but it was closed. So, I ended up walking through the town of Danbury, NC to see the sights. Of course everything was closed up, so I just enjoyed the sights of a small country town.

Bridge over the Dan river

Danbury post office

Seems like every property has one of these old homes

Country road

Leaving Raleigh, NC

I'm preparing to leave Raleigh, NC after spending a year here. Leaving San Diego for a place I had never visited before was tough, and the transistion was a little rocky. However, I've made some good friends and had a great time here, but it's time to move on. I love the city of Raleigh and have grown to love the people here.  Lots of excellent restaurants and things to do. There's a huge amount of parks and hiking trails to enjoy, and I wish I had the time to explore them more often. Also, there are so many kind and wonderful people here, and I am definitely considering coming back someday to make it home again.

I've prepped my RV for an extended road trip, and will be heading to my folk's place in New Mexico. I have a feeling that it's going to be dicey, crossing state lines during the coronavirus pandemic. I'm hoping and praying that I'll be able to travel easily without getting pulled over. I'm also concerned about finding RV campsites that are still open during this crisis.

I purchased a tow dolly for my Honda and will be picking it up in a week. It'll take some assembly, but I've been reassured that it can be assembled with a few hand tools and by one person.

I've got 28 days on the road before I plan on being in New Mexico on May 1st. All of the tourist places that I wanted to visit are closed for the time being, as well as all of the military RV campgrounds that I had planned to stay at. I'm hoping that I'll be able to boondock in small towns without getting noticed. If I'm successful, great. If not, it'll make an interesting post on this blog.

Say a prayer for me!

Lyon/Paris, France

I spent ten days in France, traveling from Barcelona Sants train station to Gare de Lyon train station in Lyon. I had a transfer in Marseille, where I waited in what was probably the coldest train station around. It's pretty much open to the elements since it's glass building with zero heating. I bought a coffee and waited it out in the warm coffeeshop.

I arrived in Lyon around 7 p.m. I found a place to stay for three nights through AirBnB. $60 a night, and it got me my own bedroom in a host's apartment in Old Lyon. I told my host that I'd show up around 8, since he and his girlfriend were going out.

I went out and had some traditional French food - a chicken breast cooked in a cream cheese sauce, a mixed salad, and a pear tart. Along with a small glass of wine, it came to 19 Euros. Around 8, I took off for my host's apartment. The cobblestone streets are not only rough to walk on but when you drag your wheeled luggage across it, you end up waking the whole neighborhood!

I found my host's apartment building easily enough, but he didn't tell me which floor it was on. There was only one apartment per floor, so I knocked on almost every door in the building. I had a picture of my host and his girlfriend, so I showed it to whomever answered the door. I think I may have interrupted a rendezvous when the lady of the house called out through the door as if she were calling her man's name; she opened the door while hiding behind it as though she wasn't wearing much. Oops.

After 20 minutes of searching, I got the right apartment. Maxime and his girlfriend Charlene were friendly, and Maxime spoke enough English so that we could communicate. I promised that I'd try to stay out of their way, and went straight to bed.

I spent the next couple of days checking out the town. I felt really underdressed in my hiking boots, Columbia cargo pants, and North Face jacket. The French and Spanish dress really well; especially in France. I bought a new scarf just to feel like I was making an effort. There are some great places to shop, although they're a little pricey.

Lyon is considered the center of Gastronomy, according to one of the locals. There were patisseries and boulangeries all over Lyon, with the most beautiful pastries and breads on display. I picked up a couple of cookies and a coffee au lait to go, and headed off to the local square to people watch. Thankful that the shop keeper spoke some English.

I walked into a HUGE pro-family demonstration; the street procession went on for a couple of miles. Lots of signs with the traditional family logo (man, woman, child holding hands). Lots of police with Robocop protective gear on. One of them didn't like the fact that I took a picture of them in their uniforms. I did what I always do when I get caught - smile and wave.

The night before I left, I decided to go out salsa dancing since my hosts were having a soiree with two other couples. I stayed out long enough until I figured that their guests had gone home. However, they were still there at 1 a.m., so I excused myself to my room. As soon as I closed my door, one of the guests knocked on my door and asked me to join them. Cool. Several of the guests spoke English, so they asked a lot of questions about the U.S. (they think we're exotic) and our politics and viewpoints. They were all in their early to mid-20's, and I mentioned that they seemed pretty mature and knowledgeable, considering they had some pretty good political and world views.

And then they broke out the absinthe, and then started wrestling on the floor. Of course, any physical activity after drinking usually ends up in one thing - puking. Felt like I was in the Navy again.

Around 5 a.m., things started to wind down, and by 6 a.m., it was just me, Maxime, and Charlene. I was supposed to leave that day, but I needed another day to rest up. I spent the rest of the day sleeping and planning my next trip to Metz, France.

Fun time, Lyon.

Traveling Do's and Don'ts

One of my friends asked me about my itinerary and some do's and don'ts about traveling through Europe. Before I started out, I tried to research what items I needed to bring with me, like clothes, documents, electronics, etc. Here are a few things that I've learned:

Itinerary
Since I flew in on a military transport on a space available status, there were four major US bases I could have landed at: Spain, Italy, Germany, or Great Britain. I tried to develop a route through Europe for each of the areas I could land in. Regardless of where I would land, my route would take a circular direction through Europe, using the rail system.

I figured that any major city had sights to offer, so I didn't get too hung up on visiting a particular city. However, there were some landmarks that I had to see - the Eiffel Tower, the Louve, Big Ben, the American Cemetery in St. Avold, France, and the Sea Organ in Zadar. As I went along, friends would mention that I had to visit some of their favorite places - Barcelona, Lyon, Amsterdam. As long as it ran close to the train line, any city was a possibility.

Since I'm not on a timetable (other than my visa restriction of 90 days in the E.U.), I didn't feel like I needed to stick to a strict itinerary. If I like a particular city, I'll extend my stay in the hostel or hotel.

Transportation
I purchased a European Rail Global Flex Pass, which entitled me to ten days of travel within a two month period. It was discounted 20% since I purchased it off-season, so my travel had to be completed by March 31st. I purchased it online and received it within a week. It came with a train timetable for all of Europe, and a map of the European rail lines.

The rail system seems intimidating when looking at the train guide. But once you get to train stations and see that they're laid out like an airport, things get more familiar. There are monitors with departure/arrival times, along with the platforms they're due to depart from or arrive. There are also kiosks where you can purchase tickets from, as well as plan out a trip. Things get to be intuitive once you start looking at the status monitors.

The Global Pass doesn't pay for the entire trip though. When reservations have to be made, which is on all of the trains that I took, there is an additional fee for the reservation. I've paid as little as 9 Euros, and as much as 90 Euros. It's also important to make reservations in advance. I made the mistake of waiting until the departure date to buy a ticket, and I ended up paying 50 Euros more than if I purchased it a couple of days in advance.

On the Global Pass, everytime that you make a new trip, you're to mark the date of travel in one of the ten date boxes on the pass. I'm guessing that's how the rail system tracks the ten travel days that you've purchased. I'll have to ask the next time I'm at the station, but I'm guessing that you're on the honor system. If you don't mark your travel dates, I'm thinking that they wouldn't know the difference.

Also, if you're traveling a long distance, check to see if a flight would be cheaper than a train ride. The train from London to Amsterdam was going to cost $185; I found a flight for $105.

Electronics
I wanted to use my T-Mobile phone while in Europe, so I went and purchased a $20 SIM card to use. When I called T-Mobile to unlock my phone, I was told that it wasn't eligible to be unlocked because I was still paying for it. However, T-Mobile offers coverage in Europe at no additional charge. Although its 3G coverage, I can still surf the Net and send/receive text messages for my usual payment. BTW, wireless coverage in Europe pretty much sucks. I'm guessing they don't have the fiber coverage that we have in the U.S., because the bandwidth is pretty bad.

I also purchased a voltage converter, thinking that I'd need it to charge my phone and tablet. Not needed; I noticed after I arrived that my phone's charger is rated at 110/220v, so all I needed was an adapter. The electrical outlets in
France and Spain are the same - two round prongs. The electrical outlets in the U.K. consist of three rectangular prongs. You can always pickup adapters at one of the many electronic stores in the cities. Note that if you want to use your 110VAC devices, you'll need a voltage converter with the corresponding adapters.

Cash
I've been using my debit and charge cards here without any problems. Some places have taken my American Express, others haven't. I also called my bank and charge cards and notified them that I'd be in Europe for an extended period so that they wouldn't put a freeze on them because of overseas activity.

The only drawback is the foreign transaction fees of 1% on transactions and ATM withdrawals. I've paid for all of my hostel stays and train tickets using my cards, and it's been convenient.

Clothing
The Europeans tend to dress stylishly. I felt underdressed walking around in my Columbia hiking pants and hiking boots. My American-style regular fit jeans was also a give-away. In all three countries I've traveled through (Spain, France, U.K.), the style seems to be the same - slim fit jeans ("skinny jeans"), and a layered look; collared shirt with a sweater, and a sports coat or stylish overcoat. And their clothes fit well; no baggy jeans, and they wear fitted shirts. Which is easy to do, when most people here seem to be very fit; not too many overweight folks here.

Many guys were also wearing ties or bow ties. Although the U.K. seemed to be more relaxed, the Spanish and French really know how to dress. I ended up buying a couple pairs of jeans and collared shirts to fit in a little better, especially since I noticed several women checking out my attire. My accent wasn't the only telltale that I'm an American.

Housing
I've been staying at hostels wherever I could find them. Some of them that I've stayed at were really comfortable; free breakfasts, comfortable rooms, and free wifi. I try to opt for the 4-bed rooms; any more beds than that, and you could find yourself in a roomful of party animals. I also try to find hostels with kitchens; it's another way to save some money by cooking your own meals. If I were traveling with a significant other, I'd opt for a hostel that offered a double-bed room, so that you'd have the privacy of a hotel room at 1/3 of the price.

In the cities where I haven't been able to find a hostel (Metz, Lyon), I've used AirBnB and Kayak to find a room to rent and a hotel room, respectively. I rented a room from a couple in Lyon; I stayed for three days. The 3rd night of my stay, they had a little party at the apartment that they invited me to. The party went until 6 a.m.; I ended up staying another night so that I could rest up from the festivities.

Language issues
Although my Spanish is limited, it has come in pretty handy. It was tough to find a local who spoke English in Spain, so I made the best of Google Translate using my smartphone. In France, if they didn't speak English, sometimes they spoke Spanish. All in all, I haven't had too many issues communicating.

The Brits have been really responsive when they hear my American accent. Once they hear it, they'll start chatting me up. I've been enjoying the experience. The French were really great too. A wine shop owner gave me a really nice wine opener as a gift, after I told him that I was visiting from California. It was a much different experience than I expected.

I hope that this will explain some of the issues that I encountered, and that it will help you plan your own trip.