If I Go, I'm Goin'

Last Monday our heat wasn’t working. It had been out for about four days at that point. Once we realized it wasn’t coming back on for awhile, we grabbed Wade’s computer and booked some train tickets. We had decided to go to Lyon. It’s France’s second largest city. So Tuesday morning we set out for a 15 minute walk to the train station. We hopped on the train to Metz where we would hop on another train to Lyon. It was going to be a seven hour train ride all together, so we settled in for a LONG ride.

The train ride was uneventful. Our walk to the hotel was uneventful. We checked in, checked out our room, and then went to a local grocery store. A little tip, buy breakfast foods and maybe dinner at the store. You don’t want to pay for overpriced breakfast that the hotel offers. It’s a waste of money. Anyway, It was kind of late, so we decided to watch some tv and then go to bed.

The next morning we were off to see the historic part of Lyon! We rode a tram to the top of a hill. I’m sure people in Lyon would call it a mountain, but being from Utah, I call it a hill. We got to the top and went to the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourviere. It’s basically a very fancy cathedral. It was pretty awesome and the tram ride was definitely worth it. We then walked to the Theatre Romain. It’s a site that has some old ruins of a very big Roman theater. They still use the amphitheater for plays and such. Folks, it was awesome! We ended the day by going to an actual French restaurant. I say actual French because most of the time we end up eating at Subway. Don’t judge--Subway is cheap and pretty good.

We went to this French restaurant because apparently Lyon is the capital of French cuisine or something. Who knew? We ordered our food from a waiter who seemed miffed we didn’t order wine. The waiter seemed to get even more snippy when Wade had the gall to ask what the special of the night was. But we still got our food, and it was pretty good! About halfway through our meal, Wade seemed to be concentrating on something. I asked him what he was doing.  He whispered--I don’t know why he whispered since no one can understand us anyway--that he was trying to figure out if the table next to us was speaking Malagasy. Now, I don’t speak Malagasy but if you’ve ever heard someone speak it, it’s crazy sounding. So there we were, straining to hear this couple’s conversation. You may think that’s rude, but I don’t speak the language and Wade was more just excited, because it's not everyday you run across some Malagasies. At one point the waiter, for some obnoxious reason, started picking up silverware in a tub and dumping it back into the same tub. It was so loud that it drowned out any other sounds in the restaurant. We thought perhaps he knew we were eavesdropping, so he decided to make the loudest noise possible! After about ten minutes of listening, we figured out that yes, indeed, they were speaking Malagasy. With our new found information we paid our bill, and much to our waiter’s relief, we left.

The next day we went to the Musée Miniature et Cinéma. This museum had a few sets from a French movie. As we moved on through the museum, we saw props from a lot of American and French films. It was way cool to see it all. At one point, they had some costumes from a few movies. That part was way cool! Towards the end of the museum, they had miniature sets. It would have been cool had it not been for a bunch of unruly teenage boys. By this point we were done and just wanted away from the noisy boys!

Later that night, we decided to go to a soccer match. Wade has been really wanting to go to one. We wanted to see how different they were compared to American soccer. Well, I'll tell you right now--they’re WAY different! At one point, I was in the bathroom and all I could hear was stomping feet about my head. It honestly sounded like I was at Helm's Deep listening to some terrifying Uruk-hai army!(Shout out to The Lord Of The Rings nerds who get what I'm saying!) Lyon was playing a Dutch team and they demolished them! It was fun to see all the crazy fans! In the end, Lyon had scored seven goals and the Dutch team only scored one.

The next day, which was actually my birthday, we left Lyon. We rode the seven hours back to Forbach. We grabbed some eclairs to substitute as a birthday cake. I wanted to eat all four eclairs, but decided it was better to let Wade have some too. I'm getting soft in my old age.

Well folks, here's a few things to remember. Not having heat is a perfect excuse to go on a trip. Grab dinner at a grocery store.  Your wallet will appreciate it. The old part of Lyon is pretty cool. Waiters hate you if you order water instead of wine. Eavesdropping seems appropriate at times. You may find yourself at Helm’s Deep if you use a public bathroom at a soccer game. And last but not least, turning 27 was okay because I got to eat French eclairs!

Thanks for reading folks!

Another Day Of Sun

Folks! I actually have something to write about! In January we didn't really do anything too exciting, so I didn't want to bore you. We were basically hibernating! But we decided to leave Forbach for the warmer climate of Nice. To be fair, it was only like 10 degrees warmer, but I didn't have to wear my giant puffy coat! I’m going to call that a win.

Now the saga of getting to a Nice was uneventful. We rode a train to Luxembourg and caught a bus to the airport.  We decided to fly because we thought it would be cheaper and faster than the train. It was a little cheaper, but it wasn't as fast as we thought it would be. I was surprised by the airport--it was the smallest airport I have ever been to!

We lined up to go through security. Usually they will stop Wade’s bag and check his contact solution, so we were both very surprised when they let his backpack through and stopped mine! The agent told me to open it. I opened it. He took my makeup case out and he put it back through the machine. They did this like three times. Then they started to open my powder foundation and looked at my mascara! It was so bizarre. Finally they felt like they had examined my makeup closely enough and handed it back to me. Folks, I don't know what made the machine hate my makeup!

The airport was so small that we were bused out to the tarmac! I literally have never done this. Wade wasn't too fazed by this. Apparently this was normal for him. I felt famous getting off the bus and walking up the stairs straight onto the plane! It was so exciting to me! The plane was very small. We were flying to Frankfurt and then onto Nice. This airplane ride was only like 20 minutes!

The airport in Frankfurt was bigger, and we didn't get to ride onto the tarmac! We just walked onto the plane like we were dumb, normal people. That trip was only like an hour and a half. After landing, we took a bus to our hotel. It was like four blocks away from the beach!

The next morning we woke up to sunshine and blue skies! You could say it looked “Nice”! I know, I know! I had to say it! Folks, it was a warm sixty degrees! You can definitely tell if someone is a Utahn. We all think sixty degrees is so warm! We decided to start exploring Nice as soon as possible. We went down to the beach and walked around for a bit. We kept seeing people in giant puffy coats with their hoods up. We couldn't help but laugh! Here we are thinking it's so warm and these people are freezing their buns off!

After we walked around by the beach, we decided to go to Castle Hill. It has this awesome waterfall and a pretty cool park. We hiked up the millions of steps and finally got to the top! The waterfall was cool, but the view was the most amazing part. I stood there looking at the deep blue ocean and the surrounding mountains. I couldn't believe how lucky we were to be in such an amazing place! After we were sufficiently satisfied with the view, we went to the neighboring cemetery (like you do). The cemetery was pretty big and the headstones were awesome! I have to give a shout out to my sister Char. She told us to go there! It did not disappoint.

         

We walked back down the millions of steps and ended up walking around in more of the historic part of Nice. Then we returned to the beach and walked up the coast. It started to get really windy and clouds started to move in, so we decided we should call it a day.

The next day we decided to head over to Monaco. It was a little cloudy and colder than the day before. We got to Monaco and headed to the palace. It's more of the historic part of Monaco. We got there right when they were doing the changing of the guard! There was such a big group of people there that we couldn't really see what was happening. I did manage to see some of it through a phone screen as someone filmed it over their head! I'm just going to say, if you are filming something please, PLEASE don't put your camera or phone over your head! The people behind you can't see through your arms. Okay, now that I've said my peace, I’ll continue. We walked around and found a cool garden/park overlooking the ocean. It started to get extremely windy, so we decided to go to the aquarium. Folks, I've never been to one before! It was so much fun. I think I was more excited than the kids who were there! We saw sharks! Sharks are so cool! We went through the gift shop and actually bought something! A cool mug. I usually get annoyed going through museums only to have to exit through the gift shop. Like, I just saw all the real versions of this stuff.  Why would I want miniature replicas?? We then decided to go to the famous Monaco casino! It was a pretty cool building.

Folks, the next day was Valentine's Day! Cuuuuute! We didn't have anything planned, so we went down to the beach and sat on a bench. We found out that there was a Malagasy restaurant. We decided it would be fun to have lunch there. When we got there, it was such a small building and there were no tables that weren't inhabited by old people! So many old people. We asked if we could make reservations for dinner... they were full! We found out that they delivered. We decided to just have them deliver to our hotel. So we call later… they weren't delivering that day. It was such a bummer! We haven't really had good luck with Malagasy restaurants in the past. We went to one in Paris where the lady overcharged us and ordered gross food for us. You can ask Jamie and Jeremy how true that statement is. The second time we tried to go back to the same one in Paris, it was closed for construction! I guess we’ll just have to hop on a plane and go directly to Madagascar!

The next day we left. I was bummed to leave the sun and the beach. When we made it back to Luxembourg we found out we had to take a bus to a few towns over to get on a train to go back to Forbach. By the end of the trip, we had taken every mode of transportation! Train, bus and plane! Once we walked the mile back to our apartment, we were pooped! We took a three hour nap and decided going by train is a better idea than going by plane!

Here are a few take aways folks. January was freaking cold! Ladies, your makeup may be subjected to a pat down. Being driven on the tarmac and to the plane makes you feel famous. Nice is now my favorite place in France. Monaco has an awesome aquarium! Last, but not least, I will hop on a plane to eat elusive Malagasy food!

Thanks for reading folks!

For Old Times' Sake

I'm back folks! I took a little hiatus there for a minute. With the holidays and everything, I thought it would be nice to take a little break. I'm back now, and I have more travel tips and crazy stories to tell you! So let's just dive right in, shall we? Are you excited? Because I'm very excited!

Wade and I got it into our heads that we wanted to surprise everyone and come home for Christmas. We purchased our plane tickets in October, so I had to keep this exciting secret for two months! Now, most of you would find that a semi easy thing to do. Most of you don't know what it's like to try to keep a secret from the Asay clan! It was probably the hardest secret to keep! Of course our parents knew we were coming. I mainly told my mom so I didn't have to suffer with keeping this secret alone. It's always better when someone has to suffer right along with you! Anyway, we did succeed in surprising everyone, and it was pretty fun!

One thing we should probably talk about is the 11 hour plane ride to get to Utah! We left from Amsterdam (word to the wise: go in the summer; it isn't as fun in the winter). Anyway, the flight was pretty uneventful. We watched movies and ate. They just bring you a ton of food on international flights! Anywho, we were right over the Salt Lake Airport when a freak storm hit. We couldn't land. So we circled the airport. Still couldn't land. We circled the airport about five times. We waved to Logan the first time, but on the third go, it got old. Finally it was time to land. Now folks, I've gotten used to flying. I'm not as scared of it as I was at first. This landing instilled the fear right back in me. As we were making our descent, the plane dropped ten feet! Like we were dropping out of the sky! Everyone was screaming, babies were crying, and my hand was crushing Wade's hand! Poor Wade. After the drop, it got worse. The plane started shaking so bad! Five people threw up. That's right, FIVE! When we landed, everyone clapped! That's how much we all thought we were going to die. The flight back was pretty uneventful. We didn't drop ten feet, so that's always good.

We had a lot of fun in Farmington and Evanston. We went to a Jazz game, Temple Square, sledding, and spent some time with our awesome families! I was sad to leave. It wasn't as hard this time though. We’re halfway done with this France experiment, so I think that made it easier. It was nice to have an actual bed and not to twins pushed together. It was nice to have a rectangle pillow and not a big square one. I miss that already! It was nice to go to church and know what everyone was saying.

We decided it would be really fun to fly back and spend New Year's Eve in Paris. Oh, how naive we were. I'm not one for big crowds and neither is Wade. Why we thought this would be fun, I have no clue. We were pretty jet lagged when we got to the hotel. We couldn't check in for another hour and a half, and it was really cold out, so we sat down in the hotel lounge and fell asleep in some chairs. I'm not embarrassed by the fact that I fell asleep in a public place. I was just that tired! I did wake up to a woman screeching at someone to shut the door to the hotel because it was cold. Folks, it was an automatic door that would open whenever you stepped on the rug. There were some very confused hotel patrons walking in at the time. Cool it lady, can't you see I'm trying to sleep in a public place here?! When we finally got into our room, we crashed. We slept a solid four hours. It was heaven!

We woke up at seven and decided to put on our coats, scarfs, and hat. We braved the cold to see Paris at night. In retrospect, when you find out the Metro is free all night, maybe that's a good indicator to not be out past midnight. It was our first warning sign. We were just happy it was free! Our next warning came when we were walking in some pretty popular places, and there were few people out. It was nice to walk by the Louvre and not have a million people there. We walked all over Paris. It was nice to see the city at night without all the people. That was fun. As the night wore on, we began to realize why no one was out at seven. By ten o'clock, we were the coldest we had ever been. Wade's hands were numb, and my feet were numb. We were cold and tired and still had two hours to go. We ended up by the Eiffel Tower because they usually make it sparkle cool colors when it hits midnight on New Year’s. So we stood there for two hours, just waiting. It was still pretty fun! People kept offering us half full bottles of champagne and were always offended when we declined their gracious, drunken offer. When midnight struck and the lights started, it seemed worth it all!

Now let's talk about the portion of the night where it took us two hours to get back to our hotel! So after the lights, everyone rushed to the metro, including us! We got to the closest metro, and it was a zoo! We couldn't even get down the stairs. We decided that it was no big deal.  We would just walk to the next stop! We were able to get down the stairs and to the platform but folks, there were hundreds of people down there! I'm not even exaggerating! Just crowds of people waiting for a train that no one could get on because it was full. We decided to cut our loses and get the heck out of there. The stairway out was clogged with people coming down. It took us ten minutes to push through that crowd and feel the sweet relief of the cold night air! We then decided to get an uber. The problem with that was there was traffic in every direction with people trying to get out of the center of the city all at once! We tried uber and then canceled it because there was nowhere it could pick us up. We tried uber five times as we walked out of the city center. We canceled it five times as we walked out of the city center. We finally decided it would be smart to start walking back to our hotel, an hour away, and see if the traffic would clear out over there. We walked for 30 minutes until the roads were less busy and an uber could get to us. Folks, seeing that uber pull up almost brought tears to my eyes! We got back to our hotel at two in the morning. We looked like such partiers! In reality we were jet lagged and cold. We stumbled into bed and decided it was all worth it to see Paris at midnight!

I hope this post has given you a lot of info. If you haven't really been paying attention, here are the Cliff Notes. Secrets are never safe with the Asay family. Planes can drop ten feet. Big square pillows are the worst! The awful screeching lady at the hotel wants the door to be shut. I may have looked homeless sleeping on a random chair. Always heed the warning signs. Wear extra socks... that's just all around good advice! Don't be naive about the metro being free. Midnight in Paris is my new favorite thing. And last, but not least, an uber can bring a tear to anyone’s eye!  

Thanks for reading folks!

What's this?!

Folks, I just want to take a moment and tell you a little story. Wade and I celebrated our second wedding anniversary last Tuesday. It started out like a normal day and then took a turn for the weird. We decided to eat at a local Chinese restaurant. That was mistake number one! It turned out to be a buffet--mistake number two. Then we read a sign wrong.  We thought it said shrimp.  It wasn't. After eating a few bites I said, “This tastes like fishy chicken.” In reality it was frog legs! Let that sink in--frog legs! The worst part was that I actually didn't mind them! Okay, now onto the rest of the blog!

We went adventuring again to places we had already been to and places we had yet to see! The one difference of this little trip was that Wade’s mom, Teri, and sister, Lacee, decided to join us. They took the train from Paris to Forbach, and we picked them up at the Forbach train station. We rented a car which was nice because we didn't have to walk the mile back with some suitcases dragging behind us. The plan was to drive to Füsson, see the Disney castle, drive to Freiburg (the Freiburg Germany that doesn’t have an LDS temple), then on to Strasbourg for some Christmas town fun!

We left Forbach in search of the Alps, a castle and some Christmas. Folks, one thing I should mention at this point is that at 4:30 pm it gets dark. So we entered Füsson in the dark and were pretty bummed because all you could see of the Alps was a dark mass. We grabbed dinner and then headed to the Airbnb. The next morning (Thanksgiving) we were up bright and early. We really wanted to see the castle again! We walked up the “big hill” and once at the top discovered some bad news. The trail to Mary’s bridge (you know the bridge I wouldn't walk across that everyone takes pictures on?) was closed! Closed! Folks, the front entrance of the castle is pretty underwhelming. The best view is from behind on the bridge! We took the news better than expected and continued on to our tour of the castle! At one point we decided to drive out to a road that had a perfect view of the castle. Right as we parked to take some photos, the fog rolled in and covered only the castle! By the time we did everything, darkness was again upon us. We decided we needed a Thanksgiving feast! They, of course, don't celebrate Thanksgiving in Europe, but Germans sure do know how to make a meal that Thanksgiving would be envious of!

                 

The next morning we were off to Freiburg! So let me clarify something. There are two Freiburgs in Germany. There is Freiburg (where we went) and there is Freiberg (where the LDS temple is). For about half our drive we thought we were going to the latter. Some investigation on Lacee’s part made it clear we were headed to the Freiburg that did not include the temple. We picked Freiburg because it was half way between Füsson and Strasbourg. Freiburg was a little underwhelming, but it did have a very big Christmas market! We wandered the city and ended up in a beautiful cathedral. We did go to the Christmas market, and it definitely put me in the Christmas mood!

    

After a night in Freiburg, we were off to magical Strasbourg, France! I say magical because it is literally like we’re Jack Skeleton wandering around asking rhetorical questions like, “What's this!?!” There are Christmas lights everywhere! On every inch of everything! The little Christmas markets have every Christmas thing you could ever think of or want. If you ever end up there, go at night! Everything is so beautiful, and it puts you in the best of moods! Although when we got there, it wasn't dark yet, so we decided to tour the palace, which was very cool. We did a river cruise, which was both a good and a bad idea. The good part was old town Strasbourg. That’s where all the Christmas stuff happens. The bad part was the cruise was about an hour and a half, the boat was cold, and new town Strasbourg isn't nearly as bright and Christmasy as old town! All in all, Strasbourg is a wonderful place to go to fill you with Christmas spirit and warm hot chocolate.

Sadly the next morning we were headed back to Forbach! We got back and hung out for a bit. Then we decided to go to Saint-Avold, which is about fifteen minutes from Forbach. Saint-Avold has the biggest WWII American cemetery in Europe. It was an amazing yet solemn sight to see. It was a beautiful monument for all the young men who sacrificed their own lives in the name of liberty and justice.

After the cemetery, we headed to my favorite city, Metz. Teri and Lacee had to catch the train there to head back to Paris. We had a few hours to kill, so we showed them our favorite places in Metz which included the eclairs we get at the same bakery every time we are there! Folks, these eclairs are still better than having a lifetime supply of peanut M&M! Now that's saying something! Metz also has a Christmas market, so we got to wander around that one too! This week sure put me in the Christmas mood! After a few hours, we helped them to their train and stood on the platform waving goodbye. I was sad to see them go!

Folks, here are some things to take away from all this. The Disney castle is awesome but even better from Mary’s bridge. Fog ruins everything. Germans make a great Thanksgiving meal! There are two Freiburgs in Germany, so don't get confused and disappointed when there isn't a temple! Strasbourg is so magical that even Jack would be overwhelmed by all the Christmas spirit! Saint-Avold has the biggest WWII American cemetery in Europe. Metz is always a good place to end a long journey. And lastly, Europe seems to love Christmas because there are Christmas markets in every city! Dare I say it, even in Forbach!

Thanks for reading folks!

Fidgety Feet

Wade and I woke up Saturday morning and decided then and there that we were going to Metz. We packed a bag and walked to the train station. The train ride was uneventful--well, other than the fact that I listened to Christmas music! I know, I know, it's not even Thanksgiving yet! My reasoning is that they don't have Thanksgiving in France, so I'm justified in listening to some jolly tunes! “When in Rome”... am I right? When we got off the train in Metz, Wade saw another English assistant who works in Forbach. Apparently there are two middle schools in Forbach. She was sent to the “nicer” one. Anyway, we start talking to her, and I'm just smiling like a dork because usually I don't understand the conversation because, well it's usually in French. I then remember she is from Scotland and is speaking English… I know these words! Sadly, I realized this a little too late and only said a few things to her. As we walked away, I told Wade I was sad that I didn't talk to her more. I miss speaking English to people. I know what you're thinking--just learn French. I'm currently learning, but it's a slow go.

We checked into our hotel, which was conveniently located right across from the train station. We decided we wanted to spend a day in Nancy. It's a town about thirty minutes from Metz. We got on another train and headed there. We didn't really know what there was to do in Nancy. We walked to the historic downtown, which was pretty cool. There is this square that has golden gates at every entrance. That was pretty neat. We went to a very big and beautiful park and walked around. We then started to realize there wasn't much else to do. We ended up walking down the shopping district. We went into a store that sold books, games, electronics, Apple products--basically it sold everything. We bought a book and then headed to the train station and back to Metz.  We had decided that we liked Metz even more than we liked Nancy.

We got back to our hotel and watched some TV. Folks, we watched a station that literally just kept playing The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Seriously, it would end and then another one would come on! It was even in English. So weird. We ended up going to a movie theater in Metz. Folks, they were showing Doctor Strange in English with French subtitles! It was the most exciting thing ever! We bought our tickets thinking we would be the only people actually seeing it.  Nope! Apparently everyone universally loves Marvel movies. Let me just say that it was the coolest movie I have ever seen! I liked it more than all the superhero movies! It was fantastic! The movie theater was pretty nice too. Instead of regular seats, they had nice comfy ones. The chairs kind of looked like little couches. It was cool. Another fun fact is that we didn't get back to our hotel until 11:30pm. We haven't stayed out that late in a very long time!

The next morning we walked the freezing cold 20 minutes to get to the church building. The people there are so kind and always happy to see us. Regretfully, we hadn't been for a couple of weeks, so we were happy to be there! You can feel the spirit so strong in this tiny little chapel with the handful of people who attend. It's an amazing feeling. I'm grateful we have the opportunity to be around such wonderful and faithful people. It really strengthens my testimony to see and feel their devotion to the gospel.

After church, we walked back to our hotel, hung out for a bit and then walked to the train station. We were standing in the train station when I saw some glorious donuts. I wanted one immediately. Wade encouraged me to order the donut by myself. I was nervous and second guessing myself, but I managed to sputter out some words that resembled French. Wade then decided he also wanted a donut, and I had to add another incoherent phrase to the first. We ended up with the donuts, and I was kind of proud that I tried to speak French to an actual Frenchmen and not just Wade! We got on the train, and I defied the rules again by listening to Christmas music.

Folks, here are some things to take away from today’s read. Listen to Christmas music whenever you want to. Also there is no Thanksgiving in France, there may be one in Canada but not in France. Metz will always be my favorite town to visit. Jimmy Fallon is always on TV for some reason. I saw a English movie in France. Doctor Strange is a great movie! Church is always the best place to be on a cold Sunday morning. And most importantly, donuts are always worth making a fool of yourself!

Thanks for reading folks!

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens

Wade and I decided not to go adventuring this weekend. I know, how lame are we?! But sometimes you just have to relax.  So, let's talk relaxing in Europe. For me, It involves a lot of a yoga and a lot more of Netflix! Yes, there is Netflix in France and yes, it actually has more TV shows and movies!

I know what you're thinking, “Why is she rambling on about Netflix?” Well, I've been pretty homesick lately, and it may sound weird but it's kind of comforting knowing I can watch Netflix still. Folks, I know it may sound so lame, but it's sadly true! Now Wade and I have basically watched all the TV shows ever. I honestly feel like that proves how boring Forbach is.

Anyway, we have recently discovered a new Netflix original series! It was a very exciting moment for us. Folks, I'm going to need you all to turn on Netflix and watch The Crown! It is an amazing show! So amazing that Wade and I watched all ten episodes in two days. I'm kind of regretting that fact right now! It leaves you on the edge of your seat wanting more!

Now that I've got you hooked on The Crown, let's move on. As I was saying earlier, I'm pretty homesick. I miss just about everything. Don't get me wrong--I do love being here in France with Wade, and I do enjoy all the adventures we get to go on together. But sometimes I miss Utah a lot! Yesterday, was an “I miss Utah a lot” day! Wade knew this and as we were flipping through Netflix we found the movie The Sound of Music! Folks, if you know anything about me, you know that I LOVE musicals! I blame my mom for this lovely trait. Anyway, Wade knows my love of musicals. He decided to turn it on to help me be less sad (Awww). Folks, just like that I was less sad. There is just something about Julie Andrews singing about raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens that makes me feel so much better!

     

That movie made me think about my family. The Asays are musical junkies--again, a lovely trait from my mother! I remember being little and listening to Into the Woods.  I remember getting up early enough so that I could watch Donny Osmond in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at least once before I had to go to elementary school.  My happiest memories with my awesome siblings include us all watching what seems like every musical known to man.  It was nice to remember all this while I'm thousands of miles away from all of them. They are all my favorite people, and I'm lucky to have them.

Okay, so a few things to take away from this one. Um, obviously this post wasn't really about travel. Wade and I were lame this weekend and stayed home. There is still Netflix in France, so that’s good! And you may have learned that I love musicals, especially since they help me feel better when I'm sad and missing my family! Last but not least, my siblings are pretty cool!

Thanks for reading folks!

It Takes Two

This past weekend Wade and I tried our hands at being a couple of tour guides. Don't worry-- we didn't show anyone around Forbach because, ya’ll know by now Forbach is the worst! Wade’s friend Ryan and his wife Alyssa decided to visit Paris. Wade is still on his two week break from teaching, so we got to show them around.

                  

Wade and I got to the Airbnb a day before they flew into Paris. The apartment we stayed in was in a cool location. There was a flea market located a block away, so Wade and I got to check that out! For some reason, though, the apartment smelled strongly of pickles! Pickles of all things! We opened the windows, still smelled like pickles. We would light all the candles they had, but still the pickle smell lingered! After getting used to the smell and picking a room to sleep in, we decided to get on the Metro and walk around Paris. It was nice. We sat on the steps of the Opera House, walked around the grounds of the Louvre, and sat by some fountains enjoying the sunset.

The next day Ryan and Alyssa got to the Airbnb. We decided to go to the Latin Quarter to get a late lunch. After the food, we walked around for a bit and made our way back to the apartment. The next morning we were up bright and early! We stood in line to climb the stairs for Notre Dame(for Wade this is the fourth time). We climbed all those stairs and the view was still well worth it. The rest of the day was spent cramming in as many museums and other sites that we could! They were only staying for two full days, and there is a lot to see in Paris!

At one point, there was a pretty dramatic moment on the Metro. We were trying to get on to go to the Louvre. As the train pulled up, we saw that every car was full--people everywhere! The doors opened, and no one was getting off the cars. We hesitated.. which is the worst thing you could do. We hurried into the least crowded car. The doors shut and Ryan was standing on the platform letting out a string of swear words. He didn't make it into the train car! We panicked and honestly didn't know what to do. His wife was obviously upset. All of the sudden the car door opened! It was a miracle! He jumped on, and we all laughed with relief. Folks, the Metro is a little confusing, so getting lost is a real fear.

We got to the Louvre, and they just wanted to see the famous stuff, which is actually what we did last time, so we were totally fine with that. We walked through the Egyptian exhibit on our way to the paintings. Folks, we ended up losing Ryan and Alyssa! We are literally the worst tour guides! We lost them! Wade and I had no clue what to do. I know what you’re thinking--”Just call or text them.” We tried to call Ryan, but his phone was off. We didn't have Alyssa’s number either. We decided that I would walk up the hall where we last saw them and Wade would walk up the opposite hall and then we would meet back at a certain spot. Folks, that obviously didn't work. Wade started to wonder if we could page them or something. As we were trying to come up with another game plan, Wade got a text from Alyssa! They told us where they were, and we ran to find them. You would think we lost our kids or something! Nope, we just “lost” two full grown adults. They didn't seem too shaken up about it. A side note, I really enjoyed the Louvre this time around. It was nice. That night, we went to the Arc de Triomphe (more stair climbing) and then went back to the Pickle Apartment. While we were gone, the smell had inexplicably gotten stronger.

The last day we were in Paris, we walked around some more and then went to the Eiffel Tower. We didn't end up climbing it because they had had enough of the stairs. We just walked underneath and around it. Folks, Paris in the Fall is beautiful. All the trees around the Eiffel Tower were turning rustic colors. It was beautiful, and I'm grateful for this opportunity Wade and I have to be it such an amazing place!

As Wade and I got off the train back in Forbach, I started to complain about Forbach being the worst! Because, you know, it really is. Wade is the optimistic one and is always trying to make me see the bright side; that's one of the things I love about him. Anyway, he was trying to cheer me up by saying it's still nice here. I wasn't convinced. We walked into our apartment, and it was like walking into an igloo! Apparently they turned the heat off in our building because it's a two week break, so no one is working! Folks, I'm talking we can see our breath at times. We have taken refuge under all our blankets and have put about three layers of clothes on. The break ends on Thursday, so we only have one more day to try not to freeze to death!

Here are a few things to take away from all of this. Wade and I are okay tour guides and only sometimes lose people on the Metro and in the Louvre. Two week breaks involve no heat. And the most important thing--Paris is beautiful in the Fall! Please come visit us if you get the chance! I promise we won't lose you!

Thanks for reading folks!