Paris, France-The Living City

Harmonica music floats up and over the chimneys of the Parisian rooftops and saunters in through the window left ajar.

Rooftops Over Paris

As London was the Walking City, with a constant flow of people and water, Paris is not only the city of light but also the Living City. Here, even the stationary things feel alive to the touch.

Statue In Notre-Dame
Cathedral 

This city moves at a slow, contented pace as if there is no time to keep.

The Eiffel Tower at Midnight

Paris never seems to sleep as there is always singing or arguing or instruments playing even at 2 or 3 in the morning.

After only four nights and five days I have come to believe that the people of France cannot help but to want to make noise. It is as if Paris could not stand to be fully silent, not even for a moment.

Early in the mornings Parisians will randomly burst into song while walking to their favorite cafe or to the metro.

Singing here is rather like whistling in the United States-people do it without thinking, simply for something to keep their mouths happy or to express their contentment with the world around them.

Afternoons the streets and parks and metros will fill with musicians singing and playing anything you could imagine.

When the sun goes down music and laughter and conversation flow or even beat from the cafes and bars.

And then there are the voices. In Paris everyone is talking or arguing or asking directions or telling stories as if every voice is vying for space within your ears.

In Paris everyone, even the foreigners, are the friendliest and most curious people you will ever meet. It is as if the city brings it out in everyone who walks or rides or drives her streets.

Parisians stop on the streets to ask random strangers what their food tastes like or to comment on their pet or to ask a traveler where they are from.

In Paris it is possible to learn all the history (along with amusing personal anecdotes) of a five-block radius within a ten or twenty minute walk.

There are voices and sounds everywhere except for one: walking along the restless River Seine. Here the sounds seem to quell but surprisingly Paris feels most alive along the river with its multiple bridges and views that will make you catch your breath in awe and gratitude for the beautiful city.

The Walk Along The River Seine

It was in this stunning setting that my traveling partner and I decided that we would most enjoy Europe experiencing it on our own. So on our third morning in Paris we parted ways, my friend moving on south and me staying in Paris.

With very little money and even less knowledge of the French language, I ventured out into Paris and Europe alone.

Some people are nervous traveling strange cities alone, but Paris has a way of reassuring the worried hearts of her visitors. Paris feels safe and welcoming, as if the city herself is watching out for you.

So, it is no real surprise that within hours of parting ways, Paris opened her arms to me. She showed me sights I will never forget, opened my eyes (as well as the eyes of the travelers around me) to amazing potentials and dreams and granting me safe haven at two wonderful hostels where I met some of the kindest and most generous people I have ever known.

The first hostel I stayed at was called Lucky Youth Hostel. This hostel is run differently than others. Here you are not put in a building bursting with bunk beds and as many people as can be crammed into one building. Instead Lucky Youth distributes its travelers (generally six or eight at a time) around the city in ten lovely little apartments in some of the most beautiful areas of Paris. Here you get to know the other travelers much better than you would at a normal hostel as you are sharing an apartment with them rather than simply a row of bunk beds. Here you may live with your fellow travelers rather than simply arriving, sleeping and continuing on your way the next morning.

When you first arrive in Paris and book yourself with the Lucky Youth Hostel, a lovely man named William will come to guide you to your new Parisian home. As you walk, the conversation will stem from politics to business to local history to Paris to the cities in the Northwest corner of Washington state (one of his greatest loves).

It was at the apartment on Rue Lepic run by Lucky Youth that I suddenly understood why Paris is considered the City of Light as well as of Love.

Here it is certainly possible to fall in love. Although, perhaps, not with another person.

Instead it is possible to fall in love with the ancient city, its people and food, it’s voices and music, it’s streets and culture. 

But it is also possible to fall in love with ones own life and the opportunities life has to offer. It is the city of decisions, I think, the city of realizing what opportunities await you if only you are willing to open your eyes and heart to them. In Paris these opportunities suddenly come to light...much like the city does at night.

At the top of Rue Lepic there sits a cathedral overlooking all of Paris-a stunning sight by night. One that makes you want to see and explore and understand every inch of Paris. Again, something best achieved by walking. 

To understand the cities name “The City of Light” one must walk it at night. Do not worry about directions or destination, simply grab your key and begin!

My first night alone in Paris I met two amazing travelers. We decided to venture out to discover some of the Parisian night life.

It was at a bar near Moulin Rouge and completely unknown to tourists that we discovered the American way of thinking that all Parisians are rude and stuck up was 100% false when we met four Europeans who became curious with our travels and proceeded to offer us drinks, conversation and dancing.  

The next morning a lovely Brazilian girl I had met at Lucky Youth and I decided to spend our day together in the most fun and relaxing way we could think of: eating our way through Paris!

Of course we began with a baguette. As we walked we sampled chocolateries, sweet breads, pastries, coffee and even ice cream which we found within blocks of Notre-Dame Cathedral. We also eventually found our way to the store front of world renowned chocolatier Michel Cluizel where we bought chocolate to save for our continuing journeys so as to remember our time together in Paris.

Eating Our Way Through Paris
at Michel Cluizel Chocolate Shop

That night in a hostel only blocks from my Lucky Youth apartment I met another lovely traveler. We ate crepes as we walked to the foot of the Eiffel Tower with many unexpected detours to other stunning monuments.

The Walls And Ceilings of Le Tire Bouchon
Piano Bar And Creperie Are
Covered With Pictures, Drawings,
And Well-Wishes From Around The World

We arrived at the Eiffel Tower within minutes of midnight so we sat in the grass and watched as the tower came to life with sparkling lights.

The next day I was invited to stay with a french family in the small city of Bourg-en-Bresse, nearly two hours by train south of Paris and about an hour north of Lyon. So, while carrying both excitement and a heavy heart, I boarded a train in the early afternoon to meet a family in a small town in the heart of France.

"Come along Life, take my hand, let's have an adventure together."

~KrystleLyric

London, United Kingdom-The Walking City

Touchdown in London 

Bustling.

It is the best way to describe the city of London.

Everyone, everything is constantly bustling, moving, almost humming with movement. The city never stops and rarely even pauses.

London is addicting, in a way that you don't notice at first. What was originally going to be a one day whirlwind look at the city quickly became a four-day walking exploration.

The city is fast paced but calm and everyone is friendly and helpful.

The locals go where they need to go, sliding their way like molasses through the river of tourists crowding so many street corners and bridges. Much like the River Thames which also slides leisurely through the city, the city that is constantly moving.

The feel of movement is so strong in London that sometimes, when standing still or sitting beside the great, dark river, one can almost feel the heartbeat of the city beneath their feet.

Tower Bridge

Not surprisingly, the trick to getting to know London is to walk her streets, preferably at night.
But beware the river that meanders though like a walker with a generous amount of time, for it is often hard to know which side of it you are on! 

South Kensington Station

Although the subway, or ‘Tube’, may appear daunting, do not avoid it. The hardest part about using the Tube is that you often can only find separate maps to guide you through the city. One for streets, one for the Tube, a separate one for the buses and yet another for famous landmarks. Instead simply circle where you are staying on the map or memorize the nearest Tube station and simply begin walking.

A Train at Waterloo Station with the London Eye, the
Worlds Largest Ferris Wheel in the Background.

London has a wonderful public transportation system. There is the opportunity to buy what is called the Oyster Pass which works as a metro card or, more simply, a glorified and multiple-use ticket. You may add money to them as you go and when swiped at most stations the amount remaining appears as you walk through.

The Oyster Card can conveniently work on the cities local double-decker buses as well.

A 20 to 30 Foot Chalk Board Beside a Busy Road. The
Board has so Many Wishes They are Often Unreadable.

Everywhere you go in London you will find something beautiful or exciting, monuments or statues, parks or squares, beautiful buildings or hidden cafes and bars such as Church Street Hotel, Tiger Pub and Camel and Artichoke.

If a day of leisure is what you are looking for, take a stroll though Hyde Park. Open and several hundred acres, the gardens, playgrounds, water, and numerous activities has the ability to keep you entertained for hours.

If tourism is what you seek I can give no advice but this: ride the London Eye at night. Even those who are avid about avoiding tourist activities will not regret this half hour excursion to the top of the night world. Then, go for a walk along the Thames and enjoy the feel of the night.

Looking Down On A London Eye
Capsule And The City Bellow.

When arriving in London on a weekend expect available hostels to be hard to find and if you can book at least a few hours in advance. Two good international hostel-finding websites are hostelworld.com and hostelbookers.com.
Our first hostel, Safe Stay, was very comfortable and clean. Although still within the city, it was south of the center (a few minutes ride on the Tube) near a shopping center called Elephant and Castle, which was of course decorated with a large orange statue of an elephant with a small tower balancing upon its back. The neighborhoods surrounding it were more of the common London then the tourist spots with a little bit of a gritty feel.
Our next hostel, the London Eye hostel, was much closer to the city center being only a few blocks from the well-known Waterloo Station. This hostel was not so spacious as the first but it was rather cheap and was even more so when booked online. 
From Waterloo Station or Kings Cross there are trains traveling nearly everywhere across England and if you have a spare day-hop one of them. The hour long train ride to Dorking passes some amazing English countryside, just enough to give you a taste.
Although four days was not enough to experience the perfect walking city, we decided we should move on to Paris via a company called MegaBus for only 54,50 Euros for two people. 
After eight hours, yet another time zone and an hour and a half long ferry ride on a boat that had nine levels and four separate elevators, we arrived bright and early to the lovely Paris, France.

London, UK, I will miss you till we meet again!

Big Ben From Between The Spokes of The London Eye. 

"Come Along Life, take my hand, lets have an adventure together."

~KrystleLyric

Reykjavik, Iceland-The Small-Town Capital

After a seven hour flight (along with seven time zones) we touched down in Reykjavik, Iceland at 6:35 am local time.
Our plane's flight path took us North-East near Calgary, Canada, the expansive Rocky Mountain range, the infamous Hudson Bay, the ice fields of Greenland and the icy Atlantic Ocean before dipping down to Iceland.

In that one flight I watched the sun set over Northern Canada and only a few hours later watched the next day's sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean only miles from Iceland.
While flying over the Canadian wilderness that night, our pilot informed us of a gorgeous display of the Aurora Borealis flashing like a shimmering and shifting bright green snake across the sky just beyond our wing tip.
A few hours later while sailing over Greenland the sky lit up again with the airy pale green lights nearly surrounding the plane from wing tip to wind tip.
I found the Big Dipper hovering over the planes wing tip that night-a sign of home.

Reykjavik is a lovely, comfortable capital with a small-town feel.
Here there are more baby carriers than skateboards and they are left along the sidewalks like bicycles.
Everyone is friendly and fashionable and there are a multitude of hole-in-the-wall cafes and shops, all with a unique design and feel.
While enjoying breakfast at one of these such cafes (Cafe Babalu) I overheard another American couple ranting about the cafes restroom, naturally I had to see what the fuss was about. What I discovered was a room filled with a blue light and decorated with life-sized Star Wars stickers adorning the walls.

Although the outdoor temp is in the 40's and everyone is bundled in down jackets and wool hats, nearly every cafe or shop has at least one window open, if not the front door.
Our second night, we stayed in the Reykjavik Backpackers hostel. Very comfortable and fun with an Icelandic adventurer type feel and design.
In Reykjavik, cats wander the streets like children in a school yard, all with tags and all are friendly.
The beaches are black with sand from countless volcanoes and the ocean surrounding the island is just as wild as the active mountains at its center.

Hallgrimskirkja Church stands at Reykjavik's center and can be seen from anywhere in the city, a beacon of craftmenship.

Inside, an unmanned organ plays while mounted to the walls stretching nearly to the ceiling.

One block away in a courtyard behind a museum, there is a sculpture garden housing gorgeous figures haunted by humanities shortcomings.

Now on to London, England!

"Come along Life, take my hand, let's have an adventure together."

~KrystleLyric

One Last Week!!!!

One week exactly.

One week and we'll be climbing onto the plane.

Last minute preparations are being made and we both begun packing several days ago.

Our backpacks are beginning to bulge.

Our map is adorned with multiple circles and colors. Red for the cities we would most like to see, green for natural or historical places we would like to explore and blue for places we would like to stay in for a week or more.

"Come along Life, take my hand, lets have an adventure together."

~KrystleLyric

Two Weeks and Counting!

Yesterday marked two weeks until our departure date!!!

And, as is my traveling style, planning is barely off the ground!

Also quite typical of my travelling style, our plan is simple.

We fly from Seattle, Washington to Reykjavik, Iceland and from there to London, England.

Two months later we fly from Paris, France back to Reykjavik and on to Seattle.

Our plan for the two months in between is also rather simple, see everything we can!

We plan our destinations just as simply.

The Planning Process!

We collect the most colorful guide books the public library has to offer.

Then we spread them out on the floor or table and open one after another, searching for the most beautiful pictures.

Then we read the captions, write down the locations, find them on the floor-sized map and circle them.

We are also taking suggestions and so far we have heard the following, among others of course:

-Stonehenge               -Prague                      -Munich                     -Barcelona

-Scotland                   -Istanbul                    -The Black Forest       -Malta

-Hungray                    -Brittany                    -Wales                        -Yorkshire

-Ireland                      -Madrid                     -Larzac                       -Estonia

-Latvia                       -Lithuania                   -Dublin                        -The French Pyrenees

Although our list is rather long, we will certainly take more suggestions so please feel free to post them!

'Come along Life, take my hand, lets have an adventure together."

~KrystleLyric

TICKETS!!!

Last night, the purchase of airline tickets was made-an event I have been waiting for nearly all my life!

On October 1st, 2013, at 4:30 P.M., an Icelandair flight will rise above the Emerald City in beautiful Washington State.

At 6:45 A.M. the next morning we will stumble sleepily off the plane into Keflavik International, an airport seated just outside of Iceland's capital city Reykjavik.

We will spend two nights in Reykjavik.

Nights during which I am told there is a very good chance I will see the infamous Northern Lights color the skies above me.

Two days later, we will board another Icelandair flight and within three hours touchdown at the London Heathrow Airport.

Perhaps that will be the day I finally understand the pull I feel for London.

'So come along Life, take my hand, lets have an adventure together.'

~KrystleLyric

A Beginning

Hello and welcome to my blog of wanderings!

I am inviting you to follow the travels and ramblings of a girl who can't stop exploring this amazing world surrounding her!

While traveling, I prefer to experience the Place within a place rather than the Typical.

I do this by avoiding travel guides or participating in tours and I rarely wait about in lines.

Instead I Breathe in a place by walking it, tasting it and Feeling it. I talk to the Locals and ask Them where I should go-what I should see-rather than asking a guide book. I ask Them their Favorite Places and that's where I go.

Each place I see I try to Live-In for a time-even if I'm only there for a day.

I Soak-In all I can. I try to Feel the Life of a place, and I try to Grab every opportunity that comes my way.

The Beginning of October will mark one such opportunity, as well as my first gaunt into Europe. A gaunt that will last 6-8 weeks, cover several countries and a multitude of towns, cities, villages and adventures!

'So come along Life, take my hand, lets have an adventure together.'

~KrystleLyric