My friend, Haskell, and I decided to spend a few hours taking pictures in Little 5 Points and Oakland Cemetery. Little 5 Points (a/k/a “L5P”) is a funky bohemian neighborhood east of downtown Atlanta. Known for unique clothing boutiques (Junkman’s Daughter, Envy, etc.), hookah bars and cafes…it’s a fabulous place to spend a Saturday afternoon!
Old Nikki…unaware of what is about to happen.
The Warrior Dash is billed as “The World’s Largest Running Series”. Not sure what type of process they had to go thru for this “certification”. The race is 3.2 miles of running & obstacles (swimming, climbing over shit, crawling thru mud with some glass & hypodermic needles thrown in [I may have made that last part up], and running thru hot fiyah). My colleague, Jeff, talked me into doing this and after reviewing the information and “obstacles” listed on the website, I wasn’t all that worried. I’m training for a marathon so this couldn’t be that hard, right? WRONG. See me in the picture there on the left? Looking all clean and smiling because I didn’t know that I would have to run thru the bowels of hell? Yeah, I miss her. I think I lost her at mile 1.5.
Fake obstacle course…maybe that’s the first obstacle. To fool you into thinking it’s not that hard.
The race was being held in north Georgia (close to the South Carolina state line) in Mountain City. I picked up Jeff and we headed north to meet up with Glenn, another work colleague. Which…I’m just going to put this out there. Clearly all 3 of us don’t have good decision-making abilities. But, I digress. Jeff is worried that the paramedics will have to airlift him to a hospital during the race. I laugh (or Old Nikki in the photo above laughed…she’s dead now). I had studied the obstacle course (which I have provided for your viewing pleasure) like it was a treasure map. I was confident in what to expect. Like I had read What To Expect When You are Expecting (To Run an Obstacle Course). I figured that it wouldn’t be that difficult. I mean, it’s only 3.2 miles and 13 obstacles. I even had a strategy. I know! I thought I was prepared. Spoiler alert — I was not.
On our way to the race, Jeff and I speculate about how many other people of color we would see. His response? “I think I’m looking at it.” Now, normally you don’t see black folks crawling in mud and trudging across a lake for sport…there needs to be a good reason (like life or death). That’s not what we do. But, it’s 2012. Obama is POTUS. Anything is possible, people. Change we can believe in, y’all. I held out hope that I wouldn’t be the only brown person there. Luckily, I saw a few others. There weren’t many…but change starts small. See? I’m spreading the word now. So to my black people…go out and do this race! Don’t worry about the title and how I said I died. You may live!
Apparently this is the pre-party/race area.
After we park, there is a shuttle that takes you to the actual event. Once we arrive at the venue, we notice an ambulance speeding away with sirens blaring (Clue #1). As we are walking up a hill (Clue #2 because I hadn’t even considered hills would be involved) we pass people who had completed the race and they looked a hot, sizzling mess (Clue #3). Before we get to the registration desk, we see a girl laid out on a freaking STRETCHER and she WAS.NOT.MOVING. (Clue #4). By this time, Jeff has started providing statistics of our chances of getting injured (which did not calm me one bit). I tried to divert our attention by looking at the costumes. Because most folks dressed up as something. We saw Sesame Street characters, Borat (and trust me that a man running in a thong is not cute), a lady wearing a wedding gown…pretty much everything you could think of. Which should have been Clue #5 but I didn’t realize it at the time. That lulled me into a sense of calm…like it couldn’t be that bad. I’m looking at crazy but I don’t recognize the crazy. I’m part of it.
Before I get into the details of actually running this race, I do need to give Leap Frog Events some praise. They had the Warrior Dash event organized like a well-oiled machine (except for when it came time to claim my free beer but I’m not going to deal with that now). The race starts in 30 minute waves. But, while you may register for a 4pm wave, it seemed like you could run in any wave throughout the day. Registration was fast and easy. Race swag includes a cotton t-shirt, medal, 1 free beer and a fuzzy warrior helmet (I will be wearing it this winter so get ready). There is also a huge party at the finish line (complete with a DJ and folks doing the “Wobble”…I kid you not). It was awesome.
Starting line…these fools have no idea what is about to happen. Unless they are repeat fools (folks that do this every year…someone I’m about to be).
The Race
We line up towards the back of the wave so we don’t have to deal with the Bruce Jenners trying to actually race. It starts out with a pretty easy 1/2 mile run slightly uphill. Now, my strategy was based on the obstacle course map above where the water obstacles were at the end. In my mind, this was great because I wouldn’t have to run in water-logged shoes. I should’ve known that made too much sense to be real.
Obstacles 1-3
So, when I see the first obstacle is crossing a muddy LAKE by either walking (in water that at some points is higher than me) or swimming, I immediately was like, “this wasn’t in the marketing materials!” I end up behind some guys dressed as KISS (and using their inflatable guitars as flotation devices…genius. I’m totally going as Prince next year). We finally make it across the lake (all while I’m praying there aren’t any flesh-eating bacteria in there). And as soon as we exit the lake, we have to crawl through mud (and what I am going to assume was mixed with glass because my elbows and knees are scraped to hell) under barbed wire for a bit, then go thru some mesh. Then it’s time to run some more. It’s an easy run (which I knew was too good to last).
Obstacle 4
Another freaking lake? WTF? Why the hell wasn’t this on the map? I walk out to the pier, jump into the lake, sink to the bottom to my death (then back up to the top to my resurrection which I am sure will be short-lived). We had to swim out to a floating obstacle…with shoes weighing you down. This is where things get dicey. I realize that my upper body strength training didn’t work a damn as I couldn’t get my big ass on that buoy. So, Jeff has to pull me up while some poor soul is either helping me by lifting my ass or just copping a feel (which…really? Don’t you see I’m in a life or death situation?). After crossing over the floating obstacles, we have to jump right back into the muddy lake and swim to shore. I got water in my nose and what I thought was my lungs. I’m running and snorting water thinking “I now have water cancer.” Don’t judge me…that could be real. Then it’s time for a new obstacle.
Obstacle 5
Rope climbing. This obstacle was actually on the map and I was dreading it. Now that I know that I have the upper strength of a toddler (or that my arms can’t handle the weight from my hips and thighs…there really isn’t a comforting answer to any of this), I just drop my head. But I’m not a quitter. My Mom read The Little Engine That Could to me when I was little. But I’m pretty sure that Little Engine never had to climb ropes. He only had to climb a mountain and he had the help of an engine so I call cheating. Aaaannnyyyway, I square my shoulders, grab the rope and start climbing…then stop. WTF? Why am I so freaking heavy? And why are other folks climbing over this wall like monkeys? Is my rope defective? So I climb down and try a new one (water cancer causes dementia). Same thing. After what feels like 45 minutes, I finally make it to the top. But now it’s time to actually go over the wall. And The Count from Sesame Street is trying to get on the rope. I’m not finished, buddy. Count the seconds until you see me hit the ground. Finally, I make it over and climb down. Then it’s time to run thru a MUDDY FOREST! Over snakes and tree trunks. Lord help me. This goes on for another 1/2 mile.
New Resurrected Nikki rocking the fuzzy warrior helmet…part of the Fall 2012 Mental Illness Line.
Obstacle 6
I don’t even know what this obstacle is called. You have to climb a wall where the little ledges are spaced about 6 feet apart. It was at this point that I seriously considered skipping it like so many others that had bypassed obstacles that looked too hard. But I refused to quit (and I knew I’d never hear the end of it from my colleagues). Instead, I made a call. It went like this, “Are you there God? It’s me, Nikki. Um, help please?” Somehow, someway, I made it to the top only to find out that I would have to slide down a pole (which was a good distance from the wall). WTH?? The race attendant had to talk me down like I was suicidal. Our conversation went a little like this:
Me: “WTF is this, John?” (I don’t know if that was his name but water cancer makes you want to re-name folks…it also makes you have anger management issues).
John?: “Just lean forward and wrap your legs around the pole.”
Me: “Do I look like a stripper? I don’t know how to do this!”
John?: “Just lean into the pole, it will be okay.”
Me: “This doesn’t look safe. Has this obstacle been certified by a safety inspector?”
John?: *blank stare*
Me: “If I die, I’m totally coming back to haunt your ass.”
I did as he instructed, made it down the pole and promptly hurt my hip because I landed too fast. John, you mutherfucker! This is going to worsen my water cancer. I think I’m now Stage 3 at this point. And as it’s time to run again, I see a mile marker sign that says “1.5 miles completed.” MUTHERFUCKER! I’m not even halfway done with this yet? OMG! That’s when Old Nikki died. Right there at the 1.5 mile marker. Apparently, the water cancer was more aggressive than I first thought. Out of her ashes, New Nikki arose. And she was PISSED that she had to run 1.7 more miles of obstacles.
Obstacles…I don’t even care
Seriously? I climbed over waist-high walls, under more barbed wire, slid down a water slide made of trash bags, climbed over crashed up cars, hurdled over some hot fire and crawled thru mud under more barbed wire (seriously with the barbed wire? Are they a sponsor or something?). Finally, there is the finish line…I almost thought it was another obstacle. Like, “PSYCHE! YOU AIN’T DONE YET. THAT WAS ANOTHER OBSTACLE…A MENTAL ONE. GET TO RUNNING, BITCH!” But, it turned out to be real. And as soon as I was done, I proclaimed that I would NEVA EVA do that again.
Then, as we are listening to The Humpty Dance (yes, you read that right), we decided to put together a team to do Tough Mudder. Which is almost the same except it’s 12 miles instead of 3.2 and the barbed wire is electrified with 10,000 volts of electricity. You know you want to do this too! Clearly I suffer from some sort of mental illness…maybe the water cancer is back?
After we pick up our items from bag check, I ask the lady where the showers are (as I know there has to be a place to wash all the mud off). She points in a vague direction and says, “you just wash off in the lake.” I gave her the side-eye then trudged to the lake (my 3rd of the day) to wash up like my name is Laura Ingalls and this creek is my way of getting clean before Pa asks me why I flipped Almonzo off at the 2 mile marker while yelling “WHY THE HELL DID YOU LET ME DO THIS?”
Overall, this race was actually awesome. I know I complained (and died of water cancer)…it’s hard! But, it was also fun. And, the after party is a riot. It was a good time. If you read this, then you should now be prepared to be a warrior. So, register (and then join me for Tough Mudder in 2013)!
P.S. I had to fly to Oregon on business the next freaking day. I travel ALL THE TIME and never forget to pack major items. But, when I start to get dressed for work the next morning, I realized that I had forgotten to pack my bras. Not only am I apparently out of water cancer remission, I now suffer from Warrior Dash PTSD. Lord help me.
I had the pleasure of spending 3 days in Finland (2 full days in Helsinki [Vantaa] and a quick day trip to Nokia). Unfortunately, I had to work most of the time and didn’t have any time to sightsee other than for 15 minutes before dinner one evening. Therefore, unlike my other posts that cover most of the top attractions of the city, this post will focus more on what I’ve learned about Finland and my experience with the Finnish people.
To be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I arrived in Helsinki. The one thing about “travelling while brown” is that you have to always be prepared to be the subject of stares. Which is fine if you are just curious and not ignorant. Especially if I’m visiting a country where there aren’t many other people of color. I have to say that I believe my skin color actually provided me with an advantage in Finland.
I had the pleasure of travelling with a Finnish attorney (Jura) who took it upon himself to try to educate me in everything Finnish during my 3 day trip (complete with trying to learn Finnish phrases…and I am now proud to say I know 3 words…ha!). As a sidenote, Finnish is HARD. There are like 19 letters in the word “fish” (or something crazy like that).
Jura explained to me that the Finns don’t do small talk and niceties. It’s not that they are rude, but they just don’t see the need for a lot of extra conversation. And, with it being so cold, I understand why (I mean, who wants to stand around hearing about Laaki’s corns when you can’t feel your fingers?). However, he was surprised in the responses I would get everyplace I went. The Finns were super nice and went out of their way to be of service. He said it’s because they know I’m a tourist but I like to think it’s because they know I’m special 🙂 From the hotel to the restaurants, it was like being among friends.
My absolute favorite moment was getting to meet Jura’s father. He is a big bear of a man and was the absolute best! He picked me up from my hotel to take Jura and myself to the train station and even walked us to the train station platform then waited to make sure we got on the train safely. At the end of the day, he was waiting for us to get off the train to cart me back to the hotel (and Jura to the airport). That is hospitality at its best!
I’m naturally chatty so I asked a lot of questions about their history (which seemed to be a very subject of many). Below are some interesting facts I learned during my stay:
1. Santa better hide Rudolph because reindeer was on EVERY menu that I saw during my 3 day stay.
2. In addition to the reindeer, the Finns eat bear (watch your back, Yogi…maybe get with Rudolph in Witness Protection or something) and the Helsinki airport even sells bear liver pate. I’m sure that just made you salivate…I’ll wait while you go to Google and search for companies that ship internationally.
3. The Arctic Ice Bar. Words cannot describe how much I wanted to check this place out. Trust me, if I had stayed over a weekend, I’d have been in there with the club-offered parkas freezing my booty off while setting my drink on an ice table. Per their website, “Inside the icebar the temperature is a constant -5C. Upon entry to the Icebar guests are given a warm cape and gloves to wear.” That is awesome! Of course, the funniest thing I’ve read in a long time was from a reviewer on Trip Advisor who said, “You won’t find a lot of locals in the ice bar. We think it’s a damn silly idea to pay extra to be cold as we get enough of it for free.” Ha!
4. The Finns are required to learn an additional language in primary school (i.e. Swedish, Russian, etc.) and it is required that all men (not sure about women) serve for 9 months – 1 year in the military.
5. Finland was once part of Sweden, then Russia before becoming its own republic.
6. This country has 187,888 lakes and 179,584 islands which was created by the effect of the Ice Age (much like the Norwegian fjords).
7. Want to visit the Arctic Circle? Just go to the top of Finland! You can freeze to your heart’s content.
8. Northern Lights. Finland (like Alaska) is known for its Northern Lights. In northern Finland, you can experience 24 hour darkness in January/early February and 24 hours of sun in the summer.
9. Looking for a great place to eat? Try out the FishMarket (which has a great choice of fresh fish prepared in a variety of ways) or Farang (which is delicious Pan Asian food with a Finnish flair) in downtown Helsinki.
10. Finns like to hunt and one local favorite is moose.
Below are the few pictures I was able to take in downtown Helsinki. Notice how the lakes are frozen around the boats. Unreal that it was that cold.
photo courtesy of Hilton Hotels
The Hilton Helsinki Airport Hotel — Vantaa (located at Lentajankuja 1 in Vantaa, Finland) is about a 3-4 minute walk to the Helsinki airport terminals and 30 minutes by car to the center of the city. This hotel has 5 floors (the 5th floor is the Executive Floor) and a full-service restaurant and bar. I spent 4 nights at this wonderful hotel and would definitely visit again.
Promotions
Finland is on the Euro so for those of us with weaker currency, it makes fiscal sense to take advantage of the promotions. I highly recommend pre-paying for hotels that have offers which include breakfast (if your travel schedule is not subject to last minute changes). As a general rule, I would not recommend pre-booking a hotel too far in advance (at max, a month or so) just because you never know what can happen (i.e. the hotel goes out of business or starts a major renovation that will affect the quality of your stay). Breakfast tends to be pretty expensive unless you can find a McDonald’s nearby. By booking ahead, you can save up to 20% on the hotel’s current rates. Which you can use towards buying some bear liver pate (which is apparently a Finnish delicacy). 🙂
My room at the Hilton Helsinki (Room 240)
The Fitness Center/Sauna
Sauna (photo courtesy of Hilton Hotels)
Gym (photo courtesy of Hilton Hotels)
The hotel offers a decent-sized 24 hour gym and sauna. Now, since you don’t know me, I could say that I worked out at this gym everyday but my pants are screaming out, “LIAR, LIAR PANTS ON FIRE FROM FAT THIGHS RUBBING TOGETHER.” So, let’s just say that I did check it out and leave it at that, k? It is one of the better hotel gyms I’ve been to though.
Dining
Restaurant Gui (photo courtesy of Hilton Hotels)
You can dine at the Restaurant Gui where you can choose Finnish dishes (reindeer) or traditional dishes (club sandwich, salmon, hamburgers, etc.). Breakfast was included in the cost of the room (for Advance Payment reservations or those staying in Executive and Deluxe Rooms or Suites). It’s buffet-style and they have a wide selection to choose from (cereals, eggs, bacon, sausage, etc.). Overall, I found the food to be pretty good. I am not adventurous enough to try reindeer or bear but I did have the club sandwich and chocolate soufflé. The wait staff is extremely helpful and accommodating. You really can’t ask for better customer service.
Restaurant & Bar Gui lobby (photo courtesy of Hilton Hotels)
The hotel also has a fully stocked bar next to the restaurant which offers an open fireplace where you can sit and drink. Which was especially helpful since there was a snowstorm during my visit.
Amenities
In addition to free use of the gym & sauna, each room offers free wireless internet service, LCD flat-screen televisions, a coffee/tea maker (including a selection of teas), Crabtree & Evelyn products, iron & ironing board (do not take this for granted), nightlight and a safe (just to name a few). For a complete list of amenities, be sure to check out their website.
Overall
I found this hotel to be comfortable and a great value. The rooms and food were fabulous. The only negative (if you are using this hotel as a base during a visit to Helsinki) is the distance to the center of the city. However, if you don’t mind the commute or are looking for a great place to stay before taking an early morning flight, this is the place for you! Want to know more about Helsinki? Check out my city review here.
Nikki’s Rating: 4 “Fabulous”
Rating Scale 1-5 (1 = GET OUT NOW; 2 = Seriously?; 3 = Eh, it’ll do; 4 = Fabulous; 5 = Absolutely Wonderful)
image sourced from Thon Hotel Astoria website.
Thon Hotels is one of Norway’s largest hotel chains with hotels in Norway, Sweden, Belgium and Holland. They have 4 types of hotels; City (typically in the city center), Conference (professional conference hotels geared towards business travellers), Budget (simple accommodations) and Resort (suburban accommodations). I spent 1 night at the Thon Hotel Astoria located at Dronningensgate 21 in Oslo, Norway. The Thon Hotel Astoria is in their “budget” class of hotels and is centrally located close to the main pedestrian street (Karl Johan), the Oslo S Station, and many restaurants and boutiques and sights.
Promotions
Rooms & Suites
There are 3 types of rooms available: Standard Single, Standard Double and Standard Triple/Family. As stated above, this is a budget class hotel which means there are no frills. I stayed in the Standard Single which had a twin-sized bed, an older tv and a small shower. While the room is small, it was comfortable enough.
The Fitness Center
None
The Spa
None
Dining
Breakfast (the only meal served at the hotel) is included in the cost of the room. As I left prior to breakfast being served, I cannot review the taste or quality.
Internet
Free wireless internet service is available. You must get the code from the front desk so I suggest asking for it upon check-in to save yourself a trip downstairs.
Activities
None
Overall
I found this hotel to be comfortable and a great value. The rooms were clean and cheap. The only negative was the long line at check-in. This has been a big complaint from other reviewers. The lobby is small and there is typically only 1 person working the front desk which makes the check-in process longer than necessary.
I also stayed at the Radisson Blu Scandinavia in Oslo for 1 night (which is considerably more expensive as I paid 1525 Kronor/$284 USD) and I found the Thon Hotel Astoria to be better. While I can’t give this hotel the rating of a Fabulous 4, I would definitely stay there again in the future. Looking for things to do in Oslo? Check out my city review here and my Norway in a Nutshell review here (if you are looking to visit the fjords).
Nikki’s Rating: 3 “Eh, it’ll do”
Rating Scale 1-5 (1 = GET OUT NOW; 2 = Seriously?; 3 = Eh, it’ll do; 4 = Fabulous; 5 = Absolutely Wonderful)
“God dag” from Norway! A couple of months ago, I saw a picture of a Norwegian fjord on Pinterest. It was so breathtaking that I promised myself that one day I would visit. I was blessed to have a business trip here so I added a couple of days to experience as much as I could of this country. Getting to the fjords isn’t as easy you think. You need to take a series of trains, buses and ferries. After a lot of research, I found that the easiest way is to take the “Norway in a Nutshell” tour.
This tour is a series of pretty well-organized connections from Oslo to Bergen (and back) via rail, bus and ferry. Along the way, you will take a train halfway across a mountain, then ride the Flamsbana train down to the Sognefjord for a ferry ride thru 2 off-shoot fjords (Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord). There are also other city & fjord combinations (for more information, check out Fjord Tours). You can buy your ticket directly from Fjord Tours or at the train stations. One of the great things about this tour is that if one segment is delayed, your next segment will wait as they are all connected. Since we are short on time, we decided to do the roundtrip tour from Oslo to Bergen…which was 22 hours long! During the summer, you have more options for a shorter tour.
Schedule
8:11 = Train leaves Oslo S train station
12:53 = Arrive in Myrdal
13:02 = Flamsbana train departs Myrdal
14:00 = Arrive in Flåm
15:10 = Boat/Ferry departs Flåm (cruise the Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord)
17:00 = Arrive in Gudvangen
17:25 = Bus departs Gudvangen
18:20 = Bus arrives in Voss
19:20 = Train departs Voss
20:34 = Train arrives in Bergen
22:58 = Night Train departs Bergen
6:26 = Arrive in Oslo
How was the Sognefjord created?
“The process began during the ice age about 3 million years ago. A glacier about 6,500 feet thick slid downhill an inch an hour following a former river valley on its way to the sea. Rocks embedded in the glacier gouged out a steep, U-shaped valley, displacing enough rock material to form a mountain 13 miles high. When the climate warmed, the ice age came to an end. The melted glaciers retreated and the sea level rose nearly 300 feet flooding the valley now known as the Sognefjord. The fjord is more than a mile deep, flanked by 3,000-foot mountains (for a total relief of 9,300 feet).” [quote from Rick Steves’ Scandinavia]
Oslo – Myrdal Train
Rick Steves’ Scandinavia describes this as “the most spectacular train ride in Northern Europe.” You are climbing over Norway’s “mountainous spine” where the scenery gets more dramatic the higher you go. Honestly, I didn’t find it all that spectacular. Of course, I fell asleep about an hour into the ride so take it for what it’s worth. It may actually be spectacular in the summer when the land isn’t barren. For a beautiful train ride through a winter wonderland, you should check out Interlaken, Switzerland.
Flamsbana Train
Now this train ride had beautiful scenery. Waterfalls frozen mid-stream, bubbling creeks, snow-capped mountains and rustic little towns.
Flåm
This small town is really catered to tourists. During the winter, most of the restaurants are closed (we were able to find 1 that was open for lunch). The souvenir shop was open from 1-3pm.
Fjord Cruise
This is the real star of the entire tour! The cruise takes you through Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord (which is the narrowest fjord). While it was very windy and cold, you easily are caught up in the beauty and serenity of the area.
Gudvangen
Rick Steves’ says it best, “Gudvangen is little more than a boat dock with a giant kiosk.” Seriously…there is nothing more than that (other than a bridge and a bus stop).
Voss
This is a plain town that has a beautiful church and a lovely lake. There isn’t much to do other than walk around while waiting for the next train out.
Bergen
I really can’t review this city. We arrived at night while it was raining and just found a restaurant for a quick bite to eat. It is a bigger city and recommended as a stop-over by Rick Steves.
Overall
The Norway in a Nutshell tour was fine. I wish there were an easier way to reach the fjords because, for me, that was truly the highlight of the trip. Other than the Flamsbana train ride and the fjord cruise, I could have been okay with not doing the rest of the tour. However, during the summer, it is probably very good as the land will be lush and the days longer.
The night train back to Oslo was great though. We upgraded to a sleeper car (totally worth the extra 850 Kronor!). I was so well-rested upon arrival that I didn’t even bother with a nap today. This tour is a bit expensive (2240 Kronor = approximately 390 USD (without the sleeper car)) but you do have a fully packed day. While this is officially a “tour”, there is no actual guide. You receive your tickets and a schedule. I highly recommend bringing along a guidebook (Rick Steves’ Scandinavia has an excellent step-by-step guide of this tour which helps you to understand what you are seeing and what to expect next).
Looking for a hotel in Oslo? Check out my review of the Thon Hotel Astoria here.
December 29, 2011
What would you do if you had only 1 day to experience the enchanting city of Paris?
Bonjour! Aaron, Joyce, Stefanie, Luciana (“The Crew”) and I decide to take a day trip to Paris from London. While this is my third trip to this intoxicating city, it’s the first visit for my co-travellers. The great thing about this city is that you can always find something new to discover! We ended up fitting about 3 days worth of sightseeing into 11 hours. It was glorious! If you plan to do a day trip, be sure to get lots of sleep and wear comfortable shoes because it will wear you out! I’ve covered Paris in 3 other blog posts so most of the info in this post will be high-level (with links throughout to posts with more detail).
* Just a quick note that this post is going to get risqué by the end since I will be recapping my visit to the Museum of Erotica…you’ve been warned 🙂
Our schedule for the day:
| 7:01 Depart London St.-Pancras, set our watch 1 hour ahead |
| 10:17 Arrive in Paris, take Metro to Notre-Dame |
| 10:30 Explore Notre-Dame |
| 11:00 Lunch at a French cafe in Ile de la Cite |
| 12:00 Walking tour of the Latin Quarter, Tuileries Gardens, the Louvre, Ile de la Cite/Ile St. Louis, Saint-Chappelle, Deportation Memorial, Pont Neuf, La Comedie Francaise, Opera Garnier, Palais Royale, Place de La Concorde, Palais de Justice, Pantheon, Champs-Elysees. |
| 3:00 Visit Montmartre area (Sacre-Coeur, Moulin Rouge and Musee de l’erotisme) |
| 6:00 Visit the Eiffel Tower |
| 7:00 Dinner at a French cafe. Be back at Gare du Nord (train station) by 8:25pm. |
| 9:13 Depart Paris for London (arrive in London at 10:36) |
The Crew & I are up at 4:30am to get dressed and take the Tube to St. Pancras station to catch the 7:01am train to Paris. OMG, it’s early y’all. Eurostar requires you to check-in at least 30 minutes prior to the train leaving (you also need to account for time to go through security…so budget about 45 minutes or so). After we check-in, we get breakfast and hang out until it’s time to leave.
Once we board the train, it’s about 2 1/2 hour ride to Paris. We decide to use this time to take a nap.
We arrive in Paris around 10:30am (Paris is 1 hour ahead of London) and get on the Paris Metro. Quick tip: I purchased our Metro tickets in advance thru Rail Europe (at the same time as our train tickets) and this saved us so much time. The lines for tickets had about a 20 minute wait. I just bought day passes so we wouldn’t have to worry about purchasing travel tickets each time we rode the Metro. It definitely helped us spend more time sightseeing than worrying about logistics.
We hop on the Metro and head towards the Notre Dame stop. As we exit the train station, we come upon Palais de Justice.
Our first stop was the beautiful Notre Dame Cathedral (also known as Our Lady of Paris). This magnificent cathedral took 185 years to complete (1160 – 1345). The builders used the popular Gothic style and it’s noted for its flying buttresses. It has been thru many alterations since completion in order to keep it current with modern conveniences.
In 1793, during the French Revolution, the cathedral was rededicated to the Cult of Reason, and then to the Cult of the Supreme Being. During this time, many of the treasures of the cathedral were either destroyed or plundered. The statues of biblical kings of Judah (erroneously thought to be kings of France) were beheaded. Many of the heads were found during a 1977 excavation nearby and are on display at the Musée de Cluny. For a time, Lady Liberty replaced the Virgin Mary on several altars. The cathedral’s great bells managed to avoid being melted down. The cathedral came to be used as a warehouse for the storage of food (source Wikipedia). I find the French Revolution fascinating (I mean, seriously, how out of touch did the royals have to be?). You can read my comical take on the origins of the French Revolution in my Versailles recap titled E True Versailles Story: Royals Gone Wild.
The exterior of the church is absolutely breathtaking. You can see the kings of Judah as well as the Virgin Mary holding Baby Jesus.
The inside of the cathedral was beautiful and serene. All cathedrals have the same layout (in the form of a cross). It’s a very overwhelming and calming experience.
After we leave Notre Dame, we walk to Ile St. Louis (“St. Louis island) and stop for lunch at a little cafe called Le Flore en L’Ile (where they serve the famous Berthillon ice cream). Ile St. Louis is the high-rent residential area of Paris (Johnny Depp has an apartment here!).
We walk past the back of the Notre-Dame and go to the Deportation Memorial. I’ve been to this area twice before and never noticed this garden nestled among the trees. The Memorial de la Deportation is a memorial to the 200,000 French victims of Nazi concentration camps.
Then we cross the Seine…
…and see the “love locks”. Couples who marry place locks along the bridge and throw the key into the river to signify that their love cannot be broken. No idea what the folks do who have combination locks (maybe those signify pre-nups).
We walk along the Seine towards the Louvre and pass thru the Latin Quarter. I cover my tour of the Louvre pretty thoroughly in my Paris Ooh La La post (it also includes a recap of the Paris Ghost Tour which was so entertaining).
While Joyce & Stefanie toured the Louvre; Aaron, Ciana and I took the Metro to Montmartre to visit Sacre-Coeur. “The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris, commonly known as Sacré-Cœur Basilica, is a Roman Catholic church and minor basilica. A popular landmark, the basilica is located at the summit of the butte Montmartre, the highest point in the city. Sacré-Cœur is a double monument, political and cultural, both a national penance for the supposed excesses of the Second Empire and socialist Paris Commune of 1871 crowning its most rebellious neighborhood, and an embodiment of conservative moral order, publicly dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which was an increasingly popular vision of a loving and sympathetic Christ. The Sacré-Cœur Basilica was designed by Paul Abadie. Construction began in 1875 and was finished in 1914. It was consecrated after the end of World War I in 1919.” (source, Wikipedia)
Climbing up the steps to reach Sacre-Coeur is a workout in and of itself. My glutes were on fire! But the view is phenomenal and well worth it.
While the view is fantastic, let me warn you that the pickpockets are out in full effect. Due to this area being extremely crowded, thieves are always on the lookout for something free. Sigh. I covered my own “attempted” pickpocket experience in The Wonderful World of Paris post. You already know I had a “I wish a mutha-*&!@ would pickpocket me today!” attitude. Ha!
After we leave Sacre-Coeur, we decided to stroll through the artsy Montmartre neighborhood. An interesting fun fact to know is that many artists had studios or worked around the community of Montmartre (such as Salvador Dalí, Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso and Vincent van Gogh).
We pass by a sweet shop and couldn’t resist going in. I love how happy sugar-filled shops are 🙂
As we were chatting and walking down Boulevard de Clichy, I started to notice something. Every store seemed to have a theme. Now, if you have tender sensibilities, are under the age of 18 or are my Mom, stop reading, k? If you want to read but don’t want to admit to your inner freak, then go on and close the door. I’ll wait.
Wait…what? Does the sign on that store say “Pussy’s”? I don’t see any cats. Is that a pimp leaning up against the wall? OMG, this is the French “Hustle & Flow”. Now I’ve got that “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp” song in my head and I’m gonna be saying ‘mane’ like Terrence Howard. FRACK. I HATE THAT SONG!
How did we stumble into the freak nasty section of Paris? Why didn’t I see this in Rick Steves? What startled me was that you just kinda came up on it and it was like, “BAM…take off your drawers/panties.” If you have a heavy sexual appetite, this smorgasbord of sex is for you. When I was in Amsterdam, I expected freak fest (and let’s be honest…you know you would’ve been all over this too, k?).
We had about 30 minutes to kill until we met back up with Joyce & Stefanie so we end up going to the Musee de l’erotisme (Museum of Erotica) which was about 10 Euro. Let me just say that you are not ready for this place. Seriously. I thought it would be some sort of campy “museum” but this turned out to be a full-on 7 level museum dedicated to all forms of erotica. And, it took us much longer than 30 minutes to go through the entire place. I am not ashamed to admit I learned something! For those of you “innocents” out there, this is the time for you to put on some pearls so you can get to clutching.
I was not ready. And, y’all aren’t either. Which is why I’m taking you on the tour with me (yes, I was *that girl* who whipped out the camera and giggled or said “shut the front door!” while taking pictures for y’all. You’re welcome).
So let’s get started. First, let me say that this turned into my birthday present for my cousin, Aaron (since we were in Paris on his special day). Second, even he was shocked which is saying something. Third — Mom, are you still reading this? Aaron made me go in. I was fine with visiting the cathedrals 🙂
This is the first thing I see when we enter the museum…
Um, what kind of chair is this? And, is it for sale?
Then it was on to these gems:
Each floor as a “theme”. They start you off tame…then it gets freakier each level you ascend. The first floor was dedicated to the “religious” and cultural aspects of sex across the world. The big dildo you see above? That’s “prayer wood”. HAHAHAHAHAHA. Wooo, stop it. I cannot see taking that to Zion Hill Baptist Church and shouting out “CALLING ALL PRAYER WARRIORS!”
Have you been looking for some new sandals for the summer? Well here you go.
Oh yes, you are seeing right. Dildo sandals. I believe they may be multi-purpose.
Then we get to the Japanese proverbs. This stuff is golden. I heard a guy saying “this is deep, man.” (you can click on the photos to enlarge).
Then there was the “pillow book”which is basically a how-to manual to subjugate women *eye roll*…
Next is the Chinese version of the “Kama Sutra”.
We then head to the next level which is all about brothels.
You can see photos of some of the “working girls” and the ledger of how much pimps/madams made.
Below is an excerpt of a book which basically said that prostitutes became lesbians out of boredom or because they hated how they were treated by men.
Keep in mind that there are a lot of photos but I only took a handful on each floor…didn’t want to seem like a sex-crazed pervert. We then head upstairs. Each landing has some sort of erotic art like…
As we come to the top of the stairs, I notice a large flat screen tv and couches with some lighted scented candles. The tv wasn’t showing anything at that time but I assumed it was a video about the history of erotica.
Wrong.
So wrong.
Ciana, Aaron and I had been walking around and looking at all the statues, pictures, etc. I got caught up looking at something (I can’t even remember…I was constantly lagging behind due to taking pictures). As I walk back towards the stairs, I see the video has started and Ciana & Aaron are slack-jawed. Apparently, I had just missed what I assumed was the informational video but a new one is starting. There is a crowd with people sitting on the couch and standing around.
I turn to look at the tv screen and see it’s a silent movie…and it’s porn. That’s right, silent porn. With subtitles…black and white…and looks to have been filmed in the 1920s. The film was set in a monastery with a “monk” making dinner for 2 “nuns”. And, I swear that the subtitle said “the sisters decided to have each other for “hors d’oeuvres”. Wait…what? Next thing I know, the “sisters” have ripped off each others “habits” and are going to town on each other! WHAT? The subtitles keep popping up because apparently you need to be told the continuing storyline in case you got lost. The “monk” was peeping thru a window and then another “monk” comes up behind him, snatches his pants down and starts having sex with him. I was done. I couldn’t watch anymore…in a room full of folks…with a storyline set in church. I’m trying to see Jesus some day and I don’t have time to explain my visit to the Museum of Erotica to Peter. I already have way too much to account for. Which now includes this visit because you know I didn’t leave.
We turned quickly and went up to the next level…which was “porn thru the years”. There were 3 smaller tv’s on each table set in a triangle pattern. This apparently is for more intimate viewing. But you are still at a table with other folks. Really? They had porn from every culture thru a span of 50 or 60 years. Even interviews with adult film stars. As we are walking up to the 6th level, we see photos of different “genres” of porn…like vampire porn. *hangs head*
The 6th floor is dedicated to what I’m gonna call “cartoon” porn. I’m sure it has some sort of slick name but it’s freaky stuff in cartoon fashion. Like they needed to draw up Smurfette getting it on with Papa Smurf. There’s something for everybody here.
The last floor focused on “doll” porn. Poor Barbie. She’s a ho.
By the time we reached Bimbo Barbie, I was exhausted. Who knew that looking at all that erotica would wear you out? We ended up taking the elevator down to the first floor and saw this magnificent display at the exit.
Afterwards, I felt like I needed to smoke a cigarette. Woooo! Thanks, Paris.
We leave the museum and head towards Moulin Rouge
Then take the Metro back to the Louvre to meet up with Joyce & Stef.
We all walk from the Louvre thru the Tuleries Garden and see that there is a huge ferris wheel!
By this point, our feet are killing us but we still have one more stop before dinner…and that is to the Eiffel Tower!
Then finally, it was time to rest and eat. We ended up eating at a cafe across the street from the train station. Which was a good thing because we almost missed our train! Overall, it was a great day trip. We were able to see a lot. I would definitely recommend staying for more than a day because Paris at night is fabulous! Looking for things to do in Paris? Check out my post The Top 10 Things to do in Paris. Au revoir!
London & Paris (New Years 2011/2012), a set on Flickr.
Hanging out in London & Paris over New Years 2011…come join us!
The Grand Hotel Savoia
I’ve had the pleasure of staying at The Grand Hotel Savoia three separate times over the course of a year. This magnificent 5 star hotel was built in the 1897 by the Fioroni family. Due to its close proximity to the port, the Grand Hotel Savoia received the most important European upper class travellers waiting for boarding on the ships. Per the hotel website, “The Guest book, with signatures of important personalities of that time, is not only the evidence of the glorious past, but still represents the role of first importance that the Grand Hotel Savoia played on the stage of the Italian Hotel Industry.”
Location
Located in the Aquaverde square, “Il Grande Hotel Savoia” is in the historic centre of Genoa and convenient to the train station (which is just a 5 minute walk from the hotel) and the port (which is about a 10 minute walk). The nearest airport (Cristoforo Colombo) is only 7 km from the hotel. And, starting Feb. 1, 2012, the hotel will offer free airport shuttle service!
What’s great about the location is that you are within walking distance to almost everything (or you can take the Metro or cheap taxi). If you take a 10 minute walk, you can visit Aquario di Genova (Genoa Acquairum), Palazzo Reale, Galata Museo del Mare and the shopping area of the city. Trust me, there are so many delicious restaurants, you want to make sure you get out and about.
My second room at the Grand Hotel Savoia
Rooms
“A style that tells…” This is how the hotel introduces their room decor.
“You will see typical elements of Liguria’s architecture in the wardrobes; the images on the inside walls remind us the city and its history. Old trunks and relics of far-away countries are reminiscence of the golden age of the great transatlantic trips. The rich stuffs have colours inspired to the nature: sea, sky, slate (Genoa traditional stone), sand and sun are tightly tied up to Liguria; These are perfect suggestions for relating the hotel to the territory that surrounds us. Every single room is different from the others, and each one tells us a different story…”
They offer 5 classes of rooms: Classic, Deluxe, Executive, Junior Suite, and Family Suite. All rooms have air conditioning, coffee maker, LCD TV, free Wi-Fi, laptop safe with internal plug, creams-baths set. There is also free access to the SPA center. I’ve stayed in 3 separate rooms, each one slightly different than the last.
My first room at the Grand Hotel SavoiaMy first room at the Grand Hotel Savoia
The "Gym" Suite...this looks so fabulous!
Amenities
Fitness
The hotel has a small gym. It has the basic treadmill, bike and elliptical along with some weights. I found it to be sufficient for a good workout. In fact, I used the gym quite a few times during my stay.
Spa
The Grand Hotel Savoia has a spa which looks pretty nice but I cannot attest to the quality of services. The wellness center has a sauna, Hammam, aromatic showers, massages and swimming pool.
Terrazza (Terrace)
The terrace (located on the seventh floor) offers a panoramic view of Genoa and an overlook of the Genoa Gulf. You can relax in the jacuzzi or just sip a glass of your favorite drink while taking in the sights. I absolutely loved it!
For Kids
The hotel has a kiddie area called “The Garden of Pirates.”
Restaurant
The restaurant is called Novecento and it is absolutely divine! Breakfast is superb and dinner is really good too. Genoa is known for its pesto so you will find a good variety of pesto dishes offered.
Overall, I have to say that I really enjoyed the Grand Hotel Savoia and would definitely stay there again. You cannot beat the comfort, location or price. I absolutely loved the uniqueness of each room, the customer service from the hotel staff and amenities. Consider pre-booking via their website (I found they offered the best deals directly). Breakfast (and sometimes Delta Skymiles) is/are included in the rate. If you ever visit Genoa, I highly recommend this hotel.
Nikki’s Rating: 4 (Fabulous)
Rating Scale 1-5 (1 = GET OUT NOW; 2 = Seriously?; 3 = Eh, it’ll do; 4 = Fabulous; 5 = Absolutely Wonderful)
Athens Gate Hotel (Athens, Greece)
I had the pleasure to stay 8 nights at The Athens Gate hotel which is in central Athens, Greece with a fabulous view of the Temple of Zeus & the Acropolis. The area around the hotel is so neat. The hotel was renovated in 2007 and has a very modern & classic look. Athens Gate has 7 floors, a rooftop garden restaurant, and a cozy lobby (which includes a bar, fireplace and business center).
Location
The Athens Gate Hotel is located in the historic district of Athens, exactly opposite the Temple of Olympian Zeus and the Gate which was constructed by the Athenians to welcome the Roman emperor Hadrian. The hotel entrance is at the beginning of Syngrou Avenue just opposite the Temple of Olympian Zeus. Its excellent location in the heart of the historical center of Athens makes it an ideal choice for travellers.
You are within easy walking distance to Syntagma Square (where I saw several demonstrations/strikes), the commercial shopping district, the Acropolis, and right next to the new Acropolis Museum and the Plaka area. All you have to do is walk right outside and you have Athens at your feet. No need for a taxi!
If you want to travel a little further to the north of Athens or down to the port, the hotel is steps away from the Athens Metro (the “Acropolis” Athens Metro Station). The Metro is super easy to use as I took it for 6 days back and forth to work.
Rooms
View of Temple of Olympian Zeus from my room
Athens Gate has 99 rooms (60 are Queen bed rooms, 38 are twin bed rooms and 1 junior suite with a jacuzzi bath tub and shower). There are 7 classes of rooms: Standard Double, Double Superior, Double Executive, Twin Standard, Twin Superior, Twin Executive and Suites. The Superior & Executive rooms along with the Suites have views of either the Temple of Olympian Zeus (which are front rooms) or the Parthenon at the Acropolis (which are the back rooms). Most rooms have balconies and all rooms are equipped with a 27” flat-screen LCD tv, mini bar, safe, hair dryer, AC/heat, internet (for a fee) and bathrooms (either shower or tubs). WiFi connection is available in public areas (i.e. lobby).
I stayed in a Twin Superior room and had a fabulous view of the Temple of Olympian Zeus! The room was very comfortable. I was a little concerned about noise from the street after reading a few of the reviews on Trip Advisor. However, my room (which was on busy Syngrou Avenue) was very quiet. It was spacious (for European standards) and I loved being able to go out on the balcony and look at the ruins.
Athens Gate Rooftop Garden Restaurant
Rooftop Garden Restaurant
The view of central Athens (especially the Acropolis) from this rooftop has to be one of the best in the city! Imagine eating breakfast while staring at the amazing Parthenon? What could be better? Athens Gate offers an American breakfast each morning. I would drink coffee and eat while gazing at the ruins. I tried the restaurant for breakfast and dinner. My recommendation is to definitely do breakfast and 1 night of dinner (if you are in town for more than a couple of days). Since you are in a great location, there are so many wonderful restaurants nearby and it would be a shame not to check them out. Most of the restaurants have a great view of the Acropolis at night. And let me tell you…I never got tired of looking at the Acropolis. It is just that amazing. Here is a picture I took from my table during breakfast.
View from breakfast
Amenities
Unfortunately, the hotel does not have a gym. The “business center” consists of 2 computers and a printer located next to the elevators. Normally, I prefer to stay in hotels that have a gym but with the great location, you can easily run/walk outside and sightsee while working out.
Overall, I have to say that I really enjoyed the Athens Gate hotel and would definitely stay there again. You cannot beat the comfort, location or price. I recommend pre-booking via their website (I found they offered the best deals directly). Breakfast is included in the rate. If you ever visit Athens, I highly recommend this hotel. What is better than eating breakfast while looking at the Acropolis from their rooftop restaurant? Want to know more about Athens? Check out the review of my trip here.
Nikki’s Rating: 4 (Fabulous)
Rating Scale 1-5 (1 = GET OUT NOW; 2 = Seriously?; 3 = Eh, it’ll do; 4 = Fabulous; 5 = Absolutely Wonderful)
International Travel Chick 