Two days in Paris AGAIN! Part Two

This is the part that frustrated me a bit.  Realizing when I got up that it was my last full day in Paris.  Again.  I was robbed a day in Paris because of the Iceland mishap.  But I was determined to make the most of it. 

I woke up and got ready to head to the Musee d’Orsay.  I’ve been wanting to go to this museum for a while.  Two years ago I was in Paris and walked past it but didn’t get a chance to go inside.  I found out afterwards that it had Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” and my mind never stop thinking about going back.  At last this day had come!
I got off the Norte Dame stop on the metro and decided to see how long the line was to go inside the church.  It wasn’t too bad although it was a pretty windy that day.  Once I got inside I felt so relieved.  Christmas time at Norte Dame was so beautiful!!  I witnessed their nativity scene and even bought a Christmas decoration for my mom.  I felt so blessed!

It was raining in Paris.  Luckily I packed an umbrella.  Since I left out at a good time, the line wasn’t too bad to get in.  This museum was pretty impressive!  I spent a good two hours going from room to room, and even had lunch in the café.  I have to say, I was brought to tears when I saw Van Gogh’s room.  I absolutely adore him and was moved by the crowd.  So many people from all over the world admiring his work.  I felt a sudden rush of sadness when I realized how he ended his life.  If he only knew how special he was…

Afterwards I went back to the hotel to take a nap.  I am accepting the fact that I need to rest from time to time on my little trips.  I am getting older and it feels good to let my feet rest.  My other new friend that I met back in September wanted to have dinner with me as well.  I got up and made my way to the other side of the city.  I had to call her at an McDonald’s when I got wifi.  Unfortunately I got lost but she knew where I was.  It felt so good to see her. 

I followed her back to her apartment.  She made me some ramen and I devoured it.  It was nice catching up with her.  She had a new boyfriend since I last saw her and she seemed very happy with him.  We talked for a bit.  I enjoyed our conversation because I learned so much about her experience in Paris.  

I left after 10pm.  It took me almost an hour to get back to my hotel.  Once there, I thought about going to a bar to have my favorite champagne, but most bars closed around midnight.  It was pointless to go out for an hour.  I decided to stay in.

Looking back at my mini trip, I learned so much from my new friends.  I still keep in contact from the guys in Wisconsin that were stuck with me in Iceland.  I enjoyed my time with my Parisian friends.  I needed this badly despite everything that’s happened since I was there back in September.  So much has changed but my love for traveling has gotten stronger.  I’m not sure when I will head back on a plane.  But in the meantime, I will keep an open mind on where I will head to next!

Two Days in Paris AGAIN! Part One

I knew I was in trouble once I stepped into my hotel room.  I connected to the wifi right away and started messaging my best friend in Italy that I had arrived.  I was laying down and knew I was in trouble.  I was pretty exhausted and by now it was 2pm.  I decided to take a nap despite my time restriction.  I wanted to check out two museums but my body wouldn’t allow it. 

Once I woke up I quickly jumped in the shower and was on my way.  I had grabbed some coffee when I checked in but I usually drink two cups per day.  I needed another pick me up.  I went to the concierge and bought another cup.  I needed some pep in my step!  According to google maps the Musee des Art Decoratifs closed by 6pm and I was jumping on the train a little after 4pm.

There was a line at the entrance and the security guard was giving people a hard time to get inside the Christian Dior exhibit.  I asked if I could go in, but he insisted I needed two hours to see the exhibit and there wasn’t enough time.  By now it was nearing 4:45pm, but I told him I didn’t mind rushing through.  He shrugged his shoulders and stepped aside.  Off I went!

I was nervous because the people at the ticket counter gave me uncertain looks as well, but I ignored them and asked for a ticket.  I did not come all the way down here to be shunned away especially if I knew I had some time on me.  Once I walked through the entrance, it hit me what all the fuss was about.  There were so many people coming from all directions!  I tried to walk ahead of the crowds but it sometimes got overwhelming.  I made my way through each room, snapping away on my camera phone.  I even took pictures of some of the descriptions of the exhibits so I could read later on in my own time.  

Once I walked through every room I had time to go back to previous rooms and capture more insight on the history of Dior.  I felt better that I had the chance to do a double take.  Feeling rushed is the worse.  Every gown was so beautiful!  Every designer that designed after Christian Dior left behind their own trademark.  It was a fashion girl’s dream to see such a splendid exhibition.  I truly enjoyed it.  I made plans with a friend I made back in September last time I was in Paris.  He was getting off work around 7pm.  We had decided for him to meet me back at my 

hotel since I was pretty unfamiliar with the area he lived in.  This time I booked my hotel in the Gare du Nord area.  Very touristy, but it was what I could afford.

I hung out in the lobby to kill some time before my friend arrived.  This concierge was very informative.  He made me laugh and was giving me tips on how to get around in the city.  I had not branched out in the neighborhood, but I usually like to do that so I could see what’s around me.  Again, time was against me.

My friend finally made it and I was starving!  I realized I had not ate all day.  Luckily my friend was hungry as well and I let him choose where to eat.  Unfortunately, being a native Parisian, he was not very impressed with the selection of restaurants in my area so we jumped on the metro and headed towards Opera.  
This area was magical!!  I absolutely loved it.  Most of the shops and hotels were high end.  But the Christmas decorations is what got me.  I was in Paris during Christmas time and it was absolutely breathtaking! 

We settled at a wine bar that wasn’t too busy.  I noticed, just like Italians do, most bars were packed, even the outdoor patios despite the weather being nippy.  We sat inside, but I was impressed at how comfortable everyone seemed sitting outside.

My friend ordered for me and I got duck.  My first real French meal and it was delish!  I was very satisfied.  We caught up on what was new, but unfortunately that also meant what was new with politics.  As you can imagine, the conversation got pretty intense, but the focus was more on me not knowing enough about the news.  I felt bad I couldn’t answer some of his questions, but looking back, I’m glad he asked me the tough questions that he did.  If I want to continue to travel, by now I have to expect that this will be a reoccurring topic for me to discuss.  I need to be well informed period.  Me stating where I stand in politics is not enough.  I need to understand how our politics in our country impacts the world on a grand scale.  At the end of the day, everyone is impacted by the decisions we make here.

Once our political conversation ended, so did our dinner.  We went for a walk around the Place  Vendôme me and went inside the Ritz Carlton hotel for a sneak peak.  I loved my first night in Paris!

Quick stop in Iceland: Part Two

I woke up 2 hours later.  I didn’t know where I was at first.  The sun was shining bright in my room.  I looked at the time.  1pm.  I went straight for the shower.  I didn’t want to be stuck in my room all day.  After I showered up I headed back to the main receptionist area in the other tower.  There were a few people lounging around, but it was mostly dead.  I asked the new receptionist if I could get a cab and head into town.  I figured what else could I do?  I just missed the complimentary lunch, but I was fine.  

Once the cab arrived I managed to ask him a few questions.  The town seemed very small indeed.  I walked into a retail shop and did some window shopping.  I was trying to get a feel of the place.

I slowly hopped from one shop to the next.  I walked into a souvenir shop and the lady there was very friendly.  I asked as many questions as I could.  Unfortunately, I have not done much research on Iceland, and felt bad that I was unprepared.  I was pretty clueless.  The lady warned me that most of the shops close by 6pm.  By now the sun was already setting.  She recommended a nearby museum down the street about the history of Keflavik.  I quickly ran over.  I wanted to see as much as I could. 

Indeed the museum was very interesting.  I learned about how both Norwegian and Danish ruled Iceland for nearly seven centuries.  Once I finished up, I ran down the strip again to see which shops I missed.  Sure enough, by 6pm, things got quiet in town.  I went inside a hotel and asked if they could call me a cab.  I headed back hungry.  By now it was pitch black outside. 

I ran into two guys from Wisconsin who were heading to the restaurant that had our complimentary dinner.  We all walked over together.  They were supposed to be on a flight to Berlin but obviously were stuck like me.  We shared some laughs about the whole situation.  The airlines gave us a $20 food voucher, and of course, everything was over-priced so we had to pay the difference.  I settled on some fish and chips.

We walked back to the main tower again.  The Wisconsin guys joked that the bar in our hotel lobby was known to be the hot spot in town.  We decided to have a couple of drinks to see if there was any action going on.  As figured, mostly other passengers that missed their flights joined us.  I did enjoy my time there.  The plan was to break night so we wouldn’t miss our shuttle bus at 3am.  I almost felt we were set to fail.  If we miss this bus, we would have to figure out how to get back to the airport.  If we miss our flight, I couldn’t afford the consequences.

Once it hit 11pm I was growing tired.  I went back to my room and grabbed my luggage.  I came back to join everyone and got comfortable on the couch in the lobby.  The crowd at the bar kept drinking away.  I eventually nodded off.

I got up around 2:30am.  The Wisconsin guys decided to grab their luggage as well.  Little by little, more passengers started gathering in the lobby with their belongings.  We waited and waited until our shuttle bus arrived.  The driver came late, around 3:30am.  My nerves were starting to act up.  I just hate flying.

Once we got to the airport, the baggage check-in was a nightmare.  None of the self-service stations were working.  I befriended another passenger who was also heading to Paris to visit his daughter.  I noticed he only had a recyclable tote bag as his luggage.  I wondered if I could ever travel so lightly.

We started to walk over to our gate when I realized I wanted to grabbed something to eat before our flight.  The cafes were pricey, but I settled on an avocado sandwich.  I did not want to have coffee at all.  I wanted to sleep through the flight.

I was exhausted.  We finally were boarding.  I ran to my seat and quickly put on my blindfold.  I wanted to be sleeping by the time the flight took off.  Luckily it wasn’t so bad since this plane was huge.  I knocked out.

Once we landed, me and my new friend went to claim my luggage.  Since we were both heading into town via train, we decided to ride together.  He wanted to find a photo booth to take a passport picture.  He wanted to get the Navigo pass.  He was planning on doing a lot of activities with his daughter, and apparently it saves a lot in cost when it came to tourist attractions throughout the city.  I’ve never heard of it, but I tagged along to find out where he could get his picture taken.

This part turned into an ordeal.  It took almost an hour to find a photo booth that worked, and then to find the office at the airport where he could pick up his pass.  I was growing impatient, but figured after this, I would be on my own anyway.  

We finished up with the Navigo part and headed to the metro.  I forget how far the airport is from the city.  Almost 20 stops away to the center.  We said our goodbyes and I was on my own.  I decided to get a cab because I didn’t want to get lost.  The hotel was a few blocks away from the Gare du Nord, but I didn’t want to walk around in circles.  I knew my fare would be cheap, so I didn’t mind the stress-free hassle I would have endured.  I already wasted some valuable time.  Now I’m finally here!  In Paris!!    

Mural at the hotel 

In Keflavik 

At the Duus Museum 

The troll obsession is real!  Lol 

Quick stop in Iceland: Part One

Hello everyone!  Sorry I was MIA last week.  Now that the holidays are approaching quickly, I wanted to catch up on my blog about my mini getaway to Paris!  As usual, I had some adventures again, but now I’m getting use to the idea on not to pack in too many activities.  You always get disappointed, and let’s face it, there are surprises that can happen anytime when it comes to traveling.

Such as what happened to me on this particular trip.  I booked with an Icelandic airline which had me land in Iceland for a one hour layover.  I was nervous at first because I felt the layover was too short.  I even asked around if anyone had flown with this particular airline, but didn’t hear too much about them.  Since it was a low fare, I booked it right away and hoped for the best. 

Well I’m pretty sure you know where this is heading.  Lol.  I started to receive texts and email notifications on the day of my departure.  It stated that due to the late arrival of incoming aircraft, my flight will be delayed.  It pushed the time for take-off by an hour.  Then I received another message and they delayed my departure again.  By now, my flight was leaving almost 2 hours later.

I made my way to the airport regardless.  As I stated before, I get very anxious getting on a plane.  I absolutely HATE flying.  Delaying my flight made me want to get this whole thing over with.  I checked in my bags along with the other passengers on my flight.  We all asked the same questions; would there be a problem with our connecting flight since we were leaving later?  The lady behind the counter assured us they would not leave us behind.  We felt somewhat relieved. 

As you can imagine, that DID NOT HAPPEN.  I was exhausted when we landed in Iceland because our flight was on an airbus.  I was a nervous wreck throughout the 5 hour ride.  People ran off and quickly looked for their connecting flights on the screens.  I immediately ran to the first 

gate that mentioned Paris.  As I stood along with the other passengers, it occurred to me it wasn’t my airline.  I looked around for my gate to my airlines but noticed other passengers on my flight were walking over to a counter.  It was our airlines, and they slowly formed a long line.  I didn’t know what was going on since I was exhausted.  When it was my turn, I walked up to the counter where the attendant asked me my name.  I told her and she then handed me a pink slip.  “What is this?” I asked.  “It’s your hotel voucher.  You get complimentary breakfast, lunch and dinner…”  “WAIT, what??  What happened to my flight??”  “It left because you weren’t there.”  I looked at her as if she was crazy.  “WE ALL WEREN’T THERE.  They told us in Chicago that our flights would wait for us!”  I was upset.  Yet I couldn’t help but wonder if this was really happening to us.  I’ve never experienced anything like this so I wasn’t sure what my options were at the time.  I also couldn’t believe they left 50-60 people stranded.  “The shuttle bus who will be taking you to the hotel will be here shortly.  The meeting point is over there.”  She obviously wanted to get rid of me so she could take care of the next guest.  “When can I leave?”, I nervously asked.  “Your flight is tomorrow at 6am.  The shuttle bus will pick you up at the hotel at 3am.”  I walked away in a daze.  I met up with the other passengers, some who were just as livid as me, and waited until the man with the shuttle bus signaled us to come outside.  He took our luggage and stored them away while we found the first available seats.  It was a silent 5 minute drive to the hotel, not to mention, it was after 8am and pitch black outside.  The sun had not risen yet.
Our hotel looked like what you would expect from one by the airport.  Not much happening around it.  We checked in with the receptionist who handed us our keys one by one.  She made the announcement that our complimentary breakfast would be over by 10am and a rush of people headed to the lounge area for toast, ham and cheese cold cuts, and yogurt.  The food on the flight was ridiculously pricey.  You had to pay for the catering on the flight, and since we all assumed we would be continuing our flights out of Iceland, we were starving.   A couple of the passengers were annoyed with the whole thing.  One woman in particular was also heading to Paris, but found another flight out of Iceland through another airline.  She took a cab back to the airport and we never saw her again.  The rest were in the lounge trying to figure out what to do next.  I was messaging my friend in Italy on what was going on.  She advised me to call my hotel in Paris to  make sure they wouldn’t give my room away.
A group of 4 women were asking the receptionist what’s there to do in this town.  We were right outside of Keflavik by the airport.  The receptionist told us we were about 3 miles away from It.  We could take a bus that cost around $20 that would leave us closer to town, and walk by foot the rest of the way, ( a 10 minute walk).  Or we could take a cab to and from Keflavik, but it was cost $20 each way.  One of the passengers stunned us by stating he was going to walk to the nearby town on his own.  “Yeah, it’s only 3 miles away.”  We stared at him for a second and then listened again to the receptionist for our other options.  There was a bus that could take you to the Blue Lagoon, but the shuttle bus for that was $60.  Once you get there, you have to pay for the spa services.  A group of passengers rented a car (apparently the rate was cheap) and decided to drive over to the main capital Reykjavik which was a 45 minute drive.  Off they went. 
I grew frustrated.  I went to my hotel room which looked like a room at a mental institution.  White walls, no tv, and a white bed with a bad view of the parking lot.  I sat on the bed and continued to message my friend before I realized how comfy the bed felt.  Right then I knocked out HARD.  It was lights out for me…

Frosty’s the Christmas bar!

Being a product of divorce, my dad wanted us to come by for dinner.  Trust me I worked out everyday during my time off for Thanksgiving.  Lol.  His wife wanted to host and we decided for Saturday night.
Things didn’t turn out the way we had planned.  Dinner ran late, and for some reason tension filled the air.  Me and my brothers decided to try to turn our night around.  I heard of a soft opening of a new pop-up Christmas bar named Frosty’s.  We figured why not?
Luckily we got in on time because the bar got slammed pretty quickly.  Sometimes the city is a little quiet because people go elsewhere to visit family during the holidays.  But I think that night everyone was curious about Frosty’s.  Me and my brothers loved it.  It will definitely do well the rest of the month.  If you’re in Chicago go check it out.  It’s a hoot!

Black Friday

I ended up purchasing a cardholder before Black Friday.  Farfetch sent me a pre-sale link and I couldn’t resist.  Luckily I got it delivered before we were off from work for Thanksgiving.  I love it!
My mom invited me to come with her to my aunt and uncle’s.  They will not be celebrating Christmas with us so they decided to host a dinner.  They invited some friends of theirs and my mom wanted me to be her date.  I figured why not.
This turned out to be a great idea.  Again, different people; different stories.  Since I’m not in a sociable mood it’s refreshing to hear other people talk about themselves.  Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves and that made me happy, too.  I loved the fact that my aunt cooked salmon for dinner.  Since the night before was Thanksgiving, it was a great way to enjoy a lighter meal.  

My first time having Japanese nuts and I’m hooked!

Family pictures at my uncle’s place.

Time for some Omega 3.

I need to get my sweaters to the cleaners.  I luckily found this cardi wrap to wear. 

Thankful

Hello everyone.  I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving.  I wanted to recap mine because I am doing something crazy again.  I found out I had some days left for the year to take off from work so I booked another trip.  I am flying out tonight.  Once we got back to work from the holiday I was busy trying to catch up with everything.  Then we were working on the schedule for the next few weeks and that’s when I found out about my extra days. I did not want a staycation so I jumped online to see what I could find.  Then voila!  A great deal appeared and I couldn't pass it up.  Let me recap Thanksgiving so I don’t get too far behind on my posts:
I was a little emotional for Thanksgiving Thursday.  With so much happening these past few weeks the holidays crept up on me.  I felt sad.  Some people won’t be celebrating with their loved ones and it hit me hard.
Once at my aunt’s I was mostly quiet.  I will say that if you do find yourself in a room full of people; let them speak.  It was nice hearing conversations instead of my thoughts going through my head.  I learned to appreciate my family’s stories about growing up in Guatemala.  They came so far away to be here.
My aunt did a great job hosting.  The food was delish.  In the end I did enjoy my time with them.  I pray everyone in my family remains together and safe.

I wore a preppy look for dinner 

The table is all set

My lovely cousins.  I am so proud of them.