When in Germany...

After a quick lunch in Reims, France, the family loaded back up in the car and headed to our first real destination: Trier, Germany.
The drive out of France took a while, and I admit that I dozed off a few times. But the times I was awake, my eyes were wide open and I couldn't help but to notice that heading out of France and toward Germany, everything began to look different. There were fewer rolling hills and more rivers, and the landscape was much greener and more lush. On our way to Germany we passed through Luxemburg (truly an itty bitty country). As we drove, the roads narrowed and we passed charming river towns. Vibrant houses perched on every surface of the far-off hills. I wish we could have paused in Luxemburg, because it seemed delightful. That will be for another time!

We began to drive a little further, and by this time late afternoon was falling. We had been awake for hours and hours and everyone was a little road-worn. We finally arrived at our hotel, which was not in Trier, but a little township of Trier. This being said, there was not a tourist in sight. Everything was so German.
Now, I have never been particularly interested in Germany.  It seemed like a cool place with rich history, but the culture never particularly appealed to me. When we arrived in the little Trier township, this opinion changed drastically. Germany is charming, the food is amazing and the people are very kind. Luckily our host at the hotel spoke a little bit of English, so we were able to get our hotel room and order food.

After we got settled in our hotel rooms, we walked around the town for a bit. We planned on finding a restaurant to eat dinner at, but the town was pretty much dead around 5pm (we weren't yet aware of the fact that dinner time in Europe is practically our bed time in the States). We were also exhausted and none of us were too keen on roaming for blocks. We snapped a few photos and headed back to our hotel, which was conveniently attached to a bar/restaurant.

The view of the railroad from my hotel window

My delicious meal "mit fritten" (with fries)

At the restaurant, the menu was completely in German. Since I was not enthusiastic about the idea of German food at all, I was none too pleased. I just planned on ordering a brat or something. Luckily, the English speaking host from the hotel (who was also our waitress, go figure) was able to translate a few of the items on the menu for us. We hesitantly ordered our food. My mom, dad and sister chickened out and ordered chicken (see what I did there?) while Doug and I stepped out of our comfort zones and ordered unfamiliar dishes. The food arrived and to our surprise, it was delicious. I ordered deep-fried pork with mushrooms and a vinegary gravy, which came with amazing beer-battered french fries. When I got back from Europe, several people asked me what the best thing I ate was. This meal was definitely it!

That night after dinner, I was so exhausted that after not being able to keep my eyes open any longer, I went to bed at 7:30. I can't remember the last time that happened! Anyway, the next day we finally got to visit Trier. Trier, also called Treves, is the oldest city in Germany. Two of Trier's most noteworthy landmarks are the Cathedral of Trier and the Porta Nigra. The Porta Nigra is a relic from ancient Roman history. The giant structure stood, at one time, as a gate of the city. Unfortunately, my camera battery died just after snapping some shots of The Cathedral of Trier, which was equally breathtaking.

Side of the Cathedral of Trier

Dad posing with a giant ice cream cone

Staci reviewing some great shots

I loved all the classic German architecture

The Porta Nigra

Next I will be posting about our journey to Belgium and all the sights we saw along the way! I hope you all had a fantastic weekend!

As we were walking around Trier, it began to rain which seemed to add to the authenticity of the German city. Not to mention I love rain! Aside from the enormous landmarks, the city was fun to explore and the German architecture was fun to look at. Being with my favorite people definitely added to the charm. I loved the time we spent in Germany and I definitely hope to go back.

Entrance into Europe

The embarkment on our journey to Europe was a lengthy one, to say the least. When my parents and I left for the San Diego airport at 4:00 am Wednesday, I had no idea how exhausted I was going to be 48 hours later.

I know this sounds naive, but when I think of airplanes I tend think of them from the perspective of my 7 year old self. I have been on plenty airplanes as an adult, but for some reason I still think of airplane seats having plenty of room to spread out or curl up and sleep for hours. Not so! Why do I always think airplanes are going to be cozy, if not comfortable? Needless to say, when I did not sleep well the night before we left I did not think it was going to be a problem because, of course, "I can just sleep on the plane." Ugh.

So Wednesday morning, my parents and I left San Diego for the JFK airport in New York City. After about a 5 hour flight, we rushed to our JFK terminal and were greeted by Staci and Doug, who I hadn't seen since Christmas time. This was also the first time our family has been all together since 2010! For a tight-knit clan like ours, this is obscenely long. I was stoked! Summer 2012, baby! After hugs and bathroom breaks, we herded and boarded the plane to Paris. 

The meal, palatable at best.

This was my first international flight, so things were kind of weird to me like the layout of the chairs and the fact that we were served a meal for free. I probably drank ten cups of coffee because I couldn't sleep, and was bored, and it was free. Since we were on an international flight, there were lots of Parisian and English people on board and one of our flight attendants had a phony French accent. 

When the flight attendants began serving dinner, an British woman nearby asked "Is the chicken palatable?" The flight attendant gave a noncommittal 'yes' to which the woman then replied, "Better than a poke in the eye, I suppose." Gotta love those Brits.

After a gruelingly long flight (9 hours, I think), we finally arrived in Paris! I was so excited I was shaking! I stared out the window, expecting a picturesque view of a lightly clouded Eiffel Tower, and tall slender women walking around in berets and striped shirts. This was not what welcomed me. In fact if I didn't know any better, I would have thought I was in LA.

Warning to anyone who has not flown into Paris: the airport is not actually in Paris. In fact it is about 20 minutes away.

Immediately after arriving in "Paris," we snagged a rental car and headed straight to our first destination: Germany.

This was not our rental car, but I liked the fact that its paint was metallic pink.

I tried to stay awake for the drive, because I was in a gorgeous foreign country and all. I was smitten with the quaint French countryside and the beautiful blue sky. Having taken French a year ago, I vaguely knew what the scenery would look like... but I have to admit it was a lot more beautiful in person.

The countryside was speckled with quaint towns. Each had their respective cathedral, of course.

 On our way to Germany, we stopped at a little French city named Reims, known for its fabulous cathedral, Notre-Dame de Reims. Staci, Doug, and I were in agreement that if we had to live in France, this city would be the one to live in. The city has an up-and-coming metropolitan vibe along with the quaint charm of a small town.  The cathedral, true to its reputation, was breathtaking. It was also the first cathedral I had seen in real life, and I was in awe.

I am in LOVE with these row houses and colorful doors.
Such character!

This awesome fountain was in what appeared to be the town square.

Notre-Dame de Reims

The thing that first struck me about the cathedral was its size, followed by its killer architecture. Upon entering, I was awed by the spectacular stained glass windows and ornate carvings

Joan of Arc statue outside the cathedral.

That's all I have for now! Stay tuned for more pictures and stories from my journey. Next stop, Germany!