French trains aren't my favorite: Something about a screaming orange and vibrant fuchsia color scheme doesn't really connote comfort, nor does the annoyingly seductive "da da da da" that is played on repeat throughout all the stations. They're also overly strict about reservations. But I put these minor qualms aside and hopped on a train to the city of lights and love. I was able to stroll around the romantic streets a bit amidst a drizzle before taking another train to Caen, a city in northwestern France to meet my friend and spend the night.
The next day we bussed to Deauville (or Trouville? not really sure), a town on the sea! I've been having water withdrawals, so it was so nice to see the ocean (does the channel count?) again, smell salt air, and see seafood being hawked at a market. We had a very nice time walking around, sitting on the beach, and buying some authentic apple cider (so authentic that the bottle was covered in dirt). I also had crepe #1 from a market vendor, nutella-filled of course.
I'd been to Mont St. Michele before, but this was my only other visit to that region in France, and I remarked it was exactly as I imagined: A bit sadly and mutedly beautiful. I really would like to go back and see the D-Day beaches one day.
In the early afternoon we headed back to Paris and put our too-heavy bags down before metro-ing back into the city to eat and stroll. We first saw the lovely Eiffel in its lit-up glory and then dined at an Indian restaurant where the food was so spicy I literally cried. Next we walked all the way to the Notre Dame along the Seine, taking in the Louvre and other sights in between. It was a wunderschön evening - maybe it's cliche to love Paris, but I do. Oh and crepe # 2 came from the Latin Quarter. So good.
And after this brief rendezvous in France it was back to Germany to celebrate the New Year...
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