Home again
I really thought the jet lag would be worst on the way there, as we lost 8 hours. Turns out, it is far worse coming home for some reason. I'm still fighting hunger at 3 a.m. and nodding off by 6 pm - this is crazy.
Belgium is beautiful - at least Ghent is. Ghent is untouched by war and is so medieval, with nuttin' but cobblestones and tourets everywhere you look and a beautiful canal running through the city. In a city the size of Saskatoon, they have 6 universities, yet the entire city pretty much closes down by 9p.m. It's very quiet. We stayed in a monastery converted into a hotel, complete with an inner and outer courtyard, nooks and crannies galore. The conference was really fulfilling. It's nice to know that, in a world full of selfish people stepping on the weak to get to their goals, there are people out there with genuinely good hearts, being a voice for the voiceless and working for social justice on a global scale. It was humbling to be a part of it all. We have genuine friends from all over the world - it's really neat to know that. As for pigeon on couscous, horsemeat stew and rabbit appetizers... turns out, I like rabbit. Who knew!
France probably has nicer areas than Paris. I still haven't figured out how to sound positive about our Paris experience. I can say that we stepped foot on some very historical cobblestones and earth. We saw some very significant art, drove around on the square where Marie Antoinette was beheaded, tasted the finest of cheeses and pates, browzed through Versace, and handled merchandise in Louis Vuitton down the Champs. There is the neatest little 2 block radius in the Latin Quarter filled with unbelievable food and atmosphere - very bohemian, probably because it is so close to the Sorbonne. I can say it was a once in a lifetime experience. We definitely know how we prefer to holiday, and where. Group tourists we are not. Favorite days included meandering alone through undiscovered neighborhoods only to trip into the Luxembourg Gardens and St. Suplice - which is a more impressive church than Notre Dam, IMHO, it had an inkling of genuineness to it that so many of the big museum churches lack. The beauty of the big churches like Sacre Coure, and the dining room of the kings recreated in the Louvre are shockingly gluttonous. The Eiffel Tower is really beautiful lit up at night from a boat on the River Sienne... but Tim and I couldn't help notice the shanty town lining the river and wonder...
Belgium is beautiful - at least Ghent is. Ghent is untouched by war and is so medieval, with nuttin' but cobblestones and tourets everywhere you look and a beautiful canal running through the city. In a city the size of Saskatoon, they have 6 universities, yet the entire city pretty much closes down by 9p.m. It's very quiet. We stayed in a monastery converted into a hotel, complete with an inner and outer courtyard, nooks and crannies galore. The conference was really fulfilling. It's nice to know that, in a world full of selfish people stepping on the weak to get to their goals, there are people out there with genuinely good hearts, being a voice for the voiceless and working for social justice on a global scale. It was humbling to be a part of it all. We have genuine friends from all over the world - it's really neat to know that. As for pigeon on couscous, horsemeat stew and rabbit appetizers... turns out, I like rabbit. Who knew!
France probably has nicer areas than Paris. I still haven't figured out how to sound positive about our Paris experience. I can say that we stepped foot on some very historical cobblestones and earth. We saw some very significant art, drove around on the square where Marie Antoinette was beheaded, tasted the finest of cheeses and pates, browzed through Versace, and handled merchandise in Louis Vuitton down the Champs. There is the neatest little 2 block radius in the Latin Quarter filled with unbelievable food and atmosphere - very bohemian, probably because it is so close to the Sorbonne. I can say it was a once in a lifetime experience. We definitely know how we prefer to holiday, and where. Group tourists we are not. Favorite days included meandering alone through undiscovered neighborhoods only to trip into the Luxembourg Gardens and St. Suplice - which is a more impressive church than Notre Dam, IMHO, it had an inkling of genuineness to it that so many of the big museum churches lack. The beauty of the big churches like Sacre Coure, and the dining room of the kings recreated in the Louvre are shockingly gluttonous. The Eiffel Tower is really beautiful lit up at night from a boat on the River Sienne... but Tim and I couldn't help notice the shanty town lining the river and wonder...
posted by Connie Jones at 8:34 AM
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