Paris: the final days

After two months of travel we were nearing the end of our trip. Paris would be our last 10 days and I knew it would be a bittersweet return. Lauren, one of the girls that came to Italy with us, was flying back to Europe to join us in our Parisian days. Instead of a hostel we decided to rent an apartment in a residential area of Montmartre. It may have only consisted of a kitchen/bedroom with a small bathroom but it was perfect for what we wanted. Our location was over an hours walk from the center but I enjoyed being removed from the congested scene of the first district. We were also moments from the beautiful Sacre Coeur, which made us easily accessible by metro but still provided a sense of detachment.

                 

         Each morning was a new adventure of senses. Depending on the day we could have been bouncing from chocolatier to patisserie trying flavors like chocolate with lemon and basil or pastry’s flavored with custard. Other days we enjoyed the mornings sipping coffee and sharing thoughts with one another. Time was as fast or slow as we wanted. We did what we wanted, when we wanted and it allowed each moment to surround us in its entirety. Often we would go to different markets and pick up food for that evenings dinner. It was so nice to be able to cook again and we were taking full advantage of the abundant produce of Paris. Our faces and awkward accents became familiar to our local cheese, wine, and bread stores that we stopped in almost daily. We were even able to return to the amazing falafel stand and ice cream shop in the Jewish Quarter and fell in love with a few new places. Sugarplum Cake Shop and Rose Bakery quickly became favorites as I moaned over carrot cake at Sugarplum and the most delicious quiche of tomatoes, goat cheese, and zucchini at Rose’s. The local pastry shop (which we later learned had a starring role in the movie Julie & Julia) introduced me to a world of flaky pastry dough at its finest. Croissants, pain du chocolate, and raisin brioche recalled how magical butter could be when mixed with a skilled hand. As I sit here writing this post I am literally salivating at the memory of it. Then there was the chocolate éclair at Stohrer, which not only showed me how good an éclair could be (I never really liked éclairs before) but basically turned me off from trying any other. I know nothing will ever beat what I had that day.

   If we weren’t cooking in the evenings we were usually found munching on market food somewhere. One night we took a picnic to the Eiffel Tower and watched the lights come on as the sky went dark. It was a time I will always remember. Surrounded by great friends, wonderful food, and a view that epitomizes Paris I knew life was at its finest. It was starting to really hit me that this journey, this part of my growth, was soon to be over. I would be starting a new phase soon and although I looked forward to it I felt unready. When I left over two months ago I knew I was embarking on an amazing adventure. What I didn’t realize was how much it would shape who I am.

When I think about it, I feel one of the attractions for traveling is that it allows you to leave life behind. You escape the stresses of work, the family disagreements, the drama of friends, etc. You leave it all behind and for a short while and you are allowed to just be. Be yourself, someone else, the person you hope to be, whoever. The ability to just be, to truly live in the moment, was becoming my whole life after these months of travel. I have forgotten what it was like to be stressed, unhappy, to have deadlines and commitments. Although we did have hiccups the majority of time was filled with moments that made me the happiest. It was the places we saw, the people we met, the food we ate, the stories we shared, and the memories we created that brought a true sense of life. The ability to live for me and to discover myself through travel is what made this time so significant. I began to realize that this trip didn’t help me to escape my life; this trip helped me find it.  

When the day came to say goodbye I was the last of the three of us to leave. I sat in the apartment and immediately felt a sense of emptiness. I was not used to being alone. For the past two and a half months I had at least one constant friend. She helped create every moment of my time abroad and experienced the good, bad, beautiful, questionable, and the incredible just as I had. In countries I barely knew she was my sense of direction and source of trust. Kate became more like a sister over these past months and as she left I sat staring out the window catching the tears that fell from my face. The journey was officially over. As I cried I flipped through my camera reliving the moments of Italy, France, and Germany. Of our first meal in Rome and our last with Stephanie, Kristen, and Lauren in Bologna. Of markets in Lyon, wine in Pheddersheim, and sweetbreads in Paris. The pictures slowly transformed from macchiatos, pizza, and pasta to baguettes, sausages, and cheese. The tears literally could not stop. But by the end I wasn’t crying because it was over, I was crying because it happened. 

Germany

After 8 hours, 3 trains, and 1 gelato we arrived in Germany ready to connect with the great taste of wine. A few years ago I had the pleasure of going to Germany with a friend from home and he introduced me to Vio, a family friend of his. Her brother Oliver owns a vineyard and even though he barely knew me he welcomed Kate and I into his home to learn the tricks of the trade. Unknown to us we were arriving smack in the middle of festival season. Instead of fieldwork we were asked to help at the winery’s booths serving wine to hundreds of thirsty people. Each night was a new event and within hours of being there Kate and I were on the sidelines of a Jazz Festival. The music was amazing and even included Ronan Keaton who sings the song from Notting Hill that goes “…you say it best when you say nothing at all”. We eased in to work by cleaning glasses and adjusting to the new atmosphere. Luckily the work crew at Weingut  Hinter de Kirche (The Vineyard Behind the Church) consisted of some of the nicest people I have ever met. They welcome us in to their conversations and by the end of our time in Germany I truly felt like I made a new group of friends.

            After the two day Jazz Festival there was a week long Wine Festival. Our usual day-to-day routine of waking up early, exploring during the day, and in bed by a decent hour was now out the window. At Oliver’s our days were free and at night the work began. Most nights we didn’t get to bed until 2:00am. It took some adjusting but I enjoyed the social aspect of being among people and helping out at the events. Best of all was that everyone was just enjoying life together. They drank, talked, and danced until night became day…then they did it all over again the following evening. Even though I never knew what people where saying I loved watching the interactions. Everyone was truly happy and I couldn’t take my eyes off of it.

There seemed to be a buzz around that Americans were working and a number of people would come up and anxiously start talking to me in English. Their effort to interact was astonishing and it made me adjust to the setting quicker than expected. In the beginning I was nervous to do anything but clean glasses because of the language barrier. By the end, thanks to the incredibly friendly demeanor of literally every single person we met, I felt completely comfortable. I worked hard to pay attention to different key words and by the end I was even able to take orders in German - well as long as they didn’t order more than 6 drinks I could do it! Even if I was confused on what was being said no one judged me for it; which was not the case in every place we visited. This was now my third time in Germany and every time I fall more in love with the place and its people. I seriously l-o-v-e the country and our two weeks their was one of the best parts of the trip. I know I tend to say that about a lot of places but this time, I really do mean it. Oliver and his wife Gabi treated us like family and the same for the few days we spent with Vio and her husband Erik. We even got to hand grind wheat at Vio’s and turn it in to pancakes! Oh, and don’t even get me started about the food! (you all knew the food part was bound to come). Funny enough I think we ate as much cheese in Germany as we did in France. Clearly we were foolish to think cheese would escape us. With Vio we had raclettes, which is like fondue except there is a small box that has 2 tiny pans that you stack meats, veggies, and cheese on. Then you stick it in the box where it heats up the pan and melts the cheese. We also had warm feta which happily takes me by surprise every time I eat it. Spaetzel, a German noodle dish, is a favorite of mine and Vio not only cooked it for us but also taught me how to make it. Layers of homemade noodles, caramelized onions, and endless amounts of cheese and butter hits you so fast that if you don’t pass out from pure satisfaction you sure will from a heart attack. It’s so good though, totally worth the heart attack. Then there was fried Camembert which may be my favorite thing on the planet. Seriously, what these people do with cheese should just be illegal. We also ate currywurst, a sausage that you dip in a curry-based ketchup.  It reminded me of an amplified hotdog and I absolutely loved it. We also tried liver dumplings, cabbage stuffed with meat, sauerkraut, and a number of other German dishes that left us feeling like we just ate a Thanksgiving meal. It’s all so good and so warming, but gosh all you want to do afterwards is sleep.

After the two weeks I genuinely was so upset to leave, I almost cried. We made really good friends and even though I was there for such a short time I felt like I became part of the community. Oliver, Gabi, Vio, and Erik were beyond hospitable and I only hope one day I can provide such comfort back to them. Everyone we met, whether it was for 10 minutes or 10 days, reminded me of the importance to reach out to strangers and show them kindness. Even though our expectations of working on the vineyard did not happen I still loved every second of our time there. We were able to learn a lot about winemaking through Oliver’s vast knowledge and just pouring drinks and talking to the community exposed a wine culture I never knew about. The whole experience was more than I could have asked and I hope everyone who took part in it knows the deep impact they had on me. I swear, if we weren’t going back to Paris after this I think I would have canceled my trip and asked to just stay with them. As we left Oliver and Gabi gave us a beautiful bottle of wine made in 2000 from pressed raisins. It was such a kind gesture after all they provided to us. We would be sure to open it during our time in Paris and give a big loving toast to the Weingut Hinter de Kirche… and all of Deutschland for that matter!