Bonjour!

I've arrived in Europe! After an upgraded flight in business class filled with amazing food, drinks, sleeper chairs, a bag of toiletries, and a friendly Scottish seat mate, I arrived in the afternoon to Paris. First things first: getting out of the airport and into town. 

After a little trial and error, I got the tickets I needed and boarded a train. I sorta knew where my hostel was. I just ended up taking the long walk to get there in the Montmartre neighborhood. It's very nice, up on a hill, near the metro, close to the Sacre Coeur church. 

I must be in France, moldy cheese mmmm...

I walked a little around the hood, but decided to tuck in early and wait until the next day to explore the city. This morning after a lovely breakfast at the hostel (complete with croissants), I ventured into Paris. Now every first Sunday of the month the musuems are free- so I knew what I was doing today! The first musuem I stopped at was the d'Orlay. The line was LoNG! Probably because admission is free. But it was worth the wait. The building is beautiful! It is an old rail depot.

It's full of paintings by Monet, Van Gogh, Degas, Frida Kahlo, sculptures, and Eninem (part of the naked man in art special exhibit). Here's a blub about my favorite artists the impressionists: 

Sadly they wouldn't let me take more photos, no matter how sneaky I was. But here's a photo of the clock inside. 

Next up was the Pompidou, the modern art musuem. The building is turned inside out: escalators, lifts, air ducts are all outside. Inside the art is housed: surrealism, cubism, fauvism, and the plain weird. Here are some photos.

The building from the outside:

Inside:

Andy Warhol:

Famous sculpture:

Cool light exhibit:

Yes, those are blank canvases. They are real and probably very expensive.

Another large room filled with only the things you see:

And that's basically the modern art musuem. Glad it was free. The coolest thing was probably the escalators. The rest of the day was spent frolicking about browsing shops, eating falafel and gelato (not very French, I know), visiting parks, and enjoying the city life.

And so here I am at the end of the day sitting at a cafe, having some French Onion Soup (haha - in France) and drinking a glass of wine.

Tomorrow I take the train through Paris to St. Jean Pied de Port in the Pyrenees where I'll start walking the Camino de Santiago through Spain....

All Packed and Ready to GO!

How do you pack for two months in the city, the mountains, and the dessert? Now keep in mind that you'll carry everything while walking 15-20 miles each day and you'll be hand washing all your clothes for a month. The answer: you try to pack light.

I started thinking about what to pack and my gear six months ago when I decided to walk the camino. The ideal weight they say you aim for is 10% of your body weight. I'm close (15%). Here's what I'll be living with the next two month:

Clothing/shoes:

-Three t-shirts

-one long sleeve shirt

-two pair pants

-one pair of shorts

-one pair wool long johns and shirt

-one cute city blouse (gotta look good in Paris!)

-one tank top

-four pairs of socks

-one pair of green compression socks

-five pairs of knickers

-one Patagonia nano puff

-rain jacket and rain pants

-two pairs of sandals (one for walking the other for relaxing)

-one pair of keen hiking boots

-cap and warm hat

-buff

-gloves

Other items:

-sleeping bag liner, down throw, and pillowcase 

-medicine (lots of ibuprofen and foot care stuff)

-toiletries

-iPhone, charger, and headphones

-two water bottles

-pack towel and washcloth

-pen and journal

That's pretty much it! Hopefully it's all I need. We'll find out soon. I fly away in a couple of hours. Direct flight from Salt Lake to Paris. Au revoir, America! You better not still be shutdown when I return...

Travel update:

Off to a good start: Airlines oversold flight! No longer nonstop, but gained a $600 travel voucher and business class. This trip is off to a good start. ;)

Not All Who Wander are Lost

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. The past two years in Alaska have been filled with unforgettable memories. I am so very happy to have experienced life in the far North. But last week as the snow started to fly and winter was closing into Denali, I packed my bags. I sold my car and paired down my possessions to just a few bags. I boarded the plane flying over the same rugged mountains that left me speechless and spellbound when I first came to Alaska. They still do. Someday I'll be back. But for now, my feet are restless for wandering.

"So what's next?" Walking. In a few days I will fly across the ocean to Europe. The destination is Spain (with some detours in France and Morocco). I'll be walking the Camino de Santiago or Way of St. James. 500 miles across Northern Spain. The road starts at the boarder of Spain and France in the Pyrenees Mountains. The road has been traveled since Medieval times as a pilgrimage. The destination is the Santiago De Compostela, the supposed burial place of St. James. These days the road is frequently traveled by many across the world.

And so I soon will begin my life on the road. Who knows what it will hold?