tourists

Fluent in Fromage

September 12, 2013November 23, 2020 by Rasmenia Comment Closed

After exchanging emails, letters and phone calls for 8 months with a French guy I'd met online, it was time to go to Paris to meet him face-to-face; time to look one another in the eye and discover if our long-distance chemistry would hold up in the flesh. I'd been in Paris one other time, 7 years before, but this time was different. This time, I wasn't a tourist.This time, I was on a crazy, international, first-date adventure that would last for 2 weeks.Olivier picked me up at Charles de Gaule airport. We went to his apartment in Montmartre and listened to April in Paris. Because funny enough - it really was April and we were in Paris.httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCJRoG6W8yQHe told me he'd planned a road trip for us and that he wanted to introduce me to some of his friends. After talking every day for almost a year, I knew quite a bit about most of his friends already, so I...

Ciao For Now, Argentina

April 23, 2013December 2, 2020 by Rasmenia Comment Closed

For our last full day in Salta & our final free day in Argentina, we'd planned another tour. This one, however, was a bit different. This time, our guide & driver were two separate people. We rode in a little bus rather than a pickup truck, would be making fewer stops & wouldn't be hanging out in any strange, tiny outposts with mummies or singing gauchos.Instead, we'd sit in our comfy seats while our guide pointed out all the cool shit on the side of the road, the cool shit we'd see later & various stories about the area. Then we'd go check out a winery before being set loose to run amok in the town of Cafayate.Like our previous tour, we made a few stops to check out the scenery & take photos. The only problem with making these stops is that Olivier is part monkey & cannot resist the urge to climb on rocks & things, so he'd...

Business in Buenos Aires

March 26, 2013December 2, 2020 by Rasmenia Comment Closed

The reason we went to Buenos Aires had nothing at all to do with fun. It was all about work. Specifically, Olivier's job. Occasionally, the company he works for sends people to Argentina, or puts some Argentinians on a plane for France. They'd sent Olivier to Buenos Aires for a week a couple of years ago, but I stayed home. It wasn't a sad thing, since I had a BFF from back home visiting me.About 6 months ago, Olivier was informed they'd be sending him again. But, this time I'd get to tag along and we decided to take an extra week to spend time appreciating Argentina.After our insanely shitty flight from Madrid, we arrived on a Sunday morning to find Buenos Aires calm and still half-asleep. After showers and a Burger King fix (give us a break - there's no Burger King here, so we jump on it whenever we get the chance) we had a quick stroll, then...

Knocking Pompeii Off the Bucket List

June 13, 2012December 2, 2020 by Rasmenia Comment Closed

"It is disturbing sight, to encounter these bodies tormented with suffering, anguish and fear, and petrified by suffocation in their appalling postures..." -Marcel Brion*When I was in the 9th grade, I had to take an Earth Science class just like all of the other 9th graders in my school. My teacher was a crazy guy named Mr. Schultz who had a tendency to be very animated when explaining things like earthquakes, tidal waves, tornadoes & volcanoes. One day, when we arrived for class, Mr. Schultz was all dressed up like a Roman soldier. We all laughed because it was weird.Actually, it was pretty fun. I never forgot it. Partly because I have a soft spot for wackiness. And because that was the day I learned about Pompeii. Standing in front of the class in helmet, armor & swordbelt, Mr. Schultz showed us slide after slide of a city forever frozen in time. He explained with excitement how Mount Vesuvius erupted,...

When in Rome, Do as the Heathens Do

June 6, 2012December 2, 2020 by Rasmenia Comment Closed

"Rome! By all means, Rome. I will cherish my visit here in memory as long as I live." - Audrey Hepburn, Roman Holiday*Rome isn't an enormous city & it's true that the Colosseum & the Forum are probably two of the biggest attractions there. Just by looking at the mobs of tourists in those places, it's easy to believe that there really isn't much else for visitors to see.This, of course, is total bullshit.Since Olivier & I hit these chaotic tourist places on our first day in Rome, we had our second & final day free to explore the city in a bit more detail.We left early in the morning & embarked on a walking tour through the historical center of the city. This started at Largo di Torre Argentina. This archeological site is fenced off, but is inhabited by a large number of stray cats, hanging out & napping on the ruins of the site where Julius Caesar was...

Our Road Led to Rome

May 31, 2012December 2, 2020 by Rasmenia Comment Closed

“Every one soon or late comes round by Rome.” -Robert Browning*Our first mission upon arriving in Rome was: find the bed & breakfast. Second: find food. The first was easy enough, though the bed & breakfast wasn't really a bed & breakfast. It had a bed & some snacks, coffee & juice there that were very breakfast-like. To be more accurate, it was a 2-bedroom apartment, right there in the city & with a pretty nice view. Which is okay.As we checked in, the owner informed us that a French couple was staying in the other room & that we'd likely see them during our 3-night stay. Whatever. No big deal.He & Olivier chatted for a moment while I went to the window to check out the view again. Only... I couldn't see a damn thing, aside from an enormous cloud of stinking smoke that had suddenly blocked out the sunlight. I made an announcement about Rome burning because, you...