As much as I love traveling around France, visiting medieval cities that have been around since the Roman era, and using my not-so-good francophone skills, I couldn’t wait for Phase 2!
First let me tell you how Phase 1 ended!
After Paris, I took the train to Troyes, to visit another Rotary exchange student friend of mine, Chloé Soto-Mayor. Her city has a population of 60 thousand inhabitants and it is located on the Seine river about 150 km (93 mi) southeast of Paris. Troyes is also the capital of the Aube department in north-central France. In medieval times Troyes was an important international trade centre, centring around the Troyes Fair. The name troy weight for gold derives from the standard of measurement evolving here.
Chloé and I tried to meet up in France for about 5 months, which never worked out, and then finally as I am leaving the country I stopped by in Troyes to spend a weekend with her. It had been a year since we last saw each other, and as usual, it feels like nothing has changed, like we had just seen each other the week before. The difference is now we had an extra secret language; French. Well, not so secret here.
We spent a great weekend together, plenty of wine, cheese and bread, my favorite things in France. I feel like it was a decent ending for my Phase I: France, and that just made me even more excited to leave France and go visit some other old friends I had met in the United States.
- Source: Troyes city council website.
- Photo: Cathédrale Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul de Troyes.
What a great idea for a blog! Love that you are taking advantage of life. Live and enjoy – and drink plently of great wine!
Thank you so very much, for taking your time to read about my journey as well as comment, it makes me very happy. I’m drinking plenty of good wine, not like I did when I was in France, but still delightful. Same goes to you.
How wonderful for you to be traveling the world!! Best of luck of making wonderful memories for a lifetime!
Shelley, best of luck to you as well, and thank you for stopping by. Hope you are having an amazing time as well.
🙂 maybe if you’re anywhere near London in December we can meet up. Safe travels and much fun!
Hey, I am actually going to London on the 30th of july, just for a couple of days, and I plan on doing couchsurfing, will you be there then?
No….I won’t be there until Christmas 😉
£ Love the fact that you are traveling around the globe live happily and as the french would say Vive La Liberté!
Oui, bien sure; Vive la Liberté! 🙂
Thanks for stopping by my post on Bob Dylan in Paris. Sounds like you’re having an AMAZING summer, too!
I really had an amazing summer, I hope you are enjoying winter, wherever you are!
I am envious that you are touring Europe right now – you can speak their native language too 🙂
Take plenty of snaps, it always flies in when you’re having fun (and wine 😉
Well, some of them. Haha time definitely flies with wine. Thank you
Good to see this. I am in the initial dreaming stage of my own journey to France, in 2014. Planning will begin earnest next summer. Troyes looks interesting,as do just about all the other places I am considering.
Hi, Troyes and the champagne region of Reims are fantastic, they are gorgeous cities with a cool history, definitely worth checking out! Good luck on your journey
It’s nice to see someone with such a sense of adventure who also has a good philosophy on life.
Hello! aeddbde interesting aeddbde site! I’m really like it! Very, very aeddbde good!
“If you no have a dream, how you gonna have a dream come true?” I believe that is what Bloody Mary said in the movie “South Pacific.” Keep dreaming! Life is Precious!
Woah making big moves, you astound me! You activate your courage at every turn and refuse to be idle.
Hi Marcos! I love reading your posts because of your amazing positive energy and your zest for life! You may not realize it, but you’re very inspiring!
I am really happy for you that you share these experiences so fondly. ❤
Sweet blog! I found it while surfing around on Yahoo News.
Do you have any tips on how to get listed in Yahoo News?
I’ve been trying for a while but I never seem to get there! Cheers