Visiting Lyon: Day 1

Yay! I have something interesting to write about! Its not that I don’t like my museum research, but it is sometimes a bit tedious to live it once let alone write about it again while trying to make it sound entertaining. Luckily though, I took a trip to the lovely city of Lyon this week and have lots to share!

I got a ride to Dijon on Wednesday and then took a two hour train ride to Lyon. In my train cabin I sat with a woman from Morocco who had been living in France for eight years. She was nice enough and patient enough to let me practice my French and I helped her with some English language questions she had. It was a nice ride overall and it was nice to spend it with a very smiley person! As we were leaving the train I somehow ended up talking to a French girl who was looking for a map like I was as it was the first time in Lyon for both of us. We found the information area, got our maps, and then went our separate ways.

The first thing I do when I arrive in any European city is to find the center of the town. From there it is possible to orient oneself, find a map (if you did not find one at the station), and find something to eat because, at least for me, I am typically hungry after my trip. I found a road on the map that went from the station to the center of town and followed the other signs which got me to my destination. While on my way, I crossed the Rhone River. I think this was my first time seeing it in person and it was quite large! The center of town was typical – a big square of some sort, a big statue, lots of shopping and lots of restaurants. I flipped through a tourism book that I got at the station and found something to do as I had some time to kill.

I chose to visit the Musee des Tissus/Musee des Arts Decoratifs de Lyon first. It was a fantastic museum that had a lovely and varied collection of textiles from all places and times. It starts with ancient textiles from Egypt which included lace, fine hair nets, detailed patterns and scenes (many with peacocks!). Later periods also have a wide variety of textiles and some complete costumes from various parts of the Near East, Turkey, Spain, and so on. While all of these were fantastic, the best part may have been seeing the fantastic dresses and garments 18^th century France and England! Oh my goodness! The style of the dresses, the fabric – this would have been my era! There were beautiful cuts and designs that flattered nearly any form. I loved it! The second part of the museum includes walking through various re-constructed rooms with objects and décor that dated to around the 17^th and 18^th centuries as well. This was quite lovely and it was nice to have a change of subject than my normal archaeology museum!

After the museum I walked around for a while and then headed toward the ruins of the Roman theatre. I had no concept of the layout or topography of Lyon prior to my arrival so I was quite surprised I had to cross yet another river, this time the Saone, to get to the bottom of a hill. The ruins were on the top of this hill and so I started working my way up. Ooo la la! This was a tall and steep path and I was sweating almost instantly! My hips, rump and thighs thanked me for the exercise!

 

I planned on looking at ruins in more depth the next day, but when I arrived I heard a warm-up for a concert that would happen later that night. I basically got to see a free concert while others later in the night would have to pay 30euros for the same show. It was a good deal and a nice way to conclude the afternoon.

Around 5:30, I headed toward my evening’s destination. I am not sure if I have talked about the website Couchsurfing.org yet on the blog, but I shall briefly describe it here. In a nutshell, this is a website for people who would rather stay in someone’s home than at a hotel. While it is typically used by young people, older people are joining the site more frequently because there are some great benefits to this idea. For students its great because you stay in someone’s home, so it is free. The main reason I like it, and the appeal for many others, is that it gives you a chance to meet people who live in the area and they can tell you good places to see or eat, or just basic things to know about traveling in the city. It gives you an opportunity to be a diplomat for your country and allows you to meet people from all around the world. You get to learn about a place and about people from these places. You give them a face to associate with your country and you also have a face to associate with theirs. It is an amazing opportunity to foster friendship and understanding.

I described all this because I have used it in the past and used it again in Lyon. It was a bit funny because I stayed with a German girl in France. She was very nice and hospitable and took me in at the last minute for three days! That night she had a friend coming over, another German girl, and the three of us made pizza which ended up being incredibly yummy! They suggested we go out for a little while after dinner. I never go out in the evenings because I am typically alone and because I am not really one who likes to go out often. It is incredible though to see a city at night; it can look so different. We walked by the opera house, which was beautiful all lit up and there was music going on as well. We went to a bar near there which was incredibly tiny and was decorated like the inside of a pirate ship inside! The floor was even the funny sort of wooden grates that you see in movies that someone is inevitably trapped under/inside. There were wooden kegs all around, wooden planks for the walls, and all sorts of funny things stored in jars behind the bar. It was loud and I was far too old to be there, but it was amusing nonetheless since I never go any place like that while in Europe.

Well, that certainly seems long enough for one entry. I shall describe the rest of my trip in another one tomorrow.

Off to Lyon!

Not much to really say yet, but I am finally forcing myself to get up and to get traveling! I am getting a ride to Dijon tomorrow, then am catching a train to Lyon where I will stay until Saturday morning (hopefully). I am excited to see some kick ass Roman ruins and might even take a day trip to Vienne (France, not Austria) for even more ruins! Woo!

I am looking forward to sharing some stories and, if nothing else, some photos!

Celebrating My Independence in a Most Independent Way

Since turning to a life of archaeology, I have celebrated very few ‘Fourth of Julys’ properly. Properly consists of 1. Being in America; 2. Eating delicious food fresh off the grill, various sorts of salads, and lots of watermelon; 3. Watching fireworks; and 4. Being on the beach or near water. That is what I, as a girl from the water-abundant places in the Midwest, think of as being good ways to celebrate being an American.

Well, it is the Fourth of July once again and once again I am not in America. I have not eaten anything delicious today except for the last of my jelly beans which I brought from the States. There are certainly no fireworks, although I could probably count the lightening we had. And the closest I have come to a beach was the sand that got in between my toes and I hurried through the park on the way back from the museum during a watery downpour. Here I am in France, probably the only American for at least 30km, celebrating my independence to the fullest extent…alone.

I know, I am in France!, but the Fourth of July is my second favorite holiday (Thanksgiving will always take the pie!) and while I am here alone in this dark and abandoned dormitory (yes, the very same one from last year), it makes me miss home and the few traditions I still enjoy. Instead of feeling sorry for myself, I decided to recount some of my favorite July 4^th celebrations that took place outside of the U.S.A.

2011

Last year I was in the city of Chatillon-sur-Seine, France having arrived the day or so before from Dijon. I did have someone ask ‘Oh, isn’t this your country’s birthday? Happy Birthday!’ This made me smile a bit. Nothing else that exciting happened. Ten days later though, I was back in Dijon and they were celebrating their country’s Bastille Day complete with some spectacular fireworks! (See this post for photos). I silently pretended they were for America. 

2009

I was a week into excavations at Alalakh in southern Turkey. The heat was unbearable most days, but the evenings were rather comfortable. There were a fair number of Americans at the site, so we all knew what the day should hold in store. The Fourth of July fell on a Saturday, which meant we had both Friday and Saturday to celebrate since it was still early in the season. We grilled like we did every weekend and at some delicious, delicious food! There was music, dancing, and lots of alcohol to go around. It was a beautiful night for sleeping on the roof and watching the stars pass through the night sky.

2007

After a day of excavating at the coastal site of Kenchreai, we headed back to our hotel in ancient Corinth, Greece. We were an American run excavation and there were about fifty of us. There was no way we were not going to celebrate the Fourth of July! I remember I packed party hats and noisemakers for the event! I think there may have even been a birthday or two that we decided to celebrate as well. Before we even began, we were told by our project leader that we should not draw attention to ourselves or be loud (this was at about the height of the world hating us). We said we would move our cocktail party to the back porch instead of the roof and celebrate there; a fair compromise it seemed to us. Well, the noise makers did not go over well with the project director and we were told to ‘shush!’. It did not matter though because even though the noise makers went away, the party hats stayed as did all of our cocktail attire and joyful spirits! We even had sparklers! It was a fantastic celebration with a wonderful, laid back group of people with whom I shared some of the greatest memories and conversations of my excavation career.

2006

And finally, probably my favorite Fourth of July celebration away from home. I was near Batman, Turkey in the southeast excavating with local residents and ‘the Italians’. As per usual in that part of Turkey, it was hot. There were four American students (including myself and my soon-to-be-best-friend, Ami), and our professor from GVSU. I seem to remember the students discussing what we should do for the Fourth of July, if anything at all. We all seemed to be a bit disappointed that we would miss it. When we arrived back at the hut that night, we found that while the Italians were at the market, they found a form of sausage that is about as close as one can get to a hotdog in a foreign land. We had all the proper fixings for our ‘hotdogs’ on the grill and tons of watermelon! I believe there was some mild drinking involved as well. This was by far the most special Fourth of July for me because there was a tender extension of consideration and respect for our traditions. Buying hotdogs may seem like a simple and silly thing to gush over, but at that time with so much of the world despising us, it made me see that some people could recognize that we were people too and that we did not need to be ashamed of who we were.

That wonderful hotdog...

After remembering these past Fourth of July celebrations, I come to see that you do not need to be in America to celebrate the Fourth of July, but it does work best if there are other Americans to celebrate with you! Hope you all celebrate the crap out of today for me!

The Contents of [Katherine] Mary Poppins’s Bag

I hoped to have some of my new pages for the blog up and ready before I left for this trip. Maybe if I would have finished them (or wrote yesterday's entry) before I left I would not need to write this entry. I was a bit distracted before this trip to France and consequently, I forgot some of the little things that make my life easier while traveling. On the upside, a few last minute (and literally an hour before I left for the airport) purchases and unassuming items have really helped on the trip so far!

Things That I Am Sad I Forgot:

1.     Light My Fire Serving Spork

When I am traveling solo or on a budget (so, always), it is unnecessary to go out to eat, but a girl’s gotta eat. Markets and grocery stores provide a nice opportunity to experience local flavors (it is actually quite fun to peruse a foreign grocery store) and it is the most affordable option for long-term travel. I first bought this handy utensil (about $2) for my trip to Europe with Ami to make our eating on the road a bit easier. Unfortunately I had packed both hers and mine in my bag which was lost thanks to the airline. Luckily my bag reappeared magically on my mother’s doorstep unannounced and I was able to finally retrieve and use my handy gadget on future trips. The small, lightweight, and durable plastic ended up being handy for everyday use for my lunches at school; it never left my backpack for three years. Last year while in France I managed to snap it in half while scooping peanut butter (I am not sure exactly how beyond that). Well, I am back in France with my peanut butter but do not have my handy utensil. A fork and knife on one end, a spoon on the other, and an easy to hold curved handle. How I miss you.

2.       Washcloths

You might be thinking, gross, how is she getting clean. I have a scrubby cloth thing that my soap is in, gross I am not. A washcloth though can prove handy for various purposes. Last year I used a washcloth as a clean surface on which to place cups or fruit after washing them, and another for either giving my face a quick scrub or for cleaning up messes in my room. Not essential for some, but I am missing mine today. As I noted in my last post though, this is one of those things I could easily buy if I truly cannot live without it.

3.       Clothes…!

Seriously, WTF was I thinking for this trip. I packed clothes and even made sure I stuck with the same colors to make it easier to mix-and-match/coordinate, but I feel like I really failed this time. I was definitely distracted. It is also difficult to pack when you have museum research, tourism time, excavation dirt, and lounge-around-in-the-evening time to consider. Also with the amount of equipment I had to bring, I had so little room for clothes it was a bit frustrating. I suppose it might be one of those rare trips where I actually buy some clothes here because two t-shirts is not going to cut it for 2 months.

4.       My Updated I-pod

Yes, my I-pod is here, but for whatever reason, it did not update and add all the great TED Talk Videos I downloaded right before I came. As I do not have I-Tunes on my mini-computer I am without. Sad.

Things That Have Already Broke

1.       My USB External Mouse

While not essential, it would have made some activities on this trip a lot easier than the tiny touch pad on my tiny netbook.

2.       The Scale

I needed to bring a scale to weigh some ancient coins. Alas, I plugged her in and she said ‘no’. I am scrambling to figure out another alternative, but nothing has come up so far.

(On the Upside!) Things I Am Thankful to Have With Me

1.       Osprey Meridian ConvertibleBackpack/Wheeled Luggage and Detachable Daypack

While this pack was a hefty investment (even at 30% off like I snagged it), it is really quite worth it. As far as looks go, it is a big awkward and big/bulky. As far as convenience and ease of travel, it is a winner; totally worth hunting down the UPS driver to make sure I got my bag before I left (it’s a long story). Anyway, this bag is great because it is a duffel-style (easy to access everything), a rolling suitcase, but it also has the option to convert to a backpack when the terrain gets rough! In addition to the main bag, there is a detachable daypack that zips on to the front providing extra storage and ultimately, one less bag to pack!

2.       Razor Blades with Built-in Shaving CreamThings

I’ll try to limit details here. I never used these before but razors are one of my mother’s classic stocking stuffers at Christmas. This year she stepped it up with these fancy ones. At first, I was thinking, “Hmmm… I never use anything so fancy, and I only use shaving cream if I’m shaving in the sink… I guess I’ll give ‘em a shot since they were free and all…” Well, I can totally live without these fancy ones at home, but for travel, they are great. The showers at the school where I stay for research and excavations are push-button timed making it nearly impossible to shave in the shower. I typically did it in the sink last year which resulted in lots of cuts. BUT THIS YEAR, I can shave cut-free with the fancy cream-included razors. For those of you that always use shaving cream, you might want to consider this alternative since it would be one less liquid/bottle to pack. Thanks Mom!

3.       JIF Peanut Butter

Everyone laughs, but I have been packing a jar of peanut butter since I started traveling abroad. It is one of those rare things that is difficult to find in the form we know and love in the States. Apparently you can find Skippy in Paris, but I have always been a JIF girl. It is perfect for breakfast, for snacking, or when you just need a taste of home. 

Ok, I am off to Dijon tomorrow to see some good friends. I will start actually discussing my travels instead of my packing issues soon! Have a good weekend all! :)

What to Pack, When You Are Packing (For a Trip, Not Heat)

Some friends and family marvel at the fact that I can pack a bag that will last me for two months. While it does take some planning (i.e. a well thought out list), there are a few things to consider when trying to limit one’s packing:

1.       You have to carry everything you bring with you. Always. Think about your trip. What are you planning to do? What sort of climate will you likely be in? Do you really need that thick wool sweater, or could you get away with a cardigan that will layer well instead? Unless you plan to travel in style via taxis and stay at hotels with bellhops, you will probably have to carry your bag(s) through various terrains (baggage claim; the curb outside the airport; additional transportation to your destination via bus, train, etc.; through city streets to your hotel; and so on). There will be steps, there will be elevators, and there will be bumpy sidewalks and curbs. Do you really want to be dragging that 4’x2’ suitcase behind you and hoisting it up regularly? If you cannot lift it yourself, you need to downsize.

2.       Every item in your bag should serve multiple purposes. I traveled to Germany this spring and rocked this point so hard with the clothes I chose to bring it was amazing even to me! While not every item will do multiple things, it should be a priority for most things going into your bag. As far as clothes are concerned, layering and coordinating is essential.

For example, during my trip to Germany I was attending a conference for a week and being a tourist for almost another two weeks. I needed clothes that would work for both occasions for three weeks in variable spring weather. In my 22” carry-on bag, I packed: a classic cut blue dress, a khaki pencil skirt, black dress pants, a thin purple and black patterned silk skirt, a black cardigan, a thin grey sweater, a thinner purple sweater, a thin blue sweater, a white blouse, a pair of jeans, and 3-4 coordinating t-shirts and camis. Pretty much all of the sweaters and t-shirts I brought could be dressed up or down and accommodated both warm and cool weather and some of the sweaters and the blouse could be worn with both the dress and skirts. This was more than I typically pack for a trip, but I wanted to make sure I had options and backups for my professional debut. Making sure you have clothing that will serve double duty will save you space and will ensure that everything you pack gets worn several times, but not look the same. If you are in to accessories, this is a good opportunity for changing up the same clothes to keep you from getting bored.

As far as other things that should serve multiple purposes… I think I will need another blog entry for that. Stay tuned.

3.       It is worthwhile to invest some money upfront to get items that will save you time, stress and more money in the future. Every year before a big trip I torture myself by looking at things that would make my travel experience easier. I debate whether or not I should drop that money on something I will use once a year, or if I can live without it. Reading product reviews typically helps me decide. Nearly every item that has stuck around in my head for more than a month I end up buying and nor regretting. A good bag can make travel so much easier. A handy coat with tons of pockets, therefore negating a carry-on bag, frees you up a lot. Each traveler is different. If you think you might like something or it would be particularly useful to you, chances are you are right.

4.       Bring things you are ok abandoning for something better or will use up before the end of the trip. I have a box which contains clothes specifically designated for travel. These are things that are travel specific (e.g. a desert climate) or are old clothes that I do not feel like donating yet. I bring these along every trip with the idea that if I find something here that I really want, I will always have room in my suitcase to bring it home. If you like to shop, this might be a nice option to consider. If I want to keep myself from shopping, I bring clothes that I wear regularly to remind myself I do not need anything new now.

I also bring products that I will probably use up or nearly use up before coming home. I could not bring myself to throw away a bottle of something that was still half full, but if there is about a quarter or an eighth left, I do not feel bad leaving it behind so that I might fit a great souvenir in my bag instead. Simply keep track of how quickly you go through your toiletries at home to gauge how much you will need for your trip, or if you have a bottle that is almost gone and you are going for a week, take it along.

5.       And remember, most things we have at home can be found in other countries. As a girl who has been without a bag more than once, compliments of efficient airlines, I know that nearly everything I have at home I can find while traveling. If you forget something, or perhaps you do not want to deal with liquids in your carry-on at security, you have options when you arrive. Another part of the travel experience is trying new things. Last year while in France I bought shampoo and conditioner that was made in a local region from honey. It was a treat to take in these new smells every morning and to see the cute icon on the bottle to remind me where I was.

Alright, that is enough for now. I will maybe plan to share some of my favorite travel products in my next entry. But for now, I will just say that both my bag and I arrived safely in France this year and while I have already been faced with a few surprises and challenges, it looks to be a promising summer!