LEAVING PARIS, NEXT STOP: RÜDESHEIM AM RHEIN
One of those in limbo days. We had to wake up early to get to the train on time. Since it was going to take a while I used this time to do some catch up with work.
In Paris, I can sort of get around despite the language barrier. Some locals try to speak with me in English, or I can try to speak and/or read my very rudimentary French, but I can also kind of pick stuff up from context. So I can feel some sense of confidence wandering around Paris and feeling like I can get around without much trouble.
Germany for me is the total opposite. I had a hard time figuring stuff out, and in the location we were at there were some areas where people didn’t speak English. On several occasions we were able to communicate via pantomime out of necessity, but compared to my experience in Paris I definitely felt out of my depth with the German-English language barrier. It wasn’t terrible; we could do most of what we needed without communication issues. But when it came to taxis and transportation for example, we would need a native speaker to call and make arrangements for us.
doing the tourist thing
Our first full day in Rüdesheim! It was nice to have a full day to get to know the area at a leisurely pace.
We met up with a few others for lunch. We actually kept running into people, Rüdesheim was starting to turn into a little village of fashionistas! It seemed like at every street or corner we’d catch a glimpse of someone we either recognized or someone clearly dressed up for the occasion.
I really enjoyed the cable car ride! For someone who doesn’t like heights it didn’t feel like it was super high, and it was a nice ride up above the vineyards.
We decided on a home cooked dinner at our AirBnB this evening, which was wonderful and a welcome change from eating out. The house had this amazing patio and we thought it’d be a waste to not use it at least once!
ATTEMPTING TO STAY COOL IN TRÄUMEREI
This day we experienced the beginning of an untimely heat wave, and it was certainly pretty toasty. I went with a boy style-ish outfit to cut down on layers and insulation.
“Yur mah queen” – Jon Snow
Group shoe shot!
I decided to plan an outfit around my bespoke corset by Dark Garden. I reused the belt I made for my Fête Galantes dress, and added red accents to my outfit to complement the black and gold. The blouse is from Atelier Pierrot, the tights are Abilletage, and the bottoms are from Alice and the Pirates that I bought ages ago (like when Miss P was still a baby). I borrowed some stuff from Jo to complete the ensemble!
My Guccis make another appearance! I thought that I could squeeze in another day of wearing tall heels since I’d have the opportunity sit down and rest my feet often at the venue. Overall it wasn’t too bad, but at this point my feet were hurting constantly from the sheer amount of walking they endured every day.
I absolutely loved the indie fashion show! It may or may not have inspired me to buy some pieces…
THE HOTTEST DAY
Sweltering heat! I think on this day it was hotter here in Germany than it was back in sunny California! At least back at home we have A/C!
I wasn’t sure on what I’d wear for the tea party; I initially was going to do some super layered opulent look but opted for the simplicity of wearing an OP, so I decided on the Fancy Candy OP that I bought at the AP Paris store. I didn’t want to wear anything fussy. There were also plans to visit a castle afterward, so I wanted to wear something I could easily move around in.
Here we are trying to get some outfit shots before the heat became unbearable. The temperature was noticeably warmer than the previous day. It was also pretty stifling since there wasn’t a breeze or anything to subdue it, especially inside the tea party venue.
Despite the oppressive weather, it was still pretty fun. I was able to meet a lot of new people and hang with friends, which to me is among the high points of these events.
TAKING THE WINE TRAIN
This day was somewhat of a winding down after all the festivities. The plan was to take the wine train and take a tour around the vineyards. I think this was an excellent plan, what better way to relax with a great group of people along with some delicious wine?
Yesterday was my last day of wearing fanciful things! I had packed them away into my suitcase and I have to admit I was happy to. It was great to wear this RoseMarie Seoir OP; something closer to being more casual.
I had ran through all my black tights and all I had left were my more fancy Abilletage ones. At this point it didn’t really matter anymore!
I am really happy with the dress and the choker I bought from RoseMarie Seoir. I can see myself using the choker in a lot of outfits and the dress is really comfortable to wear!
Going down Drosselgasse street, blissfully empty!
ON OUR WAY TO FRANKFURT
All packed and set to go! We traveled with a bunch of other girls and ended up with so many suitcases!
We made it to Frankfurt, and to our very small hotel room. I think everyone was just super tired at this point, and it was still hard to escape from the sweltering heat.
Our plan in Frankfurt was to have dinner with Harlyharlekin, so we had plenty of time to wander.
Jo wanted to go to Museum Angewandt Kunst to see the Contemporary Muslim Fashion exhibit, and I was interested as well. The exhibit itself wasn’t very big but it had a nice collection of pieces.
The museum had A/C, which was a welcome respite from the sun. Our hotel room was also air conditioned, but with the four of us in there it wasn’t very effective.
I’m sad to say that we didn’t do much after that. We tried hitting up another lingerie place, but it was closed for the day. We ended up back at the hotel to crash for a bit. At that point I don’t remember much; I was so tired I pretty much fell asleep the moment my head hit the pillow.
I don’t think I slept for very long though, and after that bit of break we headed back out again to meet up for dinner.
We had dinner at Iimori Patisserie Restaurant. When we first arrived it seemed like it was only a pastry place, but when Harlyharlekin came to meet us she showed us that the main restaurant was upstairs.
Dinner was delightful, especially when a few of the Russian lolitas met up with us.
Here are a couple photos of this hotel room. Super small! I got bottom bunk! Our suitcases pretty much took up all the rest of the space.
And that wrapped up the trip! We all wanted to get back to the hotel at a reasonable enough time to ensure we could get some sleep for the following travel day. Our shuttle was arriving super early in the morning.
LONG DAY OF TRAVEL
As expected I didn’t get much sleep the night before. Since we had to wake up super early I wasn’t too concerned; I could try and make up the hours on the flight home. I was excited to get back and see the kids. I was looking forward to the clean sheets and towels waiting for me at home, and my first blissful sleep on my own bed.
It was such a huge relief to check in my bags at the airport. I didn’t have to lug those gigantic things anymore. I was also glad that I upgraded to a much more comfortable seat for the return flight. Comfort makes such a big difference at the end of a trip!
Looking back, I am glad I was able to make it to this. It’s always a little difficult for me to break out of my routine and habits to do something completely new. I feel incredibly lucky to have friends who share this same passion and interests as me, and for all of us to be able to travel at least once a year. This is one of the very many things that makes this fashion so dear to me. As I get older it becomes less about the clothes and grabbing the latest releases and prints and more about the memories I get to be a part of (while also wearing amazing pieces!) I don’t think this hobby and interest would have lasted this long if it weren’t for the friends and people I’ve met along the way.
This was an amazing experience, and I am glad that I was able to vlog it! Until next time!
MARS 