Well theres a lot of topics tlaking about travel to europe, but had you ever wonder what you have to do if you want to go a metal fest?..
So everything started with a “add” in facebook talking about Graspop Metal Fest, Waken and the Sweden Rocks… so probably was the curiosity to meet new places but everything looks amazing with the pictures of other people who made the trip a year before. After talking with the man in charge of the fan page and analizing the lineup of the events I decide to go to the #GraspopMetalMeeting.
The GMM is the biggest metal event in Belgium, and was done in june 22 to 24 for the first time in history, with great bands like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Guns and roses, Ghost, Doro, Iced Earth, At the gates… etc… so when I decide to go was in march, and I had just a few weeks to make the trip not just a metalhead trip directly Belgium but I want to meet other countries like France for Paris or Netherlands for Amsterdam. So with a little help of our old friend Jack I start to planning everything…
So, The first step was to get an economic ticket to France, so I look for it in Expedia, Kayak and other similar pages and I found it in the Expedia page in a low cost (usd 950), from París I decide to travel to Brussels in train for a cost of usd 35.00 (there I’ll meet Gabriel, the contact for the graspop)…
For 950 dollars to europe what you can expect?.. 2 stops… Houston… Toronto… shorts but I almost lost the flight to Paris from Toronto for drink a beer.
Already in Paris, well everything become BEAUTIFUL!!! I never could imagine that place, with a lot of history in 2 world wars, revolution and France playing the best soccer in the world cup premonition for the GREAT VICTORY.
In Paris I stayed in the hotelf1 paris porte de montreuil, If you look for it you’ll found mostly bad references BUT BUUUUUT it was a great place to stay. (I’ll add the pictures at the end)… from there to the Eiffel tower in subway are 15 minutes, to Versalles palace is 45 to sacre coeur 20 minutes and a lot to walk in wonderful streets.
the first day I decide to walk knowing and drinking enjoying the trip and trying to realize that I’m finally flight to europe ? … In the afternoon I spent the time in the Triumph arch, use the stairs is gonna be fun trust me. A friend recomended me the afternoon to visit the arch because you’ll see one of the most beautiful sunset in europe with the Eiffel tower rising the city with her beautifull color and majestic.
El segundo día fui al gran museo del mundo. ¡LOUVRE! confía en mí, necesitas un día entero para una visita completa, si estás interesado en ver las principales atracciones que es mejor que vayas, pero será imposible porque todo allí es interesante … después del Musesum que pagué por un viaje a la Torre Eiffel , fue decepcionante. El tour es solo una dama que te lleva a la entrada … y eso es todo … pero desafortunadamente, si quieres ingresar a la torre, muchos de estos “tours” compran pronto en el año casi todos los boletos. Así que probablemente tengas que caminar con la señora. Para terminar el día, caminé desde la Torre Eiffel hasta Notre Dame, y fue un gran error. No lo hice para ver la barbilla adentro, así que fui a un pequeño restaurante cerca de allí y tomé unas copas de vino en el CAFÉ PANIS. Después de eso, y buscando más vino, la vida me lleva a un lugar maravilloso llamado RUE DE LA HUCHETTE, cuando perdí el sentido del tiempo y pasé toda la noche allí … nada más que decir XD.
the third and final day I went to Versalles where the entrance is free and you will see an incredible garden unfortunatly for me was a cloudy day. But anyway I enjoyed. after that I went to the sacre coeur, when you can walk a lot and see a flies market. In your final night I sugest to find a beautiful restaurant near from the Eiffel tower and take your last dinner ther in Paris.
Paris overview:
Paris pass:(necessary to quick access to Louvre, Arch and other museums)
https://www.parispass.es/how-it-works/
Access to the Eiffel tower
IN THE NEXT publication I’ll talk about the trip to the Amsterdam and the Graspop Metal Meeting…
SEE YA