PARIS, FRANCE
May 30- June 1, 2008
DAY 1 (5)
We arrived at the train station at 7:30 this morning. Not quite awake enough to start the new day. It was early and we didn’t sleep well the night before on the train so we knew we had to get our energy up and fast if we weren’t going to waste any time in the city of love. We went to the Hotel de Belfest where we were staying to check our bags in (rooms were not going to be ready until 12:00pm) and then sat down at a nearby café to get some breakfast. Café au lait and some delicious cheesy breads. We looked through our travel bible (aka Let’s Go Europe) to check out what we wanted to see while we were in Paris, and made it back to the hotel to clean up before we headed out for the day.
We walked to the Champs-Elysees (the one from the song we had to sing in 7th grade!) and got a beautiful view of the Arc du Triumph, and a far away peak of another million little places along the way. It was a great way to get a general sense of the city.
We then headed back to the Hotel to check in with Arin before having dinner and stopping by an internet cafe to figure out how we were going to take the next step of our journey to London. We spent the night at the Eiffel tower, sipping wine and watching the lights change. Absolutely speechless!! It was the most amazing sight I’ve ever seen. Almost deja-vu from all the years of waiting to see it in person. Paris really would be the perfect city to fall in love in.
Arin was still feeling pretty awful today, so Libby, Bisson and I made our way out of Paris to Versailles- the palace that Henry XIV and Marie Antoinette lived in (ah, fond Mr. Thomas memories!). We took a tour of the palace itself, where t is now a preserved replica of some of the important rooms and an art museum. It was great that an audio tour came included because we got to follow along the history of the rooms (like the beautiful hall of mirrors, 17 enormous windows and over 50 chandeliers) as well as the background and importance of all the paintings in the palace. We then headed outside to the Jardin de Versailles where miles upon miles of greenery, lakes and fountains took your breath away. It’s an amazing place to visit, I can’t even imagine what it must have been like to have lived there.
After returning to Paris, Bisson went back to the hotel to meet Arin and take a nap and Libby and I made our way to the Musee d'Orsay where among their spectacular collection they have an enormous display of Impressionism. As we were walking around seeing all the masterpieces we have fallen in love with over books, movies and the internet, I felt honestly star struck to see these pieces in person. We were standing inches away from the most famous Renoirs, Monets, Manets and Van Goghs. We were standing there the artists once stood as they painted these beauties themselves. I left like I had actually stepped into the history of the art, of the creation and imagination behind each painting we saw. Absolutely amazing. Best museum day of my life.
Once we were done in the museum, we decided to take a 30 min walk across town to the Notre Dame. By the time we got there, the dome and towers were closed, but we managed to walk in mid mass. There was a woman singing with a beautiful voice, and a priest leading his sermon. Real life meets tourism- what a treat.
Lib and I stopped to eat some hand and cheese crepes (Nutela for desert, of course) before meeting the boys to go up north to the Sacre Coeur Cathedral in Monmatre. The view of the city was stunning from the church, but just like the Gaudi Park, the weather was still too cloudy and gray to give us the skyline view we deserved. After making our way back down the mountain (and running into one of the boys’ neighbors from UMD) we walked down Blvd. Clichy to see the cabarets, sex shops and peep shows lining the streets towards the Moulin Rouge. I was highly unimpressed with the building- it was much smaller and hidden than I hoped it would be, and has turned into a tourist trap rather than the original jewel it once was (€250 for a ticket? You got to be kidding.) Regardless, the area in itself was pretty neat. Very different from anywhere I’ve been before. Overall, eventful day! Just how I like them J
DAY 3 (7)
We didn’t get too much time in the city today, but what we did see was amazing! We checked out of the Hotel around 8:30 this morning and made it to the Louvre from 9:15 to around 12:15. We walked mostly through the Italian and French paintings that consisted works from the pre-Renaissance, Renaissance and post. Again, it was so incredibly cool to see works we have spent so much time studying from far away in person in front of you. The Mona Lisa was beautiful, but not half as exciting as people give it credit for. It is much smaller than movies have you believe, And that was it for the Louvre, we had to leave to make it back to the Hotel to get our bags and make it to the station in time for our next journey.
I can’t believe we’re leaving Paris so soon! It is such a beautiful, chic city, full of life and style, charm and personality. Basically, if it was a person I’d marry it. Now, thanks. I’d love to come spend an extensive period of time getting to know the city and it’s people better, and maybe even practicing my French some more. And who would have thought- I actually pulled it off. Til next time, au revoir Paris!
