October Trip Part 3: Paris
The last four days of my trip were spent with my friend Paige, who is currently an au pair in the outskirts of Paris. They live in a 3-story (plus tower) house about 30 minutes from the city center by Metro, in a lovely and quiet neighborhood. The family graciously let me stay with Paige up in her tower, and I helped play with the kids here and there in between exploring the city. I was able to see all the major attractions because we were always on the go! In four days, we managed to see:
To offically confirm the stereotype... the food was delicous! I tried crepes with chestnut butter, little multicolored cookies called macarons (see photo below), and croque madame sandwiches (the recipe for which can be found here, for Lisa & other interested folks)! Paige and I also sampled french onion soup, penne with salmon, omeletts and little donut-like pastries called madelines.
Above is a photo that a nice German family took of me in front of the Eiffel Tower on Thursday. I hadn't gotten the typical tourist shot yet, so when I heard someone speaking a language I could understand, I jumped at the opportunity!
The public transit system is incredibly intimidating, but I'm proud to say I got the hang of it near the end. I just had to remember to follow the signs and try not to lose Paige in the crowd as she meanders through the tiny halls. (That girl is speedy!) The trains in Paris all have 4-letter names, supposedly to avoid confusion. Sometimes the names are normal, like SARA. Some are epic, like ZEUS. And then... on Thursday as we left the station, I spotted one called WOWY. We just about died laughing!
My favorite attraction was probably the Louvre museum. I saw sphynxes, the Mona Lisa, the most beautiful statue of Cupid and Psyche I've ever seen, the ancient foundations of the Louvre castle beneath the modern-day structure, paintings that were at least 20 x 40 feet! The museum was breathtaking and massive. I was able to find some incredible exhibits with fewer interseted museum-goers, like the Islamic art section.
I also walked around and tried to get some lovely shots of the city's most famous monument - built at the end of the 1800s for the World's Fair in Paris. Here are two of my most interesting pictures: the sparkling tower at night and the tower fading into the clouds behind the docks of the Seine.
Catching up with Paige was really fantastic. Who knows when she and I will get to have another hangout session? I am so glad it worked out this time! She was an excellent host with great suggestions of what to see. While Paris would not be a good residence for me, Paige simply flourishes there. She's happy, and the romantic and legendary city suits her. Not to mention she has dang good French skills.
- Versailles palace & gardens
- Arc de Triomphe
- The Louvre - grandest museum I've ever seen
kudos to Lisa for the suggestion! - Eiffel Tower
- Champs-Élysées - high dollar shopping street
- The Grand Palace
- The Petite Palace
- Moulin Rouge
- Montmartre - artsy district, filming location of the movie Amelie
- Sacré-Cœur cathedral
- Notre Dame - I sang Disney songs the entire time
To offically confirm the stereotype... the food was delicous! I tried crepes with chestnut butter, little multicolored cookies called macarons (see photo below), and croque madame sandwiches (the recipe for which can be found here, for Lisa & other interested folks)! Paige and I also sampled french onion soup, penne with salmon, omeletts and little donut-like pastries called madelines.
Above is a photo that a nice German family took of me in front of the Eiffel Tower on Thursday. I hadn't gotten the typical tourist shot yet, so when I heard someone speaking a language I could understand, I jumped at the opportunity! The public transit system is incredibly intimidating, but I'm proud to say I got the hang of it near the end. I just had to remember to follow the signs and try not to lose Paige in the crowd as she meanders through the tiny halls. (That girl is speedy!) The trains in Paris all have 4-letter names, supposedly to avoid confusion. Sometimes the names are normal, like SARA. Some are epic, like ZEUS. And then... on Thursday as we left the station, I spotted one called WOWY. We just about died laughing!
My favorite attraction was probably the Louvre museum. I saw sphynxes, the Mona Lisa, the most beautiful statue of Cupid and Psyche I've ever seen, the ancient foundations of the Louvre castle beneath the modern-day structure, paintings that were at least 20 x 40 feet! The museum was breathtaking and massive. I was able to find some incredible exhibits with fewer interseted museum-goers, like the Islamic art section. I also walked around and tried to get some lovely shots of the city's most famous monument - built at the end of the 1800s for the World's Fair in Paris. Here are two of my most interesting pictures: the sparkling tower at night and the tower fading into the clouds behind the docks of the Seine.
This is a photo of me in front of a charming cafe in Montmartre - the artsy neighborhood where Amelie was filmed, and where the move Moulin Rouge is supposed to take place. Dozens of artists, authors, thinkers and poets gathered in these cafes in the past centuries to swap ideas and spread their inspirations.
Catching up with Paige was really fantastic. Who knows when she and I will get to have another hangout session? I am so glad it worked out this time! She was an excellent host with great suggestions of what to see. While Paris would not be a good residence for me, Paige simply flourishes there. She's happy, and the romantic and legendary city suits her. Not to mention she has dang good French skills.
And on Friday morning I caught the train at 7:25 from Paris back to Stuttgart - luckily I got to sleep the whole way and didn't have to transfer trains! Now I just have to get through 2 more weeks before Fabian comes home.
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