Paris - After the Jetlag

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Paris so far has been fantastic! Just wrapping up my 4th day exploring the city and the surrounding region. After calling it an early night I think I am finally over the jet lag and on Parisian time. Jason (who I am staying with in Paris), has gone to Bourdeaux for the long weekend with the some friends (totally ditched me....that's right jason) but it's okay because my friend Duncan (from University) also is in Paris for about a week so we've been hanging out & sightseeing together.
Day 2
On Thursday (April 1) it was a beautiful day (i.e. not raining) and so I wandered around Jardin de Luxembourg for a couple hours. It is a HUGE garden and absolutely beautiful. I sat for about 45 minutes by the pond in the sun just people watching. After, I found a little cafe and just enjoyed people watching and un cafe. Around 3pm I met up with Duncan at his hostel and we went to Cimetier du Pere-Lachaise - which is a beautiful old cemetary where a lot of famous/important people are buried. We went with the intention of seeing Jim Morrison's grave (which we did - there were a few Brits hanging out having a few brews). We got lost & ran out time before we could find Chopin, Oscar Wilde, and others. This guy came around with a really really lound and annoying bell and shooed everyone out. For dinner, we went out to this great vegetarian restaurant called Tugalik with Jason, his girlfriend, and some of her friends. Afterwards, we went to a pub called The Wall for 3 euro beers. It was a lot of fun - made some new friends incl. Ivey League Grad Greg who we have nicknamed Ivey Leauge Greg after the 3 Ivey league schools he has attented, some 30 yr old spanish guy, and a Brit who couldn't not get over the fact that Duncan sends about 3000 texts a month.
Day 3
Finally, my first Parisian pastry! A croissant for breakfast. Nothing (almost) has ever tasted to delish. Along with some freshly baked baguette and cheese. For lunch, Duncan and I hopped on the train and met his friend Harriet at a pub he found a few days prior with great hamburgers. It is apparenly run by this woman from Chicago named Holly. It is also frequented by the likes of Pete Doherty. We hung out there and waiting out the rain (I heard it was sunny and 25 degrees in Toronto...send some my way please!) and then headed to Musee de Vie Romantique. Not really what I was expecting. Don't know why. The small museum focused on pianists from the romantic period (Chopin). Also took a took a quick stroll through the sex district and passed by the Moulin Rouge.
It cleared up later in the afternoon so we also walked over the Sacre Coeur (Sacred Heart). It is a massive church. Absolutely stunning - which overlooks the city. The church was constructed at the end of the 1800's and it is believed, by some, to contain the heart of Christ. Because we were there on Good Friday, a service led by nuns was in progress. The dome of the church is also supposed to have an incredible view of the city. We climed 300 stairs (very narrow - I would compare it to climbing up the tower at Casa Familla in Barcelona) to the top. It was well worth it.
Duncan's friend Harriet had also invited us to attend a play that the theatre company she works for was putting on that evening. It was a one woman production in French - a dramatic reading of love letters between Clara and Robert Schumann. I could not stay awake! I felt so bad, especially as it was a small, intimate performance in a Gallery. After that, it was time to call it a night!
Day 4
Today was grey and rainy and cool. Walked along the Seine briefly after coffee to pick up the metro and head out to Versaille. We walked around the garden for a bit. At 330 they have a fountain show, which doesn't really amount to much. Basically the fountains go on and they play music. But it was cool nonetheless. We also went on a guided tour of the Chateau which was pretty neat - very interesting. If I could time travel I would definetely want to go to the 17th as a member of the court to see what it was actually like. After heading back to Paris we met up with Ivey, and the Brit at a Sangria bar called dix bar. This place was amazing. It was plastered everywhere with old opera and theatre posters from the early 1950s. They also refilled the sangria pitchers from big buckets behind the bar. After dix bar we ended up at an after hours club called Opa. It was average, but the dj wasn't bad - lot's of Eurobeats.

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