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Published: October 30th 2009
After having a tour of Paris and visiting Versailles, we weren't quite satisfied with the day yet. So obviously the only thing we could do next was take a three hour dinner barge cruise up and down the Seine in the heart of Paris and eat the best food known to man with unlimited wine. So we did.
The cruise was a dream come true. It was the epitome of what we think of when we think of France: luxurious, elegant, tasty, formal, joyous, and deeply awesome. I recommend said voyage to all! Oh and every hour, the Eiffel Tower sparkles.
The next day, we visited a French Vocational school for students studying to be architects and designers. We were given a tour, and talked about our various methods of education. I was able to use my French quite a bit and it worked! Language is power.
Later we visited the infamous Marais district of Paris, historically the Jewish slums but now a trendy and upscale district of Paris. We learned extensively about the French involvement in the Holocaust, having exported thousands of Jews during the German Occupation of the 1940s.
Thursday, we began the day with
a tour of the Revolutionary sites of Paris. The French are very symbolic when it comes to their history. From Revolutionary Square (where they lost their heads), one can walk over the bridge built from the stones of the fallen royal fortress the Bastille, right on over to the National Assembly...where Congress met and still meets. This of course symbolizes the end of the monarchy, the journey across the Revolution to the new order of democracy. Gotta love the French. They can make a steak and monuments look perfect in every way.
From there, a small group of us visited the Conciergerie, similar to the Tower of London as a jail for the higher echelons. Marie Antoinette was jailed here before her final execution. This was a shorter tour than expected so ice cream and souvenir shopping was in order.
Next, off to Montmartre! An eclectic part of of Paris where the Amelie film was largely filmed, and home to huge hills overlooking all of Paris. The Moulin Rouge is still here and had a rich history around the turn of the last century. We ate our last fabulous meal at Le Moulin de la Galette...and two friends
and I spent the last three hours successfully navigating the Metro system but failing to climb the Eiffel Tower. Oh well. I'll be back, it's only a matter of when. Back to Copenhagen!
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Silvia
non-member comment
Paris ...
I love Paris! It's simple a magnificient city! I'ts romantic, full of people..just amazing. Along the canal St. martin a unique atmosphere! What it'a a little bit to find it's a good hotel! But I stay close to the Belleville stop! All around this department the prices were quite good in compare to the service. So what i can suggest is to find a room not in the centre!A good place to stay is also Bois de Vincennes (http://www.prontohotel.com/fra/paris/pois/bois_de_vincennes.htm). Visit the centre during the day..and sleep all around in the night..perfect combination to discover Paris!