France, Part 8-Second Trip to Paris

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Note: All events mentioned in this entry occurred one Saturday in November 2006. Please refer back to this blog for more updated entries and trips. Entries and trips that take place in the present day will NOT include a note like this. Thanks and enjoy!

I wanted to go back to Paris since my first visit, mainly because I loved the city, but also because my first trip seemed rather quick. There was a lot I hadn't seen or had only gotten a glimpse of (for more information, please refer to my blog entitled "First Trip to Paris". My Parisian friend had recently moved to San Francisco for work, so I was on my own for my second trip. However, I didn't mind that because the only thing on my mind was to see as much of Paris as possible while I was still in Dijon.

This would only be a day trip, especially since I had a two-day trip coming up to go to Brussels. The plan was to see the following: The Museum of Paris, Victor Hugo's apartment, Place des Vosges, Place de la Bastille, Arc du Triumph and the Champs-Elysee. I took a TGV train from Dijon to Paris' Gare de Lyon. From there, I took the metro to Bastille. I got off, and headed first to Place des Vosges, which is just simply an old arcade where there is lots of shops, restaurants and gypsy style jazz musicians play music. I looked in some of the shops on my way down there, however I soon had to head to the Museum of Paris. I spent at least 2-3 hours in the museum looking at the paintings and artifacts. The building is also fantastic because it's a 16th century hotel or mansion. It's a great museum to visit especially for its French Revolution exhibit, which includes period art, documents and artifacts. After visiting the museum I then head back to Place des Vosges, where I take in the Victor Hugo Museum, which is located in his old apartment. You can take a free tour, and you are shown the different rooms of the apartment, how long he lived there and a little bit about the family. I probably spent 20-30 minutes on the tour, but it was worth it. After touring Victor Hugo's apartment, I then go to eat at Cafe Victor Hugo, where I have a huge lunch of their salad au chevre chaud (warmed goat cheese salad) which unlike most traditional versions, included huge slices of jambon cru or cured ham and carmalized apple slices. The salad, as huge as my head, was only 12 euros. I ate as much as I could, making sure to eat all the goat cheese, ham and apples and lettuce covered with dijon mustard dressing.

I then head over to Place de la Bastille, where I take pictures of the new Opera house and also of the monument to the location of the old Bastille prison. I then take the metro from there and head to the Champs-Elysee. I unfortunately run out of battery life, however I do take some pictures of the Arc du Triumph, but I don't go up because I wanted to save my six dollars for my trip to Brussels but also because my camera wasn't working. I spend the rest of my evening strolling the Champs-elysee and checking out the shops, which are not very unique. You can find these shops anywhere in France and also in other parts in Europe, however they were big. For example the Sephora and Yves Rocher are huge as well as the Monoprix that's there. There's a Paul's which is a national chain all over France. It's good but it can't compete with a local boulengerie.

I then head back on the metro, and catch my train back to Dijon, and I believe i only spent 20-30 euro for my train tickets!

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