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Published: March 6th 2008
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Nous sommes a Paris!
Self portrait a la Tour Eiffel. I am in love. In love with a city, a culture, a place so foreign yet so familiar all in the same moment. After the best weekend of my life, I am convinced Paris is my favorite place in the world, and that's saying a lot. Ideally I needed about three more weeks to see everything I considered essential, but there's only so much you can do in three days. My weekend was perfect. I wasn't sad to leave because I knew it was only the beginning of my time in Paris -- just an appetizer for the multitudes of experiences (and a cute little apartment?) to come.
It all began when Bonnie and I spent Friday afternoon in Pisa, strolling past charming storefronts and then stopping to prop up an old tower that seemed about ready to fall over. When a couple from Lithuania asked us to take pictures of them imitating our poses, they said it was because they thought we looked like art students. I wonder where they got that idea?
We left right on schedule from the Pisa airport and sat next to Sergio, a chatty sixty-some Italian going to visit his wife who works
The Leaning Tower
Good thing I stepped in, it was just about to topple over. for Gucci in Paris. He liked us so much that he took it upon himself to get us safely to our destination. He actually ran with us -- suit, tie, briefcase and all -- up escalators and down long hallways through Orly airport to help us catch the last metro of the night (which we made only by three minutes). We really appreciated his help. Without his enthusiasm, we would certainly have paid a fortune in cab fare to get to our hostel. We didn't know it then, but this was the kind of luck we were about to get used to.
Once off the metro, we asked a passing French family for directions only to have them personally escort us all the way to our hostel. One of the little girls got a kick out of practicing her English with me: "I am Aurien, I am twelve," she said very slowly and with a huge grin. We stayed at the Taj Mahal of hostels -- the building was only three weeks old and was located on the Seine. Fluffy pillows, warm blankets, free breakfast, hot showers, dorm-style bathrooms -- everything about it made our hostel in Rome look
Le Printemps a Paris
I had forgotten it was spring! like a dunghill. Our roommates turned out to be two girls from our university in Florence, so our friends in Paris are now our friends at home. What luck!
Saturday morning the four of us got up early and headed to the palace of Versailles. We got in without a wait with our international student ID cards and spent a couple hours walking through the hall of mirrors, Marie Antoinette's bedroom, all the luxurious ballrooms and dining halls and admiring the extensive gardens. I can't imagine how such a lavish lifestyle was ever possible -- but in a modern sense, I suppose such lifestyles still exist today.
After Versailles, we went in search of the Eiffel Tower, and find it we did! What an AMAZING feeling to FINALLY stand under it! Only then did I realize I was truly in Paris, and wonder if I was really there, all at the same time. We decided not to ride to the top but instead took pictures from every angle (in true Margaret and Bonnie fashion) and rejoiced in the flowering trees and bushes in the park. It's springtime in Paris! We bought our first crepes, and they were to
Story of My Life
This is what I look like about 90% of the time in Europe! Can't seem to put the camera down.... die for. Desserts are one thing Italians cannot wrap their heads around. Sweets simply aren't good in Italy (minus gelato), whereas multiple pastries a day were a requirement in France. And I couldn't help but truly believe that each one was better than the last.
We spent Saturday night hanging out with our roommates and two ridiculously fun Australian guys that we met in the hostel. All six of us embarked on a midnight adventure through the city, out onto the metro and past Notre Dame, the Louvre, the Tuillerie Gardens, along the Seine River and close enough to see the Eiffel Tower glittering and flashing every hour on the hour. Paris at night is a completely different experience than Paris during the day, and I'm happy I got the chance to experience both.
Sunday was our planned museum day, and we found out that morning that the first Sunday of every month is Free Admission Day in Paris. So, we went to the Louvre and the Musee d'Orsay for free! I was personally unimpressed by the Mona Lisa, which is basically the general public's idea of real art. How anyone can think the Mona Lisa is the
Moulin de la Galette
This is definitely one of my favorite paintings of all time. I can't believe I saw it in person! only thing worth seeing in the Louvre is beyond me. Nearly every work of art I've ever seen or heard of is there. Apparently if you spend 30 seconds looking at every piece of art in the museum, you'll not get out for four months, and we were definitely well on our way to that mark. I also could have spent years admiring the impressionists' work at the Musee d'Orsay. Impressionism is my favorite art movement and I was basically in heaven. To top it all off, I ate a divine raspberry tart in the cafe by the old station clock in the museum. It was the most delicious treat I bought in Paris.
Monday we took a free walking tour of the city in beautiful spring weather. We met two more Australian guys who entertained us with stories of their travels and insights about how all Aussies ride kangaroos to work (what, you haven't heard that?). We had baguettes and Oranginas for lunch at a sidewalk cafe, and then I caved for the first time since arriving in Europe and bought a Starbucks caramel macchiato next door. It was delicious, especially since it was rather chilly outside. We
Musee d'Orsay
The museum is actually a converted train station, and the cafe is right up next to the old clock. walked through the Place de la Concorde, where the guillotine used to stand, down the Champs Elysees, under the Arc de Triomphe, past Notre Dame, the Opera House, over famous bridges whose names escape me, through the Tuilleries and when the tour was over the four of us went back to the Eiffel Tower one last time. It was the perfect end to a perfect weekend. Bonnie and I had to leave to catch our plane after that, but it felt very welcoming to hear the stewardesses speaking Italian on the way back. I left my heart in Paris, but it's good to be home.
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deleted_62353
aww yeah
fantastic!!! i loved the blog, and it made me yearn for paris more. only...88 more days! ps: i am planning a weekend trip to rome... i'll keep you updated. :)