Weekend in Paris

I got back late last night from an amazing and full weekend in Paris! We arrived early Friday morning and did as much as we could possibly do until we collapsed Sunday afternoon! 

The night bus was a great way to travel.  It was not the most comfortable thing, but I was able to sleep on and off, and was "rested" and ready to go when we arrived at 7:30 Friday morning.  When we finally did arrive, we got breakfast at a cafe (chocolate croissants are even more amazing in France, obviously, than at home!) and headed on a train to Versailles.  I was really glad that we were able to go out there, since seeing the gigantic, ornate palace was one of the highlights of the trip.  It was even bigger than I had imagined it and each room was more elegant than the one before.  It was easy to see how frustrating it must have been to have a monarch living in such luxury when his people were suffering so badly.  We also saw the gardens which were gorgeous! I can only imagine how pretty it would be in the springtime!


Friday evening on the way back into Paris we got off the train and saw the Eiffel Tower lit up by night.  It was stunning.  I wasn't expecting to be that moved by it, since it is such a recognizable building, but standing under it really brought home the notion that I was in France.  It was incredible! And every hour, on the hour the tower comes alive with sparkling white lights that makes it look covered in diamonds.  It was a very nice surprise! 


That night we also walked down the Champs Elysees, saw the Arc d Triomphe and got crepes! A full but wonderful day!


Saturday we woke up early and walked up the hill from our hotel in Montmartre to the Sacre Coeur.  This was my first time seeing such an old cathedral, and walking inside was an incredible experience.  I am not convinced that there is nothing like walking into a real cathedral for the first time.  I knew it would be beautiful but standing under the high ceilings surrounded by all the decoration and candles was more moving than I expected.  The view from outside the cathedral was brilliant, and if it hadn't been cloudy, we would have been able to see all of Paris!


For the rest of the day, we worked our way through the main sights.  We went down to Notre Dame which was beautiful, and again I could not believe I was actually standing in front of it! We walked from there to Angelina, a cafe recommended to me and most of my travelling partners.  They have famous, thick hot chocolate which was the most delicious thing I have ever injested.  It was creamy, liquid pudding that came with real hand whipped cream.  After Angelina we walked off our hot chocolate at the Louvre! 


Because the Louvre is so big and we only had a limited amount of time in the city, we did the really short version and stayed for only about 2 hours. Despite the short amount of time, I saw everything on my list.  We walked through the Italian and French painting hallways, passing Mona Lisa, Liberty Leading the People, The Coronation of Napoleon, La Belle Jardiniere, Madonna on the Rocks.  Every time I turned a corner there was another famous painting I had grown up seeing in history and art books!  We also went through the main sculpture galleries to see Venus de Milo and Winged Victory, which was even more moving in person.  I was walking through a hallway with one of my roommates and we both stopped and looked up, and up a flight of stairs was the statue.  It was breathtaking!


After the Louvre we bought some cheese and baguettes and made our way over to the Paris Opera.  It was a gorgeous building but I was excited to be on the street it is located on, Boulevard des Capucines.  This is the street where the first Impressionist exhibition was held many years ago, and many of the artists painted views from this street.  I was so excited to be in a place that I knew, for sure, most of my favorite artists had been too.  Seeing what they had seen, however different it is today, was amazing! It then started raining so my group and I stole some tables at a McDonald's and feasted on our bread and cheese! It was the best meal I've had at McDonald's for sure! 


Saturday night was my favorite part of the trip.  Four of us, from our group of 7, went out to a little Italian restaurant and then split a bottle of wine in front of the Eiffel Tower.  It was gorgeous and a perfect last night for our weekend trip! 


Sunday, up early again, we went to Musee d'Orsay, which I have been dreaming about for years!  It houses many of the most famous Impressionist works, such as Manet's Olympia and Dejeuner sur l'Herbe, Degas' sculpture of the ballerina, Monet's Dejeuner, and countless others.  It was paradise for me! Every room had another painting I had studied, another work I could not believe I was seeing in person! It also had some works I had never seen before, like a Monet of women under lilac bushes (my favorite!) and a special exhibit of the artist Ensor.  He was a pleasant surprise! It was by far the best collection I have ever seen and I wish I could have gotten lost in there for hours!


...but alas! For the rest of the day we saw the sights we had missed like Place d Concorde, the Tuileries gardens and the Bastille.  It was a day of a lot of walking, but I was glad we saw the city that way.  It is much easier to see the different sections and get to know a city when you are travelling by foot.  By the end of the day Sunday though, everyone was exhausted and ready to come back to London.  

Returning was a great feeling, since the last time I flew into Heathrow Airport, I was nervous and unsure of what I would find.  Flying in last night I was comforted by the fact that I wasn't nervous any more, but excited and happy to be back in this place.  In just two weeks London has become a home away from home and it is great to be back!