Paris: Ooo La La!

Sooo, I've finally decided to admit that blogging is not my strongpoint. Generally, I postpone blogging because it means I need to take a lot of time to think of what to write and what to say to convey my thoughts. At the time I am experiencing them, I can think of plenty to express in a blog, however, since I get so behind, my thoughts become less clear. Because of this, I am going to simply tell the story through pictures with captions and thoughts. Here goes Paris!

Paris

Paris amazed me simply by the shear amount of sites there are to see! Check this out: Notre Dame, the Louvre, Musee D'Orsay, the Eiffel Tower, Versailles, Luxembourg Gardens, Paris Opera House, Arc de Triumph, Champs Elysee, Burgess Gardens, Architecture museum, the list goes on and on and on! Side note before I go on, we decided to get 4 day metro passes and the museum pass, which allows you to cut lines and serves as your ticket. The price for the Museum pass was about 30 euro...but so so worth it. The lines were extraordinary, yet we managed to cut right in and see everything we wanted to see, which barely fit into our schedule as it was!

I can tell you what order I would rank the places to see if you only had limited time in Paris. So, drumroll pleaseeee...

Coming in at #1 site to see.... The Eiffel Tower!

This is sort of a duhhh, however, the tower is more impressive than I imagined, and much larger! Plus, at night, they light up the tower and every hour on the hour hundreds of lights flash causing the tower to sparkle ( video of this at the bottom of this entry) against the night sky...it is absolutely amazing. Note, however, the lines to go up the tower are really long if you want to take the elevator. Walking, no problem....but remember, its very very tall!







#2...Notre Dame

Now, you have to remember that this list is personal preference, really, but we managed to get into Notre Dame during a service, and the sound and the dimly lit stone walls, and the gorgeous stained glass windows - the space really is a site to see and hear. Inside there are sculptures, paintings, models, flowers, everything, and you proceed from the entrance, around the side aisle, up to the apse, and back to the entrance. Quite the processional.







#3...The Louvre

I had a hard time debating between Notre Dame and the Louvre, however the Louvre is so so large, and so by the end of this museum you will be tired, tired of walking, and tired of looking. Luckily, the museum gives you a map which highlights about the top ten works of art, so if you are in a hurry, you can direct yourself to these works in particular, perusing other pieces as you go. The Mona Lisa is beautiful, yet really it is only about an 8.5 by 11 piece of artwork and it is surrounded by many people. The catch here is the shock value of actually seeing the famous work in person...very cool.

#4...Arc de Triomph and Champs Elysee

So I admit that this site has less to do, but the historical significance of the structure itself, coupled with the INCREDIBLE 360 view of Paris from on top, the site is worth seeing. For those who are unaware, the arc was built in honor of all the soldiers who have fought and died for France. Beneath the arc lies the "tomb of the unknown soldier" with an eternally lit flame in honor of the soldiers of France. The arc has been present for many of France's historic moments, and almost all military victories occurring in France, including those for the French, German's, and American's have been celebrated by this arc. The history and symbolism really are powerful if you know the meaning.




#5...Musee D'Orsay

Now, this site is really only interesting to art lovers and people who love the shock value of seeing famous things. I happened to fit into both categories, so I enjoyed this museum. Within are contained famous works by Monet, Manet, Van Gogh, Degas, Renoir, and many more. The paintings range eras, and are very different in styles, but all very interesting to see.




#5...Versailles

Perhaps it was due to the fact that we toured this palace and the gardens on the last day, a day which we were exhausted from nonstop sightseeing, but the palace wasn't as absolutely fascinating as I would have hoped. Also, it is out of town, so a little bit harder to get to (though not much with a metro pass and some time). Despite our exhaustion, the palace was beautiful. The walls and ceilings are all painted with gorgeous frescos and colors, and the hall of mirrors, is, well, lined with mirrors and beautiful materials. From this hall, there is an excellent view out to the gardens. The history added to the excitement of the space, we even go to see where Marie Antoinette escaped from her bedchamber when the palace was attacked. The gardens are so extensive, one could spend hours touring them alone. There were even people kayaking on the lake!




To continue...

Alright, well my list is becoming extensive so I will summarize a few of the rest. I didn't actually get to go in the Paris Opera House (it is not included in the pass), however it was magnificent to see, especially because there was a band playing on the steps. All the operas were sold out, otherwise I definitely would have gone! I'm sure touring the space with the large chandelier is magical given the hype of the Phantom of the Opera. Also, there is free internet connection on the steps outside the Opera House, which is also a bonus.

The Pompidu is a fantastic building to see, however the modern art inside...well, let's just say that I am not a huge fan of most modern art. The first exhibit was all about filmography, which was cool until the first one we sat down at ended up being literally a step by step process on how to remove your clothes while saying your action aloud...most unpleasant! There were a few pieces that struck my interest however. One artwork was a large cube, over which there was a large circular string. A fan from the ceiling blew down on the string, and though the string was floating in midair, it never left the confines of the space above the cube. Also there were a few exhibits one could stand under or interact with, and some architectural drawings which interested me.

Last but not least, it is necessary to include a picture of the food! Now, Paris was a very expensive city, but for a price, we were able to munch on a honest to goodness French Croix Mousier and a French Crepe with nutella and bananas!!!!!! SOOO GOOD!!! The vendor prepared the crepe right before our eyes, putting the batter on the flat hot plate and rotating her little rake around in a circle to evenly spread the batter. Then she used a spatula thing to remove the cooked crepe and spread nutella. From there, she layed on it an entire whole banana (minus the peel) and then chopped it up directly on the crepe. Oh the bliss!

Well, there you have it folks, the sites of Paris in a short summary. There is so much more to tell, but I just can't do it all. For example, our hotel, which was nice, ended up being located by Disney World Paris...which by the way is not in Paris, but on the outskirts. The area ended up being fantastic because we had a kitchen in our room and a mall nearby with a huge grocery store. There were shops around and the train station was very close, so crises averted. Anyway, ok, ok, ok enough, but I hope you enjoyed a brief synopsis on Paris!

Au Revior!

Jess