Paris!

This weekend's adventure: Paris! I met my good friend Kelsey and her apartment-mate Mac at the Paris Orly Airport on Friday afternoon. We took a bus and the metro (my first impression of Paris was crowded as we were packed into the subway like sardines) to get to our hostel. Our first destination on the agenda was the Louvre because we knew it was free for students on Friday nights. We saw the Mona Lisa and other famous paintings and sculptures. I loved the architecture of the Louvre, the building was like a museum in itself! It used to be a palace, and the architecture and decorations spoke of royalty. After the Louvre,  we went to Cafe Palais Royal nearby for dinner. I had a salmon burger, fries, and a salad, and it was delicious!

The Louvre at sunset 

Winged Victory of Samothrace

The Mona Lisa 

Me, Kels, and Mac in front of the Mona Lisa

Venus de Milo

The next morning, we had breakfast at the hotel before starting our day of touristy sightseeing. We started at the Notre Dame, which was by far the coolest cathedral I have ever been in. The architecture was very gothic and interesting. We climbed up into the towers of the cathedral to the sound of the bells and had a panoramic view of the city and the gargoyles before going inside the cathedral. I was in awe of the grandeur of this church. 

The first look at Notre Dame

View from the towers of the cathedral 

Next, we headed to the Eiffel Tower. We walked along the Seine River and saw some cool things along the way, like the Love Lock Bridge. We also stopped for coffee and crepes, yum!

The famous Love Lock Bridge

Pont Alexander III

Finally, we made it to the Eiffel Tower. This thing is huge. I knew that, of course, but when you're standing right under it you feel so small! 

Next, we took a metro to the Arc de Triomphe before heading to the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. This basilica is on top of a hill overlooking Paris. We marveled at a storm moving across the city in the distance before heading inside, and by the time we went back outside it was pouring. My biggest regret: I didn't get any pictures of the Basilica or the view of the city before the rain started. We stayed there for awhile, huddled like penguins under the entrance of the church, until the rain let up enough to walk back to the hostel. After resting a little, we walked to the Chartier Restaurant. This is a very popular restaurant because it's delicious, cheap, and authentic. It's an old ballroom, and the decor is fantastic. The food is even better. I got something that was a lot like beef stroganoff fries, and green beans. After dinner, we ate crepes and gelato. My favorite!

Arc de Triomphe

The next morning, we started our day with breakfast at the hostel again. We planned to go to a few museums that day because they are free on the first Sunday of every month. Lucky us! We went first to the Orsay museum. My favorite type of art is Impressionism, especially Monet. They had so many Monets, I was in heaven! Some favorites of the day were Le bassin aux nymphéas, harmonie verte, Nymphéas bleus, Les glaçons, and La nuit étoilée by Vincent van Gogh. I also liked Paul Signac's collection, who painted my favorite in the Chrysler museum back home. These paintings are so cool up close, because you can see each and every individual brush stroke that complete a picture that is only understandable after you step back.

Next, we walked through the Tuileries garden to the Orangerie Museum because they also had a really cool Monet exhibit. Monet designed this exhibit after WWI to give Parisians a place of peace. The exhibit consists of two large oval rooms with huge panoramic paintings on every wall. They are lighted with direct light from skylights, and are showing the water lilies at sunset and sunrise. I felt immersed in Monet's garden. 

After Monet's panoramics, we walked back through the Tuileries garden to Angelina Tea Room. They are famous for their hot chocolate, which we soon found out was literally melted chocolate. It was ridiculously expensive, but really you were paying for the experience: the absolutely adorable decor and paintings, waitresses in french costumes, the little cup of whipped cream that came with the chocolate. It was very memorable.

Tuileries Gardens

Angelina's Tea Room :)

After our hot chocolate, we walked down the street and visited tourist shops until we found a good place for lunch. Then we walked back to the Louvre and sat outside, killing time by people-watching. It was nice to relax and reflect on being in Paris, in Europe. Paris is so full of culture and it was nice to let it sink in.

Kelsey, always the rebel

I was sad leaving Paris, not only because my time in Paris had come to an end but also because I was leaving Kelsey and my new friend Mac. So until next time, Kelsey and Mac, and until next time, Paris.