Americans in Paris

So Molly and I decided to spend the weekend in the City of lights and took an overnight train to Paris. The train ended up being a wonderful experience. The sleeper car was kinda grungy but other than that, it was fine. We shared the 6 person car with two guys who did not share a common language with us (you would think between English, French, Italian, Spanish and a little bit of German we would have had something, but, in the words of Yukon Cornelius, *lick ice pick* nothin!) but we were able to manage with the universal hand signals. =) We went to sleep with our bags wrapped around us to discourage theft and woke up in Paris 10 hours later. Upon arriving in Paris, our first stop was the hostel. It took us a while to find it but once we figured out where it was it ended up being relatively easy to get to. It was right on the Seinne too which was cool. We ended up being unable to check in and since the luggage room was full, we gathered up our stuff and headed out into the city.

First stop: The Louvre.

The subway stopped right outside. We walked around the block and caught a glimpse of the tell tale pyramids through the wrought iron game. They are huge! It was soo cool to see all the fountains and the pyramids up close. You enter the Louvre by going into the biggest pyramid and going underground. I think that is sooo cool that, as opposed to having a regular building with a typical door. We didnt go into the Louvre at that point but instead continued on and walked in the direction of the Arc d'Triumph. We stopped at a little stand in the gardens in front of the Louvre and got breakfast (pastries) which was awesome. We took a leisurely walk down the Champs Elysees and did some window shopping. It was an absolutely beautiful day which made walking around all that much more fun. We made it to the Arc d'Triumph but it took us a while to figure out how to get to it. We knew you had to go under the traffic circle to get to it since there is no way you could cross the street and live to tell the tale. Once we got to it I noticed that there were names engraved all over the monument, I guess they were of French military heroes. The tomb of the unknown soldier had a fire burning brightly in his remembrance in addition to the flowers around his grave. It was really cool.

We walked around the Arc d' Triumph until we spotted the Eiffel Tower in the distance and headed in its general direction. When we arrived at the Tower, the lines to go up were insane so instead we walked around it and took some pictures at the bottom. We walked through the gardens and headed toward the subway station down the road which would take us back to the Opera Garnier.

The Opera Garnier, also known as the set for the movie The Phantom of the Opera is gorgeous! This Opera house inspired the story and then served as the set. It was really cool to walk up the staircase where they sang Masquerade and see the stage where they performed and the infamous box 5! We didn't take a guided tour but instead just leisurely walked around. We watched the movie online when we got back to Verona and spent the majority of the time saying "hey! that's where I put my camera, or hey! I stood there!" It was really cool to be able to see that. But even without the film significance, the building is absolutely gorgeous! Designed by Charles Garnier, the interior is completely covered in gold, which is balanced with rich crimson upholstery and crystal chandeliers. BEAUTIFUL!!!

We then headed back to the hostel for lunch and a little freshening up as we were both quite nasty from all the traveling. We got back and ate ham and cheese sandwiches (which are actually more like the french version of a grilled cheese), showered up and headed back into town.

Destination: The Louvre (for real this time).

Our original plan was to hit up Musee d'Orsay and the Louvre in the first night, starting with MO. However, somehow we subconsciously nixed that plan and headed straight for the Louvre. We got in with no problem and sank deep into the depths of the glass pyramid. Its like a whole other world exists beneath the courtyard. Its crazy! Our first stop was Italian Renaissance sculptures since I had read that Michelangelo's "Prisoner's" were located in the Louvre. We had just finished studying the significance of them and I wanted to see them desperately. GREAT SUCCESS!!!

We walked into the room, and their they were. Although I had seen pictures, never in my life did I imagine that they would be so absolutely perfect in their twisted pain and passion. The theory is that these figures embody the Christian Humanistic ideal that the soul is trapped by the body and will be freed upon death, just as the figures are trapped in the stone for they are not completed and never will be. It is sooo cool! This by far was my favorite part of Paris, being able to see the works I had just studied and understanding the significance behind them. We continued on and admired the other works in the room, all of which were gorgeous. We ended up at the base of a grand staircase, at the top of which stood the "Winged Victory." It was so powerful to walk up and then BAM! it was just there, the only thing in the room except for the stairs. After pausing for pictures, we continued through the museum to hit up the perhaps most famous work there: Leonardo d'Vinci's love and masterpiece- the "Mona Lisa."

First of all, its tiny, but so worth seeing. It was really cool to see it in real life. Our last stop was the sphinx in the basement which was really neat. Also down there you could see the foundation of the original Louvre which started out as a castle. Cool huh?

We left early in hopes of catching the Musee d'Orsay before it closed but ended up missing it. So instead, we walked down the street and did some exploring in the general direction of the Eiffel Tower. We stumbled across this adorable little cafe called Cafe Dauphine. We glanced at the menu and decided to give it a try since the prices were reasonable and we were starved. The waiter arrived with our food (she had smoked salmon and pasta and I had rump steak and potatoes). Everything, from our meal, to the wine, to the desert was absolutely perfect. I learned the hard way to always ask for your meat to be cooked well done when my steak arrived bloody- but hey- its all apart of the culture I guess! The food was so divine words don't do it justice. We both just sat there and smiled, completely content and blown away by reaction our taste buds just had. I kid you not, it was easily the best food I have ever had. And the best part was that it wasn't anything special- just everyday food cooked to perfection. After sitting and enjoying the night for a while we left and walked to the metro which took us to the Eiffel Tower. It was all lit up when we finally spotted it and we made it just in time for the light show when it sparkled like a million tiny diamonds. It was gorgeous. We sat and soaked it up for a while and then decided to call it a night.

We woke up the next morning, grabbed some free breakfast at the hostel (baguettes and jelly) and went to the Eiffel Tower again. This time, we were to go up. Our original plan was to take the elevator, but when we discovered that we would save 9E and a lot of time in line, we opted for the stairs. Now I'm not usually afraid of heights, but whoa, climbing up the Eiffel Tower made me a little ill. And I know I'm not the only person to feel this way because my sis thought the same thing. The stairs are numbered as you go up which is pretty cool. There are over 600 of them, which can be slightly exhausting, but it was sooo worth it! The panorama view of Paris was incredible. We could see the Sacre Couer and Montmartre and the Arc d' Triumph among other things. We then headed back down (via elevator this time) and scurried over to Musee d' Orsay. We wandered around for a little while in the museum before making our way to the Monet and Degas section. On our way we passed a wall covered in wooden sculptures. They were sooo gorgeous. One of them depicted physical love and the artist was somehow able to convey the passion between the two subjects through the wood. Another was called existence which was very modern and interesting and the third called birth showed the painful process of giving birth, which was kinda crazy.

We left that room and stumbled upon three marble sculptures- one of an African woman, one of an African man and one of an Arab. They were by far the most beautiful pieces of art I have ever seen. The marble work was so intricate, and done in multiple colors. Stunning to say the least.

Eventually we made it to the Degas and Monet exhibits. I was sooo happy to finally see some of Degas's dancers in real life. It was like a little piece of my childhood crept back up. I took some pictures and then wandered over to Monet. His work is so gorgeous it blows me away.

We left shortly there after and made our way to Notre Dame, our last stop in Paris. The Cathedral is actually on an island and is just as spectacular as all the pictures suggest. I was amazed. The sun filtered through the stained glass windows, casting the giant hall in a rosy glow. It was beautiful.

Finally, it was time to leave Paris. The dream was quickly coming to an end, and mournfully we made our way to the metro once again.

Destination: the train station.

We made it successfully to the train station, grabbed some sandwiches and boarded our train, with 150 Italian school kids. Whoa. The ride home was intense to say the least. Because our train left in the afternoon, there was no sleeper car so we sat up all night and listened to Video kills the Radio Star sung with Italian accents, which, for the record is a little funky. Then came Abba and the entire Mama Mia! sound track. I guess these kids weren't familiar with the idea of sleep or the courtesy of not sitting in the aisles so everyone around them can go to the bathroom without tripping over them. Either way, Molly and I made the best of it. We played cards for a while and then she fell asleep and I stared out the window mindlessly and soaked up the gorgeous French country side. I cant wait to go back during the summer and see it covered in sunflowers. It looks a lot like Tuscany with all its rolling hills. We then went through the French Alps which were beautiful in their own right. I guess the Alps is one big mountain range, but the name comes from whatever country you happen to be in. It was a beautiful day so the jagged peaks looked striking against the bluebird sky.

After changing trains in Milan, we made it successfully to Verona around 1am. Long day for sure! But we had so much fun. I only wish we had more time in Paris. Some say that everyone has two favorite cities- the city they live in and Paris. Whoever said this was a genius. I fell in love with Paris the moment I walked out the train station. It is a love affair that will last a life time and I cannot wait to go back and experience more of it.

I loved the fashion, the culture, the food, the people, the history, the scenery- everything about it is so classy and chic. Molly described it as one of those places that just recharges your batteries and Paris was most definitely that for me. I felt so at home the moment I got there and as I said the first time I went to the Adirondacks: someday I will live there.