Girls in Paris!

What a fabulous past two days I have had. Traveling alone is fun and a good experience, but it is nothing compared to traveling with girlfriends. Victoria arrived at 10 am Saturday, and after a little miscommunication as where to meet, we found each other with lots of hugs and squeaks. We spent the morning up on the grass in front of the Sacre Coeur Basilica where we had crepes and caught each other up on the last year quite quickly. Its great when you are reunited with friends that you haven't seen in ages but the second you see each other, it is as if nothing has changed. Victoria is as beautiful as ever and speaks fluent Italian as well now after spending all summer with high class lawyers in Rome. 

After a brief catchup, we lugged our bags to the second hotel, Hotel l’Annexe which I thought was much closer than it actually was. And since Vic and I are better at getting lost than we are at getting found, we naturally got lost on our way in tiny cobblestone streets with massive suitcases, a bit of deja vu for us...

The second hotel was much nicer than the one I was in alone, and in a good location, close to a metro and a busy street. So we went to the Monoprix and bought ourselves some bread, cheese, dried salami and rillette (kind of like canned tuna, but pork, sounds odd but Victoria assured me it was delicious, I was skeptical) and of course du vin.  So we had ourselves a lovely picnic on the grass in front of l’Hotel des Invalides.  We literally sat on the grass eating and drinking wine from the bottle surrounded by cars, buses, picnickers, kids playing soccer, and tourists for at least 3 hours laughing and talking.  It was the perfect way to catch up and remember how good of friends we are. 

We also had do dodge a gypsy who kept coming over trying to steal our grapes... and some bold young boys who actually came and grabbed a piece of salami before running away. These people have guts, and are very annoying albeit sad.

After our lovely picnic we ventured over to the Quartier Latin and visited the Sorbonne. We had a beer outside and pondered the idea of listening to Voltaire teach while sitting on haystacks outside the window of a classroom. It is very humbling going to the places that I have studied and crammed my brain with dates and names of people who walked the very streets that I was. I thank my academic life for teaching me the history of these exquisite old places. I love proving to myself that I really am a nerd.

Dinner that night was lovely. We fell in love with the Latin District when we came three years ago and so had to eat dinner there again. We found a typical french cuisine cafe with a set menu and I had une salade de chevre chaud for my entree, canard confit pour diner, and mousse au chocolate all washed down with a couple glasses of the house made vin rouge. 

We laughed with the concierge (who spoke 10 languages and was very good at convincing people to sit at his restaurant as opposed to the one across the street that didnt speak Russian or Portuguese....) I really love France.

Apres diner we made our way to Gare de Lyon to pick up our surprise guest, Anja Wittels!!! On a whim Anja had bought a ticket up from Lyon to stay with us for the day. It was so special and we were so excited to see her. She arrived perfectly and we snuck her into our hotel room where we fell asleep promptly. 

This was Anja’s first ever trip to Paris and she was so excited. She only had one day so we were ready to go everywhere. We left the hotel early, and since it was Sunday, were instantly greeted by an outdoor antique market. It wasnt much different from any outdoor garage sale or street fair in the US, but of course everything we saw was cuter and so french! Burning man has ruined me and I cant help but keep an eye out for burner-worthy clothing at these little markets. The furs!!! Im calling it now that fur is coming back into mainstream style, the Galleries Lafayette were full of fur jackets and vests that cost an arm and a leg. The street market was full of furs from the 70s that were mink and rabbit and fox for 40 Euros!!!!! It took a lot of reminding the size of my bag and length of my stay for me to not buy the most incredible vest I have ever seen. Its okay, I have a long time left to find furry amazingness in other places. Mum you would have died..... vintage furs ahhhhh. Ok, we all ended up buying a little trinket, Vic bought some matching rings for 3 E, Anja bough a 1950s swiss gold plated red band tiny watch that was beautiful for 15 E and I bought a French navy little whistle like a train whistle that I can put on a chain around my neck for 5 E. We were very pleased with ourselves.

 We took the metro to the Louvre for a quick glimpse then walked through the Tuilleries Gardens to the Place de la Concord where once again the history just blows me away. I acted as guide to Anja because by that time I was an expert, obviously :)

We walked all the way down the Champs Elysees and had to stop in the most famous boulangerie in Paris, Laduree. Laduree is known for its macarons francaise. They are the little colorful macarons with cream and jelly in the middle. We caved and bought 6 for 10 E and then bought some sandwiches and a salad and went and had another picnic underneath the Eiffel Tower.  It was catch up again as we wandered around the Tour Eiffel and over to Trocadero where we sat on the grass in front of the fountain in the same place that Vic and I were 3 years ago. We walked in the fountain and took photos and talked and laughed for hours. It was such a great afternoon and it had only just begun.

The big cities in France have an excellent invention called the Velib’ which are literally just bikes that you can pick up and drop off and any of their thousands of Velib’ stations around the city. We had seen them all over but were slightly intimidated about riding on the streets that share cars in a city we werent that familiar with. We quickly got over that fear the second we started riding. It was so hot and lovely out and the sun was just starting to go down as we rode our way along the Seine in the late afternoon bliss. Paris is such a bike friendly city and the most beautiful way to see it is by bike. It was the best decision we could have made and were so ecstatic the whole time. It made getting around sooo easy and the temperature and lighting were simply perfect. 

We rode over to the lIe de la Cite to see Notre Dame and the 4th and 5th arrondissements. All of Paris is amazing but the Latin District and the Marais are the most amazing. The Marais (meaning marsh) is the one part of Paris the Baron Haussmann didnt get to. It is the only bit of Paris remaining that looks similar to what it looked like in the 17th and 18th centuries. Paris’ wide boulevards and long streets are beautiful, but the Marais looks like a city in itself. The streets are super narrow and cobblestone with tall stone buildings either side with a cafe at every corner. We were there just at 7ish and the people and cafes were buzzing. It is a bit more pricey but looks like it is out of a storybook and absolutely amazing. We had to force ourselves to leave and find a cafe that would fit our budget. That wasnt hard to do in the Latin district where we had escargot, carpaccio, raclette, canard confit, ribstec et béarnaise, crepes, and more all for 15 E a person. 

After our long and lovely dinner we hopped back on the Velib’ and continued our night tour of Paris. We rode completely around the Luxembourg Gardens and passed the Sorbonne (I didnt get your email until this morning dad :( ). We went down any street we wanted and delighted ourselves in not knowing where we were going and just ending up at the most incredible places. We went back to the louvre which is so much better at night when the crowds are gone but the lights make it even more beautiful. We rode into the Tuileries to get a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower at night. Then all the way back to our hotel.  

Paris by night is a sight that everyone should see and the bikes were absolutely perfect. It was so warm and beautiful and perfectly amazing. We could not get over how happy we were at how much we saw and ate and experienced in such a short time. I am so blessed to have the friends that I do and am able to have these amazing times with people I love so much. The whole day could not have gone any better :)

And now here I am, on a train wizzing southward through France, passing tiny town with stone buildings most likely built centuries ago, past farms with baby goats and gardens that are so green. Victoria left this morning at 10 and Anja and I had breakfast outside Gare de Lyon and slightly lost track of time. We ended up running through the station and I jumped on my train seconds before the doors closed, blowing a kiss to Anja in goodbye. What is a good trip without a little mayhem?? I arrive in Aix in an hour or so. Now I am just going to look out the window and ponder how happy and lucky I am to be here in this amazing place, with nothing holding me back. Au revoir!!

Jour deux

Gare du Nord, see its big!
Seeing as I passed out at 5:00 yesterday, I conveniently woke up at 2 am. So I goofed around on the computer for an hour and took a sleeping pill which amazingly knocked me out again. (Thanks mum) I thought I would wake up early like 6 or 7 but I didn't wake up again until 9:30! So I think I am all caught up on sleep for now. I was starving when I woke up so I left quickly and went to one of the stops for my tour buses. I searched for a place to eat but my nerves at not really knowing how to order or what to do (do I just sit down or ask for a menu or wait or be seated?) got the better of me and I ended up wandering for a while before just getting a croissant at a little stand.

The tour then made its way back to the Madeline where the shops all are and I got out and looked around for a long time. I went into the Galleries Lafayette which blew my mind. I went there when I first came to Paris with Victoria but I couldnt believe how big and amazing this store is.

I cant think people actually come here to shop, it is way too much and intimidating. I couldnt even look for more than 10 minutes before being overwhelmed, let alone decide on buying anything. And its mostly designer, Chanel, Dior, Tiffanys, Burberry. And tres chere!! The building itself is exquisite.

I also went into Printemps which is the other huge department store but much more mellow. By this time I was starving so I explored the area for a bit. I was not about to pay 16 Euros for a salad so I ventured out of the touristy area and found a pizza restaurant that was slammed. Good enough for me, I sat down, had a massive petite salade, 2 glasses of wine :), and a huge pizza that I devoured completely. I was very satisfied.

While walking around, it was interesting to note that you cannot make eye contact with a man walking for more than a fraction of a second before he takes it as an invitation to talk to you. Dont even think about smiling at him or he will offer to buy you coffee and lunch. For some reason they all say one sentence in french and if you dont reply quickly they immediately start in english as if they have done it before... after the 2nd guy asked to buy me a coffee I replied that I didn't speak english because I was Swedish. It worked and he walked away. That is my new strategy.

After lunch I very gladly got back on the bus that took us to the Louvre through the gates to the palace. These buses literally have maybe 2 inches on either side, how they manage in a city like paris with narrow streets and tons of cars is beyond me.

 I will never drive in Paris. I think you would have to be a Parisien to be able to navigate the streets and other cars. People go every direction as fast as they can. I kept my eyes out all day and saw one car repair garage and am yet to see a gas station, unless I am just not looking hard enough. The vespas and motorbikes have the right idea but they are just asking to get run over or crashed into. No thank you, I will stick to the metro or the sidewalk.

After the Louvre we stopped at the Notre Dame where I got out and went inside. There were a million people there who all think the place will disappear if they dont get a picture of it from every angle as fast as they can. In my opinion the inside is pretty and the windows are beautiful, but its just a church and not that amazing. It is the outside of the church that is the true beauty. There is so much to look at and so much history that surrounds the Notre Dame that it blew me away.

 I got an ice cream and sat in the back gardens listening to a band of street performers and admiring the incredible architecture of the cathedral. I walked around the Ile-de-la-Cite for a while, it is the oldest part of Paris and where the Parisii tribe first lived back in the 4th century that gave their name to the city. Apparently, archaeologists recently dug up bones or fire or weapons or something that indicate people living here 440 BC. Opposite the Notre Dame is the Hotel Dieu which is the oldest hospital in the city and is still in use.

From the Notre Dame the bus took us the Place de la Bastille. In place of the Bastille is a huge column that does not represent the storming of the Bastille in 1789, but rather the Parisians who died in the July revolution of 1830. The giant square, like the Place de Concorde has tons of traffic and is really only important if you know about it. Daniel you should look it up...its pretty important.

We then drove through the Latin Quarter past the Sorbonne which I want to go visit with Victoria this weekend.

the back of "the thinker" 

We went past the Pantheon but didn't get to really see it and then into Montparnasse. It was cool seeing the parts of Paris that are not as popular as the main part, but kind of boring as well. Montparnasse is mostly known for the famous people who once visited that cafe, or died while sitting in that building, etc. It was popular for artists and musicians back in its hayday and now has the best cafes, I am told.

I have studied Baron Haussman before in history and humanities classes but I didn't know the extent of his influence and creations. Paris should be known as Haussmanville because he actually designed the entire city. Almost every street in every district and arrondissement owes itself to Haussman, not to mention the plumbing and sanitation of the city. He reformed the whole thing in the late 19th century and created boulevards instead of tiny streets. What a guy.

The tour finished back at the Notre Dame where even though I was tired, I was drawn by the energy of Boulevard St. Germain at its peak hour. Every single restaurant was packed with people and the streets were full. I could have stayed and had dinner but I was still full and it was getting dark. As great as Paris is by day, I am not ready to ride the metro and walk back to my hotel alone at night. So I figured out how to get back all on my own, with only a slight hiccup of getting on the wrong side of landing, before getting back to my hotel and now I think I will just go to bed. Victoria gets here at 10am and I am so excited for another great day demain :)

Mon Premier Jour

Ahhhh Paris..... Even though my flight was long, cold, and haunted with screaming babies, landing in Paris was just magical, well once I got to Paris and out of Gare du Nord that is. It was easy enough to catch the train to Gare du Nord which is walking distance from my hotel, but for some reason, my tired self could not seem to find an exit in that whirlwind of a station. Gare du Nord is the highest traffic station in Paris and one of the largest commuter stations in Europe. There were signs for Sortie everywhere and each one leading to a different street with arrows pointing in different directions. My feeble attempts to ask which sortie led to Blvd de Magenta led to mumbled french grunts and hand gestures pointing up. So I took the escalator up that led me to a pee smelling bus station locked from the inside. Useless. I finally used my sharp college educated mind and watched where other people went and how they exited. They all seemed to have fancy cards inside their wallets that they didn't even have to take out in order to use them that opened the gates and off they went. So I took out my flimsy little 9 Euro ticket and put it in the machine and voila, freedom! It only took me 45 minutes to exit the train station...

My first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower!

My hotel was very easy to find but check in wasn't until noon and I arrived at 9. So I dropped my luggage and then went out for breakfast:) I had a cafe creme et une crepe jambon et fromage. Then I went to McDonalds to get free wifi oddly enough and realized I wasn't as tired as I thought. My first day in Paris all alone and what was I going to do??? Walk, eat, and look. So I walked, a lot. I walked all the way to the river and along it to Ile-de-la-Cite where the Notre Dame is and through the streets watching the city wake up. And like the true nerd that I am, bought a 2 day ticket for the open air sight seeing tour bus. I hopped on and rode around for a few hours. I boarded at the Notre Dame and then we headed up the Seine passed the Musee d'Orsay and Place de la Concorde. The Place de la Concorde is a very odd place. It is so beautiful and nouveau with heavy traffic and a giant obelisk in the middle surrounded by consulates and galleries. Yet this is the location where Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were both executed, along with thousands of other people during the revolution. You would never know how eery it actually is.

Place de la Concorde

We then drove up the Champs-Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe. It is so beautiful right now, the leaves on the trees have changed and many have started to fall, but the Parisians are out and loving it. I was listening to my ipod while walking and "Au Champs-Elysees" came on randomly and I couldn't help but stop and just smile in the middle of the city that I love so much. Enjoying tremendously the fact that I was actually here, it was a beautiful day, and I was so very happy.

 After the Arc de Triomphe, we drove up to Trocadero and saw the Tour Eiffel. Even this late in the summer it was just surrounded with people in line to get up. Another time for me.

 We then went to the Hotel des Invalides which was the first of its kind in Europe. In the past, wounded soldiers were often left to beg and steal on the streets where they died because they were helpless. The Hotel des Invalides was commissioned by Louis XIV for a place where wounded soldiers could live and work. Napoleon's tomb is in les Invalides and some soldiers still live there today.

I had a sandwich with jambon, fromage, et buerre for dejuner and went and sat in a park area on the Champs Elysees to stretch and relax, and people watch. People move at such a different pace in Paris. Everything is slower. Except for the cars. People enjoy the day and sit on benches just to sit. No one was on a cell phone, everyone was either talking with friends, reading, kissing, or just sitting and watching, enjoying themselves. All over Paris there are places to sit and just watch other people enjoy themselves. I have only been here a day and already I am so drawn to the energy and slowness that France is.

 The Madeleine is a beautiful building surrounded by some of the most expensive and intriguing shops in Paris. Versace, Chanel, Gucci, and Hermes all have multiple story building around the Madeleine with security guards at the doors. Not for me.

 From there we drove past the Opera which is an absolute stunning building, through Montmartre which is a very interesting part of Paris and finally back to the Gare du Nord where I made it back to my hotel.

So here I sit in my little room with a sink, ready to go to sleep at 5. I hope this entertains you enough, Ill keep you updated tomorrow. A demain!