Cold and Beautiful
Honestly I have too much to tell/explain/think/ show that this post might be a novel!
Therefore, I shall begin at the beginning:
I awoke on Wednesday morning bright eyed and bushy haired ready for a trip of a lifetime to the City of Lights and carbs. Sadly, I still had an education to attend to and so off I went to Greenwich. Let me just say that it was the worst weather I have ever experienced. Freezing, arctic winds made my hands and feet go numb and there was no relief at the Royal Observatory or the Queen's House.
It was cold everywhere. At one point I was so cold I felt warm, which allowed me to actually enjoy Peter's lesson of Christopher Wren buildings. Since Wren's incredible monuments aren't symmetrical they ask the viewer to really look, not just glance at their beauty. Pretty ingenious. His work really pays off, we gazed at some of his buildings for hours.
One of the best parts of the trip was seeing the Painted Hall at the Naval Academy. James Thornhill was hired to beautify the massive hall and it took him 19 years to paint hundreds of allegorical scenes all over the ceilings, walls and even windows! The reason he was so paint happy was that he was paid for every square foot, so he milked the opportunity for every penny. His mural is especially fun to look at because there are some incredibly cheeky scenes. My favorite is the his self portrait in which he has his hand out demanding his payment! I enjoyed this mural because it showed that the Brits have always had a sense of humor and constantly put it into their work!
After our time outdoors, we were off to the play "Waiting for Godot" starring the amazing Sir Ian McKellen. That's right nerds the guy who played GANDALF in Lord of the Rings and MAGNETO in X-Men was right in front of me on stage, eating a carrot.
What a guy
This play was definitely not in the action genre though, it was very surreal and had a cyclical plot which I still can't even understand. Here is a link to give a little more information: http://www.waitingforgodottheplay.com/
So after the play (which I am still trying to figure out if I liked) I raced off to the coach station with Karen and Laura. We arrived at exactly 10 pm and watched as our bus started up. I frantically raced out to the parking lot waving my ticket about like a lunatic, but alas, the bus driver wouldn't let us on and we watched our Paris bound bus drive off.
It was unbearable and to make matters worse the staff at the ticket booth were terrible to us and said we could probably try tomorrow but we didn't have a guaranteed spot, which essentially meant: bugger off.
But I was not about to give up that easily. Karen and I awoke the next morning at 5 A.M. and waited in the stand-by line for the 8 A.M. bus to Paris. Two minutes before it departed we were given tickets to board! I have never clung to a piece of paper so tightly.
The ride to Paris was no picnic but time flew by because I was so grateful I wrestled my way to transportation. And 7 hours later I arrived in sunny, lovely Paris.
Our hostel was right in the heart of picturesque Monmarte. We were three blocks away from the Sacre Coeur! Magnifique! I almost passed out when I saw the view.
Somehow we had found a dream location of a hostel. I had a crepe oozing with nutella and browsed about little town on the hill. That night I slept hard, due to fatigue and a great sense of relief.
Friday:
Karen and I headed off to the Petite Palace for an exhibition on Yves Saint Laurent. It was an incredible exhibition showing hundreds of his creations and I am so glad I had the chance to to see such a glimpse of the opulence and luxury that is haute couture. Lunch was delicious Onion Soup and frites since it got quite chilly outside. Then I got to wander all over the Lafayette Galleries and look at clothes and shoes from every designer on earth. That night I went to the absolutely coolest Wine Bar ever. It was a dual book/wine bar and Karen and I ordered baguettes, cheeses and wine.
I easily could eat this everyday
I was stuffed, so we wandered about and ended up at the illuminated Notre Dame. It was rather ominous and terrifying being there at such a late hour. So to cheer up Karen and I got gelato. Best night ever.
On a full moon you'd be scared too
Saturday:
Started off the day at the Musee de Orsay. So much to see! We got an audio guide and viewed all the beauty and talent this museum had to offer for about four hours! Obviously I loved the Monet, Van Gogh, Manet and Renoir works, but I also was drawn to the fantastic little models they had of the National Opera House. Through multiple displays they show just how elaborate and complex the building is. Dungeons, caverns, attics and secret rooms, I can really understand how the Phantom could have his own lair under an opera house now!
We had a bit of an art coma, so we rested at a cute little cafe and I ate a delicious panini and creme brulee! Then we traveled up to Monmarte for a tour Karen had found online. Yes tours are touristy but this had everything we could ever want: In English and FREE
Yes please.
We met our guide, Chris at the Blanche Metro station along with some quirky New Yorkers and Kentucky natives. We covered a lot of ground on the tour and Chris was such a great guide, charming, sweet and comical, time zipped by. This was my favorite part of the trip because I got a glimpse into such a dynamic and culturally influential portion of this magical city. I saw the Moulin Rouge (the can-can is actually a Polish dance) Van Gogh's apartment ( a joke with his brother is the reason he began painting in such vivid colors),
the last two remaining windmills of Monmarte (there used to be 30, M0ulin Rouge never counted though)
Cafe des 2 Moulins (where my favorite movie, Amelie, takes place),
the last vineyard of Paris (ironically it produces pretty bad wine)
statue of Saint Dennis
the man who brought Christianity to Paris and was later beheaded because he got a little too preachy
The tour was amazing and Chris had won us over with his little quips and facts. If you ever find yourself in Monmarte wondering why there is a statue of a man holding his own head in a playground, find Chris and he will explain.
Karen and I with our adorable guide
Whew what a day! My feet hurt beyond belief and after another amazing dinner consisting of wine, cheese and bread I went off to sleep.
Sunday:
Since it was Easter, Karen and I wandered by Notre Dame again and also took a little stroll by the Eiffel Tower. I couldn't believe how crowded with families it was, some kid's Easter memory is going to be waiting in line all day. Bleak stuff. Karen and I refused to deal with a two hour line and I definitely did not want to stick around with the freaky peddlers that chased you with their cheap keychains and snow globes. Erlack.
Obligatory Eiffel Tower Photo
I think this was the one day I was depressed to be in the city of love, so many couples and families, I couldn't help but feel a little homesick. Luckily, those feelings ended shortly after a picnic dinner of baguettes from the most famous patisserie in Paris. Accompanied by cheeses, chocolate and wine, all consumed in front of the Sacre Coeur. Yummmmmmmmm
Monday:
Our last day in Paris, we walked through the sunshine and a lovely park to the Arc de Triumph. The line to go on top was pretty short so we climbed up and got a spectacular view of the city. It really is amazing to gaze over such landscape. Napoleon wanted to make Paris the most beautiful city in the world, the short guy did well.
Champ de Elysee
Damn wind
So ended my journey in Paris. I loved how much time I had in this fantastical town, I hope to return again, just not on a bus.
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