Paris really is for lovers

After Wales, Dad and Kath left and Jules and I headed for Paris via the Eurostar. At King's Cross we found, yet another coffee place that couldn't figure out how to make ice coffee--it was a good start to the trip, lol. While on the Eurostar we met some more Americans--from Minnesota, I believe. Very nice people, but they wouldn't stop talking. It was a tiring trip for me having to listen and talk while Jules just fell asleep. About 3 hours later, however, we made it to the hotel after a crowded trip on the Metro. The day ended well--the weather was beautiful so we decided to get a sandwich at a Patisserie, which was an experience in and of itself--pointing aimlessly to things we wanted--and headed to Jardin de Luxembourg to enjoy it. While there, Jules and I noticed we were surrounded by couples. It was quite an odd experience to see so many at one time. As the title appropriately states--"Paris really IS for lovers". We got a kick out of that, as we walked through the park. I remember, I was so amazed by Paris and how "un-city" like it was. I think it is the trees lining the streets and the quiet. It was strange to feel relaxed in the middle of a metropolis. We made it back just as it was starting to get dark and enjoyed a good night's rest.



Beginning of the gardens.



Lovers #1.









Quintessential Parisian architecture.


The next day was our trek. I believe we walked in total of about 7 hours or so...from one end of the city to the other. Nice. I wanted to die, lol. But, despite the pain, it was really good to see the city by foot. I feel I have a good understanding of how the street system in Paris works and a good idea of where everything is in relation to another. Really, Paris wasn't too big of a city. At that, I was quite surprised. We decided that we would try to hit the main spots of interest--not necessarily do them...just see them. Notre Dame was the first stop, which really was incredible. I couldn't believe the detail in the architecture--it was overwhelming to think of all the work put into it.



Notre Dame



Garygoyles



Flying buttresses.


Walking further, we decided that it would be good to hit the Louvre--which I assumed would be relatively touristy and small. When we got there, the size of the museum made me cringe. The building(S) took up about an entire block. We almost got lost looking for the giant glass pyramid. I dd not want to go in that museum in fears I would never come out. Huge! The glass pyramid was pretty cool though. I, mean, it is one thing to see it in a picture and think--that is neat--but to actually see it in person, you really become captivated by it. I saw it through an entrance from the middle of the Louvre courtyard and I got all excited. Awesome.



Walking up to the back of the Louvre.



Pyramid



In the distance we saw the Arc de Triumph, and decided to head in that direction. The arc is really quite huge, we later realized, and seemed much closer than it actually was. I believe from the point we saw it, which was outside the Louvre, it was around 3 miles away. Right. After walking for about 4 hours already we wanted more! to our left as we passed the Museum and approached a phallic monument, not sure what it was, to our left we saw the Eiffel Tower and made a mental note to check that off the things we needed to see. About an hour later, I was left complaining to poor Jules that I was sore and tired, so we decided, when we got to the Arc, by passing the Champs de Elysees, we would take the tube. I decided that during tourist season, I hate the Champs de Elysees...it is a giant strip of globally popular shops--where EVERYONE goes to shop and eat evidently. Terrible. I suppose it would have been better, if I had gone to shop, but at the moment it was merely an obstacle prohibiting me from sitting on the metro to get back home, lol.



Eiffel Tower (taken from the metro, not the street we saw it on)



Arc de Triumph


On the way home, we stopped at a Kid's shop to get Maddie an outfit and then, at some point, we got some cheese as well--a recommendation from the lady at the Kid's store--along with baguette and fruit. It was really, really amazing. I don't think I have ever had fruit that was so good. I am from Florida and I think that the clementines there were more amazing than the ones we get in Florida in season. The strawberries were the best I had had, also. I was blown away. It was a good ending to a long day, despite the fact that all we could watch in bed on television was MTV's "Rock of Love". Wonderful. Jules and I became quite attached to a few of the girls.

The next day we decided we would take it easy and just walk around our area and get some shopping done. It was a rainy day anyway, so we figured it would be better. I remember we went to the cute little Parisian kid's store again to exchange the outfit because we got the wrong size. While there we found out where the really good ice cream place was located, which wasn't too far from Notre Dame. We took the Metro, lol. We arrived at the ice cream place and I ordered a Sundae with Chocolate and Coconut ice cream and Jules got french toast, caramelized pears and Salted Caramel ice cream. Hers was amazing! I have never tasted ice cream that was so intense in flavor! Really, really good. After walking about and looking through some more shops, namely, chocolate shops, we realized we were stuck in the middle of a student protest. Nice. We decided to take the long way home to avoid any disruptions only to realize they were going in the same direction. We got home early despite this and splurged on a movie--Momma Mia. I was a good night.






The following morning, we were supposed to go to Versailles, but I woke up pretty sick. So, instead, we decided to check out some other places we hadn't been to yet. First stop of the morning was the catacombs, which was pretty much right outside the hotel. We waited in line for about an hour and a half and then went down below the city to a crampt and dark prison of bones. Cool, right? It was entirely worth the wait, I had never seen anything like it before. I couldn't believe how many people were actually down there--tens of thousands, probably. It was odd to see the organization of it all--the bones placed in intricate patterns. Very odd, indeed.
After we got out, which was probably the most terrifying part of the whole thing--spiral staircase, without rails, about 7 stories up, that was barely big enough to fit one person--we realized were were about a mile away from where we started. Great. We decided that we should go to the cafe' that I wanted to see, where some of the famous existential philosophers went--Sartre and Camus. Then we headed to a crepery, since we figured, before we left, we needed to get at least one crepe. I was not all too impressed, however, I enjoyed the ones I get in London, much more. We headed home after this, so I could get some sleep before we headed to Monmontre to see a cabaret. Although I didn't initially feel up to going out, I was quite happy by the end of the night to have seen a show that didn't acquiesce to touristy demands. It was purely Parisian--friendly, egregious, and bold. It was what I needed, I think.




Stop. Here it is: The Empire of the Dead.









Le Deux Magots--a hangout for Camus and Sartre.



Lovely Pianist at Au Lapin Agile Cabaret.



The singers and entertainers.



Ah, Friday...the last day--the day of our cooking class. I was quite happy to come out of it with a lot more knowledge about food, in general. I learned what standards reveal quality meat and vegetables. It really made a difference in the food as well. Better ingredients=better food. Simple formula. As far as the cooking technique, I didn't learn too much, but the food itself was different from anything that I would cook. I will have a good time recreating it at home, I think. After a large lunch, Jules and I headed back to London one last time. We arrived tired after carrying around the luggage, and went out to look for some food, which ended up being ready made at Tesco. Not as bad as one would think. We slept well that night.

The following morning we headed back to Hampstead and enjoyed a relatively lazy day. Jules got crepes one last time and we headed in for the night. The next morning she left for New York, and I headed back to the Convent to enjoy a day's rest. Germany was my next stop.