Get Lost: The Anti-Walk Walk
25 November 2014
The instructions were simple. No watch. No destination. No pictures. Just get lost. To be honest, I have gotten lost in Paris many times before, so I guess I have done this one time and time again. But the thing is, getting lost in Paris is truly an amazing experience. You find incredible places and things which would have otherwise remained a mystery. During our first week here in Paris, Kailey and I went and got hot chocolate from Angelina, and then without having a destination or even a grasp on the city, we just took off walking until we got so hungry we were forced to stop at a dive of a restaurant nearby. IT WAS SO GOOD!! We have since been back to that restaurant at least a dozen times! It holds a special place in our hearts, and we would have never found it if we were concerned about getting lost.
In fact, there have been plenty of neat places (most of the time involving food) that we have found when we let ourselves wander. It's fun getting lost! Of course it also helps that we seldom have places that we need to be and that we also have metro passes guaranteeing us a way back home.
For this particular walk, we headed up to the 19th arrondissement--the northeast corner of Paris--where we had only been once before. So we headed back, bound and determined to see what that area had to offer. It was actually really neat. There's a cool park out there (Parc de la Villette) with some neat, modern playgrounds and structures. There are also a large concentration of nice, new event centers along with some...lambs?? Haha yeah, we stumbled upon these cute little guys that are apparently a part of an eco program Paris is trying out! There were also a lot of aforable little field trip groups there! French kids are the cutest! Anyway, we wandered through the park, found the best toy store (we spent more time than I should admit there), and then wandered out of the park and down the street to a fairly decent (and cheap!) bakery before we got sketched out and hopped on the metro! That tends to happen when you wander--you eventually find yourself in a place where you are fairly certain you will get kidnapped, offered drugs or mugged. But it's all good! Just throw on your perfected French stone-cold face and walk to the nearest metro.
Getting lost is the perfect way to find things. It's great to have a plan, but it's just as great not to. There's always something to see and something to do and if you're always concerned with where you are, you miss those things. So no matter where you are, Idaho Falls, Provo, Rexburg, Paris, St. Petersburg, Madrid, WHEREVER, go get lost and see what you find!
Discover the Metro
20 November 2014
This walk is actually intended to be completed at the very beginning of the semester, to help familiarize us with the Paris metro system. And yet, we did it nearly last. Mistake on our part. Okay, I actually wouldn't call it a "mistake" per se, because I feel quite confident with my ability to navigate the metro, but doing it this far in definitely wasn't as beneficial as it could have been had we done it earlier.
Anyway, the metro is pretty chill. It's sometimes insanely crowded and you're not sure if you'll be able to squeeze yourself through the doors before the buzzer goes off and they close. (There have been several times when travelling in groups when you watch the doors close and all you can do is wave sadly at your friends as the train goes speeding off, and hope that you know which stop they are all going to). When you're lucky, the metro isn't as crowded and you can get a seat. There was ONE TIME when Lauren and I were going home and at the stop before ours, the several people still riding in our car got off, leaving us THE ONLY PEOPLE IN THE METRO CAR FOR ONE WHOLE STOP! We danced. I'm not even joking. It was pretty awesome. Maybe if I dance on a metro with people on it I'll get some money....
People do that. They perform on the metros to get money. Some performers are wickedly talented and make me wish that I had extra money to give them. Others are....not so talented and make me wish that I could turn my music up louder than max. It's tricky to get photos or videos of them because they always notice when you are recording them. And then they start performing for you and you feel obligated to pay them. It's really just an awkward situation for everyone.
Metro stations. What can I say about those? Well, basically every single one of them smells bad (remember when I said the homeless live there?) Some of them leak, drip, ooze and all kinds of strange things. Some are small. Some are mazes. Some are basically cities. There are restaurants, retail stores, farmers markets and vending machines galore in them. Gare du Lyon has this random greenhouse (or something full of shrubbery) by line 14, and there is actually one station (Les Halles) that is legitimately a mall. Pretty cool.
This walk is actually intended to be completed at the very beginning of the semester, to help familiarize us with the Paris metro system. And yet, we did it nearly last. Mistake on our part. Okay, I actually wouldn't call it a "mistake" per se, because I feel quite confident with my ability to navigate the metro, but doing it this far in definitely wasn't as beneficial as it could have been had we done it earlier.
I live on the metro. Okay, not really....but homeless people do! (a.k.a. me when I decide to hide out in Paris instead of going home). But I really do spend a good amount of time on the metro! That is how I get everywhere! It is how I get from my house outside of Paris, to the Institute, to Montmartre, to the Eiffel Tower all in one day! It's a miracle really. Apparently, it was designed and created for the World's Fair in 1900 (I'm starting to think that Paris was created for the World's Fair) but anyway, every single time I get on, the whole system blows my mind. Like HOW? How is there 14 lines of trains zooming around underneath Paris? How do you even build a metro system under an existing city?! (Okay, I'm sure there are logical answers to these questions, but there is a reason why I am NOT an engineer so I will continue to wonder). But still, it is crazy to think that as you are walking through the crowded streets of Paris, you are also walking above thousands of people too! Crazy!
I remember the first time I rode the metro here in Paris. I was so confused by it. I just didn't get it. And I was sure that I would never be able to get anywhere in the city! Obviously, that passed. I am such a pro at the metro now. I don't even have to use the Paris Metro app to get around anymore! (most of the time). P.S. That app is amazing and saved my life for the first month I was here. But by now, I have key stops memorized. Key lines memorized. Entrances. Exits. I've got it all down. It's a good feeling, being able to navigate a city!
Anyway, the metro is pretty chill. It's sometimes insanely crowded and you're not sure if you'll be able to squeeze yourself through the doors before the buzzer goes off and they close. (There have been several times when travelling in groups when you watch the doors close and all you can do is wave sadly at your friends as the train goes speeding off, and hope that you know which stop they are all going to). When you're lucky, the metro isn't as crowded and you can get a seat. There was ONE TIME when Lauren and I were going home and at the stop before ours, the several people still riding in our car got off, leaving us THE ONLY PEOPLE IN THE METRO CAR FOR ONE WHOLE STOP! We danced. I'm not even joking. It was pretty awesome. Maybe if I dance on a metro with people on it I'll get some money....People do that. They perform on the metros to get money. Some performers are wickedly talented and make me wish that I had extra money to give them. Others are....not so talented and make me wish that I could turn my music up louder than max. It's tricky to get photos or videos of them because they always notice when you are recording them. And then they start performing for you and you feel obligated to pay them. It's really just an awkward situation for everyone.
And then there are those people who beg for money on the metro. I feel like it is some kind of secret club or something because I swear they always say the exact same thing. Although, I really don't have a great comprehension of French so it kind of just all sounds the same to me anyway. One time, Kailey, Julia and I were on line 8, on our way to get some lunch, when this guy got on and standing right in front of us, goes into his spiel (translated to the best of my abilities): "Madames et monsieurs, I am 57 years old! That is not the problem! I do not have a job! That is the problem! THIS is the solution! *pulls out a disposable razor* There are so many great uses for these! Also, THESE! *pulls out magazines and crossword puzzles* They are perfect to do on the metro!" Yeah....can't say I'm going to forget some 57 year old Frenchman pulling a disposable razor on me anytime soon....
Metro stations. What can I say about those? Well, basically every single one of them smells bad (remember when I said the homeless live there?) Some of them leak, drip, ooze and all kinds of strange things. Some are small. Some are mazes. Some are basically cities. There are restaurants, retail stores, farmers markets and vending machines galore in them. Gare du Lyon has this random greenhouse (or something full of shrubbery) by line 14, and there is actually one station (Les Halles) that is legitimately a mall. Pretty cool.
When you ride the metro as much as I do, you get used to hearing the regular announcements that are made on the [newer] trains. Please mind the gap between the train and the platform. or This is a security announcement, please keep your personal belongings with you at all times. They make these announcements because pick-pocketing is a real problem here in Paris. You get used to keeping your bags zipped up and close to your body at all times. You develop an ironclad grasp with which to hold your phone. And you trust no one. Not even the kids. (Paris kind of makes you expect the worst of everyone. It's kind of sad). But sometimes you have to learn these lessons the hard way.
My first week in Paris, back when we were all unfamiliar with the metro and traveled in a large group, I remember having a bad feeling standing in the midst of a crowded metro. It was at this point that I remembered all the warnings I had received about pick-pockets that I looked down at my bag in horror to see it was unzipped. I definitely had not left it unzipped. I had a mini heart attack. But much to my relief, by some miracle, my phone was still there. So was everything else as far as I could tell. But I could not shake the disturbing feeling that something was missing. It was a week later before I figured out what it was. I always carry a small pouch of tampons with me because, you know, I am a girl....and lo and behold, when one of my classmates asked me if I could help her out, I unzipped my purse and reached in and immediately realized what was missing. I still laugh every time I think about the thief who probably thought he (or she) had grabbed a money bag and unzipped it to find it full of tampons! It's a great story, but it taught me a valuable lesson and since then I have been so aware of pick-pockets there is no way anyone's getting anything off me!
So anyway, that's the metro! It's a good time! Some people think it's dirty or sketchy (which it is) but it's become my comfort zone. I can get you anywhere as long as you have a Navigo pass (or money for a ticket). Sorry there aren't more interesting pictures, but taking pictures on the metro just screams AMERICAN TOURIST! which is something I try to avoid. Unfortunately, I probably don't mask it very well when I am on the metro with a group of friends, obnoxiously laughing and talking loudly [in English]. Oh well! C'est la vie!
Paris in Layers: Notre Dame, Sainte-Chapelle, Conciergerie
12 November 2014
Next, we crossed the Seine and went to Notre Dame, where we climbed all 377 stairs to the top! I better have some killer calves when I go home! I feel like all I ever do anymore is climb stairs! But boy oh boy is the view worth it! (I also made some nice gargoyle friends up there!)
After descending all 377 stairs, we paid a visit to the inside of Notre Dame. This cathedral really is pretty and definitely worth a visit! (although, it is much more enjoyable--not to mention, quiet--without tons of tourists). Notre Dame took over 100 years to build! But I heard somewhere (I think our art teacher might have mentioned it) that basically everything has been rebuilt since it was completed. But we can go ahead and pretend everything there is authentic! Besides, it sure is pretty!
Next, we took a peek at the Palais de Justice. The supreme court of France, the Cour de cassation, is housed there. And trials are actually still held in this building!
Then there's also the oldest clock in Paris! It has been here since 1370! Crazy! (but really, who keeps track of stuff like that?) And also, don't you think Paris should like show it off or something and like, I dunno, NOT plant a giant tree in front of it? (I managed to get a picture without the tree....you're welcome).
Next up, the Conciergerie. During the middle ages, this building was a royal residence. Then during the revolution, it was a prison. This is actually where Marie-Antoinette was held before going to the guillotine! Now, however, the Conciergerie is just a museum. And it has a cool staircase inside!
Last, but certainly not least, Sainte-Chapelle! Louis IX had this church built in the thirteenth century to house relics brought back from the crusades (the relics are actually now across the way at Notre Dame....sorry Sainte-Chapelle!). Anyway, super cool church! (confession time, I'm poor and just don't have money to go into another church....I hear it's beautiful though! And maybe one day I will actually check it out).
This walk is actually the very first one in my walks book and I did it almost last....but I just had to wait out the tourist season because Notre Dame is always crazy! But as it turns out, mid-November, it really is not too bad!
We started at Hôtel de Ville, which is like the city hall of Paris. I am very familiar with this area because this is the metro stop I go to plenty of times a week because the Institute is just down the road! Hôtel de Ville is an immensely beautiful building and there's always crazy things going on in the courtyard out front (later this day when we walked back through there were hundreds of chalk mice out there.....mice made out of sidewalk chalk...I really don't know what that was all about).
Next, we crossed the Seine and went to Notre Dame, where we climbed all 377 stairs to the top! I better have some killer calves when I go home! I feel like all I ever do anymore is climb stairs! But boy oh boy is the view worth it! (I also made some nice gargoyle friends up there!) After descending all 377 stairs, we paid a visit to the inside of Notre Dame. This cathedral really is pretty and definitely worth a visit! (although, it is much more enjoyable--not to mention, quiet--without tons of tourists). Notre Dame took over 100 years to build! But I heard somewhere (I think our art teacher might have mentioned it) that basically everything has been rebuilt since it was completed. But we can go ahead and pretend everything there is authentic! Besides, it sure is pretty!
Did you know that there is a crypt/museum underneath the courtyard of Notre Dame? Because I didn't but I do now! It's called Crypte du Parvis and houses the remains of super old architecture (P.S. not worth the 5 euro to get in....)
Next, we took a peek at the Palais de Justice. The supreme court of France, the Cour de cassation, is housed there. And trials are actually still held in this building!Then there's also the oldest clock in Paris! It has been here since 1370! Crazy! (but really, who keeps track of stuff like that?) And also, don't you think Paris should like show it off or something and like, I dunno, NOT plant a giant tree in front of it? (I managed to get a picture without the tree....you're welcome).Next up, the Conciergerie. During the middle ages, this building was a royal residence. Then during the revolution, it was a prison. This is actually where Marie-Antoinette was held before going to the guillotine! Now, however, the Conciergerie is just a museum. And it has a cool staircase inside! Last, but certainly not least, Sainte-Chapelle! Louis IX had this church built in the thirteenth century to house relics brought back from the crusades (the relics are actually now across the way at Notre Dame....sorry Sainte-Chapelle!). Anyway, super cool church! (confession time, I'm poor and just don't have money to go into another church....I hear it's beautiful though! And maybe one day I will actually check it out).
So basically, Paris is beautiful. Notre Dame is awesome and a focal point of Paris--literally. The whole "left bank," "right bank" thing is based off of Notre Dame--it's an important landmark! And an important church of course! But beware, the place is crawling with gypsies who just want to steal your money! (a cute old man told us that once while we were walking by)
Time Travel, Tricks and Treats Around Saint-Sulpice
11 November 2014
Not gonna lie, we were a little bit worried that because we were doing this walk on Armistice Day, the suggested treat places would be closed! But fret not, they were open (and super busy!) so this was a good (and delicious) walk!
We started out by the Hôtel Lutetia, which is just an insanely expensive hotel (one room costs 2,500 euros per night), however, because sometimes I feel like I haven't even left Utah, it was under construction, so there wasn't really much to see. We then went down some streets and saw some old buildings (are there even buildings in Paris that aren't old?). And then, we got to Poilâne.
So I guess Poilâne is somewhat famous here in Paris--I'd believe it judging by how many people were there! It was founded in 1932 and specializes in traditional breads baked in wood-fire ovens. Since their opening, they have used the same traditional baking methods and don't ever use preservatives (I actually think that France doesn't use preservatives...). Anyway, this apple tart thing we got here was definitely not a disappointment. But then again, is a French pastry ever a disappointment?
Centaur sculpture made out of scrap metals and theater opened in 1913....check.
And then we went to where true happiness is born. Pierre Hermé. This place actually opened in Japan before France buuuuuuut I'm sure glad it made its way here. This place is where taste buds come to celebrate and where wallets come to die. But ooooohh so worth it. I'm really sorry that I talk so much about food but umm hi, France is DELICIOUS!!! Chocolate cheesecake (they just call it "cheesecake" but that's not really what it is....its more like a decadent piece of heaven), and then I honestly don't know what the other thing is but it was probably in the top 5 best things I have eaten here. See that white stuff on top? Imagine the best vanilla ice cream you have ever tasted, triple the satisfaction of it, make it unmeltable, and voila voila, that is what it is. P.S. they have the most beautiful macarons there, but don't be fooled, Ladurée is way better. 
Once we had satisfied our always begging taste buds, we went to the real attraction of this walk. (Although Pierre Hermé was the real star). Saint-Sulpice. This is the second largest church in Paris (second to Notre Dame) but was never really a tourist attraction until the Da Vinci Code became popular. I have never read or seen (it is a movie, right?) the Da Vinci Code soooo I actually had never even heard of this cathedral. It was beautiful though. We went inside and it was full of tons of [black] people (like literally filled) listening to a sermon of some sort and we just felt really awkward being in there so we just didn't stay long. 
Next up was Au Plat d'Etain, a store full of literally thousands of miniature figurines (what?) and the Village Voice, a good English bookstore.The walk finished up at Abbaye Saint-Germain, an abbey built in the sixth century. During the ninth century, the Vikings burned it and it was rebuilt in the eleventh century (guys, this abbey is old). Okay, but really, only the tower dates to that era, the rest of it was reconstructed in the nineteenth century.
And voila, voila. That was the Saint-Sulpice walk! Definitely a delicious one, which means it was good!
Saint-Ouen's Labyrinth: Navigating the World's Largest Flea Market
10 November 2014
I'm not gonna sugar coat it, this walk sucked. So it's gonna be short and to the point. I almost got raped. Surprised that I didn't actually. When we were at Camden Market in London we were in awe and thought it was the funnest thing and multiple times we mentioned that we wished we could find a similar market in Paris. I take that back. Flea markets in Paris = bad idea.
First of all, the metro stop we had to get to was closed. So we got to take a bus the rest of the way. Busses in Paris are not my favorite. And because this one was like a replacement for the metro, it was insanely crowded and very uncomfortable. And busses--unlike metros--have to navigate through busy city traffic. Pretty sure we could have walked faster. 
Anyway, we finally made it there and before we even entered the market, we had sketchy guys coming up to us trying to sell us iPhones and watches and knock-off Louis Vuittons. Sketch. And then we entered the market. Game faces on. I honestly had no idea that I was so charming or so beautiful or that the guys had free things just for me. But I heard a lot of that, plus kissy noises, plus some French that I am actually glad I didn't understand as I walked through. Oh and I'm also fairly certain I witnessed a drug deal in there too! (all of the drugs in the air actually gave me a pretty serious headache afterwards too) Definitely less than ideal. I should also mention, that (per the norm) it was just Kailey and I walking through this sketchy market, in a sketchy part of Paris, and it just was not a good idea from the beginning. 
Once we got to the antique markets, it was a lot less scary. But not gonna lie....it was incredibly boring. Sorry, I'm just not an antique person. Like sure, they're kind of neat, buuuuuut how am I even going to get a $600 lamp home?
Oh and then to finish out the walk, our directions were simply to backtrack and go to the metro station we stopped at....yeah, cause all we wanted to do was go back through the sketch. But it's okay. We made it through. It's all good. And then we went to Montmartre---a much better place--to try and fade out the awful experiences of the day. Because everything up there is just beautiful! (well until the sun goes down and some very interesting stores open their doors....)
Anyway, today was less than ideal. And I will not be going back to that part of Paris. Ever. The end.
Seizième Arrondissement Walk: Guimard and Monet
06 November 2014
We started off at the Allée des Cygnes, which is an artificial island in the middle of the Seine. Basically it's just a nice walkway that's randomly in the middle of the river. It was nice. I was a fan. Plus, on Pont de Bir-Hakeim (the bridge we took to get there) there were some great photo ops of the Eiffel Tower, and I'm sure you've all gathered just how much I adore the Eiffel Tower so voila voila...
On the other end of the cute little island/walkway thing, was a MINI STATUE OF LIBERTY! Okay France, I don't think you really get the point of a gift....like thank you for the Statue of Liberty, that was really nice, but if you liked it that much, you could have kept it (maybe not all of America would agree with that)....seriously though, I have seen like 4 mini Lady Liberties around Paris! Haha I just think it's funny...like if America was nice enough to give another country a beautiful monument, I just don't see us making a bunch of mini copies and putting them like all around New York...ya know? Haha but it did make for a cool pano...Eiffel Tower on one end, Statue of Liberty on the other, and me in between! It's like a metaphor for my life....
Our next destination was Castel Béranger. Basically, it's just a masterpiece of Art Nouveau architecture. It's not a public house though so we basically just got to see the gate....so...yeah...
We then had to climb stairs. The book was like "go up three flights of stairs on your left" and we were like "well that doesn't sound good..." And then when we rounded the corner and saw the stairs, we were like "huh. Shouldn't have eaten all of those pastries....I'm gonna die." But alas, we made it up the stairs! Haha there weren't even that many...I'm really just that lazy....(sorry, I'm really just trying to make this walk sound more interesting than it was...)
Anyway, after the stairs of death (jk, the stairs of death are actually the stairs to get out of the metro station Abbesses near Montmartre), we got to la Maison de Balzac. To be honest, I have never even heard of Balzac before....he was a writer though....so maybe someday I'll figure out what he wrote and I'll be like "hey, I've totally seen that guy's house...."
We next went to Passy Plaza, which was kind of the best! It was very reminiscent of an American mall and it had free (pretty decent) bathrooms and free water!!! It was awesome! We decided that some Christmas hot chocolate from Starbucks was probably a must since we were there and yeah...that was the biggest frustration of my life. Never trying to get a hot chocolate from a Starbucks in France again....seriously, it was a struggle and I don't wanna talk about it....
I am truly sorry if this is just a super boring walk to read about....but it happens. You see, we only have a few more left to do, which means that we are down to all of the ones that we put off for some reason or another, so I'm afraid that we have peaked and the walks are just going to go downhill from here. But, I will try my best to make this at least somewhat interesting....if all else fails, just scroll through and look at the pictures.
We started off at the Allée des Cygnes, which is an artificial island in the middle of the Seine. Basically it's just a nice walkway that's randomly in the middle of the river. It was nice. I was a fan. Plus, on Pont de Bir-Hakeim (the bridge we took to get there) there were some great photo ops of the Eiffel Tower, and I'm sure you've all gathered just how much I adore the Eiffel Tower so voila voila...On the other end of the cute little island/walkway thing, was a MINI STATUE OF LIBERTY! Okay France, I don't think you really get the point of a gift....like thank you for the Statue of Liberty, that was really nice, but if you liked it that much, you could have kept it (maybe not all of America would agree with that)....seriously though, I have seen like 4 mini Lady Liberties around Paris! Haha I just think it's funny...like if America was nice enough to give another country a beautiful monument, I just don't see us making a bunch of mini copies and putting them like all around New York...ya know? Haha but it did make for a cool pano...Eiffel Tower on one end, Statue of Liberty on the other, and me in between! It's like a metaphor for my life....Our next destination was Castel Béranger. Basically, it's just a masterpiece of Art Nouveau architecture. It's not a public house though so we basically just got to see the gate....so...yeah...We then had to climb stairs. The book was like "go up three flights of stairs on your left" and we were like "well that doesn't sound good..." And then when we rounded the corner and saw the stairs, we were like "huh. Shouldn't have eaten all of those pastries....I'm gonna die." But alas, we made it up the stairs! Haha there weren't even that many...I'm really just that lazy....(sorry, I'm really just trying to make this walk sound more interesting than it was...)Anyway, after the stairs of death (jk, the stairs of death are actually the stairs to get out of the metro station Abbesses near Montmartre), we got to la Maison de Balzac. To be honest, I have never even heard of Balzac before....he was a writer though....so maybe someday I'll figure out what he wrote and I'll be like "hey, I've totally seen that guy's house...."We next went to Passy Plaza, which was kind of the best! It was very reminiscent of an American mall and it had free (pretty decent) bathrooms and free water!!! It was awesome! We decided that some Christmas hot chocolate from Starbucks was probably a must since we were there and yeah...that was the biggest frustration of my life. Never trying to get a hot chocolate from a Starbucks in France again....seriously, it was a struggle and I don't wanna talk about it....
Next there was a cozy little park and then the Musée Marmatton (museum full of Monets). Sorry (not sorry) but I have seen Monet's gardens. I have seen Monet's paintings in the Orsay. I just really didn't feel the need to go see more....maybe another day....
The walk finished at the Bois de Boulogne and guess what! I actually LIVE in Boulogne, like 5 minutes away from the Bois and it was starting to get dark (don't go in there after dark....rule number one for living in Boulogne) so we made the [wise] decision to end our walk there. But, the Bois de Boulogne is seriously so beautiful!! It's basically just a forest with pathways and a river and it's wonderful! I love it! And my roommate, Lauren, and I go running there (yes, sometimes I actually do work out instead of just eating all the time), so the following pictures were taken on one of our runs.... (I apologize for the nasty, tired, sweatiness of me).
So, there you have it. That's where I live and I love it! And that also concludes this walk!
Of Art, War and World's Fairs: Les Invalides, Musée Rodin, La Tour Eiffel
05 November 2014
Next, we crossed over Pont Alexandre III to go from the Champs-Elysées quarter to the Eiffel Tower quarter! I love this bridge! It's so cool! Plus, it's the bridge from Anastasia. You know, the one that Rasputin damages while he's trying to kill Anastasia in the end. Anyway, because I like this bridge so much, I am going to give you a nice little history lesson about it! First of all, it's named after Russia Czar Alexandre III and symbolizes the friendship between France and Russia. (Another reason why I love this bridge and also the movie Anastasia is because I am in Paris and my best friend in the whole world, Kelsey, is in St. Petersburg!). Like many of the other places on this walk, the bridge opened for the World's Fair in 1900. This bridge is cool because it is a single arch that stretches over the entirety of the Seine.
There are two statues on each side of this bridge (4 in total), the ones on the right bank symbolizing peace, the ones on the left bank symbolizing war. Also, there is a nymph on each side of the bridge (hard to get a picture of while you're actually on the bridge so that's just a Googled picture). One of the nymphs is bearing the arms of Paris while the other is bearing the arms of Russia. So yeah. Love this bridge!
Straight down the road from the bridge is des Invalides which is such a cool building, but we'll come back to that in a moment! However, I would like to point out, that even the stupid cement barricades are in love in Paris! #foreveralone
Next we went to the Rodin Museum! (Hooray for student arts cards that get us into places for FREE!!) Honestly, although I do quite enjoy museums, there are so many in Paris, it becomes kind of monotonous going through all of them. This one, however, was not a disappointment! So please enjoy the following photos of me appreciating Rodin's sculptures! (Basically, I was Rodin's model, can't you tell?)
Yes, that is The Thinker. Even if you have never even heard of Auguste Rodin, you HAVE seen this statue before. And although we did get a few funny looks for copying the statues, there was definitely a group of Asian tourists who started copying them too after seeing us! So basically we're trendsetters! Oh, and all of these statues are just in the gardens. There is actually a museum full of paintings and things (including some Monets, Renoirs, and Van Goghs).
And now for the BEST part of the walk!! Actually, for the BEST part of PARIS!! LA TOUR EIFFEL!!! We went to the Champ-des-Mars, the big grassy park area in front of the Tower (after stopping for some pink polka-dot bread [I don't actually know what it was so that's what I call it] that was really good!). And since I take pictures of the Eiffel Tower every time I see it, of course there were many pictures taken here! So please enjoy some pictures that are probably all exactly the same, yet they seemed completely different when I took them, as I tell you a little but about the Eiffel Tower!
Fair to demonstrate France's engineering dexterity. It was the tallest structure in the world until 1930. Most Parisians actually hated the Eiffel Tower and thought it was an eyesore! (WHAT?!) It was actually supposed to be torn down in 1909, but because of its functionality as a broadcast tower, it was saved. (phew!). Today it is the most recognizable building in the world!
Sixty tons of paint are required to cover the Eiffel Tower and it is repainted about every seven years. Over the years it has been painted red and yellow! Different shades of paint are used so that the Tower appears to be a uniform color against the sky. The tower weighs over TEN THOUSAND TONS and contains two and a half million rivets! Names of important scientists and engineers are inscribed on each side of the tower--eighteen per side, seventy-two in all (although these people couldn't have been that important because I've really never heard of any of them....maybe because I haven't
studied French engineers though....). And my FAVORITE fact of all, at night, flashing lights illuminate the tower for ten minutes at the top of every hour. YES, THE EIFFEL TOWER LITERALLY SPARKLES!! I LOVE IT!!
Guyyyyysss!! I LOVED this walk! Guess why!! (Hint: It's in the title). Insert your guess here _____________. Umm you probably guessed right! THE EIFFEL TOWER!!! Ahhh it's the greatest!! By far, the most magnificent structure on this planet!! But we'll get back to that....
We started off at the Grand and Petit Palais...(palaises? palaisi?) The Grand Palais and the Petit Palais....I'm not quite sure how to make that plural....but yeah. Basically, these palaces were built in 1897 and 1900 for the Exposition Universelle (World's Fair). Now they are both used to house art exhibits.
Next, we crossed over Pont Alexandre III to go from the Champs-Elysées quarter to the Eiffel Tower quarter! I love this bridge! It's so cool! Plus, it's the bridge from Anastasia. You know, the one that Rasputin damages while he's trying to kill Anastasia in the end. Anyway, because I like this bridge so much, I am going to give you a nice little history lesson about it! First of all, it's named after Russia Czar Alexandre III and symbolizes the friendship between France and Russia. (Another reason why I love this bridge and also the movie Anastasia is because I am in Paris and my best friend in the whole world, Kelsey, is in St. Petersburg!). Like many of the other places on this walk, the bridge opened for the World's Fair in 1900. This bridge is cool because it is a single arch that stretches over the entirety of the Seine.Next we went to the Rodin Museum! (Hooray for student arts cards that get us into places for FREE!!) Honestly, although I do quite enjoy museums, there are so many in Paris, it becomes kind of monotonous going through all of them. This one, however, was not a disappointment! So please enjoy the following photos of me appreciating Rodin's sculptures! (Basically, I was Rodin's model, can't you tell?)
Yes, that is The Thinker. Even if you have never even heard of Auguste Rodin, you HAVE seen this statue before. And although we did get a few funny looks for copying the statues, there was definitely a group of Asian tourists who started copying them too after seeing us! So basically we're trendsetters! Oh, and all of these statues are just in the gardens. There is actually a museum full of paintings and things (including some Monets, Renoirs, and Van Goghs).
Once we had run out of statues to imitate, we headed back to des Invalides. The front side this time! Des Invalides was originally built to accommodate injured soldiers during the wars waged by Louis XIV. Today, the building houses Le Musée de l'armée and part of it is actually still used as a care facility for veterans.
And now for the BEST part of the walk!! Actually, for the BEST part of PARIS!! LA TOUR EIFFEL!!! We went to the Champ-des-Mars, the big grassy park area in front of the Tower (after stopping for some pink polka-dot bread [I don't actually know what it was so that's what I call it] that was really good!). And since I take pictures of the Eiffel Tower every time I see it, of course there were many pictures taken here! So please enjoy some pictures that are probably all exactly the same, yet they seemed completely different when I took them, as I tell you a little but about the Eiffel Tower!
The Eiffel Tower was built in 1889 for the World's
Sixty tons of paint are required to cover the Eiffel Tower and it is repainted about every seven years. Over the years it has been painted red and yellow! Different shades of paint are used so that the Tower appears to be a uniform color against the sky. The tower weighs over TEN THOUSAND TONS and contains two and a half million rivets! Names of important scientists and engineers are inscribed on each side of the tower--eighteen per side, seventy-two in all (although these people couldn't have been that important because I've really never heard of any of them....maybe because I haven't
So, in short, the Eiffel Tower is the most perfect place on the planet and everyone should see it! K? K. The end!
Grands Boulevards: Galerie Lafayette and Opéra Garnier
04 November 2014
K, now let's get down to business.....IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS! But really, though. You see, France doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving (because, you know, France...) so Christmas is the next big holiday! At least the next marketable one....I don't think people really decorate for Veteran's Day...anyway, we started off this walk at Galaries Lafayette and boy oh boy was it lovely. It literally had a giant [upside down] Christmas tree in the middle! It was just lovely. However, if there was ever a name dropping department store, this is it. Everywhere you turn, Chanel, Louis
Next destination, the Opéra Garnier. I've heard about this opera house a lot since coming to France and I finally went to see it! It's actually the opera house that Phantom of the Opera was based off of. Fun fact, it actually isn't really used much for operas anymore. The operas are mainly at the Opéra Bastille (see post below) and this place now mainly houses ballets. I think some of the peeps in my study abroad group are actually going to a ballet there this week...kinda missed the boat on that one. Oh well! I saw the outside of the opera house which is probably just as good....
We next headed down Rue de la Paix which is just as name dropping as the Galaries Lafayette...like really, Cartier? You just HAVE to have a marble store front? Okay.... anyway, at the end of the street is Place Vendôme. This is where the Ministry of Justice (not to be confused with the Ministry of Magic), the Ritz Hôtel (where Princess Di was before the car accident) and also many more luxury shops are. There's also a 140 foot tall column in the center to celebrate Napoleon's victory at Austerlitz. However, the column was being restored so we actually didn't see it.
Next stop l'église Saint-Roch because, Paris, and churches. Cool. Just like every other cathedral. (K, I really do think there are some cool cathedrals here in Paris and they're definitely worth a visit, but after about a dozen, they all kind of just blend together).
Down the street to a statue of Joan of Arc and we have arrived at the end of this walk! It's autumn. It's Paris. It's beautiful. Life's beautiful. No complaints. Love you all.
Can we just take a minute to appreciate just how good Bueno Bars are? Because I am eating one right now (I just went for a run so obviously I earned it, right?) and they are just wonderful and it seemed like the best way to start this blog post. So yeah. Bueno Bars. Go find one. Eat it. And let all of your wildest dreams come true.
K, now let's get down to business.....IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS! But really, though. You see, France doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving (because, you know, France...) so Christmas is the next big holiday! At least the next marketable one....I don't think people really decorate for Veteran's Day...anyway, we started off this walk at Galaries Lafayette and boy oh boy was it lovely. It literally had a giant [upside down] Christmas tree in the middle! It was just lovely. However, if there was ever a name dropping department store, this is it. Everywhere you turn, Chanel, Louis
Vuitton, Michael Kors, Cartier, Armani, Coach....you get the picture. And after returning from a weekend in London, I'm pretty sure I couldn't afford to buy a macaron in there. But when I'm rich and famous you'd better believe that I'll be back.
Next destination, the Opéra Garnier. I've heard about this opera house a lot since coming to France and I finally went to see it! It's actually the opera house that Phantom of the Opera was based off of. Fun fact, it actually isn't really used much for operas anymore. The operas are mainly at the Opéra Bastille (see post below) and this place now mainly houses ballets. I think some of the peeps in my study abroad group are actually going to a ballet there this week...kinda missed the boat on that one. Oh well! I saw the outside of the opera house which is probably just as good....We next headed down Rue de la Paix which is just as name dropping as the Galaries Lafayette...like really, Cartier? You just HAVE to have a marble store front? Okay.... anyway, at the end of the street is Place Vendôme. This is where the Ministry of Justice (not to be confused with the Ministry of Magic), the Ritz Hôtel (where Princess Di was before the car accident) and also many more luxury shops are. There's also a 140 foot tall column in the center to celebrate Napoleon's victory at Austerlitz. However, the column was being restored so we actually didn't see it. Next stop l'église Saint-Roch because, Paris, and churches. Cool. Just like every other cathedral. (K, I really do think there are some cool cathedrals here in Paris and they're definitely worth a visit, but after about a dozen, they all kind of just blend together).Down the street to a statue of Joan of Arc and we have arrived at the end of this walk! It's autumn. It's Paris. It's beautiful. Life's beautiful. No complaints. Love you all. La Route des Manifs: Canal Saint-Martin, République, Bastille, Viaduc des Arts
25 October 2014
This walk was the pathway which is famous for French protests ever since they tore down Bastille all those years ago. To start off, we took a peek at the canal Saint-Martin which is kind of a cool little ditch built in the 1800s to try to bring more fresh water to Paris. It goes underground and has locks and all that cool stuff making it a desirable (but apparently slow going) boat tour you can take.
We then went [back] to Place de la République. (we technically started there because that's where we exited the metro). The monument here was built in 1883 and symbolizes the French Republic. At the base of it are sculptures of historical events that led to the Third Republic, i.e. the taking of Bastille, victory at Valmy, etc.
After admiring the monument, we took off down Boulevard du Temple, the route that riled up protesters often take. Since this was our second walk of the day, it didn't take long for us to get tired of the whole "walking" thing and jump on the metro to go to our next destination. (the book totes said we could do it! We weren't cheating I swear!). But yeah, next destination. Bastille. Or at least the monument where the prison used to be. HISTORY LESSON! Bastille was a prison that was stormed during the French Revolution. They killed the guards, freed all SEVEN inmates and later returned to take Bastille apart brick by brick. So yeah....the prison isn't actually there because, you know, angry Frenchmen...but there is this cool monument put in the middle of a round-about so you can't really get very close to it. The remains of over 500 victims of the revolutions are underneath the monument!
I would also like to make note that the day before we did this walk, we found ourselves in need of food, and hearing that there was a good meatball place near Bastille, we came here in search of some Mediterranean cuisine. Unfortunately for us, the restaurant was closed. (restaurants have this idea here that they can just close in the middle of the day between lunch and dinner. What the heck?! Cause nobody ever gets hungry at 3 in the afternoon??) Aaaanyway, no big deal because this street is literally lined with restaurants. Kailey and I walked up and down this street and literally had doors slammed in our faces because all of the restaurants just wanted to close for a few hours! (seriously, if you're closed, LOCK THE DOORS!). It was depressing. And coming back here a day later just made me mad. But just look at this street! We should not have starved walking down this street of many restaurants! (okay, not everything closed, but everything we wanted and could afford)
K. I'm done ranting now. Also at Bastille is this GIANT opera house--Opéra Bastille. Pretty cool. And then down the street is the Viaduc des Arts. The viaduc was originally built to support a railroad but now it's just a planted walkway above a bunch of artisan shops. We walked down by the shops (most of which were closed) and got excited when we saw a Halloween themed window display. And then we walked along the top of it and it was just peaceful and wonderful and we just sat on bench and ate sour Haribo gummy candy and people watched for a while. It was quite pleasant. And that brings us to the end. I guess after I added in my rant about the lack of open restaurants at Bastille, this post didn't end up being as short as I thought it would be!
I'm going to apologize in advance because I'm sure this will be a very short, most likely uninteresting post. So without further adieu...
This walk was the pathway which is famous for French protests ever since they tore down Bastille all those years ago. To start off, we took a peek at the canal Saint-Martin which is kind of a cool little ditch built in the 1800s to try to bring more fresh water to Paris. It goes underground and has locks and all that cool stuff making it a desirable (but apparently slow going) boat tour you can take. We then went [back] to Place de la République. (we technically started there because that's where we exited the metro). The monument here was built in 1883 and symbolizes the French Republic. At the base of it are sculptures of historical events that led to the Third Republic, i.e. the taking of Bastille, victory at Valmy, etc. After admiring the monument, we took off down Boulevard du Temple, the route that riled up protesters often take. Since this was our second walk of the day, it didn't take long for us to get tired of the whole "walking" thing and jump on the metro to go to our next destination. (the book totes said we could do it! We weren't cheating I swear!). But yeah, next destination. Bastille. Or at least the monument where the prison used to be. HISTORY LESSON! Bastille was a prison that was stormed during the French Revolution. They killed the guards, freed all SEVEN inmates and later returned to take Bastille apart brick by brick. So yeah....the prison isn't actually there because, you know, angry Frenchmen...but there is this cool monument put in the middle of a round-about so you can't really get very close to it. The remains of over 500 victims of the revolutions are underneath the monument!
I would next like to point out that right here, there is like a mini carnival thing with like two concession stands, and some carnival games. It's kind of super random so naturally, I took pictures.
I would also like to make note that the day before we did this walk, we found ourselves in need of food, and hearing that there was a good meatball place near Bastille, we came here in search of some Mediterranean cuisine. Unfortunately for us, the restaurant was closed. (restaurants have this idea here that they can just close in the middle of the day between lunch and dinner. What the heck?! Cause nobody ever gets hungry at 3 in the afternoon??) Aaaanyway, no big deal because this street is literally lined with restaurants. Kailey and I walked up and down this street and literally had doors slammed in our faces because all of the restaurants just wanted to close for a few hours! (seriously, if you're closed, LOCK THE DOORS!). It was depressing. And coming back here a day later just made me mad. But just look at this street! We should not have starved walking down this street of many restaurants! (okay, not everything closed, but everything we wanted and could afford)K. I'm done ranting now. Also at Bastille is this GIANT opera house--Opéra Bastille. Pretty cool. And then down the street is the Viaduc des Arts. The viaduc was originally built to support a railroad but now it's just a planted walkway above a bunch of artisan shops. We walked down by the shops (most of which were closed) and got excited when we saw a Halloween themed window display. And then we walked along the top of it and it was just peaceful and wonderful and we just sat on bench and ate sour Haribo gummy candy and people watched for a while. It was quite pleasant. And that brings us to the end. I guess after I added in my rant about the lack of open restaurants at Bastille, this post didn't end up being as short as I thought it would be! Eighteenth-Century Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous: Musée Jacquemart-André, Musée Nissim de Camondo, Parc Monceau
25 October 2014
Okay, seriously whoever named some of these walks should be fired. I mean, what incentive do you have to read the post if it just tells you everything in the title? Anyway, this walk was pretty chill. We were in the 8th arrondissment which is pretty quiet and as far as I could tell, residential. It was alarmingly quiet for being in the middle of Paris but it was a nice change.
We started off on Boulevard Haussmann--a name which I hear EVERYWHERE and the family is actually buried at Père-Lachaise and I finally figured out what this Haussmann guy did to become so famous that everything in Paris is named after him! Basically he is responsible for redesigning Paris, adding in public parks and the creating wide avenues and expensive buildings. So voila, voila. Paris is beautiful because of him. Anyway, the picture to the left is of Boulevard Haussmann . Nothing super special but there ya have it. 
Our first destination was the Musée Jacquemart-André. (Betcha weren't expecting that one from the title). Basically it is the house of a wealthy, nineteenth century man who had the money to lavishly furnish his home with eighteenth-century art and decor. 
We next went to the Parc Monceau. Hands down my favorite park here in Paris. And Paris has some stunning parks so that's saying something. But seriously, how do you not love a park that has a pond, a willow, and a colonnade?! Plus, the leaves from some of the trees were BIGGER THAN MY HEAD! True story and I've got the photos to prove it. And then there were just "ruins" everywhere because why not?! Plus this perfect little bridge (with a cute little couple on top who were there for like half an hour so I finally just took the picture with them on it) And hi, how adorable is that cute little tree?! Totes jumped the fence to climb it and made Kailey take a picture (incriminating evidence of trespassing?). What more does a park need to be perfect? Answer: nothing.
So after this adorable little park (actually it wasn't little...it was pretty dang huge), we went to Musée Nissin de Camondo. Basically, it's the same kind of deal as the last museum. Some rich guy's house full of eighteenth-century art and decor. So you know, it's casual.
And with that, my friends, we have reached the end of this walk. Short. Sweet. Simple. Oh and we found a flower shop that sold cacti! It was kind of an odd thing so I took a picture so you would all believe that it exists! Bisous!
Parisian Necropolis: The Cimetiére du Pere-Lachaise
24 October 2014
One of the few faults that France has is their lack of Halloween celebration. I have seen a few advertisements for a scare attraction or two, but really it's just American influence behind things like that. They really just don't celebrate Halloween. It's sad. So, this week, in light of the holiday, we have been doing our very best to embrace our inner american and find halloween-esque activities. Which led us to do the walk through the largest cemetery in Paris.
This cemetery is seriously HUGE! There are paved (and cobblestone) streets that run through the thousands of graves and I'm just glad my walk through it was guided or else I probably would have gotten lost! (Even guided I got lost but we'll just pretend like I didn't...)
I kid you not, within ten minutes of entering the graveyard, a black cat crossed our path. Straight up. I tried to get a picture of it but the dang thing was too fast for me! But how bout that to start out our Halloween themed walk? Luckily, I didn't notice any bad luck that day (well....nothing too awful anyway...). Sooooo there are tons of famous people buried here, unfortunately, I'm not too current on the historical pop culture of France so most of the names and graves had little meaning to me....but they definitely were cool to look at so voila!
 |
| Oh, good ol' star crossed lovers |
Jim Morrison, anyone? His grave sure was a popular one. The only grave I saw while I was there that actually had a crowd of people around it. 
Oh, and for some reason, this tree near his grave is covered with gum! This cemetery is full of all kinds of weird traditions...
Oh and then there's Thédore Géricault's grave too! I got really excited because I actually know who Géricault is! (Thank you art history class)
Molière and Jean de La Fontaine? I guess their remains may or may not actually be here. I guess it's speculated that it may have been a publicity stunt for the cemetery to "bury" them here. Oh and also, in the middle of the thousands of graves, there is a crematorium that houses the ashes of thousands of people!! Apparently a lot of people have died in Paris! (especially when you take into consideration the 6 million people down in the catacombs below Paris)
Oscar Wilde is buried here! Apparently he managed to "cause a scandal even in death" with the giant, naked sphinx on his grave. Oh and also, apparently it's a thing to kiss the glass encasing his grave with lipstick. Funny story, I have a tube of lipstick in my purse that I keep there in case I encounter a lipstick emergency or something, but on this particular day I decided to bring a different purse and when I was transferring things over, I decided there was a very slim chance that I would run into a lipstick crisis so I DIDN'T BRING IT! I was so mad at myself! But it's all good. We just used Carmex. Basically the same thing, right?
I told you there were some weird traditions in this cemetery, didn't I? Well, one more strange thing, on top of the jounalist, Victor Noir's grave, there is a statue. And I really, I can't figure out anything significant that this guy did, but for some reason, he has become a "fertility god" and it's a thing for women to come and *ahem* rub this statue to become fertile. Yeah...kinda weird....vive le France.
I really enjoyed this cemetery and had a lot of fun, but we finished on a more serious note and at what was probably my favorite part of the cemetery. Monuments dedicated to war and genocide--specifically World War II.
This part of the cemetery was chilling. The monuments are outright haunting and it really was just an incredible experience being there.
Also in this part of the cemetery is a wall honoring the victims of the Commune. For those of you not current on French history, the Commune was basically an uprising of people at the beginning of the Third Republic. Napoleon III had been defeated and Adolph Thiers had been elected president of the new republic. When Thiers ordered that cannons from the Franco-Prussian war be taken from the national guard in Paris, violence erupted and two of his generals were killed, causing him to retreat to Versailles and order his army to go take over Paris. More than 20,000 rebels were killed. This wall is at the location where the last rebels were gunned down. Ironically enough, Thiers is buried in a massive tomb in this very cemetery.Well now that you are a little bit more knowledgeable about French history....we have reached the end of this walk. I loved it! (is that weird to say about walking through a giant cemetery?) Anyway, definitely a cool place to go! Happy Halloween everyone!
Lutetia Pulchra Est: Musée National du Moyen Age, Sorbonne, Panthéon, Saint-Etienne-du-Mont, Arènes de Lutèce
23 October 2014
First of all, I apologize for the length of that title...I find it quite unnecessary but hey, I didn't write the book. But yeah, basically, that is every. single. thing. we saw on this walk so you've been informed and if that summary was good enough for you, feel free to skip this excerpt (or at least just skip the words and look at the pictures),
Alright, second apology, we actually started out in the Marais for lunch buuuut I quite enjoyed this afternoon so I'm going to include that in this walk even though it was across the Seine from the actual walk. (Gasp! Didn't see this plot twist coming from the title! Aren't you glad you decided to actually read now?)
Pizza MoMo. How can a place called Pizza MoMo NOT be good? Yeah, trust me, it's not possible. This place made my day. It didn't have amazing pizza, but it was definitely good. And cheap. And the salad was awesome. And for probably the first time since we've been here, Kailey and I didn't get stuck waiting for the check for half an hour! (it happens. all the time. we usually just leave cash on the table and sneak out). But no, they were very efficient here!
Also before starting the actual walk, we made a quick stop at Shakespeare and Company which is this incredible book store! It was seriously fantastic and I got the cutest copy of Romeo and Juliet (they have other [non shakespearean] books there too) and Kailey actually found a book written by one of her ancestors! It's such a cool place! Loved it! (I know, I'm such a nerd!)
Okay, we actually started the walk after this! K so here we go! La Sorbonne (pronounced "sore-bun" like you have sore buns...like after you ride a bike for too long). This is like the second academic institution in the world (or something like that), founded in 1257 by Robert de Sorbonne. This area is actually called the "Latin Quarter" because of the future theologians who studied here and spoke Latin! Apparently, this is a place that somehow attracts tons of social unrest and riots so access is restricted to students and professors. 
Because all good school needs a rival, nearby (and the next destination) is the Collège de France. This school was founded in the sixteenth century as a humanist alternative to the conservative Sorbonne. 
Alright, next up is my personal favorite from this walk. Le Pantheon. It was originally built as a church dedicated to Sainte Geneviève (she is the patron saint of Paris who apparently saved the city from the Huns) but just as the church was being finished, the revolution broke out so in 1791, it was decided that the building should be a final resting place for the great men of the nation. The building is beautiful from the outside (well, less so because of construction...) and the
Next up, because Europeans love their cathedrals, was the church Saint-Etienne-du-Mont. It was definitely amazing from the outside but it was closed when we tried to get in and since we didn't feel as though breaking and entering was necessary, we just assumed it looked basically the same as every other church on the inside. (every other church is beautiful though so I'm sure it's wonderful).
We then came to this little square (complete with a fountain--because, no square is complete unless there is a water feature) and went down the best street ever. Rue Mouffetard was a dream! Seriously, so many great looking food shops and clothing stores. We spent too much time (and money) here but we will probably be coming back. (the fondue place was closed so duh we'll be back).
To finish up this walk, we went to the Arènes de Lutèce (oh by the way, before Paris was Paris, and Romans were the inhabitants, it was called Lutetia). Anyway, this was the remains of a Roman arena that was unearthed in the nineteenth century. It likely hosted plays and human against human combats for like fifteen thousand spectators! There were just a bunch of kids playing soccer while we were there but it was definitely a cool place! It is surrounded by tons of trees and had paths going every which way and free wifi (we couldn't connect though). Way cool place! Loved this walk! Love Paris! Love you!
Place de la Concorde: The Guillotine and More
16 October 2014
Really with Kailey and I teaming up to do these walks, we were bound to get lost sometime. I'm honestly surprised we made it this far. But alas, our directionally-challenged selves made for quite the frustrating, two-day ordeal to get this walk done.
The walk begins on Place Clemenceau where there is a statue of Charles de Gaulle dressed in his military uniform. (Charles de Gaulle was the leader of Free France during WWII). This was as far as we got the first day we attempted the walk. We took off in the complete wrong direction and by the time we realized our mistake, we were too hungry and exhausted (plus it was drizzling outside) to correct ourselves. 
Second attempt at this walk. Made it to the statue. And from there, managed to go the RIGHT way down the street. Thumbs up for Alex and Kailey. We passed by the Marigny Theater as well as the Palais de l'Elysée (which is completely walled off) and then successfully made it to the Républic Française (used as a residence for guests representing foreign governments) and the Ministry of the Interior. The guards at the ministry were scary so we stayed safely across the street, admiring the gilded gates from afar.
It was at this point that we got lost again. We were probably walking in the wrong direction for about 20 minutes before we decided we were definitely not where we were supposed to be. So we turned around and somehow ended up even more lost....not a good time for us...but on the bright side, we did find an Office Depot in the middle of a bunch of high end stores and art galleries! Hooray for America!
This walk was supposed to take us to the U.S. Embassy which is apparently a very well guarded building. Tourists are not allowed in. Period. Anyway, the embassy is on the Place de la Concorde which was built to honor Louis XV and was thus originally named Place Louis XV. After several historical events and name changes to the place, a guillotine was set up here for the execution of Louis XVI. After him, this guillotine claimed the lives of 1,343 more victims, included Marie Antoinette.
Okay, history lesson is over....for now. The next point of interest on this walk is the Luxor Obelisk. And guess what! We knew where that was! (It's kind of hard to miss...) Sooo TADA! We're back on the walk! The obelisk was a gift to Charles X from Mohammed Ali--an Egyptian governor. It contains a dedication to the god Ammon and the pharaoh Ramses. Oh and guess what...it's THREE THOUSAND years old. Yeah. It comes from the ruins of Luxor--an ancient city along the Nile. 
Right down the Champs-Elysées from the Luxor Obelisk is the Arc de Triomphe.Well hello there little guy. I just love the Arc de Triomphe...that is why I felt the need to include this....anyway, back to the walk....
Between the Obelisk and the Louvre is the Jardin des Tuileries. I love this garden! It's huge and beautiful and it's autumn and I just love it. End of story. However, I do find it quite amusing that just like every other place in Paris, the Jardin des Tuileries is full of beautiful, classical sculptures, but then there are also these random pieces of modern art everywhere too! It seems like a really strange combination, but hey, it sure makes for an interesting place!
Between the Tuileries and the Louvre is a cute little MINI Arc de Triomphe! It's called the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel. Not quite as good as the real deal, but kind of cool nonetheless.
Oh hey there Louvre. Guess what guys, I have class here! Pretty cool.Well, we finally made it through the walk! It was a struggle. It should have taken an hour...an hour and a half maybe...NOT TWO DAYS! So to reward ourselves, we made a quick stop at Le Carrousel du Louvre--the mall that is UNDER THE LOUVRE--where we rewarded ourselves with some Amorino gelato. This is the first Amorino I've been to (and I've been to quite a few here) where the flavors were in Italien! I really didn't know how I was supposed to order...struggle with the Italian names of the flavors, try to remember the french names for the flavors, play the "American card" and order in English, or just try to point to flavors...it was a struggle. But in the end, I got my gelato and was deeply satisfied. (my clothes still fit so I can't be gaining that much weight here...)
Marais 2: The Jewish Quarter and Musée Picasso
14 October 2014
The Jewish Quarter in Paris. Yes. (that is all the introduction I have for this walk)
The first stop on the walk was the Jewish synagogue. It was designed to look like a Torah which I thought was pretty stinkin' neat. The building has the Star of David above the door and the Tablets of the Law in the center of the top. However, the building is not open to the public (which I don't blame them) so this is as good as it gets for this stop.
We next went down Rue des Rosiers (rosebushes). This street was crazy busy!! And I know this is just my sheltered Idahoan self, but there were a lot of Jews! Like with the beards and the yamakas and everything. Anyway, this street is littered with middle-eastern restaurants and we were pretty hungry so we let the restaurateurs sucker us into stopping in for a bite to eat. Umm hello FALAFEL AND SHAWARMA! (and fries apparently).
I was NOT disappointed by this lunch....although my shwarama pita was incredibly difficult to eat....Kailey and Spencer can attest to the fact that just as much food that actually ended up in my stomach ended up on the floor and table as well....K seriously though, can we just pause for a second and admire how the French actually get these pitas and manage to eat them on the go?! Seriously, it's harder than it looks...(well for me at least...a normal person could probably handle it just fine...)
Once we were full of wonderful middle-eastern cuisine, we continued on with our walk to the Jewish elementary school. There are memorial plaques by the door which were placed there after the events of WWII. Before and since the war, this has been the site of several anti-Semitic manifestations.
We next went to Hôtel de Soubise. This is the home of the Archives Nationales. Unfortunately, it is closed on Tuesdays so we only got to admire the outside--which is definitely worth admiring.
Oh here is a little gem we discovered on this walk! Apparently, a giant Easter egg with a rooster painted on it is a totally appropriate gift to give to a country! You know, sometimes France gives America a Statue of Liberty and then other times, the Republic of Croatia gives Pairs a giant Easter egg...it happens.
We were next directed to the Musée Cognacq-Jay,which is a quaint little eighteenth century art museum....however, this museum is currently closed to the public for a few weeks sooooo we will have to take a rain check on it. We will come back though because it houses some paintings by François Boucher who is Kailey's ancestor!
This walk ends with the Hôtel Salé, which houses the Musée Picasso! After Picasso died, his heirs donated many of his works to France rather than pay Picaso's estate taxes so this museum has over 300 of Picasso's paintings! But surprise! This museum is actually closed for the next few weeks as well! Soooo if you were expecting to see some of Picasso's great works on this post because of it's deceptive title, I apologize. I guess you'll just have to come see them for yourself once the museum opens back up!To make up for the lack of Picasso's on this post, I hope you can enjoy and appreciate some of the street art we came across on this walk! I sure did!
Marais 1: Place Des Voyages and Musee Carnival
10 October 2014
You probably all know by now that I am absolutely in love with Paris and all of these walks I get to take around the City of Love. However, this walk, I must confess, I loved a little bit less than the rest. In the walk's defense, it was cloudy and cold and I was sick when I completed it...but anyway, I apologize for my lack of enthusiasm in this post.
First things first, "marais" means swamps in French. So naturally, The Marais is the part of Paris that was built upon swampland. Small history lesson, in the thirteenth century, the marshlands were drained, a wall was put up around the city limits, and Henri IV made the area a desirable place to live by attracting nobility, clergy and philosophers. Okay, history lesson is over.
The walk started at Hôtel de Sens, one of the oldest buildings in Paris. Like every other notable building in the city, there was a cute little garden area. I kind of love these little parks everywhere.
Remember that wall I told you about earlier? The one that used to surround the city limits of Paris? Well I definitely saw a little piece of what remains of it on this walk. That was pretty neat. Also, there are always posts that jut out of every sidewalk in Paris, and yes I do walk into them more often than I'd like to admit, but aaaanyway, on this street, the poles were painted in lots of fun bright colors. Definitely didn't run into any of those ones! The rest of the posts in Paris should be painted to be more obvious!
Oh, another old church?! Paris clearly has thousands of them in stock if you're interested. This one has a Delacroix painting in it so that was pretty neat to look at. I also really like the clock on this church and also the bright red door....yeah I'm a fan. This church is kind of just squeezed among the busy shops of Rue Rivoli so it kind of gets lost in the commotion of things, but it was beautiful, I'll give it that.
Next on the agenda was Hôtel de Sully. All of these old, beautiful buildings just need to STOP! Seriously, why do I not live in a place like this? Anyway, through the courtyard of this building, we came to Place des Vosages. Henri IV had this cute little square built as a place where people could go for a stroll or hold social events. Again with the cute little parks! Ugh just stop being so adorable! And no public place (or private place....or any place in Paris) would be complete without at least on fountain and one statue. This statue is of Louis XIII.
I did kind of a crappy job of getting photos of this place, but what makes it a square is that it is enclosed by apartment buildings where nobility used to stay. Oh and guess who lived here!! VICTOR HUGO!! Yes, I was definitely in Victor Hugo's house and yes, that is Les Miserables! In the flesh! Oh and guess what else, I am going to see it in LONDON in a only a few short weeks! So I actually did quite enjoy getting to see Victor Hugo's house. It got me really excited for Les Mis!
To finish out this walk, we went to the Musée Carnavalet. It is a museum that documents how Paris has changed over time. It sounds really interesting (plus it is FREE which we love) so we had every intention of stopping in for a peek at the exhibit, but when we got there, it was overrun with high school (or maybe junior high...they all look the same now) students and we literally could not get to the door. We're in that area all the time though (it's right by our church) so I'm sure we will find the time to stop back by!
Well, voila voila. That takes us to the end of this walk! But do not fret! That is but half of the marais! The walk above is the other half! (I actually quite enjoyed the other half). But I do want to point out the graffiti we found on this walk. I was sensing a theme here...
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| It's a painting of a door on a door... doorception! |
Small Buildings Need Not Apply: La Défense
08 October 2014
Quick disclaimer about this walk, it was rainy and I was sick, therefore, I really did not get ready this day...that is why I look like a homeless man. Okay, now that you understand, you may continue...
La Défense is a place right outside Paris that allows for centralized office space without ruining the uniform skyline of Paris or having to build on the unstable ground which has been dug up for metros. Basically it is the coolest, most modernly artistic business park in the world. Fact.
Unfortunately, none of the pools or fountains had water going in them while we were there so that was pretty lame....but they looked cool nonetheless!
This statue is called Le Somnambule (the sleepwalker) by artist Henri de Miller. Above are photos of Basson Takis and Frande Mosaique--both water features that we got to see waterless.
So there's also this giant, colorful, statue thing that basically looks like a bunch of giant straws and I really just liked it a lot. It's so funny because the buildings are all so sleek and just reek of professionalism but some of the art here is just so bizzarre!
Oh and then there is a nineteenth century sculpture La Défense de Paris by Louis-Ernest Barrias. It is a statue commemorating those who defended Paris against the Prussians during the siege of 1870.
Aaaand my personal favorite statue in La Défense....Le Pouce by César. Because who doesn't enjoy a giant thumb protruding from the ground in the middle of a business park?
Another hidden gem here is the Quatre Temps. It's pretty much an American mall. And because I am a girl, I pretty much loved it. We didn't go shopping, but we ventured inside in search of a bathroom and we will be back. Oh and because we also can't resist the urge to try delicious food, we bought this chocolate thing called Bûche or something like that and it was basically chocolate covered sugar cookie dough....so basically perfection. I love food too much. (the Quatre Temps is behind the funky colorful sculpture by Miro).
So I think the coolest thing about La Défense (okay, it's actually all cool but still) is that on one side, there is a clear view of the Arc du Triomphe and then on the other side is the Grande Arche. So basically all of La Défense is an arch sandwich! The Grande Arche is a giant arch-like skyscraper that's just super cool. Oh, and the entire Cathédrale Nortre Dame could fit underneath it! Yeah...it's huge!
This statue is called Le Somnambule (the sleepwalker) by artist Henri de Miller. Above are photos of Basson Takis and Frande Mosaique--both water features that we got to see waterless.
So there's also this giant, colorful, statue thing that basically looks like a bunch of giant straws and I really just liked it a lot. It's so funny because the buildings are all so sleek and just reek of professionalism but some of the art here is just so bizzarre!
Another odd art display was this one that basically looked like a bunch of orange light sabers...I tried reading about it but my French just isn't that good....
Oh and then there is a nineteenth century sculpture La Défense de Paris by Louis-Ernest Barrias. It is a statue commemorating those who defended Paris against the Prussians during the siege of 1870.Aaaand my personal favorite statue in La Défense....Le Pouce by César. Because who doesn't enjoy a giant thumb protruding from the ground in the middle of a business park?
Another hidden gem here is the Quatre Temps. It's pretty much an American mall. And because I am a girl, I pretty much loved it. We didn't go shopping, but we ventured inside in search of a bathroom and we will be back. Oh and because we also can't resist the urge to try delicious food, we bought this chocolate thing called Bûche or something like that and it was basically chocolate covered sugar cookie dough....so basically perfection. I love food too much. (the Quatre Temps is behind the funky colorful sculpture by Miro).So I think the coolest thing about La Défense (okay, it's actually all cool but still) is that on one side, there is a clear view of the Arc du Triomphe and then on the other side is the Grande Arche. So basically all of La Défense is an arch sandwich! The Grande Arche is a giant arch-like skyscraper that's just super cool. Oh, and the entire Cathédrale Nortre Dame could fit underneath it! Yeah...it's huge!
So basically, it's my dream to have a job where I get to work in one of the buildings of La Défense! It's a pretty awesome place! And yet again, a show of the many different facets of Paris!
A Walk in the Park: Montparnasse and the Jardin du Luxembourg
07 October 2014
Well, if I decide to go see a movie here in France (which I should because my host family gave me a movie gift card), I know where to go. I think I counted SEVEN movie theaters on this walk! Well, add that to my bucket list of things to do here...
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| View from the Eiffel Tower-- see what I mean? |
This walk started out at the Tour Montparnasse, a giant skyscraper (it has 59 floors) that is considered an "eyesore" in the middle of Paris. It was inspired by the World Trade Center and was supposed to have a twin tower itself, but zoning laws trying to protect the uniform skyline of Paris prevented the second tower from being built. It's funny, when I was at the top of the Eiffel Tower, I noticed this building and did think it was rather odd. It's a giant, sleek building that towers above every other building in Paris! I don't think I would consider it an "eyesore" though. It simply looks out of place! It definitely belongs at La Défense (see walk above). 
So France is full of like a million and a half beautiful statues right? Well, on this walk I definitely found the UGLIEST statue in Paris (and possibly the world). It's a statue of Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish officer in the French army who was falsely convicted of treason, stripped of his rank, exiled, convicted again and then finally pardoned by the French president. The statue has been moved around Paris a few times before landing here--far from the eye of tourists (probably because it's so ugly...).
Soooo I definitely found Heaven on earth. Jean-Paul Hévin, my friends. It is a chocolate shop that changed my life. First of all, Kailey and I were probably in there for a solid ten minutes, battling the urge to buy EVERYTHING before we finally settled on one dessert each. And then, I'm pretty sure we tasted pure happiness. Seriously though, I think Kailey and I are on a quest to find the best food in France and these desserts are right at the top of the list! Seriously TO DIE FOR.
So the Luxembourg Gardens....they're pretty cool...if you like giant, beautiful parks! And it was only better in autumn because the leaves were falling and it was just wonderful! (a bit rainy though). Our walk gave us a check list of things to look for in the gardens because apparently you can see all of the following things in the Jardin du Luxembourg most days. - Beehives
- Old men playing pétanque (not really sure what this game is, but people were definitely chucking heavy metal balls around...I'm assuming that's what pétanque is...)
- Park security men keeping people off the grass (I saw a security officer but I also saw a lot of people on the grass so....)
- A mini statue of Liberty (this was the model for the statue in New York! It was adorable!)
- People jogging (according to my walks book, this is a rare site to see in Paris...I disagree. I see people jogging EVERYWHERE)
- Chess players (yes....actual old men playing chess in a park! It was the most adorable thing ever!)
- Children riding donkeys (whaaah? I really wanted to see that one!)
- People practicing martial arts
- A couple kissing on a bench (okay, seriously, there are people kissing EVERYWHERE in Paris and then when we are looking for a couple they all decided to lay off the PDA for once....)
So remember how I said there are tons of beautiful statures in Paris? Well, here is one of them! This is a statue of the Duchess of Orleans. There are tons of these regal statues in the gardens. I really like them a lot!
You want to know what else I like a lot? The Palais du Luxembourg! It is seriously beautiful!! Oh my gosh, can France just stop being amazing for like two seconds?!
Soooo yeah...lonely tall building, ugly statues, pretty statues, amazing gardens and possibly the best thing I have ever eaten. I would say this walk was a success. :)
This walk was pretty much amazing! (just like all of them are). Montmartre is the highest point in Paris! Which means that getting there requires stairs. Lots of them. Buuuut because we are lazy American girls, we opted to take the Funiculaire--a lift that ensured we hold on to all of the carbs we eat daily. But seriously, just look at how high up that is. Stairs? Yeah I think climbing the stairs out of the metro was enough for one day.
Once you finally get to the top of Montmartre, the view is INCREDIBLE! (I personally prefer the view from the Eiffel Tower, but this is a close second and definitely cheaper). Okay, seriously, Paris never ceases to amaze me! And as always, the pictures have got NOTHING on what it's actually like in person!
The crowned jewel of Montmartre is the basilica, Sacre Cœur. I know that I said Chartres Cathedral was my favorite, but I take it back. THIS is definitely my favorite cathedral! There were signs posted asking not to take photos inside the basilica and I chose to respect their wishes so I guess you'll just have to come to Paris yourself to see how absolutely beautiful it is! But you can pretty much just tell from the outside that it's an amazing cathedral!
So basically, Montmartre is adorable in that it's in the middle of this HUGE, metropolitan area, yet it feels like you're in a quiet little provincial town (like from Beauty and the Beast). It's even got cobblestone roads! (in the words of a cute little old lady we met at Blois, they're beautiful to look at but hard to walk on). Oh and as hard as cobblestones are to walk on, placing them on hilly terrain is just not even fair! Yeah, I'm glad I skipped the stairs...just walking through the streets was enough of a work out!
But annnnyyyywwaayys, because this place is just so darn cute, it's no surprise that artists have made their homes here! Seriously, I have now seen where Renoir, Picasso, Van Gogh, and tons of other artists have once lived! Yeah that blue door I'm in front of, that's where Vincent Van Gogh lived...no big deal.
Oh, also in Montmartre, is this adorable little park with this statue in it of Saint Denis. Saint Denis was beheaded by the Romans in the third century, and then, according to legend, he CARRIED HIS OWN HEAD down the north side of Montmartre before collapsing! So that is why this statue is holding his head!
For those of you (like me) who are not art junkies, Renoir has a marvelous impressionist painting Bal du Moulin de la Galette which depicts a small crowd having a ball outside of a windmill (Moulin). Well, here it is! Moulin de la Galette, in the flesh, tucked away in the hillside of Montmartre! Pretty neat!
Aaaaand speaking of mills, at the end of this walk is THE Moulin Rouge! Yep, I was there. In the flesh. It's kind of in the middle of a busy street so I personally liked Moulin de la Galette better, but still...Moulin Rouge. Yeah. That definitely happened!
This walk started out at the Fontaine Saint-Michel. Basically, it's a statue of Saint Michel slaying a dragon which was later turned into a fountain to create a focal point for an uneven intersection (is there even an intersection in Paris that ISN'T uneven?? I don't think so).
So there's this street in the Latin Quarter that is the narrowest street in Paris! (who even goes around measuring streets?) Anyway, the name of the street is Rue du Chat-qui-Pêche (fishing cat) if you are ever in Paris and want to be able to say that you stood in the narrowest street. I must say, it is pretty awesome to be able to say that. (Okay, it's pretty cool to say that I am in Paris. Period.)
We had so much fun doing this walk, but since none of us were super into the stock market or blowing our savings on antiques, we had to make our own fun! It started at Le Louvre des antiquaires. Okay, so maybe that isn't exactly where it started. There is a chance that we may have taken the wrong exit out of the metro and ended up at the Carrousel du Louvre, where we may have stopped at the Ladurée stand to buy macarons...but once we had satisfied our taste buds, we promptly exited the Louvre and made our way across the street to where we were to actually start the walk.
After a bit of window shopping, we strolled past the Counseil d'Etat and the Comédie Française. You can't actually see the inside of the comedy theater unless you buy tickets to a show. Going to see a show in France? Yeah, well that's a must!
As we were trying to find the next point on our walk, we stumbled upon these fun black and white striped pedestals! So what else could we do besides stop and have a mini photo shoot?! Lexi has all the cutest photos on her camera so I'll work on getting those from her some time! But seriously, it was just a courtyard full of these pedestals of all different heights! Just tucked away in the middle of a bunch of buildings! There were people all lined up doing a photo shoot, spelling out words with their bodies (you know, when each person is like a different letter?) but we never figured out what they were spelling. Oh well! We had to get back to our walk anyway. [I have a feeling that there is a possibility that they may have actually been a part of our walk but because of all the construction going on, they just go cut off so we thought we had stumbled upon something new]
On to the Jardin du Palais Royal! WHY IS EVERYTHING SO BEAUTIFUL?! Seriously though! Just look at this garden! It's just in the middle of the Palais Royal-- a palace built for a prime minister, given to a king, and then turned into shops and cafès in a time of economic crisis. I felt like there were quite a few people (and cute boys) my age just hanging out here
and I can't blame them! I wish we had places like this to hang out at back home!
Next on the list was this other theater nearby!
Again, I think it is definitely a must to see a show here! That'd just be lovely! The theater was cool though! And across the street we found this cute little ivy-surrounded entryway and we just had to do photos!
We were supposed to stop at a library on this walk but unfortunately, it was under construction so we just had to walk right on by and head to la Bourse. La Bourse is the French stock exchange and that simply just did not hold our attention for long so we just snapped a few pictures as we walked on by on our way to passage des Panoramas. Basically, there are these covered streets with little shops so that consumers can shop in comfort without having to worry about the elements. It was a cool little place with awesome shops! There were tons of shops that sold these crazy old postcards, stamps and letters! They were actually pretty cool to look at! There were clothing shops, restaurants, and patisseries in there as well though!
After walking through those fun passages, we were done with the walk! We were right by the Musée Grévin--a wax museum--so we popped in there real quick to check it out, However, we did not have the time (or the money really) to go further than the lobby so I suppose that is a sight for another time! It was a good day though! Bonjournée!
We came out of the metro by the Madeleine--a nineteenth century cathedral. There are all theses beautiful flower stands near the Madeleine and those definitely emanated a great smell. Paris has given me a new appreciation for flowers. They're just prettier here! But let's be honest, everything is better in Paris.
Photo Gallery by QuickGallery.com
After the Madeleine, we went to my new favorite place! (well besides the Eiffel Tower, that's still my absolute favorite). Ladurée! Okay for real, this place was incredible!! The MACARONS!!! I didn't even know it was possible to have such strong feelings of affection for a cookie! But it happened! FOUR TIMES!! (every time I tried a new cookie). But really, I think I might just leave everything here in France and fill my suitcases with macarons when I come home! I didn't know "finding love in Paris" meant with a cookie! So yeah, that was life changing....
To finish off the walk, we went to the Fragonard Musée du Parfum. Yeah, there's a perfume museum in Paris. It's a pretty small museum but there were a lot of people in there! But none of the tours being given were in English...or even French...(who knows what they were speaking!) so Kailey and I just navigated by ourselves. It was pretty neat and most of the perfumes were quite delightful! There were some I didn't particularly care for, but they all smelled better than the metro! We didn't purchase any though (sorry mom!) but now I know where to go if I ever develop a passion for perfume!
That was the end of that walk! It was so much fun and so delicious! I WILL be going back to Ladurée, many times I'm sure!
Soooo yeah...lonely tall building, ugly statues, pretty statues, amazing gardens and possibly the best thing I have ever eaten. I would say this walk was a success. :)
Montmartre: Saint Denis and Other Legends
01 October 2014
This walk was pretty much amazing! (just like all of them are). Montmartre is the highest point in Paris! Which means that getting there requires stairs. Lots of them. Buuuut because we are lazy American girls, we opted to take the Funiculaire--a lift that ensured we hold on to all of the carbs we eat daily. But seriously, just look at how high up that is. Stairs? Yeah I think climbing the stairs out of the metro was enough for one day. Once you finally get to the top of Montmartre, the view is INCREDIBLE! (I personally prefer the view from the Eiffel Tower, but this is a close second and definitely cheaper). Okay, seriously, Paris never ceases to amaze me! And as always, the pictures have got NOTHING on what it's actually like in person! The crowned jewel of Montmartre is the basilica, Sacre Cœur. I know that I said Chartres Cathedral was my favorite, but I take it back. THIS is definitely my favorite cathedral! There were signs posted asking not to take photos inside the basilica and I chose to respect their wishes so I guess you'll just have to come to Paris yourself to see how absolutely beautiful it is! But you can pretty much just tell from the outside that it's an amazing cathedral! |
| It may not be the steps of the Met. but we definitely Gossip Girled it at Sacre Coeur! |
So basically, Montmartre is adorable in that it's in the middle of this HUGE, metropolitan area, yet it feels like you're in a quiet little provincial town (like from Beauty and the Beast). It's even got cobblestone roads! (in the words of a cute little old lady we met at Blois, they're beautiful to look at but hard to walk on). Oh and as hard as cobblestones are to walk on, placing them on hilly terrain is just not even fair! Yeah, I'm glad I skipped the stairs...just walking through the streets was enough of a work out!
But annnnyyyywwaayys, because this place is just so darn cute, it's no surprise that artists have made their homes here! Seriously, I have now seen where Renoir, Picasso, Van Gogh, and tons of other artists have once lived! Yeah that blue door I'm in front of, that's where Vincent Van Gogh lived...no big deal.
Oh, also in Montmartre, is this adorable little park with this statue in it of Saint Denis. Saint Denis was beheaded by the Romans in the third century, and then, according to legend, he CARRIED HIS OWN HEAD down the north side of Montmartre before collapsing! So that is why this statue is holding his head! For those of you (like me) who are not art junkies, Renoir has a marvelous impressionist painting Bal du Moulin de la Galette which depicts a small crowd having a ball outside of a windmill (Moulin). Well, here it is! Moulin de la Galette, in the flesh, tucked away in the hillside of Montmartre! Pretty neat!
Aaaaand speaking of mills, at the end of this walk is THE Moulin Rouge! Yep, I was there. In the flesh. It's kind of in the middle of a busy street so I personally liked Moulin de la Galette better, but still...Moulin Rouge. Yeah. That definitely happened!
This was definitely a good walk. And you better believe I will be back up at Montmartre! By Sacre Cœur, not only is there a great view, but street performers as well and it is basically the perfect place to hang out when there is nothing else to do!
Playing Hooky in Le Quartier Latin
30 September 2014
WHY IS EVERYTHING IN PARIS SO PERFECT?! Seriously, I don't even think it is possible to NOT like one of these walks! How can you possibly complain about getting to see all the cool (non touristy) things in Paris?! It's amazing! Clearly I am one lucky duck!
This walk started out at the Fontaine Saint-Michel. Basically, it's a statue of Saint Michel slaying a dragon which was later turned into a fountain to create a focal point for an uneven intersection (is there even an intersection in Paris that ISN'T uneven?? I don't think so). So there's this street in the Latin Quarter that is the narrowest street in Paris! (who even goes around measuring streets?) Anyway, the name of the street is Rue du Chat-qui-Pêche (fishing cat) if you are ever in Paris and want to be able to say that you stood in the narrowest street. I must say, it is pretty awesome to be able to say that. (Okay, it's pretty cool to say that I am in Paris. Period.)
Churches. They never cease to amaze me. And stained glass? Yeah that's kind of my favorite! It is so beautiful! I love all of the old cathedrals here! This walk's cathedral was l'église Saint-Sèverin. It is just a quaint little chapel hidden in the Latin Quarter, but the windows were just beautiful! And yes, I lit a candle.
All of the cute little alleyways with cobblestones and crèpe stands and cute little shops are just the best! And that's basically what makes up the Latin Quarter (at least from what I saw). And amid the cute, semi-chaotic, winding roads, there is a sandwich shop. And that sandwich shop's name is Cosi. Now, Cosi exists in the US, but I assure you, it is much better here (like everything), First of all the bread is just amazing! Seriously, it's the best! And then, the sandwich that I got was a curry
turkey and apple sandwich! Weird, right?! Yeah well let me tell you, IT WAS AMAZING! Definitely going back there! Plus, free wifi, so waiting in the line that goes halfway down the street (that's how you know it's good) isn't that bad!
The Latin Quarter also has the most incredible art! There is an entire street lined with art galleries with amazing art! It was cool to look at! Some of it was a little weird though...
On this walk we also saw the Institut de France, which houses l'Académie française, l'Académie des inscriptions est belles-lettres, l'Académie des sciences, l'Académie des beaux-arts, and l'Académie des sciences morales et politiques. Its a pretty cool building and the square in front is all cobblestone and I think Kailey and I pretty much rocked on walking on them! We didn't even trip once....at least not there...
Across the street is the love lock bridge! Well one of them...there are a few! I just love this! In case you've never heard of it, lovers come to the bridge, put a lock on, and throw the key into the Seine as a sign of their undying love. There are literally hundreds of thousands of locks! It is crazy! Unfortunately, I don't have anyone to put a lock on with but obviously someone loves ME....I just need to find whoever put that lock on the bridge!
Crossing the Seine just a little ways away from the love lock bridge is the Pont Neuf (new bridge) which is ironically the oldest bridge in Paris. There is a statue of Henri IV on the bridge, but the original monument was melted down during the French Revolution to make cannons. The one there now was made in 1818.
After we finished this walk, Kailey and I just sat on the edge of the Seine and ate mini beignets (because we passed a Paul and how could we say no to mini beignets?!). I can't even express how amazing it is to just sit on the edge of the river (and hope not to fall in) and just enjoy the beauty of living in France. Because, oh yeah, that's right, I LIVE IN FRANCE!! Amazing!
All of the cute little alleyways with cobblestones and crèpe stands and cute little shops are just the best! And that's basically what makes up the Latin Quarter (at least from what I saw). And amid the cute, semi-chaotic, winding roads, there is a sandwich shop. And that sandwich shop's name is Cosi. Now, Cosi exists in the US, but I assure you, it is much better here (like everything), First of all the bread is just amazing! Seriously, it's the best! And then, the sandwich that I got was a curryOn this walk we also saw the Institut de France, which houses l'Académie française, l'Académie des inscriptions est belles-lettres, l'Académie des sciences, l'Académie des beaux-arts, and l'Académie des sciences morales et politiques. Its a pretty cool building and the square in front is all cobblestone and I think Kailey and I pretty much rocked on walking on them! We didn't even trip once....at least not there...Across the street is the love lock bridge! Well one of them...there are a few! I just love this! In case you've never heard of it, lovers come to the bridge, put a lock on, and throw the key into the Seine as a sign of their undying love. There are literally hundreds of thousands of locks! It is crazy! Unfortunately, I don't have anyone to put a lock on with but obviously someone loves ME....I just need to find whoever put that lock on the bridge!
Crossing the Seine just a little ways away from the love lock bridge is the Pont Neuf (new bridge) which is ironically the oldest bridge in Paris. There is a statue of Henri IV on the bridge, but the original monument was melted down during the French Revolution to make cannons. The one there now was made in 1818. After we finished this walk, Kailey and I just sat on the edge of the Seine and ate mini beignets (because we passed a Paul and how could we say no to mini beignets?!). I can't even express how amazing it is to just sit on the edge of the river (and hope not to fall in) and just enjoy the beauty of living in France. Because, oh yeah, that's right, I LIVE IN FRANCE!! Amazing!Follow the Money: Palais Royal, Bourse, Covered Passages
24 September 2014
We had so much fun doing this walk, but since none of us were super into the stock market or blowing our savings on antiques, we had to make our own fun! It started at Le Louvre des antiquaires. Okay, so maybe that isn't exactly where it started. There is a chance that we may have taken the wrong exit out of the metro and ended up at the Carrousel du Louvre, where we may have stopped at the Ladurée stand to buy macarons...but once we had satisfied our taste buds, we promptly exited the Louvre and made our way across the street to where we were to actually start the walk. After a bit of window shopping, we strolled past the Counseil d'Etat and the Comédie Française. You can't actually see the inside of the comedy theater unless you buy tickets to a show. Going to see a show in France? Yeah, well that's a must! As we were trying to find the next point on our walk, we stumbled upon these fun black and white striped pedestals! So what else could we do besides stop and have a mini photo shoot?! Lexi has all the cutest photos on her camera so I'll work on getting those from her some time! But seriously, it was just a courtyard full of these pedestals of all different heights! Just tucked away in the middle of a bunch of buildings! There were people all lined up doing a photo shoot, spelling out words with their bodies (you know, when each person is like a different letter?) but we never figured out what they were spelling. Oh well! We had to get back to our walk anyway. [I have a feeling that there is a possibility that they may have actually been a part of our walk but because of all the construction going on, they just go cut off so we thought we had stumbled upon something new]On to the Jardin du Palais Royal! WHY IS EVERYTHING SO BEAUTIFUL?! Seriously though! Just look at this garden! It's just in the middle of the Palais Royal-- a palace built for a prime minister, given to a king, and then turned into shops and cafès in a time of economic crisis. I felt like there were quite a few people (and cute boys) my age just hanging out hereNext on the list was this other theater nearby! Again, I think it is definitely a must to see a show here! That'd just be lovely! The theater was cool though! And across the street we found this cute little ivy-surrounded entryway and we just had to do photos!
We were supposed to stop at a library on this walk but unfortunately, it was under construction so we just had to walk right on by and head to la Bourse. La Bourse is the French stock exchange and that simply just did not hold our attention for long so we just snapped a few pictures as we walked on by on our way to passage des Panoramas. Basically, there are these covered streets with little shops so that consumers can shop in comfort without having to worry about the elements. It was a cool little place with awesome shops! There were tons of shops that sold these crazy old postcards, stamps and letters! They were actually pretty cool to look at! There were clothing shops, restaurants, and patisseries in there as well though!After walking through those fun passages, we were done with the walk! We were right by the Musée Grévin--a wax museum--so we popped in there real quick to check it out, However, we did not have the time (or the money really) to go further than the lobby so I suppose that is a sight for another time! It was a good day though! Bonjournée!Marcher Le Nez Au Vent: Sights and Smells Around the Madeleine
23 September 2014
Okay, first of all, "marcher le nez au vent" is a French expression which means "to walk with one's nose to the wind." As you may have guessed, this walk was themed around smell! For better and for worse. It started off in what is supposedly the worst smelling metro station in Paris, but to be honest, I don't think it really smelled that bad. Sure it didn't smell great because, you know, public transportation....and underground...and lots of people...and scary homeless men....but it definitely wasn't the worst. I mean, some of the metro stations here REALLY stink and the one we started in wasn't nearly as bad.
We came out of the metro by the Madeleine--a nineteenth century cathedral. There are all theses beautiful flower stands near the Madeleine and those definitely emanated a great smell. Paris has given me a new appreciation for flowers. They're just prettier here! But let's be honest, everything is better in Paris.
L'église Madeleine was absolutely beautiful! Seriously, why are cathedrals so ornate and just amazing to look at?! Unfortunately (or perhaps, fortunately) there wasn't a smell associated with the church, but it sure was cool! And I even donated to the church and got to light a candle of my very own! So that was kinda cool....
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After the Madeleine, we went to my new favorite place! (well besides the Eiffel Tower, that's still my absolute favorite). Ladurée! Okay for real, this place was incredible!! The MACARONS!!! I didn't even know it was possible to have such strong feelings of affection for a cookie! But it happened! FOUR TIMES!! (every time I tried a new cookie). But really, I think I might just leave everything here in France and fill my suitcases with macarons when I come home! I didn't know "finding love in Paris" meant with a cookie! So yeah, that was life changing....
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| Pistachio, coconut, chocolate coconut, and salted caramel |
To finish off the walk, we went to the Fragonard Musée du Parfum. Yeah, there's a perfume museum in Paris. It's a pretty small museum but there were a lot of people in there! But none of the tours being given were in English...or even French...(who knows what they were speaking!) so Kailey and I just navigated by ourselves. It was pretty neat and most of the perfumes were quite delightful! There were some I didn't particularly care for, but they all smelled better than the metro! We didn't purchase any though (sorry mom!) but now I know where to go if I ever develop a passion for perfume! |
| My French isn't very good so I couldn't read the museum signs but I'm assuming this is equipment that was once used to make perfume |
That was the end of that walk! It was so much fun and so delicious! I WILL be going back to Ladurée, many times I'm sure!
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