I visited Paris, France March 2-5. It was my first big European trip since arriving in Ireland, and I will never forget it. I went with two girls from my program, Tara and Emma, and I cannot stress enough how easy it is to travel with two people you can actually stand! We all got along great and laughed off the stressful things that happened, which is a must when you're traveling. Our trip will remain dreamlike in my memory.
Paris shocked me - I had no idea how breathtakingly beautiful a city it is! Nor did I anticipate how rude the French can be, but it remains my favorite European city (so far), second only to Galway. :)
We spent our first night frantically trying to find the metro and our hostel without butchering the French language into an unrecognizable gibberish, and somehow we made it (despite a late-night fruit stand scene I was afraid was something straight out of Dateline..)!
Our first day, we mastered the Metro system and walked down the Champs Elysses, speechless and giddy by our stunning surroundings. I screamed bloody murder the first time we caught a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower, and I doubt I stopped smiling throughout the whole day. We walked from the Army Museum where Napoleon is buried to the Triumphal Arch, and then caught a train out to Versailles Palace and Gardens. It was like something out of a movie, something you hope you get to see but doubt you ever will. That night we had what remains the best meal of my life at this hole-in-the-wall French eatery with Emma's friend Matt who has been studying abroad in Paris for two consecutive semesters! Tara and I split a big salad and a French cheese plate, and we all had baguettes and a bottle of white wine. Ahhhmazing.
The next day, we went to Monmarte, the center of the Bohemian Revolution and the setting for the film Moulin Rouge. There, we climbed the "mountain" to Sacre Couer, a beautiful cathedral. I have decided cathedrals are my favorite thing to see while traveling because it's like art, architecture, history, and it's quiet enough to pray and take it all in. We also visited the Moulin Rouge, of course, and got lost in the sex shop district eating crepes.. Luckily, we found the metro stop and took it to the Lechaise Cemetery, Holly suggested it. Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, and several other famous people are buried here and it is vast and gorgeous. When we arrived, Parisians were lining the streets as a famous French actress (apparently) was being buried that day, so we watched her funeral procession. After that, we had a quick picnic in the grass beneath the Eiffel Tower and climbed it! Emma has a slight fear of heights and vertigo, but she conquered her fears! I had to stop a few times on the never-ending winding staircase.. Chocolate eclaire + thousands of steps = recipe for disaster. But it was worth the journey for the panoramic view of Paris. Next, we walked through Notre Dame cathedral. It was such a moving experience for me, that I sat down to pray and got separated from my friends. A choir was practicing and the architecture lover within me couldn't stop snapping pictures and spotting architectural features that I learned about during my one art history class.. That night we had dinner with Matt and two other girls from our program, Ali and Michelle, before getting creme brule and hot wine at an outdoor cafe even though it was FREEZING! We felt truly Parisian.
Saturday we toured the Louvre and saw the Monal Lisa and the Venus de Milo! Our feet were killing us and Tara and Emma aren't quite the art history buffs I am, so they headed off while I walked around the galleries alone.. and loved every minute of it! I waited in line for the Muse d'Orsay for over an hour, but it was well worth the wait! This museum houses galleries of my three favorite artists, Monet, Degas, and Van Gogh. I was IN LOVE. I caught up with my companions for dinner at a cafe overlooking the Notre Dame cathedral. Afterwards, we bought champagne and cracked it open on one of the many beautiful bridges overlooking the sparkling Eiffel Tower.
Sunday we woke up at 4am to catch our return flight home! It was such a beautiful trip and I will NEVER forget it!
No comments:
Post a Comment