The Streets of Montmartre

Today I slept in until about 9am then got up, had breakfast, then got dressed and ready for the day.  I met Nikki and Ilia at the Madeleine metro stop and we headed up to Montmartre together.  We got off at the bottom of the hill at Place Pigalle, also known as the Redlight District in Paris.

I expected it to be slightly shocking and the area certainly delivered.  There was a section of about four blocks where old-cabarets-turned-strip-clubs fought for attention between the flashing neon lights in the windows of sex shops and exotic lingerie shops played peek-a-boo out amidst the gaudy attention grabbing signs, posters, and lights.  This is also, of course, the location of the infamous Moulin Rouge.  The establishment is now nothing but a watered-down, overpriced dinner show for naive tourists and nothing like its former glamorous, seedy, absinthe serving, twenty-four/seven rager self.

After passing through this area we started the trek up the hill, weaving between small streets, staircases, and a few level squares and parks.  We eventually ended up at the Place du Tertre, a small square right near Sacre-Coeur that is famous for it's street artists.  It's the best place in Paris to buy paintings of the city, but unfortunately I couldn't find anything I was willing to buy.  The only things I could afford were small 4x6 sized canvases that cost almost 40 euros.  Anything bigger costs much closer to a 100 euros, depending of the medium and quality.


After passing through here we headed up to the Sacre-Coeur.  We walked through the basilica, which was lovely and very eastern orthodox.  I was actually quite surprised by the byzantine-style mosaics and high white domes.  It was interesting to see this old fashioned art contrast with the modern stained glass windows.  We weren't allowed to take pictures inside, and it was almost too crowded to even try, so I don't have any of what the interior looks like, but the outside was definitely beautiful.

We ended up slowing making our way down the large stairs and lawns in front of the basilica.  The views of the city were beautiful and there was a lot going on in the area today.  There were gypsies trying to con tourists out of their money, hawkers selling fake ray-bans and burberry purses, a harpist, tourists taking pictures, locals sunbathing, an old man playing a violin, and plenty of other people and things to see.

Once we finally made our way to the bottom we stopped in a few stores nearby to do some browsing and shopping.  Eventually we stopped for a late lunch at a place selling crêpes where we sat and talked while watching the Olympics on the tv until about 3pm.  Then I headed back to the Latin Quarter while Nikki and Ilia went to the Louvre.


I spent the rest of the afternoon and evening doing homework, making dinner, and hanging out here.  It ended up raining most of the late evening so even if I had wanted to go out, the rain would've discouraged me from having anything but a relaxing Sunday evening at home.

Big-Little Adventures in Paris: Part One

Today I got up (like every other day it seems) at a terribly early hour.  By 8am I was showered, dressed, and eating breakfast and by 8:10am I was briskly walking through the Paris streets to a metro station on Saint-Germain.  I met Nikki and Ilia at a metro station near their hotel at 8:30am and then we headed to the Eiffel Tower.


The Eiffel Tower has only one elevator this summer (it usually has two) so the lines are taking twice as long as usual to get up.  The other elevator has been broken down for months but because it's custom made for the Eiffel Tower and all that you can't just order the broken parts from a catalog and it takes awhile to get fixed.  We ended up waiting in line for about an hour and a half, but it didn't feel so long because we spent the whole time talking and catching up.

Eventually we got onto the elevator and were taken up to the 2nd level.  We stopped off to take pictures and enjoy the view, then boarded the elevator leading to the top.

At the top you could see out all over the city.  It was very beautiful, but sadly it was also very hazy so the visibility was terrible.  It was almost impossible to even see Montmartre, and that's pretty close by!  We ended up deciding that while both the top and 2nd levels have great views, the 2nd is better from smoggy days like today when you need to be closer to the ground to see farther.

Eventually we took the elevator back to the 2nd level, then walked down the stairs to the ground.  We then took some very cute pictures in front of the Eiffel Tower on the Champs de Mars before leaving the area.

We crossed the Seine and headed up towards the Arc de Triomphe.  On our walk we ran into an open air market so we stopped by to see if we could find lunch there.  We ended up each getting a panini, drink, and pastry for 5 euros each.  Walking a little farther up the street we found a quiet park bench to sit down and enjoy our meal.


After eating we headed up to the Arc de Triomphe where we took pictures and watched traffic fly around the traffic circle.  Definitely one of the busiest parts of the city that I've seen yet.

After finishing up there we walked down the Champs-Elysées from the Arch to the Place de la Concorde.  Along the way we stopped into a few shops, watched some street performers, and wandered a bit.

When we finished taking pictures at the Place de la Concorde, we walked over to the large department stores: Au Printemps and Galeries Lafayette.  At Au Printemps we browsed briefly then left, but at Galeries Lafayette we actually spent some time shopping.  We also stopped into Angelina, a tea room that serves gourmet teas, coffees, pastries, and hot chocolate.

After sitting at Angelina for awhile we headed back into the store and did some more shopping.  When we finished we continued our walk back in the direction of their hotel.  On the way we stopped for dinner at a café where I got a chicken club sandwich and a glass of sauvignon-blanc.


Once I dropped them off at their hotel I hopped onto the metro and headed back to the Foyer.  I got back around 10pm and took shower, skyped my parents and sister, then uploaded pictures to facebook. Once I finished that I started my blog and once that's done, I'm going to bed.

Les Invalides and Finally Seeing My Big!

Classes started at an awfully early 9:15am this morning.  I did, however, manage to drag myself downstairs by a suitable hour for breakfast before class.  First we had french literature (where we were supposed to have started a play but had never been given the book.  So sad).  After dying during the long 75 minute french literature class, french civilization began.  We took an easy EU map quiz then learned about the different french political parties.


After class I made a quick lunch in my room then had to hurry to get on the metro to get to Les Invalides by 12:50pm.  Les Invalides is both the military chapel where Napoleon and other great french general are buried, but also a military history museum.

Napoleon's tomb was ridiculously large.  Apparently he's buried in multiple coffins in there.  Either way I found it to be excessive for such a small man.  And that's before you count my personal opinions about Napoleon and his war-mongering, despotic, mass-murdering ways.

After wandering around this area for a little while we went into the military history section of the museum and looked at all of the objects of medieval warfare.  The collection included everything from suits of armor to saddles to swords to crossbows.  They also have some of the first rifles ever created and used in combat.  It was definitely a very interesting series of exhibits.

After leaving Les Invalides, I went with three other girls from my group to a large electronics, computer, and bookstore called FNAC.  It's sort of like a multimedia superstore.  There we browsed their collections of literature, fiction, and most interesting: cookbooks!  I bought two, one for gourmet desserts and another for basic recipes.


We'd barely arrived back at the Foyer when the front desk called up to my room to let me know that I had visitors downstairs.  I ran down and was FINALLY reunited with my big!  Nikki, Ilia, and I spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around the Latin Quarter so they got a pretty good feeling for the neighborhood.  Then we went to a nearby cafe for dinner where I finally tried mussels.  They were delicious and fantastic.  Yummm.  After dinner we went to a bar nearby and got a few drinks and sat around talking.


Around 11pm they headed back to their hotel and I stayed at the bar a bit longer to hang out with some of the people from my group who'd shown up.  Around midnight I headed home because we're going to the Eiffel Tower tomorrow so I need to be up bright and early.  Oh yay.

Strasbourg

Today I felt like I did the impossible: woke up at 5am.  By 5:40am we were tearing through the streets of Paris at an unbearably fast pace to get to a metro station that would take us directly to our destination of the Gare de l'Est (or the East Train Station).  Fortunately upon our arrival I had time to get a chausson aux pommes (sort of like an apple turnover) and a water before boarding the TGV and zooming off to the French-German border.


We arrived in Strasbourg at just about 9am and at 9:30am we met our tour guide in front of the city's cathedral.

The cathedral was built in several different parts so it's made up of three different architectural styles: Romanesque, Gothic, and High Gothic.  It also has an enormous amount of stained glass and is very well-preserved.  

After leaving the cathedral, we went on a tour of the oldest part of the town, known as Petite France.  

Here, the canal's wind through the narrow cobblestone streets, houses are made of wooden beams and plaster, and flowers bloom in profusion in every window.  It was absolutely enchanting.

So much so that we decided to eat lunch there when we were given our "lunch break" around 11:30am.  

I have to say that this was probably the best meal I've had so far in France.  The server was strangely friendly and outgoing, the atmosphere was wonderful, and the food was to die for.  I ordered the formule, so my first course was a salad and munster cheese pastry:

My entree was a mixed grill with salad and frites: 

And my dessert was a to-die-for crème brûlée: 

After lunch we got onto a bus and drove about an hour south to a castle in the Vosges mountains.  The castle is known as Haut-Koenigsbourg and used to be a medieval castle, in use until about 1500.  In the Thirty Years War it was sieged and abandoned until 1900 when it was renovated to look mostly like it used to in the Middle Ages.

The best part about the castle though was the view from the top level.  From there you can see out for miles into the valley where small villages are nestled in between fields and vineyards.

On the drive back to Strasbourg we weaved through wine country instead of taking the highway.  Though we were speeding along rather briskly in the bus, I still managed to get some great pictures of the countryside.

When we arrived back in the city we stopped to pay a quick visit to both the European Parliament and the European Council, both parts of the European Union and located in Strasbourg.

Then we got back on the TGV and headed back to Paris.  We arrived in the city a bit after 9pm and then took a bus back to the Foyer.  I immediately took a shower and made dinner.  I'm currently uploading pictures, finishing my blog, and going to bed.  Today was exhausting.

Palais Garnier and a very hot day

Today began with classes at 9:30am.  We had french civilization (where I took an obscene amount of notes about the structure of the french government, and french literature, where I took one quick (but pointless) translation test then left.


We had about two hours of free time then so I made myself and ham and brie sandwich on a baguette I stole from breakfast, some grapes, Walker's shortbread, and orangina and sat down to watch The Phantom of the Opera on my laptop.


At 1:30pm, we got on the metro and headed over to the Opera house, otherwise known as Palais Garnier, for a guided tour.

I was thrilled to go back because the last time I was there I didn't get a chance to take many pictures, the ballet was much more interesting then.  This time we were given a tour of the public areas of the Palais Garnier.  Our guide showed us the entrance for season ticket holders, the chandelier, the auditorium, the hallways, the rotunda, and the foyer.

She even pointed out which box was specifically labelled as the Phantom's (aka box five).  On the subject of the Phantom, she dispelled the rumor that began with the play/musical/movie that the chandelier had ever crashed.  However she did say that there is a large aquifer just beneath the stage, which in the Phantom of the Opera is where he lurks, kidnaps innocent women to, attempts to murder hapless men, etc. 

After leaving our tour, we took a long (and boiling hot) bus ride back to the Foyer.  Today it was 90 degrees or so in Paris, which would be fine if we had air conditioning.  Unfortunately AC is rather rare in Paris so we're forced to suffer when it gets hot like this.  In an attempt to combat the heat we bought gelato on way home.  Addiction, addiction....


I spent the rest of the evening hanging out in a sports bra and shorts because it was so hot.  I made pasta for dinner and ate it in the TV room with the rest of my study abroad group while we watched Midnight in Paris.  We got excited when you could see some of the bars we go to frequently in the back of the screenshots.


After the movie ended I came back to my room and started watching Marie Antoinette.  I took a shower and am now about to finish my movie then go to bed.  5am will come very early tomorrow.

The Panthéon and le Pont Mirabeau

Today we had a later start, allowing me to sleep in for an extra hour or so.  By 10am, we were meeting just two blocks away in front of the Panthéon, the resting place of some of France's most brilliant and influential people.

The whole thing is a study is Neoclassicism with high arched domes, giant columns, and vast frescos covering the interior walls.

The crypt down below is the resting place of Voltaire, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Louis Braille, Alexandre Dumas, Émile Zola, Marie and Pierre Curie, and Victor Hugo, among others.

After leaving the crypt we went on a tour of the upper levels of the building in three levels.  The first was inside and looked down on the giant hall.

The next level was outside, below the colonnade.

And the top level was around the top level of the colonnade on top of the building.  From there you can see the entire city from every angle.  It's absolutely incredible.

After leaving the Panthéon, we hurried back to the Foyer for class, but our professor never showed up! After waiting for thirty minutes, we decided to call it quits and split up to get lunch, go do homework, or go relax before our next outing.

At 2pm our next outing began.  It was a trip to Pont Mirabeau, a bridge on the other side of the city with famous views of the Eiffel Tower and miniature Statue of Liberty.

Our outing didn't last long and we were soon on our way back to the 5th.  Immediately upon arriving back on Boulevard Saint-Michel, I went grocery shopping to pick up some grapes, pesto, orangina, and other essentials.  Once my things were settled back in the Foyer though, I was off again.

On my own I took a bus into the 6th and went to Saint-Sulpice, an old and famous church in the city known for a group of murals inside painted by Delacroix.  I tracked down the murals (they were absolutely incredible) then took a walk down a nearby side street where I purchased a Longchamp for myself.  Then, carrying my lovely new bag I strolled back home, enjoying the beautiful (if a little hot) weather.

I made pasta for dinner tonight then tried to skype my parents (unfortunately the bad connection didn't really allow us to get much talking in).  After that I studied a bit for a test tomorrow then took and shower, wrote my blog, and am now going to bed.

Paris: The Capitol City

Today was both a very long day, but also a very governmental day.  I was up at 7:30am and out the door by 8:45 to visit the French Senate, conveniently located less than a block away.  Le Sénat is housed in what used to be Marie de Medici's palace and the Luxembourg Gardens used to be the palace grounds.  Today the gardens are open to the public and the palace has been rebuilt and reconstructed into the French Senate building.

The inside of the building is absolutely beautiful.  It's full of red carpeting, gilt walls, and elaborate murals on the ceilings.  

There was so much red velvet in places that it almost felt a bit like an over-the-top bordello (not that I've ever been one, but TV tells me that's what they look like).  Fortunately the stateliness of the building saves it from appearing to be more unsavory.

The library was particularly impressive.  Though the library in the Assemblée Nationale was MUCH more impressive, I wasn't able to take pictures there.  So instead I can only show its slightly less impressive cousin located in the Sénat.

Apparently the libraries are reserved specifically for the députés (delegates) so that they can read up on science, history, law, medicine, or any other subject that comes up in their bills.  That's why the collections there are so extensive and so well-maintained.  It's a far cry from the United States where legislators are given elevator briefings on important topics by half-informed interns just before they go in to a vote.

The last thing we visited in the Senate building was l'escalier d'honneur, or the grand staircase.  It was positively huge with (of course) a scarlet red and bright gold runner going down the entire thing.  Very imposing.

After leaving the Sénat, we had a short break for lunch then had our first class of the day.  After suffering through a miserable hour and fifteen minutes of french literature, we escaped and were dragged off the the Assemblée Nationale.  The Assemblée Nationale is across town, so we took a bus and arrived just in time for our appointment.

This building reminded me of a slightly more luxurious Capitol Hill.  Inside it was all classical style columns, Greek and Roman statues, and glossy marble.  There were even ceilings painted by Delacroix and David.  The main meeting room wasn't quite as opulent as the Senate building, but it was still very impressive.

After leaving the Assemblée Nationale we had one last class (French History), which ended at 5:30pm. After enduring such a long day full of classes and trips to government buildings I decided I needed a bit of retail therapy so I went shopping at some of the stores in the quartier.  I didn't find anything in the way of clothes, but I did by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's famous children's book Le Petit Prince.  In french with the original illustrations of course.

On my way home after shopping I stopped into a bakery nearby to get dinner and ended up talking with the owner for a good fifteen minutes.  It turns out that he was a French professor in Paris before retiring and opening a bakery.  He corrected a few of my pronunciation mistakes and talked to me a little about french literature before another customer came in and I left.  Chances are I'll be going back since I got a vegetable quiche, pain viennoise (basically chocolate chip bread), and a soda from 5 euros, a fantastic price.

I spent the rest of my night catching up on True Blood and hanging out with friends here at the Foyer.  I'm going to go to bed soon because I'm pretty tired and today was quite a long day, but it was definitely a good experience and a very different look at Paris.

P.S. Happy Birthday Lexie!!!!

Cimetière du Père-Lachaise and the Tour de France

Yesterday was a beautiful Saturday.  I slept in, then got ready for the day at my leisure.  Around 12:30pm, four of us left the Foyer and got on a bus heading across the city.  We got a bit lost along the way and ended up walking quite a few blocks, then taking another bus, but we eventually got to Paris' largest and most famous cemetery: le Cimetière du Père-Lachaise.

As soon as we got there, we grabbed maps and circled the grave sites of the people we wanted to see, since the cemetery is positively massive at 110 acres.  Then we were off, wandering down cobblestone pathways that had been distorted and cracked by time and tree roots burrowing beneath them.  The pathways twist and turn, weaving and winding among the plots.  The cemetery has roads inside of it, all labelled to make it easier to navigate.  It was very old fashioned, and slightly eerie what with the sun frequently disappearing behind clouds, the wind whispering through the old trees, and crows cawing loudly every couple minutes.

Our first stop was at the cemetery's most famous and visited grave: Jim Morrison's.  Unfortunately, due the popularity of visiting his grave, the site has been cordoned off so that you can see it, but can't get close.  People have also graffitied heavily on the nearby tombs, headstones, and mausoleums, something that seems just a little too close to bad karma to me, but apparently it's quite the thing to do.

Despite this, the grave was still very well taken care of.  It's covered in flowers, has a picture of Jim, and various other mementos sitting nearby, indicating visits by fans, friends, and family.  Ironically. the smell of weed was also pretty strong around the gravesite.  I guess it's something of a pilgrimage for potheads to go see the grave of Jim Morrison and smoke a joint next to his remains.

After this, we walked a bit farther and finally reached our next stop: Edith Piaf's grave.  She's buried in a family plot between both her father and her daughter.

Our next stop was at Oscar Wilde's tomb.  Like Jim Morrison's his tomb has also been walled off, but for different reasons.  Apparently when you visit his grave you're supposed to wear red lipstick and kiss the tomb.  I have no idea why, but do to the vandalism of so much red lipstick, it's now cordoned off so you can't touch it.

We then wandered through the cemetery a bit more, seeing the Crematorium, the chapel, and the gardens.  When we left we took the metro back to the Latin Quarter and stopped for gelato on the way home.  Later that night, a group of us decided to go out for a bit so we went to a nearby bar and had a few drinks.  Madeline and I left around 12:30am, stopping on the way home for some delicious chicken McNuggets.  I finally broke down.  And I have so say that I'm glad I did.  They were much better than any McNuggets I've ever had in the states.


This morning I slept in again (the upcoming week looks to be quite busy so I'll need my rest).  Around 11:30am I went to get lunch, then sat up on the terrace to eat it outside and enjoy the sunshine and the beautiful view of the city.


Around 1:30pm, a large group of us got onto the metro and headed down to Place de la Concorde to go see the Tour de France.  We were under the impression that the race ended around 2:30 in Paris, so we thought it'd be fun to go see.  Wrong.  It ended around 6:30, and we were not willing to wait hours in the hot sun just to see a few people go by on bikes.

By 3:30ish, we decided to leave and head back to the Latin Quarter.  We got gelato along the way (this is becoming a bit of an addiction) then hung out for little while before deciding to go for a walk in the Luxembourg Gardens.  We wandered around the gardens for awhile, enjoying the beautiful day, then headed back to the Foyer to finally buckle down and do some homework.  I spent the rest of the day doing homework, eating dinner, and finally, getting ready for bed.