An American In Paris

Bonjour! This past weekend I took my first weekend journey and I seriously cannot think of a better place to have spent it than Paris.  Ever since freshman year of high school and French I class I have wanted to visit France and experience the amazing culture.

I departed from London on Thursday night with my roommate Catherine and friends Brittanee and Miranda.  We journeyed to the King's Cross/St. Pancras International Rail Station on the Tube grabbing dinner to eat on the train and exchanging some money along the way.  Our Eurostar train left from London at around 8:00pm and traveled through the Chunnel, which is an underwater tunnel which runs beneath the English Channel.  In a little over two hours we were in Paris at the Gare du Nord! This route is an amazing concept and definitely one of the coolest ways I have ever traveled.

Once we arrived in Paris we took the Metro to the Crimée stop which was close to our hostel, St. Christopher's Paris Hostel.  Although it was first hostel I have stayed in so I do not have much to compare it to, I thought that it was very nice. It had a modern exterior, clean facilities, a bar, and a room to hang out in on the main floor. We stayed in a 12 person room and we each had a bed with a curtain and a lockable drawer to put our things in.  Because of the long journey we were very hungry and in need of a snack.  After we settled in, we walked to a small convenience store down street and picked up biscuits, Nutella, and huge bottles of water. Back at the hostel we chose to sit in the "chill-out room" at a table to enjoy our snack and take in the hostel environment.  There were people from all over the world hanging out just relaxing for the evening.  An Australian guy came over to our table and introduced himself.  He was 20 years old and a personal trainer from Melbourne. It was fun hearing stories about his travels and how he had celebrated Australia Day earlier in the week.  After chatting with him and some of his fellow Aussie's, we headed up to bed.

In the morning, we woke up, showered, and prepared for the day.  Our hostel served a simple breakfast of cereal, French bread, Nutella-like product, jam, espresso, and orange juice each morning.  We appreciated the strong coffee and snack to get us going after a short night of sleep. Following a quick consultation at the front desk to get directions to the Eiffel Tower, we headed out to the Stalingrad Metro stop.  In no time at all we were exiting the Metro to the magnificent sight of the Arc de Triomphe. First, we headed to the tunnel leading underneath the huge roundabout surrounding the monument so that we could reach the site.  At the base of the monument we saw the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  We then decided to take the hike up to the top of the Arc to see what we had heard was one of the best views of the city.  I am so glad that we decided to walk up the spiral stairs because the view was definitely worth every penny!  Most people want to take the elevator up the Eiffel Tower, but the view from the Arc de Triomphe is better because then you can see the Eiffel Tower in your view.  It was truly spectacular and a great way to start our day.

Catherine, Me, and Miranda in front of the Arc de Triomphe

View of the Eiffel Tower the top of the Arc de Triomphe

Descending the stairs of the Arc, we determined that we would next take a stroll down the Champs-Élysées.  This is a main tree-lined thoroughfare in Paris that is filled with stores galore.  It leads from the Arc de Triomphe to the Tuileries and the Louvre.  We stopped in some stores along the way and took a break to eat at a cute little cafe called Le Ponthieau Café.  I had the most delicious quiche that I had ever had in my life.  It had a buttery flaky crust, cheesy eggs, and a beef filling that was to die for. Down the street from the restaurant was a little chocolate shop.  We went in to marvel at the array of chocolate products and to purchase some biscuits dipped in chocolate for dessert.

Next, we headed to the Musée D'Orsay which is just south of the Seine River from the Tuileries.  This museum is located in an old train station and houses masterpieces by the great Impressionist and Post-Impressionist artists as well as many French artists.  From learning about this museum in high school French, I knew that it was one I didn't want to miss.  Featuring Van Gogh, Dégas, Renoir, and Monet in a building that is so spacious and unique was spectacular.  It was by far my favorite museum that I have seen so far while abroad.

Me with the reproduction of Van Gogh's Self Portrait. I saw the original painting inside the museum.

The feel of this museum was so unique because it used to be a train station.

Dégas's Danseuses en Bleu. This was my favorite painting in the museum and I purchased a print of it in the gift shop.

Dégas's Petite Danseuse de Quatorze Ans was my favorite statue.

Leaving the Musée D'Orsay, we headed to the Musée Rodin.  There we got to see many famous statues of Rodin's including The Thinker. We walked around the museum enjoying the views of the gardens and loving the small estate building in which most of the works were contained.

The Thinker

Directly next door to the Rodin Museum was the Hôtel des Invalides and next we went to check it out.  Unfortunately because we arrived close to closing time, we had to postpone our visit inside until Sunday.  Being tired we headed back to the hostel to refresh before dinner. Leaving the Crimée station we noticed a small pâtisserie with a line out the door.  We figured that it was about time that we had our first official french croissant.  They were so fresh, buttery, and tasty.

Wanting to stick close to the hostel for dinner, we went to a restaurant called the O'Kay Restaurant.  It was a cute little family-owned place overlooking the Canal.  It's menu was entirely in French and we had fun translating all of the possible choices.  In the end we all ordered omelets and then shared a bottle of wine and a Nutella crêpe for dessert.  The food was delicious and atmosphere was great. 

To end the evening we headed to Montmartre to see the Moulin Rouge lit up in its famous red lights and to check out an Australian bar that was recommended by the hostel.  We had fun snapping photos in front of the windmill on top of a gate that was blowing hot air.  Many passers-by laughed as we had a fabulous time. 

The Moulin Rouge

Our second morning began with breakfast at the hostel and a quick planning session.  Before long we set off for the Louvre.  The first sight of the Louvre was one of those truly "wow" moments!  It is such a large building and has a beautiful façade detailed with sculptures.  We walked to the courtyard with the famous glass pyramids and waited in line to enter the museum. 

In front of the Glass Pyramid's of the Louvre

Once inside we took a quick look at the baffling map detailing all of the different exhibits and halls.  The sheer size of this museum is amazing!  We decided that there was no better way to begin our visit than to go see La Jaconde or the Mona Lisa.  Weaving our way through the crowds of visitors we finally found the room that contains the most famous painting in the world.  On first sight I was very impressed!  I had heard from numerous people that the painting was a lot smaller and underwhelming than they thought it would be.  Because of this I was pleasantly surprised to see that it wasn't that small of a painting. 

La Jaconde

Although I loved seeing the Mona Lisa, I have to admit that it was by far not the most impressive painting in the museum.  There were many pieces that were far more impressive in scale and detail.  For instance I really enjoyed seeing Giovanni Paolo Pannini's painting Fête Musicale Donné par le Cardinal de La Rochefoucauld au Théâtre and the statue La Vénus de Milo.

La Vénus de Milo

One of my favorite parts of the museum was seeing the apartments of Napoleon III.  They were so stately and decked out with gorgeous chandeliers, lush fabric, and gilded decorations. 

Dining Room in Napoleon III's rooms

What was so spectacular about the Louvre overall was the beautifully decorated halls.  With high vaulted ceilings and rich colors adorning the walls, it was a setting only worthy of holding some of the world's artistic masterpieces. C'était magnifique!

Spending the morning at the museum left us starving for our next taste of french cuisine, so we headed to a small café called Les Délices de Manon which had a wide selection of entrees and pastries.  I had the Quiche Lorraine, tasty baguette rolls, and a chocolate eclair.  In France the chocolate eclairs have chocolate filling as well as chocolate frosting.  They were so much better than any I'd tried in the US. Following lunch Catherine, Brittanee, and I headed off towards Notre Dame.  Along the way we stopped in a variety of souvenir shops near the Louvre.  Even though each store carried nearly identical products we were just as excited for each new shop as the one before it.

After locating the Îsle de la Cité, we found Notre Dame just as the bells were beginning to ring.  Such fabulous timing!  We made our way inside to observe the spectacular stained glass and Gothic architecture.  The cathedral was remarkable inside and out and I am so glad that I got to see it in person.

Me in front of Notre Dame

Crossing the Seine again, we entered the Quartier Latin which is known for its quaint street cafés and vibrant energy. It was then that we stumbled upon one of the best finds of the trip: St. Michel's Crêperie.  I remember from high school french that Madame Bougie and Madame Reyes told us that the best crêpes in Paris were sold by street vendors and so I was very excited to find this little stand that sold made-to-order crêpes.  We each had Nutella crêpes and we determined that they were the absolute best crêpes any of us had tried.

Brittanee and me enjoying our crêpes

Next, we headed to the Eiffel Tower to see it up close.  After sun down, the tower is lit up and every once in a while it will start flashing whites lights.  This gives it a twinkling, whimsical effect.  It was so astounding to see La Tour Eiffel from the base.  It is one of the world's most well recognized icons and it is incredible because of its vast size and design.

La Tour Eiffel

Because of the freezing temperature and gusts of wind coming off of the Seine, we started the journey towards Champs-Élysées to find some place to warm up and get dinner.  We found a small bar on a side street and ordered le vin chaud or warm wine.  It felt great to be sitting in a toasty bar after the chilly walk.  Continuing on, we found a restaurant called Le Président which served many french classics.  I ordered Bœuf Bourguignon, a traditional beef stew with carrots, potatoes, and a rich wine sauce. The dish was so comforting and delectable.  I will have to suggest the dish to my mom for a recipe to try at home because I know that it is something both my parents would enjoy.

Exhausted from the busy day of walking we headed back to the hostel.  On the Metro ride home we decided to pool our euros to purchase a variety of desserts from the pâtisserie.  We selected a chocolaty ganache cake, vanilla pastry with whipped cream and almonds, strawberry and cream cake, and a chocolate cream puff to take back to the hostel with us.  All of them were so great it is hard to say which was the favorite.

On Sunday morning we packed up all of our things and left our bags in the luggage storage area downstairs before heading out for the day. Our day began at the Bastille.  We were not 100% sure what we would find there, but thought that we would check out the area known for the beginning of the French Revolution.  To our surprise there was a street market going on and we walked through aisle after aisle of produce, fresh fish, bread, jewelry, and clothing.  It was so quintessentially french that we couldn't help but enjoy ourselves. We tried our hands at haggling and got a good deal on scarves and hats.

After exploring the area around the market and getting a little turned around on the side streets we headed towards the east and the Quartier Latin once again for lunch.  We found a restaurant that served many savory crêpes and enjoyed des crêpes avec jambon, fromage, et œufs (ham, cheese, and eggs).  Yum!  Craving something sweet, we couldn't help but head back to St. Michel's for a second Nutella crêpe.

Our final destination was the Hôtel des Invalides and the Musée de l'Armée.  Once inside, our first stop was seeing the tomb of Napoleon I.  It was found in this huge memorial-chapel which had a beautiful domed ceiling. The sun shining through the stained glass windows provided a bright light upon the tomb.

Napoleon I's tomb

Next we headed to the World War I and II Exhibit.  This was the coolest war museum I have been to.  It laid out the history of both wars in chronological order, displaying hundreds of uniforms, weapons, and historic posters and photographs. The multitude of artifacts and videos made it extremely interesting.  We ended our visit by viewing the section of the museum on the era from Louis XIV to Napoleon III.

We headed back to the hostel to collect our things and regroup before returning to Gare du Nord for our train back to London.  Overall, this trip exceeded every expectation that I had for it.  I got to practice up on my French language skills, try some of the best food I ever have eaten, and see the most amazing art and monuments in the world. It doesn't get much better than that.

Paris, je t'aime.