This weekend was my first Europe trip–and what better place is there to go than Paris? (Sidenote: There are so many Paris puns that picking the title of this post was quite a struggle). It was a fairly last-minute trip when I decided that I would love to travel this weekend, and my friends Tori and Adam said that they would be in Paris and would show me around!
I flew with my roommate Jill and we left Thursday night as soon as my class was over, and got to the dorm where Tori and other Emory girls were staying late at night.
I flew with my roommate Jill and we left Thursday night as soon as my class was over, and got to the dorm where Tori and other Emory girls were staying late at night.
My first meal in Paris on Friday morning was this croissant in the picture, which was probably the best thing I've ever eaten. Photo credits go to Tori for capturing me taking a photo of it as we sat near the Seine!
We got them at a Patisserie nearby and ate overlooking the Seine, near the (former) love lock bridge. (If you haven't heard, it was crumbling so they had to take all of the locks off this past year!). All of the railings nearby, though seemed to be taking its place as everyone put locks wherever they liked:
After a walk along the river area, we made our way through Paris. Almost everything in this district seemed to be a monument (but we really weren't sure what half of them were). One building, the Hotel de Ville, was where Robespierre shot himself before being arrested during the Commune government. I'm obsessed with French history, especially Marie Antoinette and the Revolution, so all of this was very exciting! And unlike Rome, these buildings are for the most part all still standing :) I did feel, however, like my European history class was a very long time ago, and I need to brush up on some of it!
Eventually, our walk ended up in the Jewish quarter of Paris. It was interesting to see the French synagogues were very well protected by armed soldiers, and even the preschool children were being escorted through the streets. One corner was full of four or five different falafel places, and of course we had to try what's been called the best in Paris–sadly I don't remember the name! We had to wait about 30 minutes for a table but it was SO worth it. Also, after only eating pizza and pasta in Italy I was more than happy to have something different!
After lunch, we took the metro to the Museum of Arms (Musée de l'Armée) which was a huge building that used to be on the edge of Paris. This museum contains information about all of the wars France has fought in, from its earliest fuedal days to World War II. We looked through the Louis XIV and French Revolution parts, as well as the history of Napoleon's conquests. They had knight's armour and the armor that Kings wore from the time they were boys until their wars as well. As any good European museum would, they also had paintings (See below for selfie with Napoleon).
The biggest attraction of the museum is Napoleon's tomb, which is a separate dome in the back of the building. Although he died in exile in Elba, he was brought back here once the French public opinion of him became more positive. It was definitely magnificent enough to match who was buried there! Sidenote: I feel like everywhere I go, I end up looking up/ taking pictures of the ceiling, and it was no exception here.
The biggest attraction of the museum is Napoleon's tomb, which is a separate dome in the back of the building. Although he died in exile in Elba, he was brought back here once the French public opinion of him became more positive. It was definitely magnificent enough to match who was buried there! Sidenote: I feel like everywhere I go, I end up looking up/ taking pictures of the ceiling, and it was no exception here.
The museum was near Pont Alexandre III, which is one of the most ornately decorated bridges in Paris. Even though it was cloudy and about to rain, the view was fantastic and you could almost see down to the Arc de Triomphe.
Afterwards, we went back to get ready for dinner and ate near the Eiffel Tower. We finished around 11:30 and went to see the tower at midnight. It was so much bigger than I had ever imagined, and seeing it at night was so magical. We also were there to see it sparkle on the hour! That was the moment when it really became real that I was in Paris, and we spent a good hour enjoying the view in the Eiffel park. It was packed, and everyone seemed to be having a great time. The gypsies were pretty smart–they were going around trying to sell wine and champagne to everyone enjoying the view and the night.
In true French fashion, we stayed out afterwards until 2 eating crepes at a little cafe after a really long day.
Day 2
We slept in a little bit after our busy first day, and then took a friend's recommendation to go to a classic American breakfast place (food you also can't find in Rome!). It was called Eggs and Co, and trust me the eggs were a welcome sight! The place was on a small side street near Tori's school, and seating was upstairs in a building that was clearly very old and very Parisian.
The big trip of the day was to the Louvre, because no trip is complete without it! I had known that the glass pyramid is an infamous part of the museum, but didn't realize the extent of the building. The entire structure was so magnificent, and then on top of that the art on the walls was amazing! While I assumed they simply built a museum, it was previously the King's palace before Versailles was built.
The inside was HUGE, and although we spent four hours there we only got through very little (and got very lost as well). We were able to go in a "secret" side entrance that bypassed the line at the pyramid, and got us in near the Mona Lisa. We went there first because it would get very crowded. I was surprised–I've always been told how small the painting is in person so it was actually a lot bigger than I thought it would be! We also Italian Art, Greek statues, Egyptian sarcophaguses, and finished with Delacroix from the French Revolution. After the art, there were some rooms that were from Marie Antoinette and Louis XIV's time.
After hours in the Louvre, it was definitely time for a snack and I wanted some real French macaroons. We went to Laduree and waited on line for possibly the best macaroons I've ever had (which also might be biased because it was the best place to eat them!)
On the way back, we went by Notre Dame, which it started to rain. Cue references to Midnight in Paris, and Paris being "more beautiful in the rain".
For dinner, we met up with all 6 Emory girls studying abroad in Paris, and then went out in a cool neighborhood of Paris. Of course, the night ended with some crepes! The next morning, we woke up early enough for a walk through the park for one last croissant before I left Paris. Needless to say, I fell in love with the city and can't wait to go back again someday (hopefully) soon!
Ciao,
Alyssa
(Phewph, that was a long post. Major props for making it this far).
Ciao,
Alyssa
(Phewph, that was a long post. Major props for making it this far).