París & World Cup Champions

Photos

1. View from a bridge in Paris

2. Zeus - my new man

3. In front of the Louvre

4. Mona Lisa

5. Eiffel Tower


13 de Julio

I had a 3 day long dream in Paris this past weekend consisting of seeing the Mono Lisa, the Eiffel Tower, a prayer in Notre Dame, and a night boat tour of the city. The cuisine was delicious as we savored the immense flavor and small portions of a Parisian appetite. Everyone we encountered spoke at least a small bit of English and was personable and of good humor - the stereotype of rude Parisians is incorrect. Further, I believe anyone in the tourist industry here spoke at least three languages – impressive.

I did not realize how little about the French culture I knew until I arrived. I knew only three words – hello, thank you, and my name is Kristin. The latter never came in handy and the most common phrase of the weekend turned out being, “Do you speak English?” I did not know what time they ate dinner here nor the culture of how often they say excuse me or thank you. I want to learn a bit of their language and culture before I revisit, even though the experience could not have gone more smoothly for a 72-hour trip.

Now, how the weekend unfolded:

After booking a second flight out of Madrid into Charles De Gaulle, I arrived in the romantic city around 9:30am. With help from Saint Anthony (Saint of helping you find things), I saw Brice meandering by the flight arrivals board as I walked out of my terminal. When we saw each other, we didn’t know if appropriate to run or walk; we resulted to a quick gallop of excitement, as we were both in the same country for the first time in almost two months.

We then proceeded to the information desk where the lady spoke broken English. She directed us to a bus taking us into the city – one-hour wait, one-hour ride. We then had our first French meal at a local restaurant not filled with many tourists. We both went healthy with a chicken salad topped with light vinaigrette. After lunch, walked around Paris and found our way at the Louvre.

LOUVRE

When I first saw the famous triangle, greenhouse, contraption in the middle of the Louvre Square, I squealed. I wanted to be a character in the Da Vinci Code… To our delight, the museum was free after 6:00pm for anyone under 26 years old. Yay for saving 9 Euros, especially when a cup of coffee costs at least 3. We saw the Mono Lisa, The Code of Hummurabi, the famous armless statue of Aphrodite, and a painting that was on my first diary. The diary painting was found by chance and completed my trip to the Louvre on a great note. As we were leaving, we saw an Egyptian exhibit giving me a stronger desire to remember everything I learned in history class.

We spent about three hours viewing a museum that could take two weeks to explore. The museum is at least three stories high and shaped in a horseshoe with different wings of the building dedicated to a certain style or culture. We found that it was easy to get lost as we became great friends with the green light up signs on the wall with arrows pointing to the closest exit. I promise one of these signs pointed into a wall with no stairs or doorway. We did find fresh air, finally.

EIFFEL TOWER

After the Louvre, we took a short walk over the river to an al fresco style restaurant. We looked back over the river and people watched as we enjoyed a glass of wine and a nice dinner. Having extra energy, we took the thirty-minute hike to the Eiffel Tower at dusk. The tower lights up at night and flashes at every hour. I don’t think I ever realized that I was actually at the Eiffel Tower in Paris until I arrived back in Spain. We took pictures and considered taking an elevator up but decided against it. Maybe one day I’ll make it back and explore a bit more.

As we were leaving, someone handed me a rose and waited for my reaction. As I said thank you, the guy quickly turned to Brice asking for 2 Euros… these people are smart. You would have to be very stingy to make your happy Eiffel Tower partner give back her rose. The rest of the night Brice interjected with a quick mom-hand in front of me as anyone approached me with some type of “gift”. J

BUS TOUR

The next morning we bought a full day bus tour pass around Paris allowing us to ride around the city and get off and sightsee at any location we pleased. We began the tour with a view of the gardens near the Louvre. People were napping, enjoying lunch, and taking in the atmosphere in every direction. After I took one picture of a statue in the garden, my camera broke. The pictures for the rest of the trip will be found on Brice’s Facebook page.

Our next stop was Notre Dame, the gigantic gothic style cathedral built over 800 years ago. Entrance was free but the line stretched over 200 people long, yet it moved quickly. I had the pleasure of saying a prayer once inside in addition to admiring the stained glass, high arches, and the sanctuary. Some people lit candles in memory of loved ones for 2 euros and other climbed the top of the building to see a view of the city. We didn’t realize the roof option until we left and were eating sandwiches in the patio next to the cathedral.

Our final stop was the Arc de Triomphe and Paris’ most famous avenue, Champs-Élysées. We walked the streets admiring the over priced stores and crowed cafés and ended our journey at the Arc, which is the located in the middle of roundabout. The only way to reach the arc is through the underground metro or walkway. In 1806, Napoleon commissioned the construction of the arc in memory of the French Army. It is gigantic and beautiful!

After our full day of travels and a bit of rain, we enjoyed dinner at a truly authentic French restaurant. We were one of two tables occupied and the other group knew the owners. Our waiter only spoke a small amount of English and we proceeded to order by pointing at our menu. This was the best meal I have had since being in Europe. The portions were small, but the food exquisite. We had chicken, rice, and vegetables. I have never tasted the flavor that was on the chicken but I could definitely go back again. If I ever return to Paris, I will be sure to return. With our check, they not only brought us a business card but also homemade muffins in the shape of cookies with small marshmallows covered with pink sugar.

We then hurried from the restaurant to make it to the river in time for a night boat tour of the city. We used the very efficient metro, and arrived at the river ten minutes before embarking. The sites were beautiful as we saw the city illuminated at night including the sites of Notre Dame, the Eiffel tower, at least 22 bridges, and the nightlife of Paris. We went under the “most romantic” bridge in Spain were everyone was told to kiss their significant other. What fun! Ten minutes into the ride, a proposal took place behind us. The ring was beautiful and the girl was beside herself the rest of the trip. All of her friends and family had joined them on this trip and were giddy for a few minutes.

FAREWELL

The next morning we stopped at a local café on the way to the bus stop. We ordered a cup of coffee and ham & cheese warm sandwiches. It came out as a ham sandwich with melted cheese on top. I have noticed this is the style here in many places. I must say I turned the top piece over and ate it the American way. After breakfast, we made it to the bus stop just as a bus arrived. We were glad to not wait after the experience coming into town. Our flights left out of two different terminals and thus had separate security stations. The happy ending took place in the romantic city as I headed on a plane to Madrid and Brice back to Austria. I feel extremely blessed to have had this opportunity to be in Paris for a weekend, but three days is not sufficient. When will I return? My bucket list is only growing with every trip I take.