My favorite things....

I had grand plans for documenting this Paris trip. I wrote down everything that we did throughout the week so that I could write about it later. Looking back, I'm not even sure I believe all of it! However, I'm coming to realize that half of my blog posts are dedicated to a city in which I spent a week. Clearly, I love Paris. But, at this point, there are so many Italy stories that have gone untold, that its time I curb some of my enthusiasm for La France, lest these posts become a novel. So to wrap things up, here are a few of my favorite memories:

The Eiffel Tower

Though I never actually made it to the top of the Eiffel Tower, I saw a lot of it during my time in Paris. The most memorable glimpses were on the boat and at sunset. At the time of our visit, there was a traveling exhibit of bears representing all the countries of the world. I had a lot of fun looking at them. 

Democratic Republic of the Congo bear.

USA!

In French class, we learned that the Parisians hated Gustav's Tower when it was first built. Apparently, they thought it was just an ugly piece of metal that dominated the skyline of their beautiful city. After seeing the Eiffel Tower during the day, I've become a bit more sympathetic to their complaint. However, there is something truly magical about seeing it at sunset or night. Pictures just don't do it justice!

Musée D'Orsay

I've always loved impressionism, both in art and music. Therefore, I was thrilled with the prospect of seeing many of my favorite works up close and personal. Musée D'Orsay certainly did not disappoint! I was able to discover some artists whose works I had never seen before, as well as see Impressionist sculpture for the first time. 

A clock inside Musée D'Orsay.

Food

Let the truth be told: I am a foodie. I have always loved good food, and traveling both in Italy and France has only strengthened these feelings. While in Paris, we took full advantage of the fact that the French know how to do bread and pastries. There was a small pastry shop just outside of the apartment where we were staying, so we went every morning to grab a delicious Choco Suisse for breakfast. We also consumed so many baguettes during the course of the week, that I lost count. We were able to eat very well and very cheaply throughout the week, but we wanted to treat ourselves to one great meal while we were in Paris, so we got all dressed up and went to a restaurant that a friend recommended. I felt as though I were at Babbette's feast. Each course seemed to be better than the one before it, and we finished it all with crème brûlée. I don't think I've ever eaten so much in my life.  

This pretty much speaks for itself.

Friends

I am fully aware of how absolutely corny this is, but this experience would not have been the same without such great friends. I was a little worried about traveling with 7 other people. Would we all get along? Where would we stay? Would we feel obliged to stay together the whole week? All of these questions were floating through my mind before we left for the trip. During the planning process, I found myself wishing that I had just gone off and traveled alone. However, I can honestly say that the group of us were much better friends after we returned from the trip. I don't know why, but was expecting the exact opposite to be true. Spending time with these people filled me with joy, and I am so grateful for the experience.

On the way to Amboise, we found a castle

 
I love Paris, but the by Thursday, I was craving some countryside. Luckily, the beautiful French countryside is just a short train ride from Paris. After browsing google images of nearby towns, we decided that Amboise would be a nice destination. By this point, we had become a bit over confident in our travel abilities, and we flew a little too close to the sun on this one. For some reason, in the midst all those image searches, we never thought to buy our train tickets, much less figure out which station we needed to leave from. By the time we figured out which station we needed to go to, we had missed the train to Amboise. We were still determined to see some countryside though, so we scrolled through the train schedules until I found something familiar. Fontainebleau. I remembered reading something about it. A few clicks and credit card swipes later, we were off. And we didn't have a clue what to do once we got there.

A guest bedroom.

The library. Probably my favorite part of the castle.

The last original throne room in all of France!

When we arrived in Fontainebleau we followed some a group of tourists on a bus whose destination read “Castello.” I promise it wasn't as sketchy as it sounds. Sure enough, there was a beautiful castle just waiting to be explored. Unlike Versailles, there were few tourists on the castle grounds. I enjoyed getting the chance to wander through the house and take pictures to my heart's content. 

A television shooting. Apparently the grounds of Fontainebleau are the set for a popular French show.

We later learned that Fontainebleau is a major destination for serious boulderers. This is because the the castle is surrounded by the king's former hunting grounds. Oak groves and flower gardens stretched as far as the eyes could see. It was a beautiful way to spend a day with good friends!

Pont Neuf

Tuesday night was our last night as a large group, so after dinner, we decided to try and take a boat ride down the Seine. We arrived at Pont Neuf just minutes before the boat was scheduled to leave, and rushed to the upper level of the boat to find some seats. The boat ride was a very memorable way to end our last night as a large group. As cliché as it sounds, there is something truly magical about seeing the Eiffel Tower at night. In fact, I'm convinced that some of the most spectacular views of the city can be seen from the Seine. 

Our boat passed by the Eiffel Tower just as the light show was starting.

Notre Dame at night.

Roughing it in Versailles

With the prospect of some sunny weather, we decided that this was our chance to explore Versailles. We caught the (very) early train which took us to the center of suburban Versailles. After a quick coffee pitstop to awake us from our sleep deprived stupor, we were ready to take on Versailles. 

Entrance to Versailles.

Hall of Mirrors.

Versailles is famous for its colossal palace which was occupied by the French royal family. What I didn't know is that just behind the palace are acres of perfectly manicured gardens, as well as the royal family's humble summer “home.” 

One of many beautiful ceilings in Versailles.

Sculpture corridor.

Touring the palace gave me a lot of insight into French culture during the time of Louis XIV. I don't think I have ever seen anything quite so lavish as the king's private chambers. There was even a “viewing section” in his room where people could pay to watch the king fall asleep and wake up every day. I got the sense that Louis took his role as the Sun King very seriously. 

Our first view of the gardens.

The palace from afar.

After touring the palace, we walked through the royal gardens. Every shrub and tree was perfectly maintained and looked as though it might not be real. The fountains were equally incredible, as were the sculptures that stood along the major paths through the garden. After walking deeper into the garden, we came across an oak orchard where we got some serious looks of judgements by Versailles' more cultured visitors after we ran through the leaves (I guess you're supposed to stay on the path).

Next on the tour was the summer palace of Versailles. You see, living in Versailles is far too stressful, and having a summer palace gave the royal family a place where they could actually relax. This way, they didn't have to deal with the all their servants and the people bringing them gifts. Much, much too stressful. I don't know how they dealt with it!

The summer palace.

A room in the summer palace.

And with this beautiful sunset, we said 'Au revoir' to Versailles.