After Strasbourg I went to Paris! I had a two day metro pass, so I rode the metro to my hotel to check-in, running over many a french toe with my suitcase along the way. It had been a long day, so I had every intention of taking a shower before I took over Paris. When I got to my hotel, my room wasn't ready, so...bummer.
Once I was showered and rested or as they saw in Paris...le rested, I headed out. I was originally going to go to the champs elysees first and sing this song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAMuNfs89yE
At the top of my lungs.
BUT on the metro I saw the stop for the Notre Dame, and just got too excited so I hopped right off. I got there right as the bells were ringing. I then sang this song:
(not at the top of my lungs)
After that, I walked over to the champs Elysees and saw many fun things along the way. I saw Saint Chapelle, Place de la Concorde, Arc du Triomphe...
I also treated myself to a nutella and banana crepe.
The fashionista in me giddily walked down Avenue Montaigne where all the really huge names are. I even saw the headquarters of one of my favorite couture designers. I took pictures, but then scurried away when the stores guards glared at me.
Then, in the distance I saw it. I saw the eiffel tower! It was just so surreal. I don't think it hit me that I was in PARIS till I saw it. But I walked around the tower and ate dinner waiting for the light show.
It was then that I headed back to the hotel, but not before my metro pass stopped working. So I wondered if it was just a bad station (I know, its illogical). So I walked to the next station (2 minute walk), and I said "God, if you could help me get to my hotel." And I walked down the steps, and this station was having a computer problem, so all of the gates were open just to walk through. Thank you God.
The next day, I head to the louvre first off. Now, you may say that it is dumb that I just spent a month studying Renaissance art in the Birthplace of the Renaissance, why oh why would I head to the Renaissance paintings first? But it was just the perfect extension to my studies, because there were so many pieces that we studied, that I couldn't see because they were in Paris (or London, Ill get to that later). I did get to see the Mona Lisa, but there were other pieces that I was audibly giddy about seeing. I may have gotten some funny stares but I got to round off the pieces I have seen by Ghirlandaio (the man on whom i focused for my final paper in art class) who had five or six pieces at the louvre.
After the louvre I got together a picnic and enjoyed a lovely afternoon in the Tuileries. Annnnd I sang this song:
(Screaming at the top of my lungs...ok maybe not)
After my picnic, and singing time, I headed to the luxemborg gardens. On the way I saw lots of important things, one of the minor things being the headquarters for my glasses designer. I went in to maybe snag for serial numbers, or just to see how different their selection is in Europe. I found some frames that I really liked, and when I asked the woman if I could write the item number down to order them in America, she replied to me "Oh, these are our designs, you cannot get our designs in America."
umm...I think you can because they are resting ON MY FACE!
Anyway, I got the number and was on my way. But the gardens were Bee-a-yooo-tiful. Idiot that I am, left my camera in the hotel room. There was even a Medici fountain. The Medici family was the most powerful family in Florence Italy, and is the reason for a good portion of the Renaissance art. It was like one last little goodbye for Florence.
Afterwards I decided to walk back to the hotel, which ended up being a half hour walk. But it was a nice way to wind up the day, and subsequently, Paris. I got dinner in my hotel's neighborhood which was really cool. The hotel was surrounded by boulangeries (pastry shops), so every morning it was a task to figure out which place was making the street smell the best.
Paris was wonderful, but it was time to move on.
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