Tuesday, November 3, 2009 I am tempted to leave my last post as the official “fall break in Paris” post because the one sentence sums up my sentiments pretty accurately. But, I do want a record of the most surreal 5 days of time abroad, so here’s the long version for anyone interested:
Thursday:
After a midterm in the class about the Black Plague that has yet to discuss the Black Plague, I ran back to the apartment to organize myself before catching the 1:20 bus to Pisa Airport. My flight did not leave until after 7 and, by the time I took the sketchy Ryanair shuttle bus from the Beauvais Airport in the boonies to the center of Paris, it was after 11. I stepped off the bus unsure as of where to turn next when I saw three familiar figures walking towards me and was accosted by Tasha.
Will, Andy, Tash, and I headed to our hotel in Montmartre, dropped off our bags, and bought our first outrageously priced French drinks which we nursed, huddled under the space heater outside.
Friday:
The crew woke early and headed down to Notre Dame where I finally saw the famous rose window in person. It was a cold, hazy, and drizzly morning but we still waited in line to climb the narrow, spiral staircase to the bell tower where we got out first look at the whole city (even though the fog limited our view).
We walked away from the cathedral in an attempt to find a reasonably priced lunch and I had my first savory crepe (the thin pancakes quickly became my preferred French cuisine). At 1:00, we met our “New Europe” tour guide who took us on a 3 ½ hour free walking tour through Paris. Around five, we sauntered down the Champs Elysees and walked along the Arc de Triomphe before heading back to the Latin Quarter for the very French dinner of Greek Kabobs.
We bought a few bottles of wine, went back to the hotel, and toasted to a Freeman reunion in Paris. Cheers (to the?) governor!
Saturday:
We woke to blue skies and comparatively warm weather— perfect for exploring the Montmartre area near our hotel, Sacre Coeur, and Moulin Rouge. We bought baguettes, cheese, and fruit and picnicked in the sunshine. As it grew colder, we headed to the metro that took us out of the city and to Versailles. For the most part, I found the palace’s extravagant, ornate rooms to be gaudy and a bit ridiculous, but the overdone decor didn’t detract from its impressiveness. I did love the Hall of Mirrors and the gardens were remarkable; we sat by the water almost until close.
Around six, we headed back into the city and waited in line for over an hour to take the cattle-car elevator ride up the Eiffel Tower. Though it was cold and foggy, the city view was still phenomenal and the fact that I was overlooking Paris with three great friends was a dreamlike experience. Back at the bottom, we booked it to the Latin Quarter where we treated ourselves to real French cuisine at a sit down restaurant. Famished and cold, we took advantage of the “10 euro” menu and inhaled three courses. The night ended with several hours of wandering the streets and repeating, once again, just how surreal the night was.
Sunday:
The first Sunday of the month is a great time to visit Paris because every museum is free. Thanks to a great tip from our tour guide on Friday, we found a back entrance to the Louvre and got into the museum in a matter of minutes. Of course, we found the “Mona Lisa” which was almost impossible to see due to the hundreds of tourists clicking away with their cameras and ignoring the various other impressive works of Leonardo da Vinci on the other side of the room. Next, we headed to the Venus di Milo to complete our list of Louvre “must-sees.” I was excited when we saw “The Raft of the Medusa” and “Liberty Leading the People” and our nerdy little group made sure to document our finds. But the frustrations of an overwhelmingly large museum exacerbated by a mob of thousands of rowdy tourists made the Louvre rather unappealing and we were all happy to make our way out of the maze and back onto the streets.
After wandering in the rain for an unreasonable amount of time, we quickly learned that cheap crepe stands are everywhere, until you need one. We finally found a reasonably priced all-natural, organic café where we warmed up and ate breakfast before walking Andy to the metro so he could catch an early train ride back (hope that International Trade lecture was worth missing out on another 2 days in Paris, Andy).
Down to three, Tasha, Will, and I headed back in the direction of the Musee d’Orsay where we waited in the cold for about an hour before finally gaining entrance. Unlike the Louvre, however, I was willing to wait in line to see this museum. The converted train station is beautiful in itself, the art is more appealing than that in the Louvre, and the size is absolutely more manageable. In a few hours we had toured the whole place and left feeling much more relaxed than we had after our first art escapade of the morning.
That night we returned to our oh-so-French Greek kabob joint for dinner and then to a friendly, French “Irish pub” for drinks.
Monday:
Having originally considered taking a day trip to Normandy on Monday, the yucky weather and high cost caused us to remain in Paris for one last day in the City of Lights.
The sky was blue and the weather was beautiful when we first woke up, so we headed back to the Eiffel Tower for a day time tourist photo shoot. Afterwards, we found Napoleon’s tomb and, even though the inside was closed, I was sufficiently impressed with his final resting place.
We sauntered over to the “Shakespeare and Company” bookstore where Joyce, Hemmingway, and Fitzgerald spent their time writing and reading. In the back and up the stairs you’ll find several cozy nooks dwarfed by piles of books that are not for sale but solely for reading and, next to them, a piano for anyone with a bit of talent to practice or entertain. My favorite part, however, was the tiny desk area with a typewriter and paper, covered in quotes, thoughts, poems, and professions of love written by visitors from all over the world.
We attempted another “French” lunch of baguettes and cheese, but the cold and spitting rain and the prematurely expired cheese made this attempt less successful than the first. Again, we were forced to find shelter in a café where we loaded up on more French coffee before going searching for the Pantheon.
Hoping to use my Italian visa for free entry, I was disappointed that I had to fork up 5 euro to enter. The frustration subsided, however, when I realized just how many remarkable men are buried in the crypt. Voltaire, Rousseau, Hugo, and Dumas share this burial ground, along with the hearts of various other famous Frenchmen (and women).
We left the crypt as the sun and blue skies returned just in time for us to find the spectacular Luxembourg Gardens. Maybe it was the weather or maybe it was just the fact that our Paris trip was coming to an end, but I found these gardens to be the most beautiful of all we had seen in France. We spent several hours in practical silence, people watching and enjoying each other’s company until the cold numbed our feet and our hands.
We returned to the Latin Quarter for another 10 euro dinner before one last stroll around the Seine. Cold, exhausted, and full, we took the metro back to our side of town and walked up several intense flights of stairs to Sacre Coeur where we were rewarded with a phenomenal view of the city at night.
Strolling through Montmartre, we found a restaurant overlooking the square full of portrait artists and we each bought one final glass of wine to celebrate our last night together. As we sat outside (under the space heater, of course) watching the artists, smelling the food, and sipping our wine, we came to the realization that now, more than halfway through our semester abroad, we’re utterly overwhelmed by the idea of growing up and terrified by the speed with which time has flown. But in those last few hours in that truly magical ambiance, the fears I have about the future were displaced by the excitement of the present. I will forever cherish the memory of that last night in Montmartre.
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