Wednesday, March 27
We got up at 3:30am, finished packing all our stuff, and walked over to the Rialto Mercato vaporetto stop. We caught the 4:36 water bus to Piazzale Roma to catch the 5am land bus to the Marco Polo airport. We got there at 5:20, got through security, and got some breakfast before our 6:40 flight. We're on our way to Paris! On our arrival at 8:30, we could see the Eiffel Tower from the plane! It felt so unreal! We got our metro cards and took the train to Paris city center. We got off at the Notre Dame stop and were immediately greeted with the sight of the cathedral surrounded by the Seine. We dropped off our bags at some lockers and got breakfast around two at a little cafe. I got chocolat chaud (hot chocolate) and a croissant (my first French croissant!). Did you know that in France croissants made with anything other than butter (like margarine) are required by law to be curved, while croissants made with all butter, though they can also be curved, are usually straight? The French take baking very seriously. Afterwards, we ended up passing by the Shakespeare & Co. bookshop which I had wanted to go to anyway. I stopped inside and perused the many rooms and overflowing shelves. When I met the resident cat, I decided I never wanted to leave. The bookshop will actually let writers stay in one of the few cots inside in exchange for helping around the shop, reading a book a day, and writing a one-page biography before leaving.
Then we were off to the Musée d'Orsay. Following along with Rick Steves, we wandered about the train station-turned-museum. The exhibit at the time was called Black Models and highlighted many overlooked works featuring black models as the subjects. The most famous artwork of the exhibit was Manet's "Olympia" which the d'Orsay renamed to honor the black maid in it: "Laure." We slowly made our way through the halls filled with Renoir, Degas, Manet, Cézanne, Monet, and van Gogh. It was so refreshing seeing the impressionists after the many museums in Italy filled with religious renaissance art.
We spent about three hours inside so by the time we got out it was time to check in to our AirBnB. We picked up our bags and then took the metro and an Uber over to the Montparnasse district. We got into the apartment fine, but once we got inside we realized there were a lot of things wrong with it. Our host didn't answer our calls or texts so we googled hotels in the area. We finally found one with availability and took a cab all the way back where we started near the Latin quarter. The hotel seemed a whole lot nicer and was closer to the city center than the AirBnB so we were really glad we switched. We had dinner at a restaurant the people at the front desk recommended, which was really good!
Thursday, March 28
We got up today and headed straight for the Eiffel Tower! The metro system in Paris is pretty extensive and we definitely would’ve gotten lost without the app my mom got. We got off the metro, walked along the Seine, turned a corner, and ran straight into the Tour Eiffel! It was huge and definitely crazy to be standing under it after seeing it in so many movies and pictures. We rushed around trying to find the right line because we were already late. As we waited, Mom ran off and got us croissants. Being very sore in the feet after a week of intense trekking over cobblestones, we opted for taking the elevator instead of climbing to the top. As we ascended, I tried focusing on the very fatigued-looking people taking the stairs instead of our increasing distance from the ground. The first and second tiers weren’t so bad and offered beautiful views of all of Paris, even if it was a bit hazy out. We were soon on our way up to the very top. I got more nervous as we went up and stepping out onto the open air deck was pretty scary. I used to wonder a lot if I’d be able to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower if the opportunity presented itself. Years ago I had a nightmare about being on the top of it and having my camera fall over the side. I woke up before I could fall, but it still scared me. That, coupled with my already intense fear of heights, kept me away from the edge and wanting to go back down pretty quickly. It was still an amazing view and pretty fun too. I'd say it was a good exercise in overcoming fears.
We touched ground at about 11:30 and looked around a bit. We sat on a bench near the base and gazed up at it for a while. Despite its debatably ugly appearance, it was cool just being around such an iconic structure. We then headed in the direction of the Seine, thinking of taking a river cruise before our next activity. We came across this little street with a really cool view of the tower and then had lunch (a croque monsieur for me). We walked along the Seine then crossed a bridge to the other side. The cruise we were thinking of doing wouldn't be over in time for our next activity so we headed for the Luxembourg Gardens instead. The weather was warming up and it was really beautiful with all the spring flowers blooming.
In direct contrast to the serenity of the park was our next stop just a short metro ride away. We had a short line to wait in before we descended five stories underground. The tunnels were small and dark and seemed to stretch on for a while. Finally we made it to the entrance: "Arrête! C'est ici l'empire de la mort. / Stop! This is the empire of the dead." 200 miles of tunnels house over six million people's bones, only a fraction of which is open to the public. It was chilling seeing the tibiae and skulls stacked up to the ceiling, sometimes arranged in the shape of crosses or hearts. Throughout were French and Latin Biblical and poetic quotes inviting you to reflect on your mortality. "Reliquit dives omnia aliis et moritur. / A la mort, on laisse tout. / At death, we leave everything." It held a somber and reflective mood as we walked through the tunnels listening to our audioguides. We emerged almost a mile later. It was strange thinking that so many miles of tunnels just like those weaved underneath Paris. It was about 5pm when we surfaced so we decided to head over to the Panthéon. It was really pretty in the evening light and you could see the top of the Eiffel Tower just opposite it. Buried inside are Voltaire, Victor Hugo, Rousseau, Louis Braille, Marie Curie, and Alexandre Dumas, amongst others, though we didn't end up going in.
We got drinks at a nearby restaurant and people watched for a bit instead. At 7pm we made our way over to the Montparnasse Tower. The whole roof of the tower is an observation deck giving you a 360 degree view of Paris. Because the evening was pretty hazy, the sunset wasn't the greatest one ever, but I loved the subtle pinks and oranges of the sky. At 7:30 the deck started to get more crowded, so I picked a spot with a good view of the Eiffel Tower and waited till 8. A big tour group full of loud American teenagers showed up, so I plugged in my headphones and blasted some French music to drown them out. Right at 8 the Eiffel Tower lit up in a grand display of sparkles drawing a big cheer from the crowd. It really was beautiful. It'd be cool to see it from closer up on another night. Once the light show had dissipated, we hurried downstairs to try and beat the rush. What a cool day! Again we went to dinner based on the recommendation of the hotel's front desk. It was really good! I got scallops on risotto which was definitely interesting but not bad. For dessert I ordered the ice cream profiterole. It was GIANT. It was absolutely comical when the waitress brought it out and we all started laughing. Despite its girth, the three of us downed the whole thing. Bet that'll tell you how good it was. We went to bed that night with very full stomachs.
Friday, March 29
We got up today and headed straight for Notre Dame. Aunt Julie wasn't feeling so well so she decided to meet up with us at 11:15 when we were scheduled to go up the towers of the cathedral. Because our hotel was so close by, we simply had to cross a bridge to get there. With no one waiting in line, we got to walk straight in. The inside was gorgeous and definitely took me back to a certain Disney movie. The stained glass windows illuminated the upstairs alcoves in violet. We wandered around admiring the artwork and the beautiful rose windows. Writing this now in light of the fire that broke out and destroyed the roof of the church, I feel so lucky I got to see it just weeks before the tragedy. We left the church and took some photos of the outside (noticing how long the line had gotten). We still had about an hour before we were to climb to the top, so we walked just a few blocks west down the island to another church I had been wanting to see. Sainte-Chapelle is lesser known than Notre Dame, but it was just as amazing inside. The lower room had beautiful blue and gold vaulted ceilings, but it didn't compare to the main room with its starry ceiling, rose window, and tall, blue-violet stained glass on all sides. It was just stunning and we were so glad that we had gone.
On the way back, Mom and I wandered through a lovely flower market before meeting back up with Aunt Julie outside Notre Dame. We got crêpes just a block away and they were très délicieux! I got nutella and strawberries in mine. Then we were trekking up the stairs (oh gosh more stairs) to the bell-towers! It was really cool seeing the city from the viewpoint of the infamous gargoyles. We climbed the wooden stairs into the rafters of the south tower as Quasimodo would have done, seeing the two grand bells, Marie and Emmanuel. We circled around the top of the tower and got to see Notre Dame's only spire, soon to be destroyed by fire. It was a really cool experience, one that will never be the same again.
We descended back to ground level and headed back to our hotel for a short rest before hopping on the metro to Champs-Élysées. The street was very crowded at 3:30 in the afternoon and you could really see the bustle of the city. It was lined with giant designer stores and H&Ms and the fanciest Abercrombie I'd ever seen, but I really only had one goal in mind: macarons. Ladurée and Pierre Hermé are two of the best macaron shops in Paris and they were both on the Champs-Élysées. I got four from each and ate them over the course of the next few days. So delicious! With my sweets in hand we could walk the rest of the way up the street to the Arc de Triomphe. It was huge and the carved reliefs on the outside were so cool.
We took the metro back closer to our hotel to look for a place to eat. It was pretty difficult since it was only 5pm and most places were only serving apéritif. We eventually did find a place and had an early dinner before heading over to the Louvre. It's open late every Wednesday and Friday so we got there at 6:30 and stayed till about 9. It wouldn't be hard to stay there for your whole lifetime though since there's so much to see. We had Rick Steves guide us through the most popular rooms so we didn't have to spend ages there. We entered underneath the pyramid, which looked really cool, especially in the evening light. We hardly had to wait before we got inside. We saw ancient Greek and Roman statues, the Venus de Milo, Cimabue, Giotto, Raphael, the Mona Lisa and others of da Vinci, Michelangelo, Liberty Leading the People, and so much more. The tour didn't, however, lead us to the near eastern antiquities section of the Louvre. I had wanted to see the Code of Hammurabi, which was housed there. We ended up stumbling upon some really neat things! Besides the code, we saw the Lamassu which are huge sculptures dating back to 3000 BC and the Aïn Ghazal statue, the oldest object in the Louvre dating back to 7000 BC. It was mind-blowing that something that old had survived so long. We were very grateful we had stumbled upon this section of the museum. After that, we headed back to our hotel via Uber (with a great view of the sparkling Eiffel Tower out the back window). Aunt Julie had an early flight in the morning and wanted to pack up and get some rest before then.
Saturday, March 30
I woke up briefly to say goodbye to Aunt Julie! It was so much fun hanging out with her on this trip! Shortly after, Mom and I got up and started our journey to Versailles. We realized that just down the street from our hotel was La Maison d'Isabelle--the 2018 winner of the best croissants in Paris. I was just disappointed that we hadn't found out about this place sooner! There was a line outside but it was so worth it. We each got a croissant and a pain au chocolat and boy were they delicious coming hot and fresh from the oven. I'm never going to be able to have another croissant again. We caught our first metro at 9:30am, but we didn't get to Versailles until about 11:30. A 45 minute trip took about two hours due to many different metro lines being closed because of protests around the city. We had quite the adventure around the Paris metro system that morning. Because we arrived so late, the line to enter the palace was forever long. We decided to wander around the gardens in hopes that it'd diminish in a bit. We sat along one of the garden's walls, meditated on our trip a little bit, and relaxed. It was really calming just taking in the manicured trees and distant hills. We wandered around a bit, feeling peace after a hectic morning. When we turned onto the main pathway overlooking the lake, we were blown away by the sheer size of the gardens. You could hardly see the end!
We hung around just a little bit more before realizing how hungry we were. We got lunch then decided to brave the lines. It hadn't thinned out much so we were stuck in line for a good amount of time. We got into the palace at about 3pm and wandered its halls. We saw the royal chapel, the queen's rooms, the rooms dedicated to Diana, Mercury, War, and Peace. We saw the giant painting the Coronation of Napoleon. Though a copy, it was cool to see because the original was being restored when we went to the Louvre. Of course we saw the beautiful Hall of Mirrors overlooking the vast gardens and Louis XIV "the Sun King's" bedroom and offices. It was a really cool place to see despite the long wait.
We caught the train back to Paris at around 4:30. I had an eclair shop I wanted to visit so we got off at the Saint-Paul stop. We emerged to a little square full of cherry blossoms. It had been one of my goals to see cherry blossoms here and I was so excited to run into them! We walked down the street to L'Éclair de Génie and got some really cool looking eclairs. We sat in the little square and enjoyed their deliciousness. The street was really lovely and lined with restaurants filled with people having appetizers and children playing. We walked up and down it a few times looking for a place to eat but just couldn't decide on anything. I will say I am much more of an Italian food person (though I do love my French sweets). We finally went down a little side street and stumbled upon a cute restaurant (Bistrot de la Place) in a cute square. The crème brûlée was so yummy.
Sunday, March 31
Our last day in France! So sad, but I really can't complain when I'm flying back into Florence. Since we lost an hour due to the inception of central European summer time, we slept in a bit. At about 10am we hopped on the metro toward the Père Lachaise Cemetery. It was actually really beautiful with lots of greenery. The tombs were huge and there were a lot of very intricately designed crypts. It was interesting to see how different it was from any of the cemeteries I'd been to. We saw the graves of Chopin, Molière, Edith Piaf, Gertrude Stein, Jim Morrison, and Oscar Wilde. Molière was a great French playwright during the 17th century. He died while acting as the main character of one of his plays. This particular character was a hypochondriac faking illness. Molière however really had gotten sick during the performance. He was actually coughing up blood for real and collapsed on the stage dead at the end of the final scene. The audience loved it and had no idea that Molière hadn't been acting. Jim Morrison was buried here not due to his legendary status as the lead singer for the Doors but because he published a few volumes of poetry. Oscar Wilde's grave stood out as the only one protected by a glass encasement. Littering the outside were the lipstick marks of fans who'd come to kiss the tomb. Mom even decided to leave her mark amongst the rest.
At this point, our time in Paris was running short. We only had two more hours before I had to be on the train to the airport. We got on the metro toward Pigalle up on the hill in the Montmartre district. Up there were many cute streets and cool shops. We stopped at Le Grenier à Pain for baguette sandwiches and walked over to La Maison Rose for a photo. There were lots of people out enjoying the day. We walked by Sacré Cœur and had a view overlooking Paris with the Eiffel Tower in the distance. I played La Vie en Rose for Mom and we enjoyed our last few moments here. We had such an amazing trip and were sad to be leaving.
At this point, my phone service for the month ended, leaving us at the top of this hill with no service to call an Uber. It was 2pm, my flight was going to leave at 6, and we wanted to allow two hours for travel time with the metro closures. We debated just taking the metro down, but decided that'd take too long with how far away we had walked from it. We ran around looking for wifi, but nothing was free. But, in a stroke of luck, Mom hailed a passing taxi. The whole time the driver tried to communicate with me in French which was... interesting to say the least. It was definitely cool being in France and getting to practice speaking French, no matter how limited my vocab was. It was hard to switch over at first, especially since I had been taking an Italian class and been surrounded by Italian for a month and a half. We were all saying "sì" instead of "oui" and "buongiorno" instead of "bonjour" for our first few days there. We got dropped off back at the hotel, reconfigured our backpacks, and hopped on the metro for the last time. Luckily we had met a lady at the restaurant the night before whose daughter left the day before and had directions on how to get to the airport since the trains going there were shut down. It was fairly straightforward but definitely wouldn't have been if we didn't have those directions. We got off the metro to see a line of buses and people waiting to get on them. We waited in line for a little bit, not too long but just enough that it made me a little anxious. Before getting on, I said one last goodbye to Mom (who'd be taking a train to London before flying out the next day) and waved to her from the window. The bus ride took about half an hour, but I was finally at the airport. Still not feeling secure, I speed-walked the whole way to the gate (Charles de Gaulle is HUGE). I ended up getting there with a half hour to spare! Just enough time to eat my sandwich from earlier. We were in the air by 6 and only an hour and a half later touched down in Florence. What a truly amazing trip!
As always, here's the video!
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