Whew where to start! Ah I know… Corie and Emery are here!
Corie and Emery both arrived on Saturday afternoon, so I was going to take the metro to pick them up. I soon found out that the RER B (train to the airport) resembled more of a box car with seats than an actual train. Five minutes into my trip I knew the Red Haired Princess was going to be ticked when she rode back with me. DING DING DING… I was right. There is nothing like sitting in your very own puddle of sweat to welcome somebody to Paris. Clearly she missed the fact that I was trying to culture her on the Parisian Street Life. After lugging our bags around the metro we arrived at their hotel, and we had to shower to get the rancid stench that had been fermenting from other people’s lack of soap and water. I consider my first cultural lesson a success!
Viola! We were now showered and ready to explore Paris beyond the underground! First, we walked around the Louvre, while Emery and Corie took pictures. And then it was off to the Palais Royal to show them where the most expensive apartments in Paris exist. The garden in the center is very beautiful! If you are visiting the Louvre, take the 5 minute walk and explore the garden.
Next we were headed along the Seine River to Notre Dame. It was neat to see the Patton’s taking in the beauty, as I did just a week before. After leaving Notre Dame, we were headed to the Latin Quarter to see all the restaurants. We picked a restaurant along St. Germain and had a lovely meal. However, what wasn’t lovely was the lack of suggestion that Corie took from her younger sister over footwear! To all of you reading: if you travel to Paris, make sure that you have comfortable shoes or you will pay with say… 4 blisters was it Corie?
Lucky for Corie and Emery, this weekend was the first Sunday of the month meaning that on the first Sunday of every month all the Museums in Paris are free. So, we woke up early and headed to the Musee d’Orsay (http://www.musee-orsay.fr/) to see works by van Gogh, Manet, and Monet… just to name a few.
After seeing all the pictures we really wanted to see it was a mad dash to Notre Dame for Mass. We went to the International Mass, so they spoke French, English, and Spanish throughout the service.
After Mass, we headed to a street that is over the bridge behind Notre Dame for lunch. We found a treasure of a restaurant! Then it was back around the corner to an ice cream shop at the end of the bridge called Le Flore de L’Ele (I hope I remembered that right) for an amazing dessert. I am going to warn you about the Chocolate with Orange bits flavor, because your inner fat person will come out and you will crave it … daily. Mango, Mocha, and Raspberry are also wonderful flavors.
After ice cream we went to St. Severin Church in the Latin Quarter before making our way to the Jardin du Luxembourg. We sat by the main fountain, and watched the children sail their tiny boats. One particular child caught our eye, because it is the first person I have ever seen that had the same hair color as Corie’s! God Bless her mother!
Saint Severin
Corie at Jardin du Luxembourg
Now Monday was an adventure. I had orientation at my University, and got very lost in a pretty sketchy part of town. I thought I was supposed to exit Gare de Norde, when it was really Gare de l’est. So, you can see why it was an easy mistake! But, there was no mistaking the fact that after 30 minutes trying to wander around and find my University I started crying and called my adviser for help. This was the first time I was shaking with pure fear over where I was. He walked me through where I needed to be and in no time I was back on track, and very late.
After orientation, I headed to the Patton’s hotel room where the graciously let me crash until they arrived back from Champagne. My apartment does not have air conditioning (like most apartments here) and so I slept in pure bliss! I needed a good nap after my ordeal that morning.
Then it was home where Ana and I went for some Onion Soup and wine!
Tuesday was a VERY VERY LONG DAY! My morning started at 6am so that I could be up and ready at the Patton’s hotel at 7:30, because we were going to Versailles! Ek… I was like a kid in a candy shop… until it came the RER C Train that was so confusing that I almost lost my marbles. Corie and Emery were sure to let me know what a wonderful tour guide I was, BUT I got us there! Versailles was breathtaking! It is incredible to think that people lived there day in and day out. I am starting to understand why the French were so upset at their monarchs… they lived like Gods. If you are visiting Versailles: DO NOT GO ON TUESDAY! The crowds are terrible! I have never wanted to smack a lady for walking in my photos more than on Tuesday. I think a lady underestimated Corie’s “Wrecking Crew” strength until she bounced off of her into a door. Corie-1 Lady-0. The castle doesn’t look that big, because the gardens are gigantic and INCREDIBLE! We rented a cart after I got us lost trying to find the bikes (insert Emery and Corie’s tour guide comments here) and we were on our way to Marie Antoinette’s Le Petit Trianon. Good thing we rented the cart, because it started raining as we left and we would have been soaked! My favorite part driving was when Emery found the horn on the cart and proceeded to use it… a lot. On our way back we were freezing and needed to see some hot food and a place to sit. Viola: The Golden Arches! A double cheeseburger never came at a better time.
Versailles Garden
In the back of the golf cart
After a long day, I went home to unwind. Around 10pm Ana I got an itch for the wonderful ice cream at Le Flore de L’Ele. We sat on the bridge where music played. We both agreed that tonight it really did feel like Paris.
I had my first class on Wednesday, and got really lucky because the information in both my classes overlaps so I only had to go to one class. That night Corie, Emery, Ana, Fernando (Ana’s brother), John (Fernando’s roommate), and I went to a restaurant that was recommended by Ana’s professor. You can always tell when a restaurant is good when it is off the main road and crowded. Our waitress looked just like our Grandmother Barnes,
and Corie and I could not stop starring. The food was well worth the wait: Roast in tomato sauce with delicious mashed potatoes. It was my best meal in Paris yet! After our meal we headed a restaurant called Tennessee, where we had a round of drinks before bed.
No comments:
Post a Comment