Nutella Crepes to the diet
Sorry friends, it’s going to take me a bit longer to upload pictures. I have nearly 1700 to sort through so the computer has been acting very slow.
So like I said, Paris was spectacular! I guess I expected the Parisians to be rude like you have always heard about and the city to be way to high maintenance, but the people were actually friendly and the city has so much to offer. Defiantly a place I would consider living for a short time. My first afternoon I hit up the famous Louvre. Of course the museum is overwhelmingly huge and if you are really into art you could spend an entire day there. But I did some research beforehand and went to the sections with pieces I knew I wanted to see. I focused on Da Vinci paintings, Aphrodite-Goddess of Love, Winged Victory of Samothrace-woman with wings poised on a prow of a ship once stood on a hilltop to commemorate a great naval victory, the famous Mona Lisa which is surprisingly a small painting that sits behind glass in a huge room, works by Michelangelo, and I even hit up the Egyptian section. Needless to say, this is a must see while in Paris. I took a historic walk of Paris guided by Rick Steve’s book-saw places I probably would not have seen otherwise-recommend! From the Notre Damn to the Deportation Memorial which is a memorial to the French victims of the Nazi concentration camps-”Forgive but never forget” to the captivating Latin Quarter (one of my favorite areas) to the Sainte-Chapelle to the Palais de Justice to the Conciergerie and much more. But I have to say my most favorite part of the walk was spending time in the Latin Quarter. On a sunny day (which it was), the street vendors are out selling old used books, classic paintings, fun souvenirs and locals are on the streets performing on their guitar, singing, doing tricks on their roller blades, jazz bands livening up the street or others doing whatever it is they are passionate about. Crowds gather for the acts and enjoy the show. It’s a lively place where you can spend an entire day just people watching. Next time, I would stay in this area of town. And be sure to hit up the famous Shakespeare & Co. Bookstore. One of my most favorite museums was the Orsay Museum. Here I was able to see the famous Ballet paintings of Edgar Degas. I found this touching as I had several of his copies in my room as a kid and his paintings were always up in the dance studio. Of course I regret not buying a print while in the museum…next time. But besides his paintings, you see all of the famous paintings you see in the books. Monet, Renoir, van Gogh and much more. Of course you cannot miss the Eiffel Tower. Sadly, after my first day there the weather became windy and rainy so I was only able to climb to the second section as the third was shut down for bad weather. I saw and did much much more that probably is not of interest. And a few things I didn’t do which I regret! I was not able to take a tour with the Fat Tire bike company. I vaguely remember by undergraduate professor telling me an Aggie started some bike touring company in Paris and I am 99% positive this was the one! I later met a guy in Amsterdam who went on the tour and said there was Aggie paraphernalia up inside the bike store. Next time! Another thing worth doing while you are in Paris but I did not learn about until Amsterdam, the famous FREE tour by New Europe! So all in all I truly loved Paris. The people were friendly, the food was divine, the history was classic, and the museums were inspirational. Everyone should take at least one trip to Paris in their lifetime. ** MYTH: Americans have always thought (I have anyway) that the French women do not shave their armpits or wear deodorant. Supposedly this is not true. I was laughed at when I asked a Parisian. Maybe it’s just the older generation?? ** Added to my diet, crepes. Either filled with Nutella or cheese. Healthy!
Tags: Paris
