I LOVE PARIS IN THE SPRINGTIME

pitt stop in pisa!
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As we sat in the back of the cab I delighted in the face that I’d finally made it to Paris. Our first day of traveling didn’t exactly run as smooth as ice. I accidentally got us to the airport for a flight I thought left at 6:55, it didn’t actually leave until 8:55, so we had about 4 hours to spend before our flight. Instead of sitting around the Pisa airport we hoped in a cab to the Leaning Tower of Pisa, took the traditional holding the tower up pictures and grabbed a cappuccino at a nearby café.

getting ready to head to paris!
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In the cab in Paris the cabbie played soft tunes that you’d expect to hear in the bar of a swanky hotel, complete with plush velvet couches. Rain drizzled down the windows and then suddenly the Eiffel Tower came into view. Here I was finally in Paris!!

Our first wonder came when we arrived at the hotel to find we only had a sink in our room—the toilet was across the hall, but no shower, there were no towels in the room either so Jill was convinced there were no showers in Parisian hotels – she even promised to wash my hair in the sink J. I assured her this couldn’t be the case, and to her relief we found the showers a few floors down the next morning.

on a bridge getting closer to the tower
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On our second day in Paris I set out early on my own while Jill slept in a little longer. Our hotel was near Sacr Coeur, so I headed that way and then wandered around what appeared to be the fashion district – and I don’t mean Yves St Laurent and Chanel, I mean textiles – fabrics, ribbons and yards and yards of it. I rand my hands through the racks of toile and remember back to a few years ago when my room was decorated in a very Parisian fashion.

From there I made my way back to the hotel where I picked up Jill and we headed to the Musee d’Orsay, housed in an old train station – what a Place!! The BEST BEST collection of Van Goghs and Monets I have ever laid eyes on! I was in HEAVEN! We also toured the other exhibits, but in my opinion none compared to the impressionist exhibits. They even had Van Gogh’s room in Arles, which currently hangs in our upstairs hallway. There was also a great view over the city and a little kiddy-corner view of the Eiffel Tower near the Pastels exhibit. From the Musee d’Orsay we headed down along the Seine to the Eiffel Tower – I think the best picture spot is two bridges up, before the tower. At the Eiffel Tower we met Mark, how fun it was to be with 2 amazing friends under the Eiffel Tower in Paris. From the tower we walked to the square on the hill across the bridge. We then continued further down the street to a café where we had a nice light lunch – the French man, I assume the owner and only waiter, at this restaurant didn’t speak a word of English but was incredibly friendly and kind to us (I actually didn’t once encounter one rude French person the entire trip, everyone was extremely friendly and helpful). From there we went to the top of the Arch de Triomphe for a spectacular view over Paris. At the top we were caught in a torrential downpour, but after the rain subsided the sky clear for an even better view.

la tour eiffel
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We walked down the Champs-Elysees and then down a street with all the Fashion Houses. The sun came out for a beautiful late afternoon. That night we went to dinner with a friend of Mark’s who has just started her first year at the American University in Paris. We also ended up meeting up with about 8 other LMU kids, all studying in different parts of Europe, or visiting on spring break. We had a fun night, and went to a fun swanky Parisian bar, but very beautiful too – so the 10. 50 Bellini was worth it for the ambiance and the company!

mark and i infront of the arch di triomphe
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Mark and Jill slept in on our second day and I headed to Starbucks (my first since Spain J) for a morning chai tea! I was planning to head to the Louvre straight after, but instead decided I would rather check out some other areas of Paris, it was a sunny morning, and I didn’t know if the weather would hold out all day. I set of towards Rue St-Placide and window shopped along the streets that I could have mistaken for Noting Hill in London. I stumbled upon “Le Bon Marche” and decided to check it out, I’d read it is one of the oldest department stores in Paris and the expensive brands were said to be rivaled in awe by its’ impressive interior – it didn’t disappoint! At least 4 stories, an entire building, devoted to everything from fine foods to Gucci and fine linens. The inside of the building was beautiful with lots of white and crystal chandeliers hanging everywhere. The clothes, the furniture, the cosmetics – everything was immaculately clean and organized.

out for drinks
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From there I headed to Notre Dame, a perfect time to view it, with the sun shinning all the stained-glass windows were lit up beautifully! When I walked into the church mass was being said, even so the place was filled with tourist walking around taking in the impressive Cathedral. There was even a place where you could wait and see a priest for confession. As I walked toward the rear of the church I was truly awe-stricken. It rounded out at the back and was covered in stained-glass windows, quite an impressive sight.

notre dame
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From there I made my way back across the bridge, past the Hotel de Ville and down the happening Rue Rivoli. I met up with a few friends at the Louvre, and we headed back across the river and across town to meet Mark and Jill for lunch. We spent an enjoyable hour or two having a yummy lunch of onion soup – it’s not called “French” Onion Soup in France, I guess that’s a given J We then headed towards the Eiffel Tower and got a good laugh out of taking pictures. Just as we made it under the tower it started to downpour – we were lucky to find a nearby metro stop and get back to our places to dry off!

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On our last day in Paris we only had about ½ a day so we made the most of it, I checked out a district near the Odeon metro stop, grabbed one last Starbucks and then met Jill so we could see the Moulin Rouge, it’s really nothing to see but a windmill and the theater. We headed up to Sac re Coeur because Jill hadn’t been yet, picked up some souvenirs and one last delicious baguette and made our way back to the airport.

It was a jam-packed 3 days, but also one of my favorite trips – I loved Paris, I would say as far as big cities go, it was definitely my favorite!!!