I've been home for about 3 days now. I've unpacked and organized my things. I've organized my photos, and updated this blog. I've also gone back to my school and showed my Upper-School art teachers my work. (They had great things to say about it.) I've talked with friends and made plans to work during the break. I'm visiting my grandma later today. I guess I'm fully settled in.
I'm so glad I got to have the experience of living and creating in Paris! I'm so grateful that my parents helped me and supported me. I'm really happy with the level of work that I produced and want to sustain it. I've decided that I'll set some parameters for myself and churn out a couple of project over the summer.
I know that this experience will stay with me forever, helping me in whatever I choose to pursue. One thing that this program did was let me consider other options for careers in fashion. Since my sewing skills don't match that of my drawing, I'm not sure how likely fashion design would be (although I'd still like to do it). I really enjoyed taking photographs of my work (even though I only photographed the bra), so I could see myself having fun as a fashion photographer. I also really liked seeing the shows at Paris Fashion Week, and blogging about them afterwards. So maybe fashion critic? We'll see. I realized through writing this blog that I enjoy writing and would like to keep up with it more. (I've been told before that I'm a good writer, and would like to continue with that.) During my jury, I was asked if I'd considered going into costume design for theater (or even ballet). My teacher Susan suggested, based on my bra photo, being a fashion stylist, seeing as I have a "very definite sense of fashion". It would be fun to do any of these careers, so we'll see how these things shake out. (I'll keep you guys posted.)
Even though I was happy to come home, I can't wait to go back! (Already, I've decided that next time, I want to see an opera at Opera Garnier, a Moliere play at the Comedie Francaise, and attend a cabaret at the Lapin Agile.) My parents are already telling me that I need to find a job over there, and that they'll visit me if/when I do.
I'm already planning on keeping up with my French. Yesterday, I bought a book with lists different conjugations for about 300 verbs. It should help me when I read my 2 volumes of plays by French female playwrights that I bought at Gibert Joseph. My parents have also suggested joining a French club or "dinner club" (where members get together and speak the language) when I get back to Raleigh. So I'll definitely be looking into these options.
I just hope that the next time I go, I'll get more time to explore more!
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Friday, June 6, 2008
Coming Home!
We got up early Tuesday morning, and packed. While Hilary was in the shower, I went to go find some breakfast. Our regular boulangerie on Port Royal was closed, so I had to traipse up to the one by school. I also stopped by school to return my apartment keys, and picked up my certificate (that had been revised to say that I didn't do the Centre Pompidou site visit).
When I got back, we finished unpacking, checked out of the hotel and left. Hilary was helping me with my luggage, and we occasionally stopped to take breaths and/or switch luggage to carry. We took the elevator down to buy tickets at the RER Port Royal station, and then took it down one more level to get to the platform. Once there, we waited for a train and when one appeared (that was also really crowded), we wedged ourselves and our luggage on.
Fortunately, a lot of people got off before the airport, so we had room to move near the doors to position ourselves. Hilary and I said goodbye before we got there, and I wished her a good trip to Nantes. When we got to my stop (Terminal 1 and 3), she helped me get my luggage off the train and I was off!
I had some trouble with my suitcases. They were both over-packed and so were prone to falling over. A nice older English lady helped me get them through the turnstile, and when I had to go down a level to catch the tram, another guy helped me get them on. He also helped me get them to the hall where I had to check-in. I arrived there before the check-in desk was open, so I sat on my bags and waited. When I got to the counter, I was told that I was allowed to check 2 bags, and had to pay a fee for the 3rd. So I went to pay my (exhorbitant) fee, and then went through security and showed my passport (and got chided for attempting to exit the wrong way).
Once through, I went on a re-con mission to see where my gate was. There was a security portal right before the entrance, and since it was about an hour and a half before my boarding time, I decided to walk around a bit. I bought a copy of French Vogue and drank some water.
Finally, I decided to go through security to my gate. I tried to get Internet access on my laptop, but that wasn't working, so I decided to begin organizing my photos from Paris. I did this until I got on the plane.
On the plane, we took and were served lunch. (Of the two choices, I picked the chicken over the pasta.) There were actually good movies available during this flight, so I watched "American Gangster". (I had been really wanting to see it, but hadn't when it was in theaters.) After that was over, I slept for a few hours and waited until the landing.
We landed in Philadelphia, and we had to get our checked bags to have them checked by security. After getting my bag, I first went into the wrong line and had to redirect into the correct line. That line was the one where the bags were getting searched. (I was behind a teenage guy who was getting grilled about whether he had any contraband alcohol, specifically absinthe. The guard did find something, and he gave the kid a pamphlet on contraband substances.) Amazingly, I didn't get searched. I just handed over my passport and heaved my suitcase onto the table, while the lady checked my passport against the computer. I guess everything turned out OK, because she gave me back my passport and waved me through. I then went through the point I had attempted to before, and rechecked my bags. Then I waited in a long line with a ton of other people, went through security and emerged to find my gate.
After eating a dinner of a hot dog and a Coke, I went to go wait in my area. I sat on the floor (it was a small area and there weren't any seats) and organized my pictures a bit more. The plane was a bit late, but we boarded quickly and were on our way!
We landed in Charlotte about 9:30 pm, and Dad met me at the baggage claim! After getting my bags, we drove home. Kirsten was so happy to see me she got up to greet me. (This is saying a lot since she's pretty old and arthritic now, and doesn't move from her pillow too much.) Mom got in a little later, and I was happy to see her. Then, I was really tired and went to bed.
I'm ready to relax (and later, draw/paint/sew/write/read)!
When I got back, we finished unpacking, checked out of the hotel and left. Hilary was helping me with my luggage, and we occasionally stopped to take breaths and/or switch luggage to carry. We took the elevator down to buy tickets at the RER Port Royal station, and then took it down one more level to get to the platform. Once there, we waited for a train and when one appeared (that was also really crowded), we wedged ourselves and our luggage on.
Fortunately, a lot of people got off before the airport, so we had room to move near the doors to position ourselves. Hilary and I said goodbye before we got there, and I wished her a good trip to Nantes. When we got to my stop (Terminal 1 and 3), she helped me get my luggage off the train and I was off!
I had some trouble with my suitcases. They were both over-packed and so were prone to falling over. A nice older English lady helped me get them through the turnstile, and when I had to go down a level to catch the tram, another guy helped me get them on. He also helped me get them to the hall where I had to check-in. I arrived there before the check-in desk was open, so I sat on my bags and waited. When I got to the counter, I was told that I was allowed to check 2 bags, and had to pay a fee for the 3rd. So I went to pay my (exhorbitant) fee, and then went through security and showed my passport (and got chided for attempting to exit the wrong way).
Once through, I went on a re-con mission to see where my gate was. There was a security portal right before the entrance, and since it was about an hour and a half before my boarding time, I decided to walk around a bit. I bought a copy of French Vogue and drank some water.
Finally, I decided to go through security to my gate. I tried to get Internet access on my laptop, but that wasn't working, so I decided to begin organizing my photos from Paris. I did this until I got on the plane.
On the plane, we took and were served lunch. (Of the two choices, I picked the chicken over the pasta.) There were actually good movies available during this flight, so I watched "American Gangster". (I had been really wanting to see it, but hadn't when it was in theaters.) After that was over, I slept for a few hours and waited until the landing.
We landed in Philadelphia, and we had to get our checked bags to have them checked by security. After getting my bag, I first went into the wrong line and had to redirect into the correct line. That line was the one where the bags were getting searched. (I was behind a teenage guy who was getting grilled about whether he had any contraband alcohol, specifically absinthe. The guard did find something, and he gave the kid a pamphlet on contraband substances.) Amazingly, I didn't get searched. I just handed over my passport and heaved my suitcase onto the table, while the lady checked my passport against the computer. I guess everything turned out OK, because she gave me back my passport and waved me through. I then went through the point I had attempted to before, and rechecked my bags. Then I waited in a long line with a ton of other people, went through security and emerged to find my gate.
After eating a dinner of a hot dog and a Coke, I went to go wait in my area. I sat on the floor (it was a small area and there weren't any seats) and organized my pictures a bit more. The plane was a bit late, but we boarded quickly and were on our way!
We landed in Charlotte about 9:30 pm, and Dad met me at the baggage claim! After getting my bags, we drove home. Kirsten was so happy to see me she got up to greet me. (This is saying a lot since she's pretty old and arthritic now, and doesn't move from her pillow too much.) Mom got in a little later, and I was happy to see her. Then, I was really tired and went to bed.
I'm ready to relax (and later, draw/paint/sew/write/read)!
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Hilary's Visit!
Thursday morning (the day after the jury), I got up early and finished packing. I had been told that the hotel where I had reservations started check-in at 12 noon. On my way out, I ran into Nisa and Redza on their way out, and we talked and promised to keep in touch.
I got 2 of my bags, and pulled them down Port Royal to the hotel (Hotel Sunny). They were so heavy that I kept having to stop to readjust or switch arms or just plain rest. When I got to the hotel, I was told that the room was still being cleaned. I still had to go back and get my other back (which held all of my work, fabric and books), so I retraced my steps back to the apartment and retrieved it. Then I walked back to the hotel (again having to stop and switch hands and/or catch my breath). When I got there, I was told that the room was still not ready, so I sat on the couch in the lobby and read some of the magazines. The room was finally ready, and I took my stuff up the 2nd floor room and after having some trouble with the key, got settled.
It was near 2 pm by that time, when Hilary was scheduled to arrive. I left the hotel and walked up to school. She was waiting in the semi-circle, and saw me as I was passing. She needed to write Aunt Debbie an email, so we went and used the school's computer lab. When she was finished, we took her luggage back to the hotel.
Here, a minor snafu occurred: When we got up to the room, I was unable to open the door. I tried the way I had done before, and couldn't get it after a few tries. I went down and asked the concierge about it, and he demonstrated the way to lock and unlock the door. I went back upstairs, and after both Hilary and I trying it multiple times, we still couldn't get it. I went down again to talk to the concierge about it, and he called the housekeeper, who came upstairs with me. She was also unable to open the door, and went downstairs to retrieve the concierge. He tried, and then left, saying that he needed to get some special keys and that he'd be back in about 10-15 minutes. Hilary and I waited in the hall for that time, alternately talking and spacing out. The concierge returned within about 15 minutes, and worked with the keyhole and finally got the door open. When we thanked him, he told us that he wasn't finished, and worked with the keyhole on both sides of the door. Eventually, he got it all fixed and left (with me apologizing profusely). Hilary and I then got changed, and left to explore!
We decided to go up Rue Moefftard (a street with a lot of open-air food shops and restaurants) first. We walked up it, taking some pictures. Eventually, we got near the Pantheon and circled around it. (I got some really good shots.) After that, we walked down Rue Soufflot to Jardin du Luxembourg, where we walked around and took shots of the foliage.
By this time, we were pretty hungry, so we decided to go to Cafe Soufflot for dinner. I got the confit de canard (as did Hilary), with caramel ice cream for dessert. After we were finished, we walked down nearby Boulevard Saint-Michel, far enough so that we passed Saint-Chapelle. Hilary didn't seem tired (or even jet-lagged), so I suggested that we walk over the Seine and go to Hotel de Ville. She agreed to it, so we went and took lots of pictures of certain architectural details and from various angles. We were right near the Centre Pompidou (it was just down one street nearby), and so we went there. We took pictures of the exterior of the building, as well as the fountain (with many modern moving sculptures) adjacent to the museum. Rue Quincampoix was a mere street away, so we strolled down it. (Walking along it, it was clear that we had found Paris's gay/lesbian district, seeing as there were rainbows abound.) From there, we walked to Saint-Eustache, which was an old church that was part of a park. (It was very pretty, but seemed to be in disrepair, which was sad.) We also inadvertently discovered Forum Les Halles, which I had heard about as a good shopping mall. (Of course I would discover that only on one of the last days we were there.) When we were done there, we headed back toward the Seine and walked to Notre Dame. We circled around it, getting pictures from every direction. At that point, it was near 10 pm (and still light out), so we walked back towards our hotel.
Friday morning, we got up around 10 am and left around 11:30 am. We stopped at a nearby boulangerie where I got a brioche suisse (which was like a pain au chocolat crossed with a cheese danish) and Hilary got a flan abricot. After stopping at the ATM on Saint-Michel, we walked down Port Royal to the Vavin station. Since we would be hiking in Montmartre, we decided to stop and get a chicken panini with raw vegetables to eat. We took the metro from Vavin up to Barbes-Rochecoart. We walked through the fabric district (which I now know well) up to Sacre-Coeur. Sacre Coeur is on the top of a hill (the butte de Montmartre), and along the way, there are a lot of guys trying to trap unsuspecting tourists. One of the tricks is to braid a "friendship bracelet" around your wrist, and then demand some huge amount for it (like 10 Euro). Well, one of the guys grabbed Hilary, and I thought she was going to extricate herself, so I waited some distance up the hill. (One of the guys tried a few times to get me to come down, and I was like, "Uh, no.") She was eventually released, and was none too happy about being taken in. (She said that he had asked for 10 Euro, saying that they usually charged 20, and she gave them all her change, which equaled something around 1-1.5 Euro.)
With that adventure behind us, we made our way up to Sacre Coeur, pausing occasionally to take pictures. We then went inside and toured the sanctuary. I stopped and bought a couple of postcards for Grandma, and Hilary and I both took (forbidden pictures) of the ceiling. We walked out into the sunlight, and made our way down the hill.
We walked back down to Barbes-Rochecoart, and strolled along to find the Moulin Rouge (passing the red-light district on our way). We took some pictures of the Moulin Rouge, and then walked up Rue Lepic. When we passed the Cafe des Deux Moulins (the cafe in "Amelie"), I was able to peer inside and they had a poster from the movie displayed. (So if I had any doubts that that was the actual place, they were dispelled.) We continued hiking up Rue Norvins (passing Moulin de la Galette), and got to the Lapin Agile down on the other side of the hill on Rue des Saules. After taking some pictures, we stopped to get some water and each bought some postcards before going to Place du Tertre. Once we were at the artists' square, we walked around taking pictures, and when we were finished, we began walking down the hill.
Hilary had wanted to see the only metro station still completely retained in the Art Nouveau style (with the roof intact). That one was Porte Dauphine, which was along the border of the 16th, so we took the metro to the end of the 2nd line. Completely by chance, we happened to get out at the one exit with the roof and all the Art Nouveau details. We took some pictures, and made our way to the nearest road. The nearest road happened to be Avenue Foch, a long road that ended up hitting the Arc de Triomphe at a corner point. (It was really funny, it didn't look real at all. It looked more like it was made of paper and could easily blow over.) We walked down Avenue Foch and took a right towards Trocadero. At Trocadero, we took pictures of the Tour Eiffel and attempted to take some pictures of the two of us (which didn't turn out too well).
After we were finished at Trocadero, we ate lunch at the Galleria Cafe nearby. (That cafe was also near the Musee Galleria, where I had seen the "Annees Folles" exhibit on the 1920s at the beginning of the semester.) After lunch, we walked along the Seine, leisurely making our way to the Louvre. We walked through the 16th, 8th and 1st. In the 8th, we passed by the Grand and Petit Palais. We also walked around the Concorde area and saw the Obelisque.
Near the entrance to the Tuileries, we each got a snow cone (the one touristy thing we did), and then walked toward the Louvre. I turned around at a few points to take photos of the Obelisque in the middle of L'Arc de Triomphe, with part of La Grande Arche seen behind it. After walking through the Tuileries, we still had time before the Louvre became free (for students) at 6 pm, so we walked to Palais Royal and relaxed there. We left for the Louvre a little after 6 pm, and stood in line to get tickets. I was fine, but when we tried to enter the one of exhibition hall, Hilary had to go back and purchase one. I waited for her in the gift shop. I bought a few postcards and saw a book on vintage playing cards that I considered buying. Hilary finally bought her ticket, an we decided what we wanted to see. Hilary wanted to see the Mona Lisa, so we went off in the direction first. We saw the Mona Lisa, along with the oversize French and Italian paintings. Then I wanted to see the 17th-19th French paintings, so we went off to that wing. We ended up getting done with that portion quickly, since a good deal of the hall was roped off. (That had happened the 2 previous times I was there as well.) We also took some photos looking out onto the courtyard.
We walked back, taking the Pont Neuf bridge and walking along Boulevard Saint Germain. We stopped at the Boul' Mich' Cafe for dinner, where I got a croque madame. Our waiter told me at the end of the meal that I spoke very good French and that many of the Americans that visited didn't speak it well or at all. So that was nice to hear. After dinner, we walked along the rest of Saint Germain and down Rue Moefftard (which is quite the nightlife spot) back to our hotel.
Saturday, the first thing we did was walk to the FNAC on Rue de Rennes near the Tour Montparnasse, where Hilary bought a memory stick with over 900 pictures on it. After that, we walked over to the 7th to find the Dome Church, stopping once so that I could buy allergy medication. We found it easily and walked around it, taking lots of pictures. After we were done there, we went to Avenue Rapp. There was an apartment building in the Art Nouveau style at number 29 that Hilary was eager to see, and it was really pretty. We both got some good shots of details. Also, that area was right near Tour Eiffel, so that also afforded some wonderful picture opportunities.
We then walked to the nearby Ecole Militaire metro stop and took it to Saint Paul, in the Marais area. Once there, we walked around a bit. We first went down Rue des Rosiers, which had a lot of little cafes. Then, we happened to pass the courtyard of the Musee Carnavalet. It was beautiful, so we stopped to take photos. The courtyard had shirt hedges sculpted into curlicues, and ivy covered most of the buildings' exterior. Then, we went to the Place des Vosges. I took some good shots there. (I really love the symmetry of the gardens and the surrounding buildings.) We had lunch at a cafe there, where I had pasta. After that, we both wanted to go back to the Louvre, me to purchase the book on playing cards, and Hilary to take pictures of the exterior and architectural details. So we walked to the Louvre, which took less that half an hour. After I bought the book, we wandered around the front and within the courtyard, taking lots of pictures. After that, we walked along the Seine towards Rue de la Harpe, where I wanted to take Hilary for her birthday dinner. I asked to rest a bit (I was wearing flats, and my joints were hurting from about 3 straight days of hardcore walking.) So we sat down near Saint-Michel, on some stone steps leading down to the Seine. Hilary took some pictures and I relaxed while we talked. At one point, another guy sitting near us (and was around our age) turned around and asked if we were visiting too. It turned out that his name was Allen, he was Canadian, and that he was here for a weekend on vacation from a computer science internship in Munich. We talked for awhile about being abroad and the different experiences we'd had living and getting around. When Hilary and I were about to leave for dinner, he asked to join us, so the 3 of us headed over to Bar de la Harpe. Once there, Allen got the onion soup and Hilary and I each got the 15 Euro fixed price menu. (Instead of the salmon as the main course, I switched it up and got the lamb. This was in addition to getting the frogs' legs in Provencale sauce for the appetizer and the profiteroles for dessert.) Later in our meal, a man and his son (who looked to be about 12) sat down at the table next to us, and the man started talking to us. (He was more talking to Hilary and Allen since they were sitting closer to him.) He was really nice, and was asking us about our impressions of French people. (Hilary said later that he was from Nantes, and when he heard that she would be going there, he offered to drive her there.) He also told us about a movie that had become the biggest box-office grosser in France, "Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis", about a guy from the city who goes to live in the rural part. Apparently, they're remaking it in the States. With Will Smith. So that should be interesting. Around then, we finished dinner, said goodbye to the man and Allen, and went back to the hotel.
Sunday, we wanted to go to the Musee d'Orsay (it's free the first Sunday of each month). While in the Montparnasse Bienvenue station, Hilary decided to get her train ticket then, so we went into Gare Montparnasse (which is connected). It took us some time to figure out where exactly we needed to go, but eventually we got there and Hilary got her ticket. Then, we went to d'Orsay. We only waited in line for about 25 minutes, and we were in! We walked around slowly, taking pictures and just absorbing it. On the way out, I bought a couple of postcards for Grandma. We then walked along the Seine and went down Pont Alexandre III to get to the Right Bank. We passed the Grand Palais and the Petit Palais (they face each other) to get to Champs-Elysees. Since it looked a bit rainy, we decided to stop for lunch at Pomme de Pain, where I got a tuna, egg and vegetable panini. It rained while we were eating there, and then began to clear up. So we made our way up to L'Arc de Triomphe! We went through an underground walkway that took us from Champs-Elysees right near the Arc. Each of us walked around, taking lots of pictures. We decided to go up, and found out that we needed tickets, so we went back to buy them. We walked up a tiny staircase, and after 284 steps, were at the top! We had a WONDERFUL view! You could see everything, including straight shots to Place de la Concorde and La Defense. I took a lot of photos, because I wanted to eventually put together a 360-degree shot. After about 45 minutes-1 hour, we were finished and took the steps down to the ground. We took some more shots there, including some of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and left.
I had wanted to try some macaroons at Laduree, the celebrated pastry shop, so we stepped in there for a bit. I took some pictures of the decor and we got in line. It was really cool seeing the whole counter filled with all kinds of sweets. (Hilary took a couple of shots of that. I wanted to too as well, but one of the people caught her doing so and wagged his finger at her. That seemed to be the big thing about the French expressing disapproval: finger wagging. I don't know why.) I purchased 2 macaroons, one vanilla and one raspberry. (I wanted to see how they compared to Paul.) They were FANTASTIC!!! The Paul ones are good as well, but there was another dimension of flavor with the Laduree ones. (I just wished that I had tried them sooner.)
Soon after we left, it started raining, so we stood under the Nike store overhang for some minutes. After that, we walked near the Grand Palais and the Petit Palais and took more pictures. We were able to peer into the foyer of the Grand Palais, and saw that there was a lot of gold Art Nouveau metal work. (So it's a place to go inside for the next trip.) We also walked near a small theater, Theatre du Rond-Point, which had some really interesting advertising. I then remembered seeing a program of the theatre's season available for free in a bookshop on Port Royal, and wanted to pick it up.
We then walked along the Seine, and sat right by the river for a bit. We walked along Saint-Germain again, and ate at L'Auberge Saint-Germain. I got a fish filet, with an caramel creme ile flottante (literally "floating island"), which was really good. After that, we went back to the hotel.
Monday morning, we walked down Port Royal to get to the Montparnasse Bienvenue metro station. I had remembered seeing the Theatre du Rond-Point season book available at one of the bookshops along that road, but couldn't precisely remember which one. (But I did have a general idea of where it was.) I finally found it and went inside. I had remembered the program cover because it was a black and white illustration of Alice (from "Alice in Wonderland") holding her skirt out at her sides, with a belt of lit dynamite strapped across her chest. It was really cool. So I picked that up, and we continued on our way.
We went to Opera Garnier! Hilary and I separated and we each did our own thing. I took a few pictures, but not as many as last time, because my battery was low. I was glad that I had visited previously, because the exhibition hall wasn't open. (Of course, they had said that the last time, but this time I could peek through the door and see that there were actors rehearsing on stage, doing a read-through.)
When we were finished there, we strolled over to Galleries Lafayette. We went up a few floors and took pictures of the stained-glass domed ceiling. I got a really good one of a close-up of the stained-glass cluster details in the center of the dome.
After that, we walked down Avenue de l'Opera in search of some lunch. We ended up getting crepes at a crepe stand by the Louvre. I got one with ham, egg and cheese, and Hilary got one with banana and dark chocolate. (I had a bite of that one; it was yummy. It was also the first one I'd seen sold with dark chocolate, since usually it's Nutella.)
I had suggested that we could sit by Hotel de Ville and eat them, but on the way over, it started to rain pretty hard. I suggested we go into BHV to wait it out. I showed Hilary the art supply and sewing floors where I'd spent a lot of time, and then we just wandered around. We spent some time in the kids' section, and Hilary really liked the stuff they had. (She resolved to come back with money to get presents for her friends' kids.)
When it had stopped raining, we went to Saint Chapelle. We took some photos of the upper sanctuary, and then went below. I had visited it with my mom about 2 years ago, and I'd forgotten how beautiful it was! I took so many pictures I needed my second memory stick. (That was the second day in a row that that had happened, since I had done the same thing when I was taking pictures from atop the Arc de Triomphe.)
After that, we walked around a bit. We passed Notre Dame and took pictures from many different angles. From there, we went over to Ile Saint-Louis to look for Berthillon. (Berthillon apparently has the best ice cream in France.) We passed the store front, but it was closed. Fortunately, a lot of stores and cafes sold Berthillon ice cream, so we went up to a stand that was selling it. I got a scoop of raspberry and scoop of caramel that was a bit salty (it was caramel au beurre sale). Both flavors were wonderful, but the combination of the 2 was even better.
My craving satisfied, we walked back to the hotel, again getting some good shots of Notre Dame. Once in the room, we rested for a bit, and then headed out for dinner. We decided to go somewhere close (since we both had to pack), and so opted for Harmony Cafe, which was on Port Royal across from Rue Saint Jacqes. I got the confit de canard with white wine, and had mint chocolate chip ice cream for dessert. After dinner, Hilary and I walked down Saint Michel so that I could take some pictures of the neighborhood, and then we headed back to the room.
I'm leaving tomorrow!
I got 2 of my bags, and pulled them down Port Royal to the hotel (Hotel Sunny). They were so heavy that I kept having to stop to readjust or switch arms or just plain rest. When I got to the hotel, I was told that the room was still being cleaned. I still had to go back and get my other back (which held all of my work, fabric and books), so I retraced my steps back to the apartment and retrieved it. Then I walked back to the hotel (again having to stop and switch hands and/or catch my breath). When I got there, I was told that the room was still not ready, so I sat on the couch in the lobby and read some of the magazines. The room was finally ready, and I took my stuff up the 2nd floor room and after having some trouble with the key, got settled.
It was near 2 pm by that time, when Hilary was scheduled to arrive. I left the hotel and walked up to school. She was waiting in the semi-circle, and saw me as I was passing. She needed to write Aunt Debbie an email, so we went and used the school's computer lab. When she was finished, we took her luggage back to the hotel.
Here, a minor snafu occurred: When we got up to the room, I was unable to open the door. I tried the way I had done before, and couldn't get it after a few tries. I went down and asked the concierge about it, and he demonstrated the way to lock and unlock the door. I went back upstairs, and after both Hilary and I trying it multiple times, we still couldn't get it. I went down again to talk to the concierge about it, and he called the housekeeper, who came upstairs with me. She was also unable to open the door, and went downstairs to retrieve the concierge. He tried, and then left, saying that he needed to get some special keys and that he'd be back in about 10-15 minutes. Hilary and I waited in the hall for that time, alternately talking and spacing out. The concierge returned within about 15 minutes, and worked with the keyhole and finally got the door open. When we thanked him, he told us that he wasn't finished, and worked with the keyhole on both sides of the door. Eventually, he got it all fixed and left (with me apologizing profusely). Hilary and I then got changed, and left to explore!
We decided to go up Rue Moefftard (a street with a lot of open-air food shops and restaurants) first. We walked up it, taking some pictures. Eventually, we got near the Pantheon and circled around it. (I got some really good shots.) After that, we walked down Rue Soufflot to Jardin du Luxembourg, where we walked around and took shots of the foliage.
By this time, we were pretty hungry, so we decided to go to Cafe Soufflot for dinner. I got the confit de canard (as did Hilary), with caramel ice cream for dessert. After we were finished, we walked down nearby Boulevard Saint-Michel, far enough so that we passed Saint-Chapelle. Hilary didn't seem tired (or even jet-lagged), so I suggested that we walk over the Seine and go to Hotel de Ville. She agreed to it, so we went and took lots of pictures of certain architectural details and from various angles. We were right near the Centre Pompidou (it was just down one street nearby), and so we went there. We took pictures of the exterior of the building, as well as the fountain (with many modern moving sculptures) adjacent to the museum. Rue Quincampoix was a mere street away, so we strolled down it. (Walking along it, it was clear that we had found Paris's gay/lesbian district, seeing as there were rainbows abound.) From there, we walked to Saint-Eustache, which was an old church that was part of a park. (It was very pretty, but seemed to be in disrepair, which was sad.) We also inadvertently discovered Forum Les Halles, which I had heard about as a good shopping mall. (Of course I would discover that only on one of the last days we were there.) When we were done there, we headed back toward the Seine and walked to Notre Dame. We circled around it, getting pictures from every direction. At that point, it was near 10 pm (and still light out), so we walked back towards our hotel.
Friday morning, we got up around 10 am and left around 11:30 am. We stopped at a nearby boulangerie where I got a brioche suisse (which was like a pain au chocolat crossed with a cheese danish) and Hilary got a flan abricot. After stopping at the ATM on Saint-Michel, we walked down Port Royal to the Vavin station. Since we would be hiking in Montmartre, we decided to stop and get a chicken panini with raw vegetables to eat. We took the metro from Vavin up to Barbes-Rochecoart. We walked through the fabric district (which I now know well) up to Sacre-Coeur. Sacre Coeur is on the top of a hill (the butte de Montmartre), and along the way, there are a lot of guys trying to trap unsuspecting tourists. One of the tricks is to braid a "friendship bracelet" around your wrist, and then demand some huge amount for it (like 10 Euro). Well, one of the guys grabbed Hilary, and I thought she was going to extricate herself, so I waited some distance up the hill. (One of the guys tried a few times to get me to come down, and I was like, "Uh, no.") She was eventually released, and was none too happy about being taken in. (She said that he had asked for 10 Euro, saying that they usually charged 20, and she gave them all her change, which equaled something around 1-1.5 Euro.)
With that adventure behind us, we made our way up to Sacre Coeur, pausing occasionally to take pictures. We then went inside and toured the sanctuary. I stopped and bought a couple of postcards for Grandma, and Hilary and I both took (forbidden pictures) of the ceiling. We walked out into the sunlight, and made our way down the hill.
We walked back down to Barbes-Rochecoart, and strolled along to find the Moulin Rouge (passing the red-light district on our way). We took some pictures of the Moulin Rouge, and then walked up Rue Lepic. When we passed the Cafe des Deux Moulins (the cafe in "Amelie"), I was able to peer inside and they had a poster from the movie displayed. (So if I had any doubts that that was the actual place, they were dispelled.) We continued hiking up Rue Norvins (passing Moulin de la Galette), and got to the Lapin Agile down on the other side of the hill on Rue des Saules. After taking some pictures, we stopped to get some water and each bought some postcards before going to Place du Tertre. Once we were at the artists' square, we walked around taking pictures, and when we were finished, we began walking down the hill.
Hilary had wanted to see the only metro station still completely retained in the Art Nouveau style (with the roof intact). That one was Porte Dauphine, which was along the border of the 16th, so we took the metro to the end of the 2nd line. Completely by chance, we happened to get out at the one exit with the roof and all the Art Nouveau details. We took some pictures, and made our way to the nearest road. The nearest road happened to be Avenue Foch, a long road that ended up hitting the Arc de Triomphe at a corner point. (It was really funny, it didn't look real at all. It looked more like it was made of paper and could easily blow over.) We walked down Avenue Foch and took a right towards Trocadero. At Trocadero, we took pictures of the Tour Eiffel and attempted to take some pictures of the two of us (which didn't turn out too well).
After we were finished at Trocadero, we ate lunch at the Galleria Cafe nearby. (That cafe was also near the Musee Galleria, where I had seen the "Annees Folles" exhibit on the 1920s at the beginning of the semester.) After lunch, we walked along the Seine, leisurely making our way to the Louvre. We walked through the 16th, 8th and 1st. In the 8th, we passed by the Grand and Petit Palais. We also walked around the Concorde area and saw the Obelisque.
Near the entrance to the Tuileries, we each got a snow cone (the one touristy thing we did), and then walked toward the Louvre. I turned around at a few points to take photos of the Obelisque in the middle of L'Arc de Triomphe, with part of La Grande Arche seen behind it. After walking through the Tuileries, we still had time before the Louvre became free (for students) at 6 pm, so we walked to Palais Royal and relaxed there. We left for the Louvre a little after 6 pm, and stood in line to get tickets. I was fine, but when we tried to enter the one of exhibition hall, Hilary had to go back and purchase one. I waited for her in the gift shop. I bought a few postcards and saw a book on vintage playing cards that I considered buying. Hilary finally bought her ticket, an we decided what we wanted to see. Hilary wanted to see the Mona Lisa, so we went off in the direction first. We saw the Mona Lisa, along with the oversize French and Italian paintings. Then I wanted to see the 17th-19th French paintings, so we went off to that wing. We ended up getting done with that portion quickly, since a good deal of the hall was roped off. (That had happened the 2 previous times I was there as well.) We also took some photos looking out onto the courtyard.
We walked back, taking the Pont Neuf bridge and walking along Boulevard Saint Germain. We stopped at the Boul' Mich' Cafe for dinner, where I got a croque madame. Our waiter told me at the end of the meal that I spoke very good French and that many of the Americans that visited didn't speak it well or at all. So that was nice to hear. After dinner, we walked along the rest of Saint Germain and down Rue Moefftard (which is quite the nightlife spot) back to our hotel.
Saturday, the first thing we did was walk to the FNAC on Rue de Rennes near the Tour Montparnasse, where Hilary bought a memory stick with over 900 pictures on it. After that, we walked over to the 7th to find the Dome Church, stopping once so that I could buy allergy medication. We found it easily and walked around it, taking lots of pictures. After we were done there, we went to Avenue Rapp. There was an apartment building in the Art Nouveau style at number 29 that Hilary was eager to see, and it was really pretty. We both got some good shots of details. Also, that area was right near Tour Eiffel, so that also afforded some wonderful picture opportunities.
We then walked to the nearby Ecole Militaire metro stop and took it to Saint Paul, in the Marais area. Once there, we walked around a bit. We first went down Rue des Rosiers, which had a lot of little cafes. Then, we happened to pass the courtyard of the Musee Carnavalet. It was beautiful, so we stopped to take photos. The courtyard had shirt hedges sculpted into curlicues, and ivy covered most of the buildings' exterior. Then, we went to the Place des Vosges. I took some good shots there. (I really love the symmetry of the gardens and the surrounding buildings.) We had lunch at a cafe there, where I had pasta. After that, we both wanted to go back to the Louvre, me to purchase the book on playing cards, and Hilary to take pictures of the exterior and architectural details. So we walked to the Louvre, which took less that half an hour. After I bought the book, we wandered around the front and within the courtyard, taking lots of pictures. After that, we walked along the Seine towards Rue de la Harpe, where I wanted to take Hilary for her birthday dinner. I asked to rest a bit (I was wearing flats, and my joints were hurting from about 3 straight days of hardcore walking.) So we sat down near Saint-Michel, on some stone steps leading down to the Seine. Hilary took some pictures and I relaxed while we talked. At one point, another guy sitting near us (and was around our age) turned around and asked if we were visiting too. It turned out that his name was Allen, he was Canadian, and that he was here for a weekend on vacation from a computer science internship in Munich. We talked for awhile about being abroad and the different experiences we'd had living and getting around. When Hilary and I were about to leave for dinner, he asked to join us, so the 3 of us headed over to Bar de la Harpe. Once there, Allen got the onion soup and Hilary and I each got the 15 Euro fixed price menu. (Instead of the salmon as the main course, I switched it up and got the lamb. This was in addition to getting the frogs' legs in Provencale sauce for the appetizer and the profiteroles for dessert.) Later in our meal, a man and his son (who looked to be about 12) sat down at the table next to us, and the man started talking to us. (He was more talking to Hilary and Allen since they were sitting closer to him.) He was really nice, and was asking us about our impressions of French people. (Hilary said later that he was from Nantes, and when he heard that she would be going there, he offered to drive her there.) He also told us about a movie that had become the biggest box-office grosser in France, "Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis", about a guy from the city who goes to live in the rural part. Apparently, they're remaking it in the States. With Will Smith. So that should be interesting. Around then, we finished dinner, said goodbye to the man and Allen, and went back to the hotel.
Sunday, we wanted to go to the Musee d'Orsay (it's free the first Sunday of each month). While in the Montparnasse Bienvenue station, Hilary decided to get her train ticket then, so we went into Gare Montparnasse (which is connected). It took us some time to figure out where exactly we needed to go, but eventually we got there and Hilary got her ticket. Then, we went to d'Orsay. We only waited in line for about 25 minutes, and we were in! We walked around slowly, taking pictures and just absorbing it. On the way out, I bought a couple of postcards for Grandma. We then walked along the Seine and went down Pont Alexandre III to get to the Right Bank. We passed the Grand Palais and the Petit Palais (they face each other) to get to Champs-Elysees. Since it looked a bit rainy, we decided to stop for lunch at Pomme de Pain, where I got a tuna, egg and vegetable panini. It rained while we were eating there, and then began to clear up. So we made our way up to L'Arc de Triomphe! We went through an underground walkway that took us from Champs-Elysees right near the Arc. Each of us walked around, taking lots of pictures. We decided to go up, and found out that we needed tickets, so we went back to buy them. We walked up a tiny staircase, and after 284 steps, were at the top! We had a WONDERFUL view! You could see everything, including straight shots to Place de la Concorde and La Defense. I took a lot of photos, because I wanted to eventually put together a 360-degree shot. After about 45 minutes-1 hour, we were finished and took the steps down to the ground. We took some more shots there, including some of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and left.
I had wanted to try some macaroons at Laduree, the celebrated pastry shop, so we stepped in there for a bit. I took some pictures of the decor and we got in line. It was really cool seeing the whole counter filled with all kinds of sweets. (Hilary took a couple of shots of that. I wanted to too as well, but one of the people caught her doing so and wagged his finger at her. That seemed to be the big thing about the French expressing disapproval: finger wagging. I don't know why.) I purchased 2 macaroons, one vanilla and one raspberry. (I wanted to see how they compared to Paul.) They were FANTASTIC!!! The Paul ones are good as well, but there was another dimension of flavor with the Laduree ones. (I just wished that I had tried them sooner.)
Soon after we left, it started raining, so we stood under the Nike store overhang for some minutes. After that, we walked near the Grand Palais and the Petit Palais and took more pictures. We were able to peer into the foyer of the Grand Palais, and saw that there was a lot of gold Art Nouveau metal work. (So it's a place to go inside for the next trip.) We also walked near a small theater, Theatre du Rond-Point, which had some really interesting advertising. I then remembered seeing a program of the theatre's season available for free in a bookshop on Port Royal, and wanted to pick it up.
We then walked along the Seine, and sat right by the river for a bit. We walked along Saint-Germain again, and ate at L'Auberge Saint-Germain. I got a fish filet, with an caramel creme ile flottante (literally "floating island"), which was really good. After that, we went back to the hotel.
Monday morning, we walked down Port Royal to get to the Montparnasse Bienvenue metro station. I had remembered seeing the Theatre du Rond-Point season book available at one of the bookshops along that road, but couldn't precisely remember which one. (But I did have a general idea of where it was.) I finally found it and went inside. I had remembered the program cover because it was a black and white illustration of Alice (from "Alice in Wonderland") holding her skirt out at her sides, with a belt of lit dynamite strapped across her chest. It was really cool. So I picked that up, and we continued on our way.
We went to Opera Garnier! Hilary and I separated and we each did our own thing. I took a few pictures, but not as many as last time, because my battery was low. I was glad that I had visited previously, because the exhibition hall wasn't open. (Of course, they had said that the last time, but this time I could peek through the door and see that there were actors rehearsing on stage, doing a read-through.)
When we were finished there, we strolled over to Galleries Lafayette. We went up a few floors and took pictures of the stained-glass domed ceiling. I got a really good one of a close-up of the stained-glass cluster details in the center of the dome.
After that, we walked down Avenue de l'Opera in search of some lunch. We ended up getting crepes at a crepe stand by the Louvre. I got one with ham, egg and cheese, and Hilary got one with banana and dark chocolate. (I had a bite of that one; it was yummy. It was also the first one I'd seen sold with dark chocolate, since usually it's Nutella.)
I had suggested that we could sit by Hotel de Ville and eat them, but on the way over, it started to rain pretty hard. I suggested we go into BHV to wait it out. I showed Hilary the art supply and sewing floors where I'd spent a lot of time, and then we just wandered around. We spent some time in the kids' section, and Hilary really liked the stuff they had. (She resolved to come back with money to get presents for her friends' kids.)
When it had stopped raining, we went to Saint Chapelle. We took some photos of the upper sanctuary, and then went below. I had visited it with my mom about 2 years ago, and I'd forgotten how beautiful it was! I took so many pictures I needed my second memory stick. (That was the second day in a row that that had happened, since I had done the same thing when I was taking pictures from atop the Arc de Triomphe.)
After that, we walked around a bit. We passed Notre Dame and took pictures from many different angles. From there, we went over to Ile Saint-Louis to look for Berthillon. (Berthillon apparently has the best ice cream in France.) We passed the store front, but it was closed. Fortunately, a lot of stores and cafes sold Berthillon ice cream, so we went up to a stand that was selling it. I got a scoop of raspberry and scoop of caramel that was a bit salty (it was caramel au beurre sale). Both flavors were wonderful, but the combination of the 2 was even better.
My craving satisfied, we walked back to the hotel, again getting some good shots of Notre Dame. Once in the room, we rested for a bit, and then headed out for dinner. We decided to go somewhere close (since we both had to pack), and so opted for Harmony Cafe, which was on Port Royal across from Rue Saint Jacqes. I got the confit de canard with white wine, and had mint chocolate chip ice cream for dessert. After dinner, Hilary and I walked down Saint Michel so that I could take some pictures of the neighborhood, and then we headed back to the room.
I'm leaving tomorrow!
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