Paris, France

Je T'aime Grand-Mere

Paris, France

Having been to Paris, I planned this trip to see best friends Jasmine Rodgers and Jake Kennedy. Not wanting to see the normal tourist spots I’d already seen I thought I’d see a lot of their favorites and less known tourist spots. Turns out, they really know their stuff.

Arriving Thursday night I met Jasmine at the Opera House after sitting at the back of it, thinking it was the front, for a good hour plus. I walked around and got hot chocolate which if you don’t ask for sugar will be quite bitter and syrup-like. Once meeting her at the front I was opened up to a view similar to that of sitting on the steps in Trafalgar Square in London. As Jasmine came running across the crosswalk, I couldn’t believe she and I were in her favorite city together at last.

The Opera House

Jasmine, knowing I’d seen Paris, decided we could refresh my memory by taking a walking tour from the Opera house to where she is staying in a home stay with our friend Camille Bouteillon’s parents. We walked past a statue dedicated to Napoleon, the Tuileries Gardens, and into the square from which you can see the Arc de Triumph, the Eiffel Tower, and much more. Walking across the bridge, we walked along the river and just when it all started to become a little more real the Eiffel Tower lit up. It was nine o’clock p.m.

Creperie

After stopping by Jasmine’s we showed me around her neighborhood a bit. Paris was just as one would dream: Parisians sitting in cafes with friends, smoking, and sharing wine, dining late into the evening. A shop owner comes out of a florist to sweep up the rose petals that scattered the sidewalks. And as we walk past all the cafes spilling into the street, we spot a creperie, which Jasmine describes as “just a crepe stand.” To watch this old man which up a crepe full of delicious cheese and succulent tomatoes and mushrooms, can only best be described as heavenly. I only wanted more crepes after this first night.

One thing to note, is Parisians do not speak English as readily as one may think. I learned this when I stepped off the plane and asked someone where the bus was, to which I got a response of strung together French words which I had never heard before and will never be able to repeat. Jasmine was able to teach me some things about the French from a book she is reading which I also found very interesting. One, and most notable when walking around, the French do not pick up their dog’s poop. Two, dogs are not put on leashes and you are not to pet one’s dog. Three, the French like exact change. And four, and this is not from Jasmine nor her book, but the French are “rude,” but I experienced nothing of the sort. Rather, the French are very friendly, too friendly when it comes to the men, and even if you don’t speak French they will laugh it off and try to help as much as they can.

Jasmine, Jake, and Lisa reunited in Paris!

So after dinner, we freshened up and made our way to Jake Kennedy’s very modern and chic apartment in the Jewish and gay district of Paris, an area I am very fond of now. We grabbed two bottles of Rose and met up with Lauren and Nikki in the metro and soon Isabella and Kristen arrived straight from the airport. As we all shared some wine and caught up we made our way to the Morgan Bar (a bar that from the outside looks cool with the lights but will only disappoint), Hideout (with a flaming bar in an underground cave – just not the right night), and finally to Café Oz (an Australian bar so rowdy that everyone dances on tables and if pissed will buy anyone a shot). Needless to say, we found a good spot in the end and had a fun night!

The Gardens at the Estate of Versailles

The next day after going to the grocery store, Jasmine and I had quite a three hour travel adventure. While trying to go to Versailles, we ended up not taking the right train and not switching where we should have switched if not on the proper train, which landed us in Zone 5. Zone 1 is Paris, but we just laughed off our two hour train ride through the “Real Paris” or the ghetto which was very eye opening with its buildings you were not sure if they were going up or coming down. Smothered in graffiti, these crumbling buildings were a sight to see. And past the projects and ghettos, we even made it to the countryside where all the eye could see was green and cottages that dotted the train’s line.

Making it to Versailles we found the golden gates and figured out how tricky it was to walk on cobblestone as we made our way up to the Chateau.  We walked through the security area, which is ideal to an airport’s security, and into the gardens which opened up to intricately cut hedges, fountains, flowers trying to bloom (despite the weather), and then a railing that let you look out over an even more beautiful expanse of the royal gardens.

As we heard shots being fired (don’t worry it was only some French’s shooting practice), I could only imagine plates or the like being fired into the air for a proper Frenchman standing there firing his gun while having a nice chat with his friend in their beautiful backyard.  We continued on and only saw more fountains and beautiful gardens as we descended the stairs and made our way to Grand Canal, Grand Trianon, Marie Antoinette’s Estate, and the Petite Trianon. Funny thing to note, we even saw some sheep (one of which was completely tattered) after indulging in our slow cooked baked potatoes topped with chilli, sour cream, and only the best cheese.

Espresso, Macaroons, and Coffee at Lauderee

As we made our way back to the Chateau we learned a little too late the closing time of the Chateau but our day was ended perfectly as we made it to Lauderee, a place known for their tea and macaroons. In my first tea house while coming to England, I felt like a little girl that was passing through one of her rites of passage. After a long night before and a long day, we sipped on coffee and each had a chocolate and a pistachio macaroon. Once again Jasmine spoiled me with the best French macaroons which will only make others disappointing (the same has happened with clam chowder in Malibu).

Showcase - still packed at 5:30 am

The group comprised of Jasmine, Jake, Isabella, Kristin, Lauren, Nikki, Alex, and Hillary then made our way to a fun, hip Moroccan bar/lounge/restaurant where the majority of us indulged in burgers – one of the best I’ve ever tasted. The group then went back to Jake’s where some pregamed on more wine, as I napped, and then we went out to a Parisian club along the river called Showcase! This night was the most fun night I may have had in Europe where Jake’s Canadian roommate Natalia Bragagnolo and I danced til 5:30 in the morning to an amazing dj called Child Prik. This mix of house, electronic, drum and bass, and a little of dubstep made the night memorable in this venue with brick arches and red lighting (my favorite). We had shooters with absinthe and a fun time making some Parisian friends, but watch out – the boys are aggressive so make sure to have someone who speaks French although “No” translates quite well. Make sure if you go to this club to grab one of the kebab sandwiches outside the club, but split it for a lack of guilt. It’s also quite fun at the end of the night to walk by palaces, hop on the metro as people are going to work, and grab chocolate with everyone getting breakfast at a local bakery.  A night well done.

Sacré Coeur Church

Last day in Paris, I took a walk in Jake’s neighborhood and grabbed a sandwich to eat by the carousel before meeting up with Jasmine to spend another day sight seeing Paris.  If in Paris and in your young twenties and a girl, you have to see Moulin Rouge although it is disappointing small and not as grandeur as in the movie, but it’s still the Moulin Rouge regardless. Walking around Paris’s Red Light District was also quite opening, like everything else seemed to be in Paris, but it was unavoidable as we made our way to the Sacred Heart hospital that’s been converted into the Sacré Coeur Church. Not only was the church beautiful, but the entire view of Paris from the Church’s steps were breathtaking. We watched a man I want to marry for his soccer skills juggle hanging from a lamp post and as I took one last look at the view I caught myself looking up with eyes closed saying, “Thank you grandma” in my head. We ran back to take the picture for grandma because it was this moment that made me feel more blessed and thankful than ever.

The Love Wall

Coincidentally, Jasmine then remember there is a wall on which “I Love You” is written in all different languages and we made our way down from the church towards the wall and stumbled across a studio where artists Picasso and Modigliani worked.  As if this walk wasn’t meant to happen we ran into a band playing on the street and some cool graffiti before getting to the Love Wall situated in a little park where I saw a quintessential Parisian reading. Beret, black rimmed glasses, scarf, leather jacket, cargo pants, boots, and a matching book bag wrapped between his crossed legs that supported his sketch pad.

In front of a Monet masterpiece

Jasmine next took me to her favorite Creperie: Creperie Josselin where I had a proper crepe: crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside. This vegetarian crepe seemed to have somehow incorporated the cheese into the crepe’s lining. The crepe was thin and crisp and looked like the caramel cookies that look like lace. After lunch we went to the Museum l’Orangerie which is in the Tuileries Gardens. We walk into the first room and am immediately surrounded by four large Monet water lily paintings.  There was one picture per wall and people sat in the center surrounded by these walls which formed an encompassing oval.  These room sat attached to one identical also full of Monet. Downstairs were works by: Paul Cezanne, Henri Matisse, Amedeo Modigliani, Pablo Picasso, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Henri Rousseau, Chaim Soutine, and Alfred Sisley. To an art fanatic this is heaven in a quaint museum.

The three female statues in the Tuileries Gardens

Jasmine going for a nap, left me to do my favorite thing on a trip: go on a walk at sunset just aimlessly wandering around an unfamiliar city full of culture and life. I walked through the Tuileries Gardens where people in couples, groups of couples traveling together, and families sat amongst the fountains and walked through the gardens both on the path and off. Some floated boats while others sat back and watched and played with their kids. There were statues amongst the gardens as well – the three female statues in provocative poses were similar to something I once painted from my head and it made me smile.

The Royal Palace Gardens

I then walked through an arch back to the Louvre, a familiar place that I saw when so young that it almost didn’t seem real. I remembered looking at the statues that lines the building enclosing the Louvre and I saw unfamiliar sights: the multiple pyramids and the many fountains. Walking through the arches I had not walked through since I was ten I found my way to a gallery where the artist had a great talent for simplifying the female’s face and their use of energetic colors. Then I stumbled across the Royal Palace that has been transformed into apartments and shops but still includes some fun modern art amongst its center’s gardens. People stood and raced amongst the black and white pillars filling an entire square. Silver balls sat atop elevated plateaus from which poured water making unique fountains. And walking between pillars I saw the most flowers I’d seen in this weather in two separate gardens in which sat three couples: an elderly couple, a male gay couple, and young couple. I very much appreciated this view as children played soccer amongst the trees and families fed the birds bread in the fountains. This was when the sun turned the most bronze that day and fell among the old palace’s walls.

The city had so many statues, fountains, and elegant looking buildings I found myself metaphorically lost as I wandered my way all the way back to the Opera House where I first found myself on this trip. I new this trip had been perfect as I made my way back to Jake’s. I grabbed a chocolate croissant needing to say I’d had a croissant in Paris, of which they are flaky and light and overall perfect, and we rested before grabbing dinner at the trendy Voulez Vous and calling it a night.

Things I learned:

Things I learned:

1.     Learn how to use the metro and trains so it doesn’t take you three hours to get to Versailles, you don’t get lost when by yourself, and you can get to CDG early in the morning

2.     Getting sleep actually pays off

3.     But rallying can also let you have the best night you’ve ever had. Once you’ve had one though, rest

4.     Eating vegetables as snacks you can at least fool yourself you are being healthy

5.     The previous point also allows you to really indulge and taste everything there. When will you be able to eat FRENCH fries, crepes, a croissant, and macaroons in France

6.     Go to people’s favorite places with them – it’s unique and much more special

7.     Learn some of the language and culture and just be friendly so even the “rude” aren’t rude

8.     Do find the tourist things farther away that are worth it. And go for walks alone and at sunset, in combination or not.

9.     Stay in homes as much as you can

10. Make sure you learn when things close and keep track of the time. There are different times depending on the seasons

Countries visited: 5