Stop #3: Paris, France
Gorgeous fountain in the gardens of the Palace of Versailles
Friday morning, we got up extra early so we could walk to the bus station to get to train station to get to the airport in time for our 9am flight. We were trying to save some money by taking public transportation. But with two 50+ pound bags of luggage, two heavy backpacks and two carry-ons, we quickly realized it was a mistake. For those of you who have been to Europe before, you may know that elevators for the metro station are rare. So by the time we got to the (wrong) station, we were sweating like pigs and nowhere close to where we had to be. Time was running out so eventually… we just took a $40 cab ride to the airport. Ah well, so much for trying to save money!
The flight was quick and we arrived at our apartment in Paris about a half hour early. But it was ok, we were happy to rest for a minute. When our host finally checked us in, we were pretty happy with the place. I rented a 2-bedroom apartment in a lively neighborhood called Oberkampf. The place has a separate bedroom, bathroom, toilet room, kitchen and washer/dryer - we were stoked! I scurried around the place, full of excitement and with a big grin on my face… until I heard a CHIRP! Right then and there my heart dropped, as I knew the very familiar sound of a smoke detector that’s low on battery. The damn thing chirps every few minutes (loudly). When our host left, Lorenzo immediately tried to stop the beeping by dismantling the thing. And what do you think happened? The smoke alarm went off, hella loud!
For a few minutes I was really stressed out, thinking we were going to get in big trouble. But luckily, Lorenzo did something that made it completely stop. Thank God. So we continued to settle into our new home, which we were quite happy with. But it wasn’t long til I started sneezing, for “no reason”. I couldn’t understand why the heck I was sneezing when the place looked clean and there were no plants in sight! And then we noticed… the feathery whips, the mini velvet mice toys, and the cat calendars. I was going to die. For those of you who know me, I’m very allergic to cats – they cause me to constantly sneeze and my eyes to water and itch. I was super bummed at this point. However, I happened to bring a ridiculous amount of allergy medication just in case a coincidental situation like this occurred! Problem fixed, we’re out.
The first day was quite exciting. We headed straight to the Palace of Versailles – by far the most beautiful palace I’ve ever seen! The place was jaw dropping beautiful, and gigantic. The sculptures, the paintings, the furniture, the staircases and even the ceilings… everything was gorgeous! Even Lorenzo was quite impressed, even though he doesn’t care too much about man-made things. He did, however, enjoy the Gardens of Versailles. The perfectly manicured gardens, elaborate fountains and perfectly trimmed hedges and trees were unique and interesting. Lorenzo and I are planning to design and “do” our backyard so we’ve been collecting ideas. And that evening, we had a very romantic night as we hung out on the lawn at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, gazing at its beauty and light. The sparkling lights come on every hour starting at 10pm, so we got to experience that as well. Throw in a few beers and a mini bottle of wine and we were happy as clams!
The 2nd day was also quite exciting. We started out by visiting the Arc de Triomphe – one of the largest Arches in the world. Compared to the Arch that we just stayed near in Barcelona, this one is far more impressive! Sometimes humans amaze me with what they can build. (And sometimes they amaze me for other reasons, good and bad). Next stop was the Louvre. Normally I would hesitate to bring Lorenzo to such a place, a place with no crazy activities or “excitement”. But luckily he just took an art class in school so he was actually looking forward to seeing the art he had studied. We made sure to hit up all the highlights – Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, Liberty Leading the People, and my all-time favorite, the Winged Victory of Samothrace. I remember coming to the Louvre when I was very young, and just sitting by the Winged Victory, claiming that it was the most beautiful sculpture in the world. And I still think it is! I could stare at her for hours…
That night we had one of the best dinners I’ve ever had. I found a place on Trip Adviser and made reservations. The place was small and a bit crowded, yet classy and fun. We ordered escargot for an appetizer (damn good), and beef heart (Lorenzo) and pigeon (me) for entrees. We wanted to try the most unique items on the menu, and I’m really glad we did. Everything was so incredibly delicious! I always thought that French food was delicious but had very small portions, and it was true. But the food was so rich it filled me up. The best part was dessert. Even though I never crave sweets and rarely order dessert, this dessert was the best thing ever. I can’t even describe it, but it had chocolate, caramel, whipped cream, and cocoa powder. And I’m telling you, it was the best dessert ever! If you come to Paris sometime, be sure to go to this restaurant – Le Petit Commines.
Day 3 was less packed with tourist attractions but more filled with interesting experiences. Shortly after we left our apartment for the day, we came across this restaurant that displayed about 6 goat heads roasting on a giant skewer. Tongues sticking out and all. You might think this is odd, but we really wanted to eat it. I really don’t see what’s the difference of killing a cow to eat it versus a goat versus a dog, etc. A life is a life. Anyhow, we didn’t get one since we had to get going. First stop was Montmatre. The cathedral at Montmatre was very impressive, but we were even more interested in the neighborhood… it’s so cute!! And the crepes are absolutely delicious (we had a chocolate rum one). After that, we headed over to Notre Dame, which is by far the most beautiful cathedral I’ve ever seen, inside and out. And to Lorenzo’s luck, we happened to run into a “bread fair” where we got to try some fresh cookies and pie 😊 We topped off the day with a late night exploration of the Eiffel Tower. We took the last elevator up (stairs were closed) and made it in time to see the “sparkling tower” up close and personal. Needless to say, it was quite romantic!
Our last day was spent running around town, trying to squeeze in a few last sites. Unfortunately, many things are closed on Mondays so we only managed to see the Opera house, a gigantic gallery mall and several really cool market places. The best part of the day was having a personally assembled picnic lunch, which included foie gras, prociutto, eggplant caviar, a fresh baguette and 4 delicious local beers. We ate our lunch on the steps of the most beautiful building in all of Paris – the Opera house. I very much enjoyed this memory… until a homeless person came over and threatened us to get out of “his spot”. He had a heavy metal ball in his hand and started smacking it on the marble floors to intimidate us. So, reluctantly we left. Then he sat where we were sitting, and started threatening two other guys with his metal ball. He was talking mad shit and seemed like he wanted to fight them. So Lorenzo and I came up with a plan… we both went behind the guy and I galloped / skipped past him on his right (distraction), while Lorenzo went up next to him on the left and took his weapon. The guy didn’t even notice, and we proceeded to walk away (and threw the ball in a dumpster). The two guys who the homeless guy was threatening gave us two thumbs up… all was well again!
In front of the Opera house, where we had our lunch (and had an "encounter" with the local)
Overall, Paris was beautiful and a lot of fun, as there is so much to see! But we were quite happy when we hopped on that train in the morning to head to Germany. In Germany, we get to stay with my family, visit my father’s grave and spend time with all my loved ones. And Lorenzo gets to meet them all for the first time! Very, very exciting 😊
PHOTOS OF FRANCE