On Thursday, a small group of us got up early and headed to the Père Lachaise Cemetery.  We had planned to go to the cemetery as a group, but it ended up getting bumped from the schedule.  But I had to see Oscar Wilde’s grave!  The cemetery was HUGE, covering entire blocks.  There was a crematorium in the center of the cemetery, surrounded by two levels of urn repositories.  We followed our guide through the cemetery to make sure we had a chance to see all the famous sites (and to make sure we didn’t get lost!).  It drizzled on and off while we walked, adding to the gloomy and sepulchral feeling of trudging through a cemetery.  One of our first stops was Oscar Wilde’s grave!

It was so cool to see all the lipstick kisses covering the winged statue.  There were a few bits of graffiti as well, many reading, “I love you,” one saying, “Wouldn’t it be nice to be Dorian Gray just for a day,” another that said, “sodomy 4eva.”  It was pretty amazing to be there!  The girls that I was with put on their bright lipstick and found a spot to leave a kiss.  I even paid my respects and gave it a smooch!  I found the epitaph on the tomb to be fitting:

ALIEN TEARS WILL FILL FOR HIM
PITY’S LONG-BROKEN ERN,
FOR HIS MOURNERS WILL BE OUTCAST MEN,
AND OUTCASTS ALWAYS MOURN.

We made our way through the rest of the cemetery, seeing Gertrude Stein’s grave, her lover, Alice B. Toklas’ grave, some World War II memorials, a monument to the Commune Massacre of 1871, Edith Piaf’s grave, Moliere’s grave, Jim Morrison’s grave (one of the girls left him a cigarette!), Chopin’s grave, Heloise and Abelard’s grave (which, unfortunately, was covered in scaffolding), Colette’s grave, Rossini’s grave and the Haussmann family mausoleum.  Lots of people!

After the cemetery, I took off on my own.  I headed to Montparnasse and saw the tower.  I did some more shopping at H&M (oops!) and went to go see the St. Sulpice cathedral.  I never made it for the organ concert, but I wanted to see it anyway.  It was covered in scaffolding on the outside, but the inside was very beautiful.  The famous organ in the back was huge!  I wish I had made a more concerted effort to go to one of the Sunday Mass concerts.  I was able to see the “Rose Line” from The Da Vinci Code book.  Even though it’s not really the Rose Line, it was cool to see something made famous by pop culture and film.  The back of the cathedral had an exhibit about the Shroud of Turin…maybe the church used to house the relic?

That night a large group of us headed to the Arc de Triomphe to see the city all lit up and to hopefully catch the Eiffel Tower light show.  We got there before dusk, climbing hundreds and hundreds of steps to finally reach the top of the Arc.    It was pretty incredible to see the city slowly descend into darkness all around; watching lights pop on, the sky go from blue to navy to black.  Unfortunately, the Arc closed before we could watch the Eiffel Tower light show, but we were able to catch glimpses of it from the ground.

The last day I had several things I had to cram in!  First, I HAD to FINALLY to the Notre Dame tower climb.  I had been meaning to do it the entire trip, but never got around to it (or the line was too long!).  Getting there early (or I thought we were early), Alyssa and I were dismayed to find a VERY long line.  But, I decided to stick it out…it was made even worse by the biting cold wind on the shadowy side of the cathedral…and me in shorts and t-shirt!  After about an hour wait, we finally made it to the tower.  And up we went!  And up…and up…rest…then up…and up and up and up.  Whew…but we were only on the top of the Rose Window!  It was really cool, stepping out onto the walkway between the two towers and seeing everything from the Sacre Coeur to the Eiffel Tower.  Right as we stepped out of the stairwell, the bells started tolling…it was crazy loud, but so cool!

Then we made the last leg of our journey (over 400 stairs! Ah!), to the very tip top of one of the towers.  What a view!  It was so worth the wait!

After we made the dizzying journey back to the ground, Alyssa and I headed back to Shakespeare & Co, for one last look around.  And lucky I did, because I found an old copy of Oscar Wilde’s An Ideal Husband!  I had found my book purchase and it was Oscar Wilde…too perfect!  After that, we grabbed some amazing kabob, checked out St. Michel’s Fountain and then stopped by the hotel where Oscar Wilde died.  What a whirlwind day!

Being the last night, a group of us headed to the Eiffel Tower to see the light show.  We sat around, talked, drank wine, smoked…and then when 11pm rolled around, the show began!  It was sparkly and glittery and fun to watch…so fun, in fact, we all stayed for the midnight show too!  What a great way to end a great trip!

P.S. I just need to write a bit about my adventures trying to get home the next day.  Melissa and I had the same flight, so we stuck together.  We ended up getting off at the wrong terminal…no big deal, right?  We just go to the right one.  So we ask someone how to get there…they tell us to get back on the RER line…which means we had to buy new train tickets…which subsequently didn’t work for the line we needed.  So then, we find out that no, we weren’t supposed to take the train to the correct terminal, we were supposed to take the complementary shuttle!  So, we finally make it to our terminal…and the line to check baggage is RIDICULOUS!  We waited for an hour and a half, freaking out that we were going to miss our plane!  We finally got checked in, RAN to our gate and made it, barely, with seconds to spare!  Anyway, just had to document that little adventure!

Thanks for reading and commenting everyone!

Wednesday we had a full day at the Pompidou Centre, one of the world’s largest modern art museums.  I was so excited to see something other than Renaissance paintings!  The building itself is very modern, snaked with exposed ducts and tubes, with a clear, tubular escalator climbing up one side.

The main exhibit they had was dedicated to female artists.  It ranged from videos, to paintings, to sculptures, to furniture to…well, just about anything!  I really liked this one piece called “Averse”; it was a video projected onto a wall, showing an empty warehouse with fluorescent bulbs.  Slowly, one by one, the long, cylindrical bulbs would fall out of the lights and shatter on the ground, slowly plunging the room into darkness.  I don’t know why it struck me, but I sat and watched the whole thing!

A lot of the art had a feminist bent, so it was really interesting to see an exhibit with a completely opposite focus from the patriarchal and religious art that predominated most of the other museums we had seen.

Just a warning, some of the pictures might not be safe for work!

After the museum I headed over to Victor Hugo’s house.  It was right by our hotel, near the Place des Vosges.  Most of it had been turned into a museum, with pictures from his life and artwork inspired by his writings.

After a brief tour of his house, I headed back to the hotel to get ready to go to the Moulin Rouge!  A small group of us got all dolled up and headed to the 11 pm showing.  We sat at the bar (which was really just a table in the back) and sipped champagne while watching an amazing show!  There were crazy feathered costumes, lights, dancing, singing (they even sang “I Will Survive!” Ha!), boobs, water tanks with pythons, black lights, flying dancers, jugglers, acrobats, ventriloquists…it was incredible! I’m so glad I decided to go; definitely a highlight of the trip!

After the show we took some pictures and had to take a cab back to our hotel.  So much fun!  Check out a video of the show below…

I know that only covers Wednesday, but I didn’t want the post to be super long…so check back soon (I promise you won’t have to wait another week!) to see all the other fun things I crammed into the last two days!

On Saturday I didn’t do much during the day, but that night a small group of us headed out to a club called Les Bains.  They were having a beach/sailor theme that night, so we all got in our swimsuits or blue stripes and headed down to dance!  It was super fun and it was cool to see a couple of the guys have no problem hanging out at the gay club.

Sunday I went with some people to walk down the Champs-Elysées.  We started at the Arc de Triomphe and walked all the way to the Place de la Concorde.  Since it was Sunday, several of the shops were closed, but we got a chance to hit up all the major ones.  We wandered through the huge Louis Vuitton store (I may or may not have bought a really cool passport holder…), we saw some sleek and sexy concept cars at the Mercedes-Benz and Toyota stores, checked out the Nike Paris store (which has Michael Jordan’s handprints in gold!).  Saw the obelisk and the fountains at the Place de la Concorde then headed back after a long day of walking and shopping!

Monday we had class during the day then met at a nearby café called the Cuba Company Café for a group dinner.  We were supposed to have a picnic, and save the dinner for Thursday night, but the weather wasn’t holding, so we had the dinner instead.

It was really nice; an aperitif, appetizer, meal, dessert and wine were included.  I had some killer chicken wings (I miss Rock Bottom’s chicken and nachos!), a tasty chicken with coconut sauce, some chocolate mousse cake and a decent white wine.  We had some awesome mojitos too (not as good as the ones I make, though).

Tuesday we headed to the Rodin Museum.  I’ve decided I’m not a huge fan.  He’s all about the half-formed object and leaving the figures in emergent poses…I dunno, not my cup of tea I guess.  It was a beautiful museum, though, with an amazing garden, and the day was gorgeous.  We saw the famous “The Thinker,” “The Gates of Hell,” and several other well known works.  I think I snapped some decent pictures.  I did really like his “Cathedral,” a sculpture of two right hands coming together.  I thought the title and the curves and the hesitant fingers made for a really moving and thought-provoking piece.

After the museum I finished up my souvenir shopping and had a dinner party with my friends Mma and Alyssa!  Mma made Mongolian chicken wings for an appetizer, Alyssa made a tasty pasta sauce for the pasta and three different kinds of garlic bread and I brought the wine and made no-bake cookies!  It was a total blast…I wish we had done more dinners like this during the trip.

After dinner, I tried my hand at the holy grail of college sports…beer pong.  I’ve seen it played countless times, but have never partaken…and have no idea what I’m doing.  But, lo and behold, my teammate Anna and I won our first game!  Alas, it was beginners luck…oh well!  It was fun and nice to hang out with some people from the trip I usually don’t see.

Well, the trip is coming to an end!  Check back to see what crazy things I can cram into the last couple of days!

The museum is located inside an old train station, giving it one of the most unique layouts I’ve seen in a museum so far.  It was spacious and bright, making it a perfect atmosphere to view glowing marble statues!

A few of my favorites included “Narcissus,” tall, beautiful, brooding, “The Despair,” hunched and melancholy, “Abel Dead,” body lithe, limp, serene.  The one that captivated me the most, however, was “The Youth of Aristotle.”  I don’t know what it was about this sculpture; I just kept coming back to this one.  The posture, the expression, the ambiguity.  I think I’ll be writing more about this one in the future…

I was also able to find some more Antoine-Louis Barye sculptures that I really enjoyed; particularly, a series of four bronzes, “Force,” “Order,” “Peace” and “War.”

The museum had an interested section on opera towards the rear.  They had a cutaway model of the Garnier Opera House and a miniature model of the city below glass that you could walk on.

I really liked a few of Courbet’s seascapes and found Rodin’s “The Age of Bronze” to be very impressive.

There were a few interesting galleries on Art Nouveau furniture (where I found a fountain that looked like it came out of The Lord of the Rings).  There was also a large painting called “The School of Plato” that I found fascinating.  The colors were so muted and ethereal, the placement of the figures so reminiscent of religious art, yet so pagan in their representations…I loved it!  Unfortunately, our guide book claimed it was one of the “bad paintings” in the museum…screw them!

I quickly passed over the Impressionists wing, not really finding anything of interest.  It was cool to be able to see, in real life, many of these super famous works of art, but as far as an emotional resonance…it wasn’t happening.  My sister would have enjoyed Degas’ obsession with dance themes; many of his paintings and sculptures reminded me of her.  Rodin’s “The Gates of Hell” (based off of Dante’s Inferno) was also very fearsome and inspiring.

Thursday we had another bus tour day.  We went to Giverny, the home of Claude Monet.  It is also the location of his beautiful gardens where he painted the famous “Water Lilies.”  The gardens were stunning, the flowers vibrant, the house warm and cozy.  Of all the houses, chateaus, mansions and castles we’ve visited, I would love to live there!  It was so secluded in these fantastical gardens and had such a homey and lived-in feel; very comfortable.  I really think my grandmother would have loved this place…she’s a painter and would have thoroughly enjoyed the scenery and the artistic vibe.

Then we headed to Senlis for lunch, making our way to the Chantilly Chateau.  Chantilly is known for its horse races; the first horse races occurred in the town in 1836.  The stables to the chateau are huge, almost bigger than the chateau itself!  The castle is now a museum, housing the second largest collection of paintings, next to the Louvre.  There was an amazing library inside, featuring hundreds of books on two levels…I want a library like that someday!

Chantilly is also the birthplace of whipped cream…real whipped cream.  We wandered through the vast grounds till we found a quaint little village, much like the Queen’s Hamlet at Versailles.  There, we found a small little restaurant that serves all manner of Chantilly Crème…with strawberries, spiced bread, in hot chocolate, with sorbet, with ice cream, with raspberries…you name it!  I had the spiced bread and hot chocolate…it was incredible.  Thick, almost like butter, it tasted like cream cheese frosting mixed with cheese cake and cream and a thin sliver of heaven or something!  It was super rich though!  And then, randomly, a peacock showed up!  There we were, eating decadent desserts, sitting in a beautiful little village in the warm afternoon, with a peacock strolling through the tables and chairs…I felt like I was in some kind of painting and was missing my top hat and cane!

After we got back to Paris, a group of us went to go see Terminator: Salvation.  I really enjoyed it; it was just what I needed, a fun, action-packed and entertaining flick.  The Honors College crowd is a bit rough though…I find it unnecessary to analyze movies, such as this one, based off of believability…just sit back and enjoy things exploding! It was fun, and it was nice to hang out with some more people from the trip.

Having a great weekend, so check back soon for an update!

Update:  Friday night was the night the whole gang went to The Rex, one of the most popular techno/dance clubs!  It was so fun…Mma, Alyssa, Taxi and I stayed and danced till the morning light…literally!  The metro wasn’t open by the time we left and we didn’t want to walk (it was super far; plus our dancing feet were aching!), so we just sat around and waited till the metro started running again!  Now THAT was a night out on the town!

We saw the I Love You Wall, a tiled wall covered with the words “I love you” in over 300 different languages.  We stopped by the Café des 2 Moulins, made famous in the movie Amelie…it was the café that she worked at and they actually filmed it in that café!  We saw Toulouse Lautrec’s big-windowed artists’ studio, high above the street, and one of two remaining windmills on the entire hill, the Moulin de la Galette.  Our guide told us the story behind the strange sculpture of a man coming out of a wall.  It’s based on a story by Marcel Aymé.  It’s a really fun fairy tale, so check it out if you get a chance!

Montmartre got its name from “mount of martyr,” because a miracle (and martyrdom) occurred on the hill.  St. Denis was beheaded by the Romans for his Christian beliefs…but instead of dying right away, he picked up his head, walked six miles down the hill, then died.  So there were lots of depictions of St. Denis around, including fountains and such.  We ended the guided tour at Sacre Coeur, which I incorrectly called a “cathedral” in my last post…it’s a basilica.  My bad.

After the tour, we had just enough time to head back to the hotel to get ready for our boat cruise!  The boat was named La Sans Souci (which means “no worries” like hakuna matata!).  It was so fun to see everyone dressed up and having a good time…the food was good, the drinks were good, the dancing was fun, the scenery was amazing…we saw the smaller version of the Statue of Liberty, saw the Eiffel Tower from the water, and once the sun set, had an incredible view of the city reflected in the ripples of the Seine.  So much fun!

This afternoon, we had a guided tour of the Latin Quarter, dedicated to the haunts of Ernest Hemingway and his band of writer friends, including James Joyce, F. Scott Fitzgerald and more.  We saw some of the cafés he would frequent, and saw the place where he lived for a while.

We also were able to find a few sections of the original 12^th century wall that surrounded the original city of Paris…it’s hard to believe any of it still exists!  We walked by the Pantheon, made a quick visit to St. Stephen’s church which featured some really great lattice work and Renaissance stained glass.  It also houses the (empty) Sarcophagus of St. Genevieve (her remains were tossed in the Seine during the Revolution…oops).   We then made our way back to the hotel to prepare for another picnic.

This time, we met at the Luxembourg Gardens.  I really want to go back at some point and spend some time exploring…but what I saw looked amazing!  We had another taste of crazy Parisian food…pig feet, pig snout, pig tongue, some really good goat cheese, some really bad orange cheese that tasted like gym socks, some prosciutto, a couple of other pretty good meats that I can’t remember and then, the pièce de résistance…the raw horse meat!  Which was a HUGE disappointment.  It had been talked up the whole trip, but when it came down to it…it tasted like, not chicken, not turkey…water.  It had no taste at all!  Totally over-hyped.

Tomorrow we have a long day at the Musée d’Orsay, so I’m looking forward to seeing lots of great art and getting some good pictures for all of you!

We made our way out to the vast gardens, saw the Orange Grove and had some time for lunch.  I really wanted to rent a boat and go out on the man-made lake/pond, but we didn’t have enough time.

After lunch we trekked through the grounds and saw the Grand Trianon, a smaller palace used by Louis XIV in his older years to escape the hubbub of the main palace.  Then we went to the Petit Trianon, an even smaller palace, used for day getaways and, possibly, discreet trysts.  Marie Antoinette spent a lot of time here, and we had a chance to see her “theatre” where she performed plays for her own amusement.  All the stage decorations were made from paper mache!

The gardens here were beautiful and the roses smelled AMAZING!  I have never smelled any flowers like these in my life…red ones that smelled like watermelon Jolly Ranchers, white ones that smelled like lavender fabric softener, yellow ones that smelled like cotton candy…it was like something out of a fairy tale!  And then, to complete the illusion, we wandered through the Queen’s Hamlet, a quaint rural village that Marie Antoinette had built for herself so she could pretend to live and work in a village, complete with lighthouse and water wheel…ha!  Everything was so small and perfect; definitely something out of a Disney movie!

Friday was the first Friday of the month, so Notre Dame had a Veneration of the Crown of Thorns.  I wasn’t quite sure what to expect.  A small group of us went a bit early to get seats near the front.  Once the service began, a procession of priests, bishops and cardinals made their way around the church and to the altar, bearing the Crown of Thorns and two other holy relics…a sliver of the cross and one of the nails.  All three were carried on red felt cushions and encased in gold-chased glass.

The service was all in French but I always find it fascinating to watch the intense rituals associated with Catholicism.  Then, unexpectedly, row by row, the people attending the Veneration got in line to kiss the relic!  I was a little nervous at first…was I supposed to go?  I’m not Catholic…was I allowed?  I don’t take communion at Catholic churches, but was this different?  I decided it was different.  I waited in line, praying quietly to myself…I’m not really sure what I prayed…maybe I was just clearing my mind, opening myself to…something.  It was my turn, a priest wiped the previous kiss off the glass with an antiseptic wipe and I bent, kissing the cool glass surrounding the dry and brown twisted branches.  My nostrils filled with the bite of alcohol and the musk of incense.  And then I was back in my seat.

I’m still not sure how I felt, how I feel, about it.  I sat there for a while, watching the crowds in line, watching the light form colorful bars in the hazy air, listening to the organ and the pure tenor voice singing in French…I dunno…definitely something I need to think and write more about…

(The picture below is from www.notredamedeparis.fr.  Click it to view my blurry pictures from the ceremony…)

Saturday was my museum day!  In the morning I went to the Grand Palais and walked through the Andy Warhol exhibit.  I knew of him, but didn’t know much about him and the exhibit did a really great job of showcasing some of his most famous work as well as giving a lot of information about his life.

Then I went to the Salvador Dali Museum.  Once again, I knew of him, but didn’t know a ton about him.  I’ve really become a fan!  He was definitely a crazy guy, but his commitment to surrealism is very inspiring.  His art, both 2-D and 3-D, is this beautiful juxtaposition of order and chaos and is so deep and rich in meaning.  I’m really glad I went!

The Dali Museum was located in the Montmartre district, so we hopped on over to take a look at the Sacre Coeur Cathedral, which sits perched above the city and offers a wonderful panoramic view of Paris.  Then we made our way to the Moulin Rouge!

It was so cool to see the spinning red windmill and a group of us have decided to splurge and go to one of the shows next week!

I ended my day by checking out the Museum of Eroticism.  It was interesting!  Filled with paintings, drawings, sculptures, cartoons, videos, etc., the museum was dedicated to the depiction of eroticism in cultures from around the world.  As you headed up the stairs to each new level, you moved forward in time, starting from ancient cultures, moving through the 1920s and ending with some really great modern exhibits by contemporary artists.  View the slideshow below at your own risk!  Graphic depictions of sexuality!  Not child safe!

Went to a fun bar called O’Sullivan’s last night (great music!) and hopefully we’re headed to a dance club tonight…wish us luck!

Tomorrow night we have dinner and dancing on a boat on the Seine…check back for some pictures of what will hopefully be a fun night!

This weekend was really fun; I was able to hang out with my parents while they were in town and it was nice to see some familiar faces.

Friday night we went to a wine tasting in an old wine cellar.  It was right across from the Louvre and was used to store the kings’ wines.  It was decorated very modern, which was a cool juxtaposition with the rough stones and old-world feel.  We sampled six wines, some good, some not (in my opinion) but it was very informative and I learned a lot about wine making, tasting, buying, grapes, regions, etc.  And according to our sommelier (who was very funny and French), we apparently learned all it takes to have his job!  I really liked the white Sancerre…so try it if you can find it!

Afterwards, we went to a restaurant and I had rabbit for the first time…it tasted like turkey!  And I had THE BEST crème brûlée EVER!  Nothing will ever compare…it was like a creamy cloud topped with a crust of crusty creamy cloudy goodness…HA!

On Saturday we did a bunch of shopping and I found some really nice dress sandals.  That night we went to this cute little crêperie and had some amazing (and strong!) flaming Grand Marnier crêpes.

Sunday was pretty laid back.  Had a great lunch with my mom at a nearby café and had some tasty “ruby champagne.”  Then we walked to some flea market stores (the only things open on Sundays) then the three of us went out for some dinner.  I’m really glad I got to see them, just wish we had had some more time!

Monday we had class, and that night we had another picnic at the Eiffel Tower; this time, however, the food was provided by the professors.  We had pig intestines, congealed blood, froie gras, paté, “head cheese,” several kinds of cheeses, rabbit and a few other interesting items.  I tried a bit of everything…most of it was not as bad as it sounds, but I wasn’t a huge fan of the froie gras.  And yes, that picture is of me with a whole rabbit.

Tuesday our group met at the Hotel des Invalides which is also where Napoleon’s Tomb and the Army Museum are located.

After seeing Napoleon’s Tomb (which was gigantic…the pictures hardly do it justice) I made my way through the World War I and II exhibits.  They had lots of guns, medals, uniforms…pretty much any kind of artifact you could think of!  They also had multiple stations throughout the exhibits showing real footage from the era.

I didn’t make it to any of the other exhibits because I really wanted to see the William Blake exhibit at the Petit Palais.  To get there, we had to cross the Alexandre III Bridge, which was gorgeous!

It was amazing to see the actual paintings and poems he created!  Seeing an original of “The Tyger” gave me goosebumps.  They had many of his original drawings and watercolors, as well as many of his “illuminated” poems and books.  They even had one of his copper presses he used for his unique printing style.  Going through the exhibit, I was reminded how much I love his poetry and sympathize with his spiritual struggle…what an interesting man, who left behind such important work…I was so glad I had the chance to see it!

Today we had a full day at the Louvre.  We each got a personal audio guide and were let loose in the museum.  Time flew!  I ended up going through the entire museum…and I was there for six hours!  It didn’t even feel that long.  It was nice to be able to speed through the rooms I wasn’t interested in and spend some time in others.

I really enjoyed Michelangelo’s The Dying Slave.  That guy sure knew how to make statues look life-like!  I was also interested in how many depictions of St. Sebastian there were, both in paintings and in sculptures.  Being a big fan of the Derek Jarman film, Sebastiane, I took it upon myself to find as many depictions as I could…there were a lot!

I saw the headless Winged Victory of Samothrace, walked down the Grand Hall, saw the biggest painting in the entire museum, The Wedding at Cana, saw the Mona Lisa.  I also discovered Hubert Robert, and absolutely fell in love with his paintings of old ruins.  I walked through Napoleon III’s apartments and saw some incredibly lavish rooms and furniture.  What is it about a crystal chandelier that instantly makes a room that much better?

I ran into another statue that really captivated me, a statue of Marcellus, Octavian’s adopted son and heir.  It was an amazing statue that totally captured the contours of real life; the curves of the back, the musculature of the torso, a single piece of fabric draped over one arm…it was just, magnetic!

I also ran across a bronze sculptor I really liked, Antoine Louis Barye, and I especially liked his Angelique and Roger Ride on the Hippogryph.  I think I’ve decided I like sculptures better than paintings…

Sorry some of the pictures are really blurry; we couldn’t use a flash…oh well.  If you want to know what the picture is of, just click “Show Info” in the right hand corner of the slideshow (I’ve included the info for most of them, but not all…a lot to remember!).

A very long day, but I saw the whole museum and now that I know what I like, I can go back whenever I want (we have free passes) and spend some more time.  I was thinking about putting together some playlists on my iPod with some songs that I think would go well with some of the exhibits I liked and go back and see if the music mixed with the visuals will maybe inspire me or something

Well, off to Versailles tomorrow, bright and early, so look for some great pictures when I return!

I started out by heading to the Holocaust Memorial.  As expected, it was very sobering.  The courtyard was lined with stone walls, etched with all the names of the French casualties of the Holocaust.  It’s always so sickening to be faced with such a visual display of the waste of life that was the Holocaust.

Inside the memorial, down below, you could see all the original police files used by the government to help the Nazis round up the Jews.  There was also a large, marble Star of David, with an eternal flame in the center, a collective gravestone for victims’ ashes from Auschwitz that are buried under the star.  It was very sad and eerie to know that so many people were buried there and had died so horribly.

I was thinking about the comparisons between this grave and the American Cemetery at Normandy…why was I having more of an emotional experience here?

I talked to my parents about it, and I think this might be why…while I might not have felt sad or felt like crying at the American Cemetery, I did feel proud…these were men, most of them my age or younger, who chose to fight for their country, to fight for the freedoms of other countries…they did a brave thing, no doubt about it, more brave than I could ever be…but they were active participants…there is a big difference between an armed soldier and an innocent Jewish family, living quietly in a clock-shop in Poland, being ripped from their homes and tortured to death.  Ugh, it just disgusts me.  Thanks to those soldiers, though, some of those innocent people were saved…

After the sobering trip through the Holocaust Memorial, I headed to the Place des Vosges, a beautiful park, boxed in by previously royal mansions and some of the best (and most expensive) art galleries in the city.  Victor Hugo’s house was also nearby, but I didn’t make it in…I’ll head back and check it out another day.

Just off the park was the Hôtel de Sully, complete with a beautiful garden courtyard.  That was pretty much the only thing open to the public, so I made my way from there to the main boutique shopping district, the Rues de Francs Bourgeois.  There were so many cool clothes stores (all out of my price range) as I headed to the Carnavalet Museum.

The museum was mostly focused on Revolution-era art and furniture, not really my cup of tea.  There were a few really intriguing statues, a great bust of Napoleon and a beautifully manicured courtyard garden, but other than that, nothing really caught my eye.

Leaving the museum, I entered the Jewish Quarter.  It was lively and exciting, yarmulkes bobbing through the crowd, the smell of falafel boiling in oil wafting through the streets, mezuzahs nailed to doorposts.  I grabbed some falafel at a nearby stand, the best falafel I’d ever had, and walked past a really interesting looking synagogue, designed by a famous Art Nouveau architect.  I bought a woolen, navy jacket from a small vintage thrift store, then turned onto the Rue Saint-Merri Croix de la Bretonnerie…the gay street!

The entrance to the street was marked with a massive rainbow flag and the energy of the place was immediately apparent.  Cafés, bookstores, shops…it was so fun!  Even though I don’t speak French that well, even though I’m a foreigner, it was cool to have something in common with so many people.  As a side note, I think it’s perfect that the Jewish and the gay district (both located in the Marais District) is one of the safest places in the city!

At a small little shop, I paid more than I should have for a really great trench coat!  It was worth it, though, it looks great!

After my purchase I went to the Picasso Museum.  It was pretty interesting, I saw a lot more of his sculptures and 3-D art than I’d ever seen before; I wasn’t aware he had done so many other things besides painting.  There were a few captivating pieces, but apparently the art was all donated to the state to cover his tax debt, so it’s not the best collection.  The building was really cool…I liked the juxtaposition between the old looking architecture and statues with crazy, multi-colored glass paned windows…very different and Picasso-esque!

Overall, it was a great day!  I was able to have a day to myself to learn more about the city and learn some fun things on my own.  I have a feeling there will be many more days of solo exploration in my future!

Thursday night a group of us got all gussied up and headed out in search of a dance club.  The first one we went to didn’t exist (I found out later, it was actually on a boat!  Ha!), so he headed back toward our hotel and found a bar that was playing some sweet tunes.  I paid 9€ for drinks (AH!) and danced the night away…it was a blast!  There will definitely be more dancing in my future!

My next post will tell a bit about the fun weekend I had with my parents…wine tasting, rabbit casserole and shopping!

The cathedral was originally built in order to house the crown of thorns, one of the most holy relics.  The crown is now stored in Notre Dame and displayed on the first Friday of every month, so I’m hoping to get to see it next week!

When we first entered the cathedral, I noticed how low (compared to most other cathedrals I’ve seen) the ceiling was.  Apparently, the bottom level was reserved for the servants to worship.  Heading up a tight spiral staircase, I made my way to the top level…and I literally let out an audible gasp.  I’d thought I’d seen enough cathedrals and stained-glass to last a lifetime, but this place totally proved me wrong!  It was breathtaking!  The ceiling was so high, the colors so bright, the stained-glass so detailed.  I wish my writing and my pictures could do it justice, but there’s just no way…

Wednesday was our first really intense walking day.  A small group of us started at Notre Dame to begin our “Historic Paris Walk” as outlined by our guidebooks.

Even though I’d seen this cathedral a million times in pictures and movies, it was still impressive!  The sheer size of it is very surprising.  I wanted to climb the tower (400 steps!) but we didn’t have time, so I plan on going back at some point.  Inside was beautiful, although it was very crowded.  They had haunting chants playing throughout which really gave the place an extra bit of cathedral-ly vibe.

Outside there was a massive statue of Charlemagne and in the square was a bronze medallion marking the very center of the city…Point Zero.

We then headed underneath Notre Dame to the Archaeological Crypts.  It was dark, gloomy and damp, small lamps lighting what remains of the ancient Roman and medieval structures located directly beneath the cathedral.  This really put the city into perspective for me…some of these structures are as old as the 3^rd century!

After that, we headed directly behind Notre Dame to the Deportation Memorial.  The French government was, sadly, responsible for deporting some 200,000 people from France during World War II for the Nazis.  This memorial was beautifully simple; white stones, a sharp and angular sculpture, resembling prison bars, a small niche that led to an inner room, and a gated passage lined with glowing crystals, one for each person who was deported, ending in an internal flame.  The walls were scrawled with quotes and above the door was the line, “Forgive, but never forget.”

Next we made our way across the Seine and found Robinier, the oldest Parisian resident…an acacia tree!  It was planted in 1602, so this guy has seen a lot!

Right around the corner was the Shakespeare & Co. bookstore, the most famous English bookstore in Paris.  It was frequented by such great writers as Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, James Joyce and Gertrude Stein.  I have yet to buy a book there, but I feel obligated; hopefully some of the writers’ magic will rub off.  Apparently they rent the upstairs apartment for free to struggling writers…how do I sign up for that?!

We then went to the Cluny Museum.  Known for its medieval collection, I was very impressed with the art and artifacts they had.  We also had the chance to see the famous “Lady and the Unicorn” tapestries…a series of six massive tapestries depicting ladies frolicking with unicorns, five of which illustrated the five senses.  They also had a great collection of stained-glass and even had the original heads of the statues from Notre Dame! (The statues had been beheaded during the French Revolution, found, buried in a school teacher’s backyard, then found in 1977!)

By this time we were getting tired so we peeked into St. Severin’s cathedral to check out the massive organ and the colorful stained-glass, stopped by the #22 Rue St. Severin to see the city’s narrowest building, then called it a day!

But wait, that’s not all!  We had to meet at the Louvre that night for a special tour of the underground castle (lots of stuff is buried in Paris apparently!) that was recently found while excavating the foundation for a parking garage.  It was crazy to think that this 12^th century building was just sitting there, underneath the world’s most famous museum, just waiting to be found! 

After the brief tour, we were free to explore…I went to see the Venus de Milo, then made my way through the Egyptian and Babylonian wings.  There were massive statues, tiny artifacts, a mummy, mummified cats, mosaic walls, even the Code of Hammurabi!  I was so tired I didn’t spend any more time there, but we have another, full day tour scheduled for next week, so I’ll get to see a bunch more then.

I’ll post this weekend about my first solo trek through Paris, complete with some pretty great pictures!

We then headed back to Paris.  On the way we stopped in the town of Rouen.  There was a beautiful church in the city, but unfortunately, it was closed for lunch while we were there.  I had some excellent steak tartar at a local café and discovered a really great white wine, Vin d’Oc.

The bus ride back to Paris was long and hot, but we finally made it.  But no time for rest!  We had to hustle to a nearby market, grab some food for a picnic, and head to the Eiffel Tower.  By the time we made it to the Field of Mars, our trip up the Tower was nigh.  So, we had to guzzle our beer/wine, finish our cheese and get in line, pronto!

The first elevator takes you diagonally up one of the legs…then you wait in another line to take another elevator all the way to the top.  It was so cool!  The view was incredible, with the wind whipping, a 360 degree view of the city…and you could even buy a glass of champagne for 10€!  We missed the crazy light show at 10 o’clock (we were still in the Tower) but I plan on going back to see it another night.  I did get some cool night shots though, so check them out below! (As a side note, the picture of me at the top of the Tower is one of the worst pictures of me, ever…but I included it to give everyone a laugh!)

After we made it back down, we headed to our new hotel that will be our home for the remainder of the trip.  It’s in the Bastille district (Here’s some pictures of the monument that has been erected in the square where the Bastille used to be).

Slowly catching up on everything…will post about our trip to the Saint Chapelle and then post a ton of pictures that I took today of our whirlwind historic Paris walk, including Notre-Dame, the Deportation Memorial, the Louvre and more!