Saturday Stroll

I've walked around Paris plenty, seen most of the highlights.  From the outside.  I hadn't really explored any singular place in depth until Saturday when I decided to change that.

Lunch:  at Page 35.  I've passed this place plenty of times and figured I could find something on one of the more-than-several formule menus (prix-fixe) posted outside.  I chose a plat + entree, starting with risotto, followed by bavette (skirt steak).  The risotto had a French twist, including charcuterie meat on top of the dish.  The bavette...well the first piece was cooked perfectly to my requested "medium."  The second piece, however, was rare at best.  Luckily I was full by the time I cut into the second piece so it wasn't much of a loss.

Shopping:  per the recommendation of Paris:  Made by Hand, I headed to rue du Pont Louis Philippe to check out the paper stores.  I'm always looking for journals (I'm really picky) and paper and cards and such.  The shops did not disappoint, and I found a slim journal that would suit my needs.  One shop had a large selection of 3D cut-out scenes of Paris, so I know I'll be going back.

Exploring:

I crossed the Seine to Île de la Cité and headed to Notre Dame.  I had been here my first weekend, but today I had the goal of seeing the inside, and specifically, the famous stained glass windows.  The line to enter seemed a bit long, but it moved quickly.  While Notre Dame does look large from the exterior, it seems utterly massive once you step inside.

view of the altar from the main "entrance" of the cathedral

Each nook on either side of the main sanctuary is small chapel, named after a saint and usually including the patron saint's likeness.  The stained glass window in each chapel is beautiful.  However, once you move closer towards the altar, you are able to see on either side the gorgeous rose windows.

From the South, you can look across the cathedral to the North Rose Window, installed around 1250.    The opposite is true once you walk behind the altar to reach the North side.  The South Rose Window is more famous than its counterpart as it was a gift from the king and tells the stories of the New Testament.

North Rose Window

North Rose Window (thankful for a camera with good zoom!)

Because of the time of day that I visited (and because--surprisingly!--the sun was shining), the pictures I have of the south window are not nearly as clear as the ones I took of the north.  I guess this means I'll have to come back another day at another time.  Poor me, right?

South Rose Window

After  exploring Notre Dame I walked around the plaza and saw a staircase leading down to the Archaeological Crypts of Notre Dame.  Intrigued, I went inside, paid my 3 Euros and walked around.  While the crypt doesn't seem like much, it is a quick tour around the original buildings that stood on the island during Roman and Medieval times.  You can see where the Seine used to run (50 m closer than it does now) and where the Romans installed thermal baths.  My favorite part, though, was an interactive, touchscreen display that showed the 4 stages of the building of the cathedral.  You could pan and zoom around the entirety to see what the cathedral looked like during the hundred years it took to erect.  Pretty cool!

I headed across the river to the 5th to see Shakespeare & Company.  I will do another post in the future solely dedicated to this gem, I promise!  I imagine I will be a frequent visitor...

The small dose of hearing English energized me and I walked back to Cité to see the Conciergerie.  The ticket teller was not entirely convinced that I am a resident of the EU, but a mixed look of disappointment, confusion, and slyness won him over and I got my ticket gratuit.  (Note:  Most museums and cultural attractions in France give reduced or free admission to residents of the EU/Schengen Area that are between 18 and 25 years old.  I am in the thick of the bureaucratic process of getting my resident card, so I just present my passport and visa.)

Entrance of the Conciergerie

This is another relatively quick tour.  The building is HUGE but the displayed areas are quite limited.  It was pretty neat to see the room* where Marie Antoinette stayed before she was beheaded.  Technically, she was held in a two-part room, where her "bedroom" was later turned into a chapel and renovations made to alter the room as it was during her imprisonment.  The other part of her quarters now houses the display of her assumed living area.

4+ miles of walking and I was definitely ready to rest my feet.  All in all, an amazing day with plenty of future plans made for further exploration!

This, Madame, is Versailles.

This is ridiculous.
This, Madame, is Versailles.
quote from Marie Antoinette (2006)

Last Saturday Lauren and I decided to venture out to Versailles to see the Chateau.  Upon recommendation from our American friends, the off-season is the best time to walk around the chateau (and other buildings on site) because it gets so insanely crowded during tourism season (which, is also when the gardens are in full bloom).

The chateau is huge and immaculate, just as one would imagine.  I always find it difficult to walk through places like this though.  I know that the curators and historians have put a great deal of effort to decorate the rooms in styles similar to its original design, and I also know that there must have been some intense restoration efforts (in the past and ongoing) to enliven the art and the details throughout.  None of those efforts are in vain (in my humble opinion), but...I'm a little less interested in the perfect presentation and much more interested in everything that isn't on the normal tour.  I may or may not have an adventurous streak (exploring some "iffy" areas at Ostia Antica in Italy, bungee jumping in Greece)  What's on the actual tour at Versailles pales in comparison to what is actually there--I know it does.  I want to crawl through the secret passageways and see the servant's quarters and explore every single room.  Again, the Chateau is phenomenal.  The paintings, the Hall of Mirrors, the Hall of Battles.  Incredible.  Just makes you wonder what other treasures hide in the rooms off the tour...

Hall of Mirrors

We ventured from the Chateau down the main avenue of the gardens to the Petit Trianon, part of Marie Antoinette's estate.  I think this may have been my favorite part of our visit.  Marie Antoinette had a small bedroom (still larger than my Parisian apartment!).  Just off of the bedroom was her boudoir, which acted as a sitting room with two windows.  But, Marie Antoinette requested that panels to cover the windows rise from the floors to ensure privacy.  You can see the mechanism on the ground floor where the king's staircase used to be (before Marie Antoinette had it ripped out).  The upstairs also had a grand room that doubled as a dining room with a table that could rise from the floor.  I'm not sure if it was actually ever used in this manner, as the kitchen was not fully finished for this.

Marie Antoinette's Boudoir, with the panel partially covering the windows

We continued on to the Grand Trianon afterward.  The pink marble is really beautiful and covers most of the exterior.  Inside, we found it rather odd that the bedrooms were all very much open to the hallways (unlike some of the quarters in the Chateau and definitely unlike the Petit Trianon).

Peristyle with view of the Right Wing

Lauren and I saw the Queen's Hamlet on the map and ventured back towards the Petit Trianon.  However, I failed to notice that the entrance we were looking for is only open during high season, so we walked quite a ways to be denied entry.  We started the big hike back to the Chateau to exit as close to the train station as possible.  In total, we walked over 6.5 miles at Versailles...not including walking inside the Palace.  We were pretty wiped out by the time we nearly reached the train station, so we decided to recharge at the local creperie.

We each had a savory galette (buckwheat crepe)--mine was mushrooms and cheese--and then we split a crepe amandine (roasted apples and almonds).  So yummy!  The short break gave us enough power to get to the train station for the 45 minute ride back into the city.  Overall, a very successful day!

Lauren & Me taking Hall of Mirrors selfies :)

Now I can't wait to go back to Versailles once the gardens are in full bloom!!

Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend

Last weekend I made my way to the Grand Palais for the Cartier Exhibition.  The exhibit closes on the 16th and I wanted to be sure I had a chance to see the famous Parisian jewelry house's most famous pieces.

I stepped out of the Metro at Concorde so I could see Place de la Concorde before continuing on to the museum.  The Grand Palais is just that...Grand.  In reading The Devil in the White City (highly recommend!), it was difficult to imagine just how grandiose the World Exposition buildings had to be in order to house such extravagant exhibitions--mini worlds contained inside.  But once you see the Grand Palais towering over you, such that you can't even see its iconic domed glass roof from the surrounding sidewalks, you begin to understand the magnificence of the World Expositions.

I walked the entire perimeter of the palace before finding the correct entrance and a staff person managing the entrance informed me that it would be a 2 hour wait.  Ugh...two hours?!  But the exhibit closed on the 16th and I had (at the time) been planning to be out of town this weekend, so I decided to suck it up so I could see the exhibit.  Unfortunately, I had decided against bringing my Kindle--a mistake I will not make again while I'm here!

The exhibit was crowded.  I know, Captain Obvious.  But really, I've never been in a museum exhibit that was THAT PACKED before...ever.  So many people!  But immediately understandable since the first thing you see when you walk in is a rotating display of dazzling tiaras.

Photos can't do the tiaras justice, but OH MY GOSH.  I was practically drooling.  And so many of the items in the exhibit (not just some of the tiaras) had descriptions that said the item was found at auction (usually at Christie's in London) in horrible disrepair and the item barely survived.  It baffles me how someone could let something so beautiful and so expensive turn into a piece of junk.

Speaking of tiaras, the tiara that Kate Middleton wore for her wedding to Prince William was also on display.  I stared.  For a very long time.  (Sorry, no photos were allowed for that one!)  I'm kind of really into all things Duchess Kate, so it was pretty freaking awesome for me.

There were plenty more amazing pieces of jewelry--rings, necklaces, brooches, bracelets--but there were also plenty of other pieces like the Cartier mystery clocks, figurines, stationary, photos, and a few dresses.  The exhibit also showcased the famous women who loved their Cartier pieces.  Elizabeth Taylor, Princess Grace of Monaco (Grace Kelly), Barbara Hutton, Marjorie Merriweather Post, Maria Felix.  Some of their jewelry and accessories were included in the display with photos of them wearing their Cartier.  Princess Grace's TEN CARAT engagement ring and a pearl and diamond tiara were included.  My jaw nearly dropped to the floor!

All in all, a stunning exhibit where the jewels dazzled!  I'm quite glad I got a chance to see this incredible collection before the exhibition ended!

Mon Appartement!

As I have promised, here are pictures of my [22 square meter] apartment!

note:  I got a new door a few days after I took this photo!

view after just entering the apartment

the kitchen (washing machine, fridge, burners, sink, and
something called a "crousty vap"--I have no idea what it is
and thus, no intention of using it)

the dining room / living room (currently) / bedroom / closet / office

the dining room / living room / bedroom (currently) / closet / office

the bathroom is very small and difficult to photograph

Paris me voila...

My first day in Paris has been...quite the adventure.

Everything at the airport went normally enough.  My Blackberry phone isn't working so I still don't have access to work email, but there are worse things (though I admit this is highly frustrating).  I took a taxi to my apartment and arrived quite early.  Luckily, the inventory representative and the landlord showed up not long after I did.  They even carried my [very heavy] luggage up the five flights of stairs for me.  Thank goodness for French gentlemen!

I'll do another post separately about my apartment (including pictures), but I will say that--aside from ONE specific thing--I really like the place.  The one thing is the door to my apartment.  Apparently, the guy in the apartment a floor below made renovations to his apartment.  These renovations included working on stabilizing the walls.  Understandable since the building is old.  How old?  I don't know, sorry.  Anyway, the guy did these renos ILLEGALLY because if he had filed for permits and such, he would have been denied.  And why is that, you ask?  Because it would have required renos for the whole building, not just the one floor.  Because doing a reno on one floor will impact other floors.  Like the one above.  And messing with the walls meant that the door to the apartment above will no longer work properly.  So it takes me 10 minutes to lock my door when I leave.  And also 10-60 minutes to unlock it when I get back home.

I unpacked my luggage and arranged my closet and bathroom.  I took a quick nap (only an hour, I swear), then headed out for my bank appointment.  I had looked up the address and mapped my route on the computer and took pictures of it on my phone to follow.  I cut through the Place des Vosges and made my way toward the street I needed.  Unfortunately, I took the wrong street off of a weird intersection, but signs kept pointing where I needed to go.  I thought I would be fine, but then got very turned around and confused when I reached the Metro station that is near the bank.  I got there late because of the confusion and I couldn't be seen.  The receptionist only spoke French and started writing down what day and time I should return.  But the day she wrote down was "dimanche" which is Sunday so I was a tad confused and figured she misheard "demain" (tomorrow).  I resolved to return to the bank the next day and EARLY.

I had a mini-breakdown after missing my bank appointment because it all was very overwhelming and I felt awful about getting lost because I'm better than that.  Or at least that's what I thought.  Anyway I headed back to the apartment, packed up a small overnight bag for the hotel (very, very long story that is not worth blogging about, I can assure you) and headed for the hotel before meeting up with a friend for dinner.

I of course took the extremely long route to the hotel (aka I walked longer than I was on the metro), but checked in and met Bri.  I'm sure the journey length was not helped by the fact that after stepping out of the Invalides metro station, I had my first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower.  And my second and third.  And it was a little distracting as I was walking to the hotel because it hit me that "I LIVE HERE NOW."

my first view of the Eiffel Tower!
(blurry since I was using my phone)

Bri met me at the hotel and then we stopped by Bri's apartment before heading up to Montmartre to meet some other coworkers for a dinner to celebrate Bri's time in France.  We ate at this fabulous Italian restaurant (amazing pizza!), drank wine, laughed, enjoyed ourselves.  The guys bailed but four of us girls remained and spent more time together drinking more wine and enjoying the views of Sacre Coeur and the Paris panorama.  We made it on the Metro before it stopped running, said goodbyes, and my first day in Paris came to a close :)

And so it begins...

It's actually happening.  I just went through airport security in Texas.  Two and a half hour wait at the airport.  Two and a half hour flight.  Four hour layover.  Eight and a half hour flight...at the end of which I will be in PARIS.

UNREAL.