Paris, Je t'aime!

Wednesday, February 8th

4:00 pm- After taking our first British Studies exam, my friend Hayley and I were finally ready to start our long weekend in France.

5:00 pm- The adventure begins! We took a taxi to the train station and then a train to London Kings Cross Station. From there we walked across the street to St. Pancras station, where we boarded the Eurostar (Chunnel).

8:00 pm- 11:00pm -We traveled 213 miles to Paris, including 31.4 miles underneath the English Channel.

Upon arriving at Gare Du Nord in Paris, the real challenge began. 

1:00 am- Several small miracles finally brought us to our lodging for the night (including a kind Frenchman helping us find our train and barely having enough coins for the metro)

On our way there, I had to ask people for directions in French. At first I was terrified, but I gradually became more confident with it. Throughout our trip, I was thanking God for my 5 years of French class because it saved us on countless occasions.

After our hectic evening, we were exhausted and greatly in need of a good night's sleep before exploring Paris the next day.

Thursday, February 9th

In what soon became a morning tradition, we bought pastries from the boulangerie (bakery) beneath our apartment. We stopped and ate croissants in a park that we found. I can confidently swear that it was the best croissant I have ever tasted in my life. I am not embarrassed to say that my diet this weekend consisted of mostly bread, pastries, and cheese. Those French people really know how to cook!

Un Croissant très delicieux!

Next stop: The Louvre! I enjoyed seeing the Mona Lisa, Venus Di Milo, Hammurabi's Code, and many other famous pieces of art that I've seen before in pictures. It was rather surreal to think that famous artists had actually painted or carved the pieces sitting in front of me.

Mona Lisa et moi

Meeting Venus Di Milo, sculpted by Alexandros of Antioch

Le Musée Du Louvre. 

After the Louvre, Hayley and I walked through the Jardin du Tuileries until we reached the Avenue Des Champs Élysées. I had heard about this street in French Class many times, so I was excited to see it for myself.

The Champs Élysées led us to the Arc De Triomphe, and of course we climbed the long spiral staircase to the top so that we could see a beautiful aerial view of Paris.

After seeing a lot of the city, the wearing travelers ate dinner in a café and prepared for another busy day.

Friday, February 10th

The first destination of the day was the beautiful Sainte Chapelle. Completed in 1248, this chapelle was commission by King Louis IX and was used to house important relics. The most stunning part of the Sainte Chapelle is its upper chapel, which is surrounded by 15 large stained glass windows. 

We were very lucky to be visiting on a sunny day, because the windows were absolutely gorgeous.

My jaw dropped when I walked into this room!
After Sainte Chapelle, Hayley and I walked parallel to the Seine river until we reached Notre Dame cathedral. In Paris, I felt like I kept running into one beautiful thing after another

Moi et La Seine

Beautiful Paris

Notre Dame!

The Rose Window

Notre Dame was followed by a visit to the most iconic monument in Paris: The Eiffel Tower! We were a bit disappointed that frost prevented us from going to the very top, but at least we got to see a beautiful view from the second level. 

Our visit to La Tour Eiffel wouldn't have been complete without stopping for delicious crêpes beneath the tower.

Since it was so cold during our visit to France, we went to the Centre Pompidou to warm up and appreciate some modern art.

Here's the Centre Pompidou. It was fun to see real Picasso paintings.

Saturday, February 11th 

We took the train to the Château de Versailles today. The decor of the palace was so extravagant and beautiful. The ornate gold detailing and elaborate ceiling paintings showed that no expense was spared when Versailles was built. 

Wishing I was the queen of this castle.

Marie Antoinette's bedroom. I wouldn't mind having a room like this!

The famous Hall of Mirrors. It was stunning. The windows on the right overlooked the gardens, which were unfortunately covered in snow when we visited.

The Royal Chapel.

One of the many beautiful painted ceilings. I was constantly staring up because almost every room had several amazing works of art above my head.

Sunday, February 12th: The exhausted travelers took the Chunnel back to England and were beyond thrilled to return to Harlaxton Manor!

Overall, I had an incredible time in Paris. All of the people I encountered were very kind to me and I loved speaking Français to them. It was definitely a trip that I will never forget! 

À beintôt,

Amy