Non-Adventure #8 La Vie En Rose!

SO............I know it has been like FOREVER! I have mostly been just lazy. Lazy in wanting to take the time to create a post and so this one will either be an extremely LONG post or I will make it more than one. So here it goes. August, September, and the beginning part of October went by with a repetitive routine. I worked, walked Sookie (usually to the dog park), and if there was time left over I hung out with friends. The only weekday that my routine was different was Mondays. On those evenings I went to BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) instead of walking. ON A SIDE NOTE: BSF is AMAZING! I totally love my group leader and have made some awesome friends in my group. OK back to the non-adventure. My dad had been talking about going to Paris (France not Texas), for a couple of years. We almost went last year but his passport didn't make it before the prices started climbing again. So when he started talking about it again in August I thought it was something we were going to talk about but wouldn't actually happen. Well, next thing I know he has booked the plane tickets! So I began saving like crazy. He also booked one for my best friend (we have been friends since like middle school) Stacie, in high school we took French together.

So after lots of saving and searching the last week of October finally arrived and we were all packed and READY to go. So we flew out on Sunday night (the 26th). After dinner (wasn't great I mean it was airplane food), we had two inflight movies Mrs. Pettigrew Lives For a Day, and Enchanted. I fell asleep towards the end of the first movie, our plane wasn't full and we were able to spread out a little.

MONDAY:

We got to Paris that morning about 9am. After picking up bags, we walked FOREVER trying to find where we get on the RER train that would take us into Paris. We finally got there and got our first good surprise, the ticket machines were out of service and we got to ride to Gare du Nord train station in Paris for FREE!!! From there we took tons of metros, stairs (not escalators, stairs!! with our 50 lb suitcases!), and walked a lot (we got turned around and were unsure of where exactly we needed to go). We finally get to the hotel and we are too early to be able to check into our room. So we leave our bags in the lobby at the hotel and we struck out, first stop THE EIFFEL TOWER or in French Le Tour Eiffel!!!! Our hotel was about a 15-20 minute walk, and the Trocodero was even closer! We got there and they had these Hello Kitty sculptures that were crying. Here is Kitty below crying with the eiffel tower behind her:

and of course the Eiffel Tower itself:

We didn't go up that day and we mostly just hung around the area and walked to some other places. We finally were able to check into our hotel after a while and we went some where and ate dinner that night but I really cannot remember where. We ALL were ready for bed at like 7:30 that night and so we went to bed early.

TUESDAY:

We got up early that morning and went to the Eiffel Tour again and we got our second surprise: it was a beautiful morning! A great day to go up.

So there, bright and early we waited in line and paid our 15 euro to go ALL the way to the top. We went up, stopped on both of the lower platforms and then came down to the ground again, drank hot chocolate, and then went to La Defense (The Grand Arch). If you stand in front of it and look straight ahead you can see The Arch de Triomphe. This is La Defense:

After leaving there we wandered over to the Louvre (it was Tuesday so it was closed) and Notre Dame.

After that we called it a day, had dinner, and went back to the hotel.

WEDNESDAY:

We took the RER train out to Versailles.

This is the famous hall of mirrors, and if you look to the right you can see my dad in a gray jacket.

It was cold but the palace was INCREDIBLE! Amazing how tall the rooms were and how much land the palace encompasses.

We caught a train back into town and took our audio tour of Notre Dame courtesy of Rick Steves (what a great find that book turned out to be! Full of great information and easy to read and follow). Then we went to St. Chapelle and finished the evening off by going to the Arch de Triomphe.

THURSDAY:

We headed out to The Louvre.

We skipped entering the traditional way (through the glass pyramid) and took a metro into the Louvre.

It was really cold and raining outside and so it was nice to skip both the bad weather and the lines. We again followed a Rick Steves audio tour and saw the Venus:

The Winged Victory:

and lots of other famous paintings, including the Mona Lisa which was as small as everyone says it is (there was always a huge crowd around that painting so I didn't take any pictures).

Not full of art yet we went to The Musee d'Orsay, an old train station converted into a museum.

My Favorite museum and surprise Rick again guided us around to hit the good and most notable art. Like Degas and his dancers:

Monet:

and Renoir:

One of my favorite paintings, The Country Dance:

It reminds me of a painting they use in an episode of Gilmore Girls. The town hosts the festival of living art and Lorelei recreates the Dance at Bougival painting.

FRIDAY:

We started out with Napoleon's Tomb.

Then walked to the Rodin

and saw the thinker:

some beautiful flowers and other statues out in this amazing garden that even in the rain was gorgeous!

After that we headed to Galeries Lafayette (it is a huge department store that is like going to the 10-story Macy's in NYC) where you can go and look out on the roof:

There we had the BEST hot chocolate of the whole trip (and believe me we drank a lot hot chocolate).

We followed that up with a night time trip to the Arch.

So I have decided that this will be a two parter with the second week to come!