Pain au Chocolat

Paris is wonderful. Its absolutely wonderful, there is no other way to describe it. Ok, well maybe whimsical and charming work too, but the city is vibrant and cultured and full of life. I enjoyed the eurostar ride to France (they don't tell you about the ear popping and head pounding while in the English channel- they should) and especially enjoyed the 3 hour coach tour we had around Paris. It gave me a better idea of the circular city and helped see all the major sites right off the bat. I fulfilled a goal right away and after checking into our hotel, I walked down the Champs d' Elise and bought a red leather handbag that is absolutely amazing and was 50% off and I love! (for those of you who know my obsession with red leather, you can feel the excitement oozing through the keyboard). While the weather was rainy and cold in London, Paris was slightly breezy and somewhat clouded with a few showers, but most of the time it was gorgeous. My favorite part of Paris was the d' Orsay impressionist museum. I had been looking forward to going there all weekend, and it did not dissapoint. I especially liked two Renoir paintings and the Monets were quite fabulous. The Lourve was also amazing; it was so grandeur one could argue it was over the top. I was under prepared for the Mona Lisa and in doing so was pleasantly surprised. The crowds were not as bad as they could've been, and I got to stand as close as possible (which is behind the curtain behind the glass case behind the glass over the painting behind the frame. security much?) and I studied her for a while, only to finally decide she looked demure and there was a tired wilt in her eyes. I've heard she expresses the emotion one feels when they look at her, and if that is the case, then she was definitely tired! One of the days we got up and went out of the city a bit to Chartres, which is a darling little town housing the world's greatest gothic cathedral. Chartres Cathedral was incredible- definitely one of my favorites in Europe so far. It was extremely dark and cold within the gray Medieval cathedral, though the contrasting blue stained glass rose pannels shone brightly into the building. Such a contrast really illuminated the idea of light and purity and the place had a humble (if you can call any cathedral humble) and satisfied presence. After the most amazing eclair I've ever eaten in my entire life, we left Chartres and a small group of us ventured off to Versailles. It was such a contrast to go from a place glorifying God for thousands of years, to a place that is epitomized by human grandeur. 'For the glory of France' was engraved on the side, and though the gardens were wonderful and fresh, the entire compound was soooo extravagant. Geesh, no wonder Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI were so out of touch- they lived practially in an island of wealth. From Versailles we were exhausted, but pressed on to the lourve once we got back to the city. It was worth it, and we saw a lot of sites in 3 French cities that one day. The next day consisted of a philosophy walking tour through the left bank (I took my picture with Voltaire's grave!) and a visit to the D' Orsay, as well as a visit to the Sacre Couer, which means the 'sacred heart'. This church is built on a hill overlooking the city and was built after the Franco Prussian war to glorify the sacred heart of Jesus. The view was great, and we ate a great 3 course meal in artist's square before opting for a taxi (wise choice- we were freakishly near the red light district nearing dark) ride back to the hotel.

YAY Paris. I have a new appreciation for the French. Before I didn't have a great opinion because thinking politically, they tend to make the international communities' job a bit more difficult. After being there experiencing the city, however, it really made me appreciate the French's strong history and background. They've earned their lourve and in some ways their Versailles. So I say let them eat cake! (and eat it too).