Paris:
the city where little dogs wear designer sweaters, men wear berets, and tourists
wear the evidence of devoured crepes all over their faces. I was honestly not
sure what to expect when I reached Paris,
but the city definitely blew my mind. Paris
was without a doubt gorgeous. My friend and I began our day by exploring the
city. We just so happened to be staying near a little French community which
was probably the most adorable area I have ever seen. The narrow, cobble-stone
streets were filled with crepe stands, little shops, and outdoor cafés filled
with people sitting on patios, enjoying the sunshine. Artists lined the streets
and I just got the feeling right away that I was in the petite city of Paris. After leaving that
area, however, it was hard to feel petite again. We wandered for hours and
hours without even making it all the way to the Eiffel Tower,
but still had a blast just exploring. After that day, we learned that the metro
was a must. The next day, we managed to finally make it to the Eiffel Tower.
It may sound crazy to some, but the Tower is honestly beautiful. Then again, I
have always found beauty in simplicity. Piece by piece it did not look like
anything more than twisted bobby pins, but as a whole, it was breathtaking.
After many hours of waiting, climbing, sweating, and being in complete awe, we
wandered around a little more, exploring the multitude of parks and gorgeous
buildings. We then found our way over to Notre Dame, which was definitely my
favorite “sight” of the entire trip. The church was so different and so
beautiful! Definitely better than the way that Disney has portrayed it. As I
mentioned in my previous post, I am in love with Gothic architecture, and Notre
Dame only increased that love. Another thing I loved about Paris was the multitude of gardens. Even
being so large, the city has still managed to incorporate beautiful parks and
gardens everywhere, and some of the most beautiful surrounded this church, as
well. Being constantly surrounded by these parks just allowed a constant sense
of peace to wash over me, no matter whether I was in the middle of an
intersection or wandering the outskirts of the center. The city itself,
contrary to what others may think, made me feel very relaxed. It’s a difficult
feeling to explain, being that I felt petite, cultured, and relaxed all at the
same time, but it is very possible. The next day, we were able to explore The
Louvre. Art has always amazed me, as well. I may not be the most talented
person when it comes to interpreting art or expressing myself, but I love just
admiring it. I enjoy picturing the artist, hard at work and try to imagine what
he may have been thinking while painting his masterpiece. I enjoy admiring the
details of the work and just imagining what life would have been like in such a
time period as portrayed. Walking through The Louvre could literally take a
week. There are just so many amazing things to see, all from so many different
time periods! Mona Lisa included. As hilarious as it may be, however, I
actually enjoyed watching people shove in front of each other, attempting to
snap photos more than I enjoyed looking at the actual painting. Oh the life of
a psychology major. After spending a fair amount of time in The Louvre, we said
our goodbyes and hopped on a train to Versailles.
Possibly the most extravagant place I have ever seen. The Palace was absolutely
stunning, full of gorgeously bright rooms, furnished with what seemed to be
exquisitely expensive fixtures, only fit for royalty. We then continued into
the gardens, which seemed to be never-ending. It was just such a peaceful place
to be, and I loved every minute of it. That night, we sat on a set of steps
facing the Eiffel
Tower, crepes in one hand
and umbrellas in the other, and simply waited for the sun to set. As the rain
began to fall, the Tower began to slowly illuminate. We completely lost track
of time until, right on the hour, as we have heard happens every night, the
Tower began to shimmer brighter than any diamond could ever attempt. It was
stunning and an absolutely perfect end to Paris.
