Carly's Memoirs of Europe
Bonjour!
If you're curious, this is a written account of what I saw/ did/ felt while in Paris, Bruges, Brussels, & Amsterdam!
It's been exactly 4 months since my trip to Europe which is a long time to procrastinate on writing one's memories... but better late than never, right?
I hope you enjoy reading!
May 1st
I arrived in Paris on a national holiday (May Day) at 10:30am. The flight was really good, I sat with these 2 elderly people who I loved because they reminded me of my various grandparents. All in all an uneventful flight except when I was teaching the elderly about touch screen. Good times. Kirin met me at the airport & we rode the metro to her place. As we passed through the very outskirts of Paris I was reminded of Ontario because all the greenery was the same as back home! I was also out of my mind because I was so jetlagged.
When we exited the metro it was a sunny day & there were tons of people about on the sidewalks & on the road doing one thing the French do best... protest!! All I saw were signs, stickers, loudspeakers, & people people people. It was a huge protest that lasted all day long & various groups were protesting various things such as Foreign Workers, Help Victims of Agent Orange, and Stop (France) President Nicholas Sarkozy. They marched down the street I was staying on all day long, Place Saint-Michel.
I had a nap & when I woke up I had my first baguette and camembert cheese. SO yummy! No one makes bread like the French. Kirin & I went for a walk & saw a few big sites such as Notre Dame and the Jardin de Luxembourg. It's a really lovely park, & there were many people lounging about... but not on the grass. In fact in a lot of parks in Paris you can't sit on the grass. In the Jardin de Luxemborg they have 1 patch of grass you can sit on per day (out of say 30) & they pick a different patch each day so that every patch has time to rejuvenate. It makes me think that in Paris, the nature is to observe, not enjoy & be a part of (very different than Canada)! When one sits in the park one sits in these green metal chairs that are apparently only in Paris. In the middle of the garden was a giant pond & children were pushing boats into it with these long sticks. French children are SO well dressed. I never saw one wearing running shoes & most wear scarves & just overall adorable stuff. My favourite item of clothing I saw were a pair of Converse high tops with a photo of Pink Floyd's album cover for 'Wish You Were Here' on them. So amazing!
After a dinner of pizza (how French, right?) we went back to find there was no power in our building because the power workers decided to do something the French also do well... go on strike! Luckily I had packed a flashlight so we found that & headed to the roof to watch an AMAZING sunset over the rooftops of Paris. My 1st look at the Eiffel tower was against a backdrop of pinks & oranges. I felt so lucky.
All in all it was an amazing day. When I took my notes for this day I was on a balcony in Paris & I thought that the day could not have been any more French!
May 2nd
Today Kirin & I took a day trip to Giverny to visit Claude Monet's Gardens!
We had some time before the train left so we went to the nearby Galaries Lafayette which is a ritzy department store with a gold ceiling! Amazing. The Paris Garner Opera House is right across the street & I was happy I got to see that.
We took the train from Saint-Lazare Station which is awesome because Monet was the first to make a painting of a train station and that was the one. The ride was pleasant. We ate sandwiches (on baguettes) and Pain au Chololate (choclate croissant, yummy). We arrived in a town called Vernon & then took a bus to Giverny. When we arrived to the site we were met by a giant line. Aye! We waited one hour but it was worth the wait because the gardens were so lovely. I felt like I was in an Impressionist painting which made my life because I love the Impressionists. Every flower row was organised by colour & there were so many different types of flowers of all shapes & sizes. I saw one I had never seen before, a black tulip! After wandering around the gardens we walked through Monet's house & saw lots of Japanese prints (big influence on Impressionism). I got to see one of my favourites, 'The Great Wave' by Hokusai. Monet had a view of his gardens from his bedroom window, which was just breathtaking. It's amazing how he moved out there just at the end of his life and made some of his most famous work.
The last part to see was the Water Garden where Monet found inspiration for his waterlilly paintings. Sadly the waterlillies weren't in bloom but it was still lovely & we got to see the famous bridge.
When we returned home we headed out to a birthday party for one of Kirin's friends. It was a nighttime picnic along the Seine River where we ate more baguettes & drank wine. I think the only thing that would have made it more French was if we started smoking (ewww). Kirin's friends were nice; the birthday girl was American, & there were also friends from Czech Republic, Australia, & France. When it came time to sing Happy Birthday we didn't know which language to sing in! (Sidenote: in French Canada we sing 'Bonne Fete a Toi' for 'Happy Birthday to You' but in France they say 'Joyeux Anniversaire.') There were lots of tour boats & we waved at the tourists as they sailed by.
As we walked home, it was my 1st time seeing the Eiffel Tower lit up & sparkling! All in all another good day.
May 3rd
Today was the 1st Sunday of the month which means Free Museum Day in Paris!
We headed first to the Musee d'Orsay, most well known for its collection of Impressionist art. We waited in a long line but it was worth it. I saw lots of amazing artwork including 'Angelus' & 'Gleaners' by Millet, 'Olympia' & 'Dejeunder sur l'Herbe' by Manet, 'A Burial at Ornans' by Courbet, 'The Little Dancer of 14 Years (sculpture)' by Renoir, 'Whistler's Mother' by Whistler as well as various works by Gauguin, Van Gogh, & Delacroix. Art history class certainly paid off because I had a real appreciation for the works.
Afterwards we waited in another line for the Musee de l'Orangerie which has Monet waterlilly paintings about as tall as I am in circular rooms. Neat set up, & really beautiful paintings.
We walked home through the Jardin des Tuileries which goes from Place de la Concorde (where they beheaded Marie Antionette and King Louis XIV) to the Louvre Museum. Again, more people not sitting on the grass & lounging about in the Green Parisian Chairs. Also, the French do not pave the walkways in the gardens, they are just dirt so a) when it rains it is all muddy b) when it is windy dust flies everywhere & your pants/ shoes get quite dirty.
This day was fairly cold, & just 2 days ago we had been so warm! The weather in Paris changes so quickly.
May 4th
Today was my 1st day by myself in Paris while Kirin went to school. She suggested a free walking tour of Paris that starts at the bottom of her street & it was a lovely day so I signed up. On my way I stopped for breakfast & had my 1st crepe in Paris... banana & Nutella! Super yum!
The tour started at Saint-Michel Fountain, which yes depicts St. Michael kicking Satan out of heaven (Catholic School paid off). From there we continued to the Police Station which has the only visible wounds of WWII in Pairs... Nazi bullet holes on the side of the building! It's crazy!
From there we continued along the Seine to the bridge Pont Neuf which translated means 'New Bridge' but in a twist of irony is now the oldest bridge in Paris. It was the 1st to not have houses on it (imagine living on a bridge!). It's stone & really beautiful & has all these faces carved on it of really famous men... drunk. Apparently a guy in charge of the bridge knew the faces needed to go on so he got all the important men drunk, had an artist sketch them drunk, & carved their likenesses that way. Which means it's kind of like the first Facebook. Hahaha.
Near the bridge is a statue of Henry the 4th. Want to learn something cool? So if you see a statue of a person on a horse you can tell something about the person based on the position of the horses' legs: left leg is raised it means unnatural death, all feet on the ground it means natural, and if the front 2 legs are raised it means death in battle. It's right about 85% of the time apparently.
Next we stopped at the Louvre. It was my 1st time seeing it & the area around the glass pyramids is so pretty!
The last stop was the roundabout around Place De La Concorde which is where the Tour De France finishes. After this the tour was mostly over. I made friends with a guy from Dublin (we bonded over the fact that he lived in Canada for a bit when he was young & there was lots of snow. Lots & lots of it! Ha! Good times.) & we decided to walk down the Champs Elysees to the Arc De Triomphe together. Champs Elysees was apparently someone's idea of paradise & while the symmetrical chestnut trees lining the walk are nice you have 8 lanes of traffic on the one side going super fast so it's kind of scary. Once you get to the shopping street it's all stuff you probably can't afford like Louis Vuitton. Their building is really ugly, for the record. & the McDonald's there are has has golden arches in 24 karats. Bling bling!
So, needless to say, Daniel & I stuck out quite a bit. He was wearing a pair of Doc Martens & his goal was to get a photo of his boots with all the famous monuments he was traveling around to see. Once we reached the Arc De Triomphe he laid down on the ground & stuck his foot in the air to get the photo. Ha! The Arc De Triomphe was alot bigger than I thought it would be. Around it sits the most dangerous roundabout in Europe. If you get in an accident there the insurance companies won't even investigate it.
Daniel & I walked back to the place where the tour started since it was so gorgeous & we just talked about a whole slew of things. That's one thing about meeting people when you travel, you have such a short amount of time with them & you can be so open because they barely know you, & they only know your side of things, & you can learn so much about each others' worlds... but you have such a short amount of time together. It's short, but it's magical. It's one of the many reasons I love traveling.
May 5th
Today was a dreary overcast day but I climbed up Notre Dame! It was a good workout & so worth it for the view at the top. I saw the gargoyles & the bell but the Hunchback was nowhere to be seen.
The inside of Notre Dame is breathtaking. Gotta love Gothic architecture! Everywhere you look something is decorated & intricate. You could probably go every day & still notice something new each time.
I have written in my notes about how I dislike the police in Paris & I shall take this time to explain. In Paris, the policemen (yes, only men) travel in packs. It is very rare to see one policeman at a time. The least I ever saw at one time were 3. One day when Kirin & I were grocery shopping they had their vans lined up for as far as they eye could see... for no reason. They sit around & just wait for someone to step out of line. Policemen in Paris look like action figures. They wear huge bullet proof vests, huge combat boots, sometimes with giant shin guards & sometimes helmets. Their outfits are really dark blue but mostly look black. To top it all off, some of them carry MASSIVE guns. They stand around on the street or in the metro with these massive guns which never made me feel safe at all.
Why do I not like this? 1. In Canada our police officers (we have men & women) very rarely travel in packs. While most travel in pairs it is very rare to see police cars for as far as the eye can see or see hundreds of police officers in one place at one time. They do not sit around & wait for someone to step out of line, they wait for a call. Our police officers wear nice light blue shirts & dress shoes with their protective gear & they are friendly & approachable. They never, ever carry massive guns & when they are around I still feel safe.
After Notre Dame I went & lined up for Saint Chapelle which has gorgeous stained glass. I lined up but didn't manage to get in because the line moved slower than any line I've ever been in. I waited for 45 minutes & the line moved about 10ft which was ridiculous. I couldn't wait any longer because we had a train to catch to Bruges, Belgium!
It was my 1st European train ride & I found it pleasant. I liked how the announcements in Dutch, English, & French. To say 'ladies & gentlemen' in Dutch you say 'Dames & Herren.' Ha!
We arrived in Bruges by night. Took quite awhile but we found the hostel, which was called Snuffels. After unpacking we walked around Bruges by night, which was alright although we couldn't see a lot.
This was my 1st European hostel experience! Kirin really hated this hostel (the set-up was really bad, you had to go through the bar to get to the showers) but my standards are really low after staying in Africa so I thought it was fine. I mean, I didn't have to pee in a hole & the ground wasn't dirt which is good, right?
Our roommates were nice, one was a girl from Canada & the other was an Australian pastry chef! Belgium is of course known for its chocolate so we asked her where to buy it & she told us the best place in town. Nothing like getting advice from a pro!
Went to bed dreaming of tomorrow's adventures.
May 6th
Woke up & ate my 1st hostel breakfast. While we ate in the bar I happened to glance over to the menu & see that iced tea was the same price as one of the beers! Ha! I knew I was for sure in Europe. Belgium is of course also known for its beers.
This morning I discovered the magic of Speculoos. Basically, Speculoos are cookies but they have made it in spread form so you can buy it a jar & put it on your toast so your breakfast tastes like sugar cookies! YUM!
We set out on a Bruges adventure, luckily it was very sunny. We had a map but we got lost a lot because NONE of the roads go straight.
In the centre of town was the Wednesday market so everyone young & old was lined up & bargaining prices for fruit, flowers, meat, etc etc. It was really cute to walk through, there were lots of elderly people on bikes. I want to retire in Bruges!
All the streets in Bruges are cobblestones & the roads are shared by cars, buses, & horse drawn carriages! In the canals you see varieties of boats. Bruges is just overall one of the most adorable places I have ever seen. It's so picturesque but it's beautiful without being tacky. It's pretty much the prefect small town.
We found the chocolate store recommended by our Aussie roommate called 'The Chocolate Line' so we went inside to purchase a few pieces of fine Belgian chocolate! Well, they had the weirdest flavours of chocolate I've ever seen! Orange, lime, raspberry, onion, lemongrass, olive oil, curry... so of course we had to buy them all! When in Bruges, do as the Brugians do, right? (Sidenote: We later tried them & decided to stick to regular chocolate in the future. But you only live once & if we hadn't bought them we would have regretted it & it makes for a good story!). Bruges had a variety of other chocolate shops & we saw interesting shapes made out of the dessert such as swords, crowds, roosters, & a penis! Ah! We also saw real-life candy pullers! One of them winked at Kirin haha. But by far the cutest thing we saw was a little boy no older that 13 riding a bike while carrying flowers. Can you say 'awwww'?
We wandered around & found the Begijnhof which is a gated community started by Nuns who wanted to live in a more 'pure' world from the rapid changes of the 13th century. You enter by crossing a bridge & once inside it's so peaceful, all you can hear is the wind through the trees. It felt like entering a library when everything is silent all at once but this was outside!
After wandering around & getting lost s'more we found the French Fry Museum! Yes, a whole museum about potatoes & cooking them in grease to make a tasty treat. It was a fun experience & we ate frech fries afterwards. In Belgium they all eat their fries with Mayo so I had that & Kirin had curry ketchup! Yummm.
After being full from that we had to head back to the hostel to get our stuff & get on a train to Brussels.
Brussels is a very small city but important because it's home to the European Union. It has a very 'business' vibe about it. Once we arrived we rode a tram to our hostel which was exciting because in 7549.6 years (okay, maybe a few less....) Toronto is going to have the same model of trams & one of these new tram lines is going to be 30ft. from my house! Their public transit was really clean. Also, European public transit has pretty much NO advertising in the cars or at the stations. A nice change from Toronto where they are trying to sell you something every square inch of the TTC!
We arrived at the hostel & it was really nice, Kirin says those are called 'boutique hostels.' (But the point of a hostel is not how nice it is... you're there to sleep, & shower & do not much else.)
So after a shower we set out to explore Brussels. It's very small, there isn't much to see. We saw the lovely Market Square, & the famous Mannequin Pis which is a statue of a little peeing boy. Actually, it is very very little. No bigger than a Garden Gnome. Sometimes they dress him up but when we saw him he was naked. Aha. Brussles is also known for its love of comic strips (Tin Tin is from Belgium) so they have comic strip murals all over the city which is awesome in contrast to the TONS of graffiti we kept seeing in that city & others. If Canada thinks they have a graffiti problem they ain't seen nothin.'
We passed by billions of places selling waffles, chocolate, and what we wanted to eat for dinner... moules-frites! For those who don't parlez fancais that means mussel-fries. Fries & seafood, yumm. However, that meal was the 1st disappointment of the trip because we ate it in a really touristy place so it was barely authentic. Sadness. Then we had waffles for dessert & they were also kind of disappointing although still yummy.
However, at the end of the night things turned around when we found the Delirium Bar. This was really exciting because this bar has the world record for having the most varieties of beer... 2004 different types! Of course we only tried one each. I had one called 'Floris Passion Fruit' which tasted pretty much like how it sounds. If all beer tasted that good, I would probably be an alcoholic! Haha. Luckily we drank there really early (before 10) because by the time we went to leave it was filling up & in European bars you can smoke which is soooo gross. I'm glad we banned that in Ontario.
We went back to the hostel exhausted but ready to head to Amsterdam!
May 7th
Welcome to Amsterdam! I was pretty much in love with the place from the second we stepped off the train. Such a laid back & beautiful city.
We found the hostel with no problem & after dropping our stuff we set out to explore the city. If Belgium had chocolate everything well, Amsterdam had sex or marijuana everything. I know that makes it sounds trashy but trust me it's not. They are just very liberal & open minded people. We saw some very sexy alcohol bottles & weed cookies on every corner. Oh, & clogs. Except I never saw real clogs, only clog slippers.
Our main destination was the Van Gogh Museum but we leisurely took our time to walk there since it was on the other end of the city (it was about a 30 minute walk). We walked through a tulip market (of course everyone knows Netherlands is known for them) & I was so sad I could not brig some of these beautiful flowers home! While in the market we saw something I had never seen before. In Europe many people live in tight quarters, tiny flats in buildings with no elevator. So when it comes time to move in, the staircases are really narrow, so how do you get a couch, bed, or table up the stairs? The answer is, you don't. What they do is take out your main window & use a pulley system to get everything in the flat. We watched this happen & it was neat to see! I could most definitely live like the Europeans.
As we continued our walk cherry blossom petals fell around us the whole time. We saw millions & millions of bikes. Across the street from the train station is a parking lot. A BIKE parking lot. They just loove their bikes (as do I, it's an awesome way to travel). The most awesome bikes have these contraptions on the front that look kind of like wheelbarrows & people put their kids in them & that's how they all get around (this would get banned in Canada in about 1.35 seconds.) Who needs a car? Also, no one in Amsterdam wears a helmet.
We finally reached the Van Gogh Museum & it was sadly a bit disappointing. 15 Euros to get in (9 Euros in comparison for the Louvre) & it wasn't even ALL Van Gogh when it easily could have been, he made SO much work! However, there was a special exhibit called 'Van Gogh & The Colours of the Night' & it was superb. 'Starry Night' was there & it's usually at The Met in NYC so that was a real treat to see! I was also happy I got to see 'The Potato Eaters.' I noticed something while in the gallery: when people look at artwork they stand SO far away. I know it's so they can see the whole thing but there is so much DETAIL to be seen in a Van Gogh you miss out if you stand so far back! Paintings don't bite, get a little closer! So needless to say as everyone else was a good 2ft away I would go up along the side with my nose inches from the glass. But it was amazing. I could barely believe I was looking a real Van Gogh.
After this we went on a small canal tour that was 'hop on hop off' so at one point we hopped off to see the Anne Frank House. I was sad we didn't have time to go in but there's always next time. While waiting for the next boat we got hungry. We went up to a fries stand but he closed JUST as we were deciding. So we wandered a bit & found a corner store. Nothing looked too appealing except for Stroop Waffles. We discovered there are the Best Cookies Ever!!! 2 wafers with caramel in the middle. We later learned they are eaten best when you leave them over a steeping mug of tea so they heat up. Yum! I brought some back & got my family addicted.
We were really tired after that afternoon so we had a nap. When we woke up we found ourselves amongst a bunch of awesome roommates in our hostel. Mike & Freddie from Australia, Mike from USA, Mae & Laura from Canada (Vancouver), Alex from Mexico & Ilanna from Finland. We all went out together to do what is Amsterdam is known well for... go to a cafe. & when I say cafe, yes I mean place to smoke pot. So we smoked up & the best part was probably when Kirin is talking about her sister that is a lumberjack (no joke) & how she is also a good cook & USA Mike goes, "Why cook when you can be throwing axes?" Hahaha.
When it got dark we wandered to the Red Light District & I pretty much feel like I can be affected by nothing after going there. In case you are wondering, yes, there are lots of red lights. They even have some lining the bridges so the canal illuminates red. As you walk along it's brothel after brothel. The women stand behind individual glass doors & when you see one you like, you just open the door. From there, most go upstairs although through the windows of some womens' places they have the bed right there so all you have to do is close the curtains & get it on! Ilanna actually asked 'what do the women do?!' & as I said, 'you pay them to have sex with you' Alex interrupted & said 'they will do whatever you want.'
Prostitution is legal in Netherlands, all those women pay taxes. Still not sure how I feel about it all.
The rest of the night with our hostel room was awesome. We went back to the hostel bar, every (good) hostel has one, & danced to 80's music which made me sooooo happy. I read that Amsterdam has bad 80's music everywhere so that was just a cherry on top as to why I loved the city. I would go back in a second.
P.S. I say postscript because I didn't realise this until we returned to Paris. I left a copy of Anne Frank's diary in our hostel. Quite ironic, eh? The sad thing is that it wasn't mine, it was the Toronto Public Library's so upon my return to Canada I had to pay $40. Which sucked but I don't mind giving the library some extra funds because seriously I love our library system.
May 8th
We had to arise early to catch the train back to Paris. Our out of Paris trip was short because Kirin had an exam the next day.
The train ride was the longest train ride of my life. In my journal I didn't write details but I think it took us 3 extra hours to get back to the city. Of course Kirin was stressed. The only highlight was that I saw a real windmill in the Netherlands. This was one of my goals so I was happy it was accomplished!
When we got back, it was Friday night which is free night at the Louvre so I decided to wander over while Kirin studied. Sadly, although we remembered it was a national holiday (yet again) our brains didn't think that maybe the Louvre would be closed & it was. I was disappointed so I contemplated what to do with my evening. Although I was tired & thought going back to my place & reading, I was like no! I am in Paris, the weather is gorgeous, the light is perfect & I have a camera. So I went around & took photos. I think this was the first time I went to the Pantheon up close even though it was right down the street from where I was staying.
On this photo excursion I almost saw a guy step in dog poo which made me laugh because in the book 'A Year in The Merde' he talks about all the dog poo in Paris so it was my goal to not step in any (I didn't but I actually didn't see a lot).
On this particular walk I also noticed why people say Paris is a City of Love although I can't really describe it. I want to say something like the love there is so gentle, or soft, or cherished; the people there that are couples just walk in a way that is different. Well at least I thought it was. I thought they seemed to fit into each other must better like they really were to halves on one whole. I feel like I rarely see couples here. I felt like in Paris I could see the love before the people, here I see the people before the love. Does that make sense? Maybe I am crazy. Paris is also just generally a beautiful city that would provide an amazing backdrop to any love story.
I also have written in my notes 'hostel living' which I guess I never mentioned previously. Kirin didn't have a place in Paris per se, she was living in an international student hostel for all girls. It was nice, everytime you passed someone in the hall you had to say 'bonjour.' I had to pay for accommodation but it was convenient we got to stay in the same place. The rooms were spacious enough & the halls all lined with old wood. On one floor there was a whole hallway lined with bookshelves. It was really neat & old & had so much character.
Ah yes also on this day I went back to the Jardin de Luxembourg & saw 2 girls sitting a patch of grass that was not designated to be sat on for that day. A few minutes later a police officer came & kicked them off. Also weird about Paris parks: they are patrolled by Police at all times & close at 10pm. A park closes! That is such a strange concept to me.
This day was long.
May 9th
On this day I finally made it to the Louvre for real! Here is what I saw:
Raft of the Medusa
Venus de Milo
Nike of Samothrace
Grande Odalisque
Liberty Leading the People by Delacroix (I know you know this one, it's on the cover of the latest Coldplay album)
Wrath of the Horatii
Mona Lisa
works by Raphael, John Constable, Jan Vermeer, Michaelangelo, da Vinci, Caspar David Friedrich, & so many more
So yea, needless to say I almost died everytime I turned a corner. I was like 'I am looking at ____ painting/ sculpture in real life! Not a book or a photo!' Not only is the Louvre full of more art than you can see in one day the building itself is a work of art. It's insane. How there is so much amazing in one building just blows my mind.
However, much of my visit was not amazing. For one thing, way too many people were taking photos. When I was looking at Liberty Leading the People a tourist actually shoved me aside so she could get a photo. I actually thought 'fuck you, this is public art & I am trying to enjoy it!' I'm not a snob but I doubt most of these people could appreciate the art they were looking at. I was also willing to bet once they got home & were flipping through their photos they would forget the name of the painting they were posing with. Also, there are signs that say 'no flash photography in the Louvre' & there were flashes everywhere. Not only is this distracting but anyone can tell you these paintings are OLD. Flash, since it is light, will ruin a painting. I can't imagine reading in years to come that the Louvre needs to restore ____ painting because people were disrespectful of the rules & sent too much light its way. & the security guards don't enforce the rules, it's hard when everyone is taking photos.
Anyways, I'm ranting, I know. I did enjoy the art but at times it was difficult.
I can't remember if I had a favourite. I remember being impressed with the sizes of 'Raft of the Medusa' & 'Liberty Leading the People.'
'Mona Lisa' was of course disappointing. Not only is it so tiny, it's so far away & behind bullet-proof glass you can't appreciate it. Not only do you have to see paintings in real life you have to look close & look far away. You can't get close to 'Mona Lisa.' Also, with all the tourists snapping their photos with flashes going off the glass you're lucky if you get to see Mona for 2 seconds before the next flash goes off. I just thought it was a disgusting way to treat a artwork so I looked at it for about 2 minutes.
Another amazing place was the re-creation of Napoleon's 'apartments.' Gold furniture, plush red carpets, red drapes, chandeliers, just everything so elaborate & decorated.
I wish I could go back to the Louvre every week because honestly it's so big & there is so much to see.
Afterwards I lined up for Saint Chapelle again & the line took like 15 minutes. It was a truly breathtaking place, it's the best preserved old stained glass. It tells the story of creation & it's so detailed & beautiful. The chapel is actually sometimes too tall to see everything but it was very amazing experience. One of my favourite things in Paris that I saw.
Today I encountered my 1st rain in Paris! It would not be Paris without that.
After the rain Kirin & I ventured to this awesome department store called BHV. We passed City Hall & there was a celebration because it was European Union Day.
I also ate my last crepe, ham & cheese, which is not as a good as Nutella & bananna. I also seem to remember on this day I ate my first falaffel. Isn't that a crime?! I had to go all the way to Paris to try this amazing food?! It's especially a crime because there is a falaffel place at the bottom of my street in Toronto pretty much.
Also one thing I wrote in my notes on this day was about street lights. Street lights in Toronto for pedestrians are green means go, red means stop. In Paris no one pays attention to this. They go when it look clear but needless to say accidents happen this way. Cars are kind of crazy. Also worth mentioning: the sidewalks in Paris are really nice & wide. Also, they have very few public washrooms & many you have to pay to use which I don't like. Also, French are generally stuck up & rude like they say, it's not just a stereotype!
I went to bed with many thoughts & many new memories.
May 10th
My last full day in Paris! Kirin & I ventured to the Eiffel Tower. I didn't go up it because Kirin said it wasn't worth it & I didn't really want to anyways. She said once you get to the top you think 'what a nice view, but it's missing something... oh yea, I'm standing on it.' So we hung around the park near there which was nice. Oh except the part when a family drove by on Segways. Can you say tourists?! We wandered over to a bakery & bought macarons (not to be confused with macaroons) because one of my friends said they were her favourite.
After taking some photos with the famous landmark we hopped back on the metro to go to Montmartre. Everyone has a love affair with this part of Paris when it fact it's very sketchy. It used to be where all the artists lived & the Moulin Rouge is here too. We climbed up the hill to Sacre-Couer church avoiding all the artists trying to draw our picture & gypsies trying to scam us along the way. You must be very diligent while in Montmartre or your money/ other valuables will be gone before you know it. Climbing up the steps/ hill was a good workout & once we got up there it was an amazing view of the city. We sat on some other steps & ate our macrons which were sadly disappointing. Kirin later tried another package & said they were better. Overall it was a nice day to just lounge around.
We spent the evening packing. I was taking a bunch of Kirin's stuff back to Canada so we organised the various suitcases.
I left the next day very early but it was an overall good flight.
So, overall thoughts: our out of Paris trip was too short but I'm very fortunate I got to see 2 other countries. I'm glad I got to see everything I wanted to in Paris. I tried many wonderful foods, saw amazing landmarks, & had an awesome experience. I'd never gone to a city & had to be by myself for long stretches at a time & walking around I just felt so young & carefree & happy! Europe is amazing, there is no question.
If you read all this, I hope you enjoyed it!!
Oh & if reading isn't your thing, you can see the trip in a few photos!
Cheers.
If you're curious, this is a written account of what I saw/ did/ felt while in Paris, Bruges, Brussels, & Amsterdam!
It's been exactly 4 months since my trip to Europe which is a long time to procrastinate on writing one's memories... but better late than never, right?
I hope you enjoy reading!
May 1st
I arrived in Paris on a national holiday (May Day) at 10:30am. The flight was really good, I sat with these 2 elderly people who I loved because they reminded me of my various grandparents. All in all an uneventful flight except when I was teaching the elderly about touch screen. Good times. Kirin met me at the airport & we rode the metro to her place. As we passed through the very outskirts of Paris I was reminded of Ontario because all the greenery was the same as back home! I was also out of my mind because I was so jetlagged.
When we exited the metro it was a sunny day & there were tons of people about on the sidewalks & on the road doing one thing the French do best... protest!! All I saw were signs, stickers, loudspeakers, & people people people. It was a huge protest that lasted all day long & various groups were protesting various things such as Foreign Workers, Help Victims of Agent Orange, and Stop (France) President Nicholas Sarkozy. They marched down the street I was staying on all day long, Place Saint-Michel.
I had a nap & when I woke up I had my first baguette and camembert cheese. SO yummy! No one makes bread like the French. Kirin & I went for a walk & saw a few big sites such as Notre Dame and the Jardin de Luxembourg. It's a really lovely park, & there were many people lounging about... but not on the grass. In fact in a lot of parks in Paris you can't sit on the grass. In the Jardin de Luxemborg they have 1 patch of grass you can sit on per day (out of say 30) & they pick a different patch each day so that every patch has time to rejuvenate. It makes me think that in Paris, the nature is to observe, not enjoy & be a part of (very different than Canada)! When one sits in the park one sits in these green metal chairs that are apparently only in Paris. In the middle of the garden was a giant pond & children were pushing boats into it with these long sticks. French children are SO well dressed. I never saw one wearing running shoes & most wear scarves & just overall adorable stuff. My favourite item of clothing I saw were a pair of Converse high tops with a photo of Pink Floyd's album cover for 'Wish You Were Here' on them. So amazing!
After a dinner of pizza (how French, right?) we went back to find there was no power in our building because the power workers decided to do something the French also do well... go on strike! Luckily I had packed a flashlight so we found that & headed to the roof to watch an AMAZING sunset over the rooftops of Paris. My 1st look at the Eiffel tower was against a backdrop of pinks & oranges. I felt so lucky.
All in all it was an amazing day. When I took my notes for this day I was on a balcony in Paris & I thought that the day could not have been any more French!
May 2nd
Today Kirin & I took a day trip to Giverny to visit Claude Monet's Gardens!
We had some time before the train left so we went to the nearby Galaries Lafayette which is a ritzy department store with a gold ceiling! Amazing. The Paris Garner Opera House is right across the street & I was happy I got to see that.
We took the train from Saint-Lazare Station which is awesome because Monet was the first to make a painting of a train station and that was the one. The ride was pleasant. We ate sandwiches (on baguettes) and Pain au Chololate (choclate croissant, yummy). We arrived in a town called Vernon & then took a bus to Giverny. When we arrived to the site we were met by a giant line. Aye! We waited one hour but it was worth the wait because the gardens were so lovely. I felt like I was in an Impressionist painting which made my life because I love the Impressionists. Every flower row was organised by colour & there were so many different types of flowers of all shapes & sizes. I saw one I had never seen before, a black tulip! After wandering around the gardens we walked through Monet's house & saw lots of Japanese prints (big influence on Impressionism). I got to see one of my favourites, 'The Great Wave' by Hokusai. Monet had a view of his gardens from his bedroom window, which was just breathtaking. It's amazing how he moved out there just at the end of his life and made some of his most famous work.
The last part to see was the Water Garden where Monet found inspiration for his waterlilly paintings. Sadly the waterlillies weren't in bloom but it was still lovely & we got to see the famous bridge.
When we returned home we headed out to a birthday party for one of Kirin's friends. It was a nighttime picnic along the Seine River where we ate more baguettes & drank wine. I think the only thing that would have made it more French was if we started smoking (ewww). Kirin's friends were nice; the birthday girl was American, & there were also friends from Czech Republic, Australia, & France. When it came time to sing Happy Birthday we didn't know which language to sing in! (Sidenote: in French Canada we sing 'Bonne Fete a Toi' for 'Happy Birthday to You' but in France they say 'Joyeux Anniversaire.') There were lots of tour boats & we waved at the tourists as they sailed by.
As we walked home, it was my 1st time seeing the Eiffel Tower lit up & sparkling! All in all another good day.
May 3rd
Today was the 1st Sunday of the month which means Free Museum Day in Paris!
We headed first to the Musee d'Orsay, most well known for its collection of Impressionist art. We waited in a long line but it was worth it. I saw lots of amazing artwork including 'Angelus' & 'Gleaners' by Millet, 'Olympia' & 'Dejeunder sur l'Herbe' by Manet, 'A Burial at Ornans' by Courbet, 'The Little Dancer of 14 Years (sculpture)' by Renoir, 'Whistler's Mother' by Whistler as well as various works by Gauguin, Van Gogh, & Delacroix. Art history class certainly paid off because I had a real appreciation for the works.
Afterwards we waited in another line for the Musee de l'Orangerie which has Monet waterlilly paintings about as tall as I am in circular rooms. Neat set up, & really beautiful paintings.
We walked home through the Jardin des Tuileries which goes from Place de la Concorde (where they beheaded Marie Antionette and King Louis XIV) to the Louvre Museum. Again, more people not sitting on the grass & lounging about in the Green Parisian Chairs. Also, the French do not pave the walkways in the gardens, they are just dirt so a) when it rains it is all muddy b) when it is windy dust flies everywhere & your pants/ shoes get quite dirty.
This day was fairly cold, & just 2 days ago we had been so warm! The weather in Paris changes so quickly.
May 4th
Today was my 1st day by myself in Paris while Kirin went to school. She suggested a free walking tour of Paris that starts at the bottom of her street & it was a lovely day so I signed up. On my way I stopped for breakfast & had my 1st crepe in Paris... banana & Nutella! Super yum!
The tour started at Saint-Michel Fountain, which yes depicts St. Michael kicking Satan out of heaven (Catholic School paid off). From there we continued to the Police Station which has the only visible wounds of WWII in Pairs... Nazi bullet holes on the side of the building! It's crazy!
From there we continued along the Seine to the bridge Pont Neuf which translated means 'New Bridge' but in a twist of irony is now the oldest bridge in Paris. It was the 1st to not have houses on it (imagine living on a bridge!). It's stone & really beautiful & has all these faces carved on it of really famous men... drunk. Apparently a guy in charge of the bridge knew the faces needed to go on so he got all the important men drunk, had an artist sketch them drunk, & carved their likenesses that way. Which means it's kind of like the first Facebook. Hahaha.
Near the bridge is a statue of Henry the 4th. Want to learn something cool? So if you see a statue of a person on a horse you can tell something about the person based on the position of the horses' legs: left leg is raised it means unnatural death, all feet on the ground it means natural, and if the front 2 legs are raised it means death in battle. It's right about 85% of the time apparently.
Next we stopped at the Louvre. It was my 1st time seeing it & the area around the glass pyramids is so pretty!
The last stop was the roundabout around Place De La Concorde which is where the Tour De France finishes. After this the tour was mostly over. I made friends with a guy from Dublin (we bonded over the fact that he lived in Canada for a bit when he was young & there was lots of snow. Lots & lots of it! Ha! Good times.) & we decided to walk down the Champs Elysees to the Arc De Triomphe together. Champs Elysees was apparently someone's idea of paradise & while the symmetrical chestnut trees lining the walk are nice you have 8 lanes of traffic on the one side going super fast so it's kind of scary. Once you get to the shopping street it's all stuff you probably can't afford like Louis Vuitton. Their building is really ugly, for the record. & the McDonald's there are has has golden arches in 24 karats. Bling bling!
So, needless to say, Daniel & I stuck out quite a bit. He was wearing a pair of Doc Martens & his goal was to get a photo of his boots with all the famous monuments he was traveling around to see. Once we reached the Arc De Triomphe he laid down on the ground & stuck his foot in the air to get the photo. Ha! The Arc De Triomphe was alot bigger than I thought it would be. Around it sits the most dangerous roundabout in Europe. If you get in an accident there the insurance companies won't even investigate it.
Daniel & I walked back to the place where the tour started since it was so gorgeous & we just talked about a whole slew of things. That's one thing about meeting people when you travel, you have such a short amount of time with them & you can be so open because they barely know you, & they only know your side of things, & you can learn so much about each others' worlds... but you have such a short amount of time together. It's short, but it's magical. It's one of the many reasons I love traveling.
May 5th
Today was a dreary overcast day but I climbed up Notre Dame! It was a good workout & so worth it for the view at the top. I saw the gargoyles & the bell but the Hunchback was nowhere to be seen.
The inside of Notre Dame is breathtaking. Gotta love Gothic architecture! Everywhere you look something is decorated & intricate. You could probably go every day & still notice something new each time.
I have written in my notes about how I dislike the police in Paris & I shall take this time to explain. In Paris, the policemen (yes, only men) travel in packs. It is very rare to see one policeman at a time. The least I ever saw at one time were 3. One day when Kirin & I were grocery shopping they had their vans lined up for as far as they eye could see... for no reason. They sit around & just wait for someone to step out of line. Policemen in Paris look like action figures. They wear huge bullet proof vests, huge combat boots, sometimes with giant shin guards & sometimes helmets. Their outfits are really dark blue but mostly look black. To top it all off, some of them carry MASSIVE guns. They stand around on the street or in the metro with these massive guns which never made me feel safe at all.
Why do I not like this? 1. In Canada our police officers (we have men & women) very rarely travel in packs. While most travel in pairs it is very rare to see police cars for as far as the eye can see or see hundreds of police officers in one place at one time. They do not sit around & wait for someone to step out of line, they wait for a call. Our police officers wear nice light blue shirts & dress shoes with their protective gear & they are friendly & approachable. They never, ever carry massive guns & when they are around I still feel safe.
After Notre Dame I went & lined up for Saint Chapelle which has gorgeous stained glass. I lined up but didn't manage to get in because the line moved slower than any line I've ever been in. I waited for 45 minutes & the line moved about 10ft which was ridiculous. I couldn't wait any longer because we had a train to catch to Bruges, Belgium!
It was my 1st European train ride & I found it pleasant. I liked how the announcements in Dutch, English, & French. To say 'ladies & gentlemen' in Dutch you say 'Dames & Herren.' Ha!
We arrived in Bruges by night. Took quite awhile but we found the hostel, which was called Snuffels. After unpacking we walked around Bruges by night, which was alright although we couldn't see a lot.
This was my 1st European hostel experience! Kirin really hated this hostel (the set-up was really bad, you had to go through the bar to get to the showers) but my standards are really low after staying in Africa so I thought it was fine. I mean, I didn't have to pee in a hole & the ground wasn't dirt which is good, right?
Our roommates were nice, one was a girl from Canada & the other was an Australian pastry chef! Belgium is of course known for its chocolate so we asked her where to buy it & she told us the best place in town. Nothing like getting advice from a pro!
Went to bed dreaming of tomorrow's adventures.
May 6th
Woke up & ate my 1st hostel breakfast. While we ate in the bar I happened to glance over to the menu & see that iced tea was the same price as one of the beers! Ha! I knew I was for sure in Europe. Belgium is of course also known for its beers.
This morning I discovered the magic of Speculoos. Basically, Speculoos are cookies but they have made it in spread form so you can buy it a jar & put it on your toast so your breakfast tastes like sugar cookies! YUM!
We set out on a Bruges adventure, luckily it was very sunny. We had a map but we got lost a lot because NONE of the roads go straight.
In the centre of town was the Wednesday market so everyone young & old was lined up & bargaining prices for fruit, flowers, meat, etc etc. It was really cute to walk through, there were lots of elderly people on bikes. I want to retire in Bruges!
All the streets in Bruges are cobblestones & the roads are shared by cars, buses, & horse drawn carriages! In the canals you see varieties of boats. Bruges is just overall one of the most adorable places I have ever seen. It's so picturesque but it's beautiful without being tacky. It's pretty much the prefect small town.
We found the chocolate store recommended by our Aussie roommate called 'The Chocolate Line' so we went inside to purchase a few pieces of fine Belgian chocolate! Well, they had the weirdest flavours of chocolate I've ever seen! Orange, lime, raspberry, onion, lemongrass, olive oil, curry... so of course we had to buy them all! When in Bruges, do as the Brugians do, right? (Sidenote: We later tried them & decided to stick to regular chocolate in the future. But you only live once & if we hadn't bought them we would have regretted it & it makes for a good story!). Bruges had a variety of other chocolate shops & we saw interesting shapes made out of the dessert such as swords, crowds, roosters, & a penis! Ah! We also saw real-life candy pullers! One of them winked at Kirin haha. But by far the cutest thing we saw was a little boy no older that 13 riding a bike while carrying flowers. Can you say 'awwww'?
We wandered around & found the Begijnhof which is a gated community started by Nuns who wanted to live in a more 'pure' world from the rapid changes of the 13th century. You enter by crossing a bridge & once inside it's so peaceful, all you can hear is the wind through the trees. It felt like entering a library when everything is silent all at once but this was outside!
After wandering around & getting lost s'more we found the French Fry Museum! Yes, a whole museum about potatoes & cooking them in grease to make a tasty treat. It was a fun experience & we ate frech fries afterwards. In Belgium they all eat their fries with Mayo so I had that & Kirin had curry ketchup! Yummm.
After being full from that we had to head back to the hostel to get our stuff & get on a train to Brussels.
Brussels is a very small city but important because it's home to the European Union. It has a very 'business' vibe about it. Once we arrived we rode a tram to our hostel which was exciting because in 7549.6 years (okay, maybe a few less....) Toronto is going to have the same model of trams & one of these new tram lines is going to be 30ft. from my house! Their public transit was really clean. Also, European public transit has pretty much NO advertising in the cars or at the stations. A nice change from Toronto where they are trying to sell you something every square inch of the TTC!
We arrived at the hostel & it was really nice, Kirin says those are called 'boutique hostels.' (But the point of a hostel is not how nice it is... you're there to sleep, & shower & do not much else.)
So after a shower we set out to explore Brussels. It's very small, there isn't much to see. We saw the lovely Market Square, & the famous Mannequin Pis which is a statue of a little peeing boy. Actually, it is very very little. No bigger than a Garden Gnome. Sometimes they dress him up but when we saw him he was naked. Aha. Brussles is also known for its love of comic strips (Tin Tin is from Belgium) so they have comic strip murals all over the city which is awesome in contrast to the TONS of graffiti we kept seeing in that city & others. If Canada thinks they have a graffiti problem they ain't seen nothin.'
We passed by billions of places selling waffles, chocolate, and what we wanted to eat for dinner... moules-frites! For those who don't parlez fancais that means mussel-fries. Fries & seafood, yumm. However, that meal was the 1st disappointment of the trip because we ate it in a really touristy place so it was barely authentic. Sadness. Then we had waffles for dessert & they were also kind of disappointing although still yummy.
However, at the end of the night things turned around when we found the Delirium Bar. This was really exciting because this bar has the world record for having the most varieties of beer... 2004 different types! Of course we only tried one each. I had one called 'Floris Passion Fruit' which tasted pretty much like how it sounds. If all beer tasted that good, I would probably be an alcoholic! Haha. Luckily we drank there really early (before 10) because by the time we went to leave it was filling up & in European bars you can smoke which is soooo gross. I'm glad we banned that in Ontario.
We went back to the hostel exhausted but ready to head to Amsterdam!
May 7th
Welcome to Amsterdam! I was pretty much in love with the place from the second we stepped off the train. Such a laid back & beautiful city.
We found the hostel with no problem & after dropping our stuff we set out to explore the city. If Belgium had chocolate everything well, Amsterdam had sex or marijuana everything. I know that makes it sounds trashy but trust me it's not. They are just very liberal & open minded people. We saw some very sexy alcohol bottles & weed cookies on every corner. Oh, & clogs. Except I never saw real clogs, only clog slippers.
Our main destination was the Van Gogh Museum but we leisurely took our time to walk there since it was on the other end of the city (it was about a 30 minute walk). We walked through a tulip market (of course everyone knows Netherlands is known for them) & I was so sad I could not brig some of these beautiful flowers home! While in the market we saw something I had never seen before. In Europe many people live in tight quarters, tiny flats in buildings with no elevator. So when it comes time to move in, the staircases are really narrow, so how do you get a couch, bed, or table up the stairs? The answer is, you don't. What they do is take out your main window & use a pulley system to get everything in the flat. We watched this happen & it was neat to see! I could most definitely live like the Europeans.
As we continued our walk cherry blossom petals fell around us the whole time. We saw millions & millions of bikes. Across the street from the train station is a parking lot. A BIKE parking lot. They just loove their bikes (as do I, it's an awesome way to travel). The most awesome bikes have these contraptions on the front that look kind of like wheelbarrows & people put their kids in them & that's how they all get around (this would get banned in Canada in about 1.35 seconds.) Who needs a car? Also, no one in Amsterdam wears a helmet.
We finally reached the Van Gogh Museum & it was sadly a bit disappointing. 15 Euros to get in (9 Euros in comparison for the Louvre) & it wasn't even ALL Van Gogh when it easily could have been, he made SO much work! However, there was a special exhibit called 'Van Gogh & The Colours of the Night' & it was superb. 'Starry Night' was there & it's usually at The Met in NYC so that was a real treat to see! I was also happy I got to see 'The Potato Eaters.' I noticed something while in the gallery: when people look at artwork they stand SO far away. I know it's so they can see the whole thing but there is so much DETAIL to be seen in a Van Gogh you miss out if you stand so far back! Paintings don't bite, get a little closer! So needless to say as everyone else was a good 2ft away I would go up along the side with my nose inches from the glass. But it was amazing. I could barely believe I was looking a real Van Gogh.
After this we went on a small canal tour that was 'hop on hop off' so at one point we hopped off to see the Anne Frank House. I was sad we didn't have time to go in but there's always next time. While waiting for the next boat we got hungry. We went up to a fries stand but he closed JUST as we were deciding. So we wandered a bit & found a corner store. Nothing looked too appealing except for Stroop Waffles. We discovered there are the Best Cookies Ever!!! 2 wafers with caramel in the middle. We later learned they are eaten best when you leave them over a steeping mug of tea so they heat up. Yum! I brought some back & got my family addicted.
We were really tired after that afternoon so we had a nap. When we woke up we found ourselves amongst a bunch of awesome roommates in our hostel. Mike & Freddie from Australia, Mike from USA, Mae & Laura from Canada (Vancouver), Alex from Mexico & Ilanna from Finland. We all went out together to do what is Amsterdam is known well for... go to a cafe. & when I say cafe, yes I mean place to smoke pot. So we smoked up & the best part was probably when Kirin is talking about her sister that is a lumberjack (no joke) & how she is also a good cook & USA Mike goes, "Why cook when you can be throwing axes?" Hahaha.
When it got dark we wandered to the Red Light District & I pretty much feel like I can be affected by nothing after going there. In case you are wondering, yes, there are lots of red lights. They even have some lining the bridges so the canal illuminates red. As you walk along it's brothel after brothel. The women stand behind individual glass doors & when you see one you like, you just open the door. From there, most go upstairs although through the windows of some womens' places they have the bed right there so all you have to do is close the curtains & get it on! Ilanna actually asked 'what do the women do?!' & as I said, 'you pay them to have sex with you' Alex interrupted & said 'they will do whatever you want.'
Prostitution is legal in Netherlands, all those women pay taxes. Still not sure how I feel about it all.
The rest of the night with our hostel room was awesome. We went back to the hostel bar, every (good) hostel has one, & danced to 80's music which made me sooooo happy. I read that Amsterdam has bad 80's music everywhere so that was just a cherry on top as to why I loved the city. I would go back in a second.
P.S. I say postscript because I didn't realise this until we returned to Paris. I left a copy of Anne Frank's diary in our hostel. Quite ironic, eh? The sad thing is that it wasn't mine, it was the Toronto Public Library's so upon my return to Canada I had to pay $40. Which sucked but I don't mind giving the library some extra funds because seriously I love our library system.
May 8th
We had to arise early to catch the train back to Paris. Our out of Paris trip was short because Kirin had an exam the next day.
The train ride was the longest train ride of my life. In my journal I didn't write details but I think it took us 3 extra hours to get back to the city. Of course Kirin was stressed. The only highlight was that I saw a real windmill in the Netherlands. This was one of my goals so I was happy it was accomplished!
When we got back, it was Friday night which is free night at the Louvre so I decided to wander over while Kirin studied. Sadly, although we remembered it was a national holiday (yet again) our brains didn't think that maybe the Louvre would be closed & it was. I was disappointed so I contemplated what to do with my evening. Although I was tired & thought going back to my place & reading, I was like no! I am in Paris, the weather is gorgeous, the light is perfect & I have a camera. So I went around & took photos. I think this was the first time I went to the Pantheon up close even though it was right down the street from where I was staying.
On this photo excursion I almost saw a guy step in dog poo which made me laugh because in the book 'A Year in The Merde' he talks about all the dog poo in Paris so it was my goal to not step in any (I didn't but I actually didn't see a lot).
On this particular walk I also noticed why people say Paris is a City of Love although I can't really describe it. I want to say something like the love there is so gentle, or soft, or cherished; the people there that are couples just walk in a way that is different. Well at least I thought it was. I thought they seemed to fit into each other must better like they really were to halves on one whole. I feel like I rarely see couples here. I felt like in Paris I could see the love before the people, here I see the people before the love. Does that make sense? Maybe I am crazy. Paris is also just generally a beautiful city that would provide an amazing backdrop to any love story.
I also have written in my notes 'hostel living' which I guess I never mentioned previously. Kirin didn't have a place in Paris per se, she was living in an international student hostel for all girls. It was nice, everytime you passed someone in the hall you had to say 'bonjour.' I had to pay for accommodation but it was convenient we got to stay in the same place. The rooms were spacious enough & the halls all lined with old wood. On one floor there was a whole hallway lined with bookshelves. It was really neat & old & had so much character.
Ah yes also on this day I went back to the Jardin de Luxembourg & saw 2 girls sitting a patch of grass that was not designated to be sat on for that day. A few minutes later a police officer came & kicked them off. Also weird about Paris parks: they are patrolled by Police at all times & close at 10pm. A park closes! That is such a strange concept to me.
This day was long.
May 9th
On this day I finally made it to the Louvre for real! Here is what I saw:
Raft of the Medusa
Venus de Milo
Nike of Samothrace
Grande Odalisque
Liberty Leading the People by Delacroix (I know you know this one, it's on the cover of the latest Coldplay album)
Wrath of the Horatii
Mona Lisa
works by Raphael, John Constable, Jan Vermeer, Michaelangelo, da Vinci, Caspar David Friedrich, & so many more
So yea, needless to say I almost died everytime I turned a corner. I was like 'I am looking at ____ painting/ sculpture in real life! Not a book or a photo!' Not only is the Louvre full of more art than you can see in one day the building itself is a work of art. It's insane. How there is so much amazing in one building just blows my mind.
However, much of my visit was not amazing. For one thing, way too many people were taking photos. When I was looking at Liberty Leading the People a tourist actually shoved me aside so she could get a photo. I actually thought 'fuck you, this is public art & I am trying to enjoy it!' I'm not a snob but I doubt most of these people could appreciate the art they were looking at. I was also willing to bet once they got home & were flipping through their photos they would forget the name of the painting they were posing with. Also, there are signs that say 'no flash photography in the Louvre' & there were flashes everywhere. Not only is this distracting but anyone can tell you these paintings are OLD. Flash, since it is light, will ruin a painting. I can't imagine reading in years to come that the Louvre needs to restore ____ painting because people were disrespectful of the rules & sent too much light its way. & the security guards don't enforce the rules, it's hard when everyone is taking photos.
Anyways, I'm ranting, I know. I did enjoy the art but at times it was difficult.
I can't remember if I had a favourite. I remember being impressed with the sizes of 'Raft of the Medusa' & 'Liberty Leading the People.'
'Mona Lisa' was of course disappointing. Not only is it so tiny, it's so far away & behind bullet-proof glass you can't appreciate it. Not only do you have to see paintings in real life you have to look close & look far away. You can't get close to 'Mona Lisa.' Also, with all the tourists snapping their photos with flashes going off the glass you're lucky if you get to see Mona for 2 seconds before the next flash goes off. I just thought it was a disgusting way to treat a artwork so I looked at it for about 2 minutes.
Another amazing place was the re-creation of Napoleon's 'apartments.' Gold furniture, plush red carpets, red drapes, chandeliers, just everything so elaborate & decorated.
I wish I could go back to the Louvre every week because honestly it's so big & there is so much to see.
Afterwards I lined up for Saint Chapelle again & the line took like 15 minutes. It was a truly breathtaking place, it's the best preserved old stained glass. It tells the story of creation & it's so detailed & beautiful. The chapel is actually sometimes too tall to see everything but it was very amazing experience. One of my favourite things in Paris that I saw.
Today I encountered my 1st rain in Paris! It would not be Paris without that.
After the rain Kirin & I ventured to this awesome department store called BHV. We passed City Hall & there was a celebration because it was European Union Day.
I also ate my last crepe, ham & cheese, which is not as a good as Nutella & bananna. I also seem to remember on this day I ate my first falaffel. Isn't that a crime?! I had to go all the way to Paris to try this amazing food?! It's especially a crime because there is a falaffel place at the bottom of my street in Toronto pretty much.
Also one thing I wrote in my notes on this day was about street lights. Street lights in Toronto for pedestrians are green means go, red means stop. In Paris no one pays attention to this. They go when it look clear but needless to say accidents happen this way. Cars are kind of crazy. Also worth mentioning: the sidewalks in Paris are really nice & wide. Also, they have very few public washrooms & many you have to pay to use which I don't like. Also, French are generally stuck up & rude like they say, it's not just a stereotype!
I went to bed with many thoughts & many new memories.
May 10th
My last full day in Paris! Kirin & I ventured to the Eiffel Tower. I didn't go up it because Kirin said it wasn't worth it & I didn't really want to anyways. She said once you get to the top you think 'what a nice view, but it's missing something... oh yea, I'm standing on it.' So we hung around the park near there which was nice. Oh except the part when a family drove by on Segways. Can you say tourists?! We wandered over to a bakery & bought macarons (not to be confused with macaroons) because one of my friends said they were her favourite.
After taking some photos with the famous landmark we hopped back on the metro to go to Montmartre. Everyone has a love affair with this part of Paris when it fact it's very sketchy. It used to be where all the artists lived & the Moulin Rouge is here too. We climbed up the hill to Sacre-Couer church avoiding all the artists trying to draw our picture & gypsies trying to scam us along the way. You must be very diligent while in Montmartre or your money/ other valuables will be gone before you know it. Climbing up the steps/ hill was a good workout & once we got up there it was an amazing view of the city. We sat on some other steps & ate our macrons which were sadly disappointing. Kirin later tried another package & said they were better. Overall it was a nice day to just lounge around.
We spent the evening packing. I was taking a bunch of Kirin's stuff back to Canada so we organised the various suitcases.
I left the next day very early but it was an overall good flight.
So, overall thoughts: our out of Paris trip was too short but I'm very fortunate I got to see 2 other countries. I'm glad I got to see everything I wanted to in Paris. I tried many wonderful foods, saw amazing landmarks, & had an awesome experience. I'd never gone to a city & had to be by myself for long stretches at a time & walking around I just felt so young & carefree & happy! Europe is amazing, there is no question.
If you read all this, I hope you enjoyed it!!
Oh & if reading isn't your thing, you can see the trip in a few photos!
Cheers.