Luxembourg Gardens/Palace
Luxembourg Palace
Montparnasse Tower (tallest skyscraper in France)
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Paris is Burning!!
OMG...so I'm sitting in bed surfing the web my laptop, relaxing, about to go to sleep. Then, BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP!!! Fire alarm, fire alarm!! I'm first thought was "probably a false alarm," but then I heard all kinds of commotion in the halls and my next thought was "holy crap!" So I'm trying to get dressed because I only had on shorts and a t-shirt and it's freezing outside. So, I throw on some "work pants" that I had laying out to wear the next morning, a sweat shirt, and my running shoes (untied)/no socks! Classy! After that, I'm thinking, where is my passport?!, where is my cell phone?, wallet?, credit cards?, computer?...NO TIME!! So, I go into the hall, and people are booking it for the exits. What was weird was all these people kept asking me (why me?) questions IN FRENCH...! I don't know, I DON'T KNOW...RUN! Maybe they were asking me why the heck I was dressed like that!?! So there we all are, standing in the cold...waiting to be told someone accidentally bumped the alarm w/their elbow. Um, excuse me? Yeah...false alarm! Quick recap of last weekend: not too exciting, just mostly walked around Luxembourg Gardens, Latin Quarter, and St Germain.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Having Fun in Al's Ass!
Okay, okay I'll explain! Last weekend I went to visit Florian's (my best French friend ;-) family in Fontenay, France! When Florian suggested this might be something fun to do while I'm in France, he explained to me that they would take me to Alsace, a nice area in the countryside of Eastern France. Well, Alsace sounds exactly like "Al's ass." So, the first time we spoke about the possibility of me visiting his parents, I couldn't figure out why he kept saying "Al's ass." So, there you have it.
Anyways...my weekend was so much fun!! I took the TGV train to Nancy where Florian's parents picked me up. Then we drove another hour or so to Fontenay, a tiny, little village where they live. It is so nice there! It is the complete opposite of the crazy city life, and it was so relaxing! On Saturday morning, after a GOOD breakfast, we headed off to Alsace. We first went to Strasborg, on the France/Germany border, which is a town with a definite German-touch. We had lunch at Maison Kammerzell, the oldest house in Strasborg. Afterwards, we drove to some smaller villages in the Vosges mountains. I totally felt like I was in a Disney movie! Everything was so quaint and had so much character!
Bastien & Me
Strasborg, France
House (left) where we had lunch
Village in Alsace
Village in Alsace
Francoise & Me
Village in Alsace
On Sunday, after another GOOD breakfast, we took a walk around the village of Fontenay. It was so peaceful, and best of all...the sun came out to play! Later, after a GOOD lunch...WAIT! Did I mention Florian's brother, Bastien, is a pastry chef!? Oh yeah...he made some seriously good desserts! Okay, focus. After lunch (including a fantastic cake from Bastien) we drove up into the Vosges mountains! WOW!! It was so beautiful! All of the trees were changing colors, and there were houses built right into the side of the mountain.
Francoise & Patrice
Yummy!!
Francoise & Patrice
Francoise & Me
Vosges Mountains
Vosges Mountains
All in all, it was a perfect weekend! Thank you to Florian and his family (Patrice, Francoise, and Bastien) for arranging this time for me to visit the French countryside!!
P.S.
***I'M SICK!!!*** That's why this blog is a week late, and why I'm in bed with a pile of disgusting tissues next to me. So, unless you want pictures of that (anyone?) then I probably won't have anything good to share for this weekend. :(
Anyways...my weekend was so much fun!! I took the TGV train to Nancy where Florian's parents picked me up. Then we drove another hour or so to Fontenay, a tiny, little village where they live. It is so nice there! It is the complete opposite of the crazy city life, and it was so relaxing! On Saturday morning, after a GOOD breakfast, we headed off to Alsace. We first went to Strasborg, on the France/Germany border, which is a town with a definite German-touch. We had lunch at Maison Kammerzell, the oldest house in Strasborg. Afterwards, we drove to some smaller villages in the Vosges mountains. I totally felt like I was in a Disney movie! Everything was so quaint and had so much character!
Bastien & Me
Strasborg, France
House (left) where we had lunch
Village in Alsace
Village in Alsace
Francoise & Me
Village in Alsace
On Sunday, after another GOOD breakfast, we took a walk around the village of Fontenay. It was so peaceful, and best of all...the sun came out to play! Later, after a GOOD lunch...WAIT! Did I mention Florian's brother, Bastien, is a pastry chef!? Oh yeah...he made some seriously good desserts! Okay, focus. After lunch (including a fantastic cake from Bastien) we drove up into the Vosges mountains! WOW!! It was so beautiful! All of the trees were changing colors, and there were houses built right into the side of the mountain.
Francoise & Patrice
Yummy!!
Francoise & Patrice
Francoise & Me
Vosges Mountains
Vosges Mountains
All in all, it was a perfect weekend! Thank you to Florian and his family (Patrice, Francoise, and Bastien) for arranging this time for me to visit the French countryside!!
P.S.
***I'M SICK!!!*** That's why this blog is a week late, and why I'm in bed with a pile of disgusting tissues next to me. So, unless you want pictures of that (anyone?) then I probably won't have anything good to share for this weekend. :(
Thursday, November 1, 2007
My dogs are barking!
Whew, it was a long and random day. It started out not so fabulous...at the laundry mat. Yes, I 
said laundry mat. My hotel does have a laundry service, but it is SO EXPENSIVE! I'm not exaggerating at all when I tell you this...not to get all X-rated, but one pair of underwear is 4.30 Euros!! That's like $5.00 and some change! So, instead of paying what would've been over 100 Euros for the hotel service, I went next door to a laundry mat where I paid 9.50 Euros! Essilor can thank me later! ANYWAYS...I guess I should've mentioned that I didn't go to work today because it's a public holiday here in France - All Saint's Day. After clothes were done, I went to the Père-Lachaise Cemetery. It's were Jim Morrison of The Doors is buried. To be honest, I couldn't name one of his songs if my life depended on it, but I went to see it nonetheless. I'm glad I did, because the cemetery was so "cool." I know that's an odd way to describe it, but it wasn't just a bunch of square tombstones with fake flowers. I walked around for hours, and it went on and on with so many interesting things to see. Some other notable people who are buried there are Oscar Wilde and Frederic Chopin. From there, I went to the greatest place I've been to since I got here: McDonald's!! You know I'm keeping it real! Then I headed off without really knowing what I was going to do. I ended up going by the Centre George Pompidou, which is a huge modern/pop art museum. I thought about going in, but the line was sooooooo long it was just crazy.
Fountain at Centre George Pompidou
Centre George Pompidou
So, I kept on going, and I ended up at the Eiffel Tower. The lines there were actually not too bad, so I decided I'd go to the top! OUCH! I walked up the stairs to the 2nd story, which was a long way! From there, you have to take the elevator to the top. I tried to take some pictures of the city, but they didn't turn out too great. I also tried to take some pictures of myself, but I had "crazy eyes" in all of them. Then, someone offered to take my picture, and it looks like something is exploding out of my head, and the other looks like I'm being attacked by a lightsaber.
Okay, I've gotta wrap this up because I'm so tired! I'll leave you with one last picture. I see this ad in the metro every morning on my way to work, and it makes me laugh...I don't know why!
said laundry mat. My hotel does have a laundry service, but it is SO EXPENSIVE! I'm not exaggerating at all when I tell you this...not to get all X-rated, but one pair of underwear is 4.30 Euros!! That's like $5.00 and some change! So, instead of paying what would've been over 100 Euros for the hotel service, I went next door to a laundry mat where I paid 9.50 Euros! Essilor can thank me later! ANYWAYS...I guess I should've mentioned that I didn't go to work today because it's a public holiday here in France - All Saint's Day. After clothes were done, I went to the Père-Lachaise Cemetery. It's were Jim Morrison of The Doors is buried. To be honest, I couldn't name one of his songs if my life depended on it, but I went to see it nonetheless. I'm glad I did, because the cemetery was so "cool." I know that's an odd way to describe it, but it wasn't just a bunch of square tombstones with fake flowers. I walked around for hours, and it went on and on with so many interesting things to see. Some other notable people who are buried there are Oscar Wilde and Frederic Chopin. From there, I went to the greatest place I've been to since I got here: McDonald's!! You know I'm keeping it real! Then I headed off without really knowing what I was going to do. I ended up going by the Centre George Pompidou, which is a huge modern/pop art museum. I thought about going in, but the line was sooooooo long it was just crazy.
Fountain at Centre George Pompidou
Centre George Pompidou
So, I kept on going, and I ended up at the Eiffel Tower. The lines there were actually not too bad, so I decided I'd go to the top! OUCH! I walked up the stairs to the 2nd story, which was a long way! From there, you have to take the elevator to the top. I tried to take some pictures of the city, but they didn't turn out too great. I also tried to take some pictures of myself, but I had "crazy eyes" in all of them. Then, someone offered to take my picture, and it looks like something is exploding out of my head, and the other looks like I'm being attacked by a lightsaber.
Okay, I've gotta wrap this up because I'm so tired! I'll leave you with one last picture. I see this ad in the metro every morning on my way to work, and it makes me laugh...I don't know why!
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Où est le métro St. Michel?
I finally found it!!!
Here are a few more pics from my weekend:
Inside the Galleries Lafayette
The Palais Garnier (Paris Opera)
Inside the Galleries Lafayette
The Palais Garnier (Paris Opera)
Palais de l'Élysée (The French White House)
Les Invalides (Burial site of Napoleon Bonaparte)
Opéra Bastille
Place des Vosges
Orsay Museum
Stained Glass Window at Notre Dame
Les Invalides (Burial site of Napoleon Bonaparte)
Opéra Bastille
Place des Vosges
Orsay Museum
Stained Glass Window at Notre Dame
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Seriously, why no eyebrows?
Another great day in Paris has come and gone! Today, I took off pretty early, and all of the streets were very quiet, and you could smell all of the fresh pastries from the bakeries - yummy! The first thing I came across was the Place des Vosges. It's Paris' oldest square where a lot of famous people (well, royals, authors, etc.) have lived. It was quaint and very nice, but I had some bigger and better on my mind. The Louvre! I got some serious culture today, ya'll! Although, I can't remember the names of some of the paintings, so if anybody knows...please tell me! Check it all out below. My favorite, "The Winged Victory."
Venus de Milo
The Winged Victory
The Winged Victory (I totally just "cheered" V-I-C-T-O-R-Y!)
Mona Freaking Lisa! - Leonardo da Vinci
The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne - Leonardo da Vinci
La Belle Jardiniere (Madonna and Child with Saint John the Baptist) - Raphael
Self-portrait with Daughter - Élisabeth Vigée-Le Brun
Psyche and Cupid - Antonio Canova
I spent about 4 hours at The Louvre, and I didn't come close to seeing everything. Afterwards, I
got some lunch and sat/ate in the Tuileries Garden right outside of The Louvre. It was nice to be off my feet for a bit, but I had to keep on keeping on! So, I headed off for Notre Dame. WOW! The stained glass windows were too cool! After hanging out inside for awhile, I decided to go to the top which meant more steps and more tiny passageways. Am I stupid!?! Nobody has to actually answer that, by the way! It wasn't too bad though, and the view from the top was amazing. I could see Sacre Coeur sitting on the hill off in the distance. It was too cloudy for any good pictures, though, sorry! I also went up to the bell tower, saw lots of cool gargoyles, and I'm sure I saw flying buttresses...although I'm not exactly sure what those are! Whew, I need to go to work and take a break from my weekend...I'm worn out! 
Venus de Milo
The Winged Victory
The Winged Victory (I totally just "cheered" V-I-C-T-O-R-Y!)
Mona Freaking Lisa! - Leonardo da Vinci
The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne - Leonardo da Vinci
La Belle Jardiniere (Madonna and Child with Saint John the Baptist) - Raphael
Self-portrait with Daughter - Élisabeth Vigée-Le Brun
Psyche and Cupid - Antonio Canova
I spent about 4 hours at The Louvre, and I didn't come close to seeing everything. Afterwards, I
got some lunch and sat/ate in the Tuileries Garden right outside of The Louvre. It was nice to be off my feet for a bit, but I had to keep on keeping on! So, I headed off for Notre Dame. WOW! The stained glass windows were too cool! After hanging out inside for awhile, I decided to go to the top which meant more steps and more tiny passageways. Am I stupid!?! Nobody has to actually answer that, by the way! It wasn't too bad though, and the view from the top was amazing. I could see Sacre Coeur sitting on the hill off in the distance. It was too cloudy for any good pictures, though, sorry! I also went up to the bell tower, saw lots of cool gargoyles, and I'm sure I saw flying buttresses...although I'm not exactly sure what those are! Whew, I need to go to work and take a break from my weekend...I'm worn out! 
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Tourist By Day, Blogger By Night
Today started with a very difficult choice. What to watch while I was getting ready to be Paris' #1 tourist. It was a toss up between Sponge Bob, Scooby Doo, or Hannah Montana (all in French, 
of course). I was about to settle on Sponge Bob, but then who's that I see on Hannah Montana?! Dolly Parton! Hannah Montana: 1 Sponge Bob: 0. At about 9:30, I was on my way to Sacre Coeur. It is an AWESOME basilica in an area called Montmartre. It's set on a hill, and it's a nice walk to the top where you can see all of Paris. It was pretty cloudy today, though. At any rate, it's beautiful, and the area around it with cobblestone streets and cafes is perfect for strolling around. OH, and I decided to go to the top of the dome. Now, I'm not sure why I thought this was a good idea since most 
of you know I'm pretty claustrophobic, and I knew the way up would be steep and small. It was kind of freaky, because I was the only person going up. So, of course I start thinking about what would happen if I somehow got stuck and couldn't get out. Not cool. So I started to go faster, concentrating on the steps one-by-one. Finally, I made it to the top! From Sacre 
Coeur, I decided to walk over to the Moulin Rouge. Not too much to say about it other than...I've seen the Moulin Rouge. It's not as impressive as I thought it would be, but I'm glad I saw it nonetheless. After that, I walked to the Galleries Lafayette. It's a pretty huge department store with everything you can imagine. It's nice, but it's not Harrods! I hear it's decorated nice at Christmas, though, so I'll definitely have to go back towards the end of my stay. Right across from the Galleries, is the Opera Garnier. It's the opera house in which the Phantom Of The Opera is set. Pretty cool! What else, what else? Oh, then I walked by the US Embassy, and I was going to take a picture, but a French policeman was all "No pictures, Madame." FINE! Continuing on that road, I came across the Palais de l'Élysée (AKA, the French White House). I wonder if Sarkozy was in there? You know, he's available now...I'm thinking about making a move ;-) Onward...to The Invalides. It's where Napoleon's tomb is located. I got there, but the line was super long for tickets, so I crossed the street to the Rodin Museum! SO COOL! I totally saw The Thinker!! I really enjoyed this, because there was a nice garden with most of Rodin's statues. Here are some of the most popular ones:
The Thinker
The Thinker (in case you weren't paying attention!)
The Kiss
The Walking Man
After Rodin's Museum, I walked over to the Champs Elysees and had dinner. That's right, I had dinner on the Champs Elysees!! I ate at a place called Pomme de Pain. I know Pomme means
apple, but I'm guessing it's not "The Apple of Pain." It was yummy, and I sat outside and watched people go by. It was very enjoyable, since I'd been on my feet for about 9 hours at that point!!! Then, I walked along the Champs Elysees a bit, and came across Paris Lamborghini. I want one! The Eiffel Tower was sparkling tonight, and no matter which setting I used on my 
camera I couldn't not get a good shot! Here's the best I could do! I continued back towards my hotel until I got to the Louvre where I took the metro the rest of the way home. I still haven't actually been in the Louvre...maybe tomorrow. It was a long day, but it was great! Now, it's almost 1 am, and I've blogged myself into a drunken stupor! I'm going to bed...Good-night!
of course). I was about to settle on Sponge Bob, but then who's that I see on Hannah Montana?! Dolly Parton! Hannah Montana: 1 Sponge Bob: 0. At about 9:30, I was on my way to Sacre Coeur. It is an AWESOME basilica in an area called Montmartre. It's set on a hill, and it's a nice walk to the top where you can see all of Paris. It was pretty cloudy today, though. At any rate, it's beautiful, and the area around it with cobblestone streets and cafes is perfect for strolling around. OH, and I decided to go to the top of the dome. Now, I'm not sure why I thought this was a good idea since most 
of you know I'm pretty claustrophobic, and I knew the way up would be steep and small. It was kind of freaky, because I was the only person going up. So, of course I start thinking about what would happen if I somehow got stuck and couldn't get out. Not cool. So I started to go faster, concentrating on the steps one-by-one. Finally, I made it to the top! From Sacre 
Coeur, I decided to walk over to the Moulin Rouge. Not too much to say about it other than...I've seen the Moulin Rouge. It's not as impressive as I thought it would be, but I'm glad I saw it nonetheless. After that, I walked to the Galleries Lafayette. It's a pretty huge department store with everything you can imagine. It's nice, but it's not Harrods! I hear it's decorated nice at Christmas, though, so I'll definitely have to go back towards the end of my stay. Right across from the Galleries, is the Opera Garnier. It's the opera house in which the Phantom Of The Opera is set. Pretty cool! What else, what else? Oh, then I walked by the US Embassy, and I was going to take a picture, but a French policeman was all "No pictures, Madame." FINE! Continuing on that road, I came across the Palais de l'Élysée (AKA, the French White House). I wonder if Sarkozy was in there? You know, he's available now...I'm thinking about making a move ;-) Onward...to The Invalides. It's where Napoleon's tomb is located. I got there, but the line was super long for tickets, so I crossed the street to the Rodin Museum! SO COOL! I totally saw The Thinker!! I really enjoyed this, because there was a nice garden with most of Rodin's statues. Here are some of the most popular ones:
The Thinker
The Thinker (in case you weren't paying attention!)
The Kiss
The Walking Man
After Rodin's Museum, I walked over to the Champs Elysees and had dinner. That's right, I had dinner on the Champs Elysees!! I ate at a place called Pomme de Pain. I know Pomme means
apple, but I'm guessing it's not "The Apple of Pain." It was yummy, and I sat outside and watched people go by. It was very enjoyable, since I'd been on my feet for about 9 hours at that point!!! Then, I walked along the Champs Elysees a bit, and came across Paris Lamborghini. I want one! The Eiffel Tower was sparkling tonight, and no matter which setting I used on my 
camera I couldn't not get a good shot! Here's the best I could do! I continued back towards my hotel until I got to the Louvre where I took the metro the rest of the way home. I still haven't actually been in the Louvre...maybe tomorrow. It was a long day, but it was great! Now, it's almost 1 am, and I've blogged myself into a drunken stupor! I'm going to bed...Good-night!
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