Paris, France

Day 1

La Basilique du Sacre Coeur de Montmartre

Bonjour from Paris, France! Traveling from Vienna to Paris required a plane and two train rides. After all was said and done, we arrived at our hotel in the 15 arrondissement of Paris – right around the corner from the Eiffel Tower! Right away we met up with Dom’s father (who is also in Paris for a few days) and headed over to an outdoor market called Montmartre. Here we climbed multiple sets of stairs until we reached an overlook providing us with a panoramic view of the city. The area of Montmarte is set up on a hill 130 meters high. This area was the center of a lot of activity and many artists from Berlioz to Picasso, lived, worked, and played here. Primarily, Montmarte is known for the white-domed Basilica of the Sacre Coeur on its summit. Strolling around the cobblestone streets, smelling the fresh crepes, and watching the street painters made for a wonderful start to our stay in Paris.

            Prior to our dinner reservation, we made a quick stop at the Eiffel Tower because I was dying to lay my eyes on it for the first time. It was nearly dusk when we rounded the corner and the majestic structure came into view. It felt so surreal to finally be within walking distance of the grand Eiffel Tower itself. After a few snapshots we hurried back to our hotel and waited for Dom’s sister Aurore to arrive. Dom’s father decided to treat us all to a late night dinner. He brought us to La Place Bistrot, which is a new traditional French bistro located around the corner from the Eiffel Tower. Each of us ordered three course meals all rich of original French style cooking with a touch of modern essence. I chose the escargot, a duck dish, and the crème brulée pistachio. Everything was amazing! The succulent escargot was bathed in garlic and herb sauce while the duck was baked with a potatoe compote on top. Several bottles of wine later, we were all overly satisfied with our meals and finished off a great evening with our sweet desserts.

 
            To top off on already amazing first day, we visited the Eiffel Tower at night. Most tourists visit the Eiffel Tower in daylight, but when we went in the late evening smaller crowds and shorter lines made the experience more pleasant. Enjoying the nighttime ambience made for a beautiful sight. After dark, the entire tower is cloaked in the warm glow of light projectors and sparkling strobe lights. La Tour Eiffel, also known as La dame de fer – the iron lady, was a breathtaking sight to see and I am so happy I finally witnessed it in all its glory! 

Day 2

Notre Dame

            Waking up on the second day was one of the most difficult experiences! Paris requires a lot of walking and transitioning between metro lines in order to see all of the attractions Paris has to offer. Before setting off on our journey for the day, we were served breakfast in the hotel (croissants/baguettes and coffee/hot cocoa of course!). First stop, Notre-Dame! After stepping out from the metro, the majestic cathedral stood in all of its Gothic loftiness dominating the Seine and the Ile-de-la-Cite. The exterior of the building has notable features including flying buttresses. The interior allows one to see the high arched ceilings and colorfully tinted stained glass.

            We then made our way over to the Avenue des Champs Elysees. This prestigious avenue in Paris is home to cinemas, cafes, and luxury specialty shops. It is one of the most famous streets in the world, and at the end of it stands the Arc de Triomphe. This monument officially stands in the center of the Place Charles de Gaulle. The Arc de Triomphe honors those who fought and died for France in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Climbing to the top allows for a unique view of the city including the Eiffel Tower!

            Dom’s sister ended up taking Heather and I to see the Galeries Lafayette next. This attraction is a one hundred year old department store on the Boulevard Haussmann and it receives over 25 million visitors each year. This is the center of Parisian fashion and luxury products where women from around the world come to buy clothes, perfumes and beauty products. Although I could never afford almost half of the items for sale, the artistry of the building from the inside is unbelievable.

Arc de Triomphe

Galeries Lafayette

            To add to an already busy day, Dom, Heather and I made it over to explore the Louvre! This grand museum located on the city’s western edge and is home to various exhibits and thousands of artifacts. The structural beauty of the building itself is an art form alone, not to mention the exquisite one of a kind sculptures and paintings that can be found inside. Although we were unable to see everything the museum has to offer (it would have taken a WHOLE day to see that!), we were able to walk through and see a good amount. Specifically, we explored the Egyptian Antiques, which illustrates the art of ancient Egypt form the origins of Cleopatra and aspects of Egyptian civilization. We saw the Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities, which contain works produced by the three ancient civilizations; of which the sculptures are particularly a highlight of the exhibit. Meandering through the Paintings exhibits allowed us to see collections covering the history of European painting from the mid-13^th century to the mid-19^th century. The paintings exhibits are divided into three large groups: the French school, the Italian and Spanish schools, and the Northern European schools. Of course we pushed our way through the crowds to catch a glimpse of the Mona Lisa!

Louvre

            Ending the day with a sweet French dessert seemed right. Heather got some churros and I indulged in a crepe with bananas and nutella!

 

           

Day 3

Louvre - Mona Lisa

On our last full day in Paris we planned to have a relaxed day going 

to the last few attractions we wished to see. Although yesterday we saw one of the largest museums in the world (the Louvre), I was excited to explore the Musée d’Orsay. This particular museum is located on the left bank of the Seine and it holds mainly French art dating from 1848 to 1915, including paintings, sculptures, furniture, and photography. We all enjoyed the variety that was on display. Walking from room to room seemed like walking through a never-ending maze with new surprises around the corner. The works of Manet and Monet, together with sculpture collections, paintings by Vincent Van Gogh, as well as impressionists and postimpressionists left us in awe.

Latin Quarter

Musee d'Orsay

            After leaving the Musée d’Orsay, we walked for a while along the Seine River towards the Latin Quarter. The Latin Quarter is an area in the 5^th and parts of the 6^th arrondissement of Paris. This area is known for its student life as well as lively atmosphere and bistros. Here we did some souvenir shopping and even stopped into a little café to grab a drink, and I treated myself to some warm French onion soup!

            Overall, Paris was everything I could have asked for. I was able to see historic monuments, prominent museums, and indulge in the delicious French cuisine. After an exhausting three days we are all ready to fly back to Vienna tomorrow. Later on tonight and even tomorrow morning we will probably visit the Eiffel Tower one last time until it is time to bid Paris farewell. I will be leaving Paris with new historic knowledge, a full stomach, and an empty wallet! Au revoir Paris, je vous aime!